Why wide receiver is a need for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020

Although the Cincinnati Bengals have talent at the wide receiver position, there are also many questions that need to be considered. Here is why wide receiver is a sneaky need for the Bengals going into the off-season.

When you start breaking down the position groups of the Cincinnati Bengals roster, one of the groups that may catch your eye in terms of talent is wide receiver. When you have a potential Hall of Famer like A.J. Green, a potential Pro Bowler like Tyler Boyd or even the fastest man in the NFL like John Ross, You can certainly make a strong case.

The problem is, with as much talent as the team has is in this group, there is also a lot of uncertainty. Green is in a contract year and hasn’t played a snap this season. He is also over 30 yrs. old and isn’t getting any younger. This isn’t to say that Green shouldn’t be on the roster next season, actually, it is quite the opposite. It simply comes back to uncertainty.

It has to be somewhat concerning that Green and the Bengals have been unable to reach a deal on a contract extension. A franchise tag is also an option, however, it is difficult to gauge where both sides are right now. The hope is they will be able to get a deal done. There is also a question of whether Green can play a full season at this point in his career.

There is no questioning the impact Green has when he’s on the field. That being said, as with any player as they get older, it becomes more difficult to remain healthy throughout a sixteen game season. Speaking of health, can John Ross ever get through a complete season? The former Husky shows moments of brilliance on the field, unfortunately, it only comes in moments.

Like with Green, this isn’t to say that Ross shouldn’t be on this team moving forward, but unfortunately, there is always going to be uncertainty. You can’t just bank on players when you have these many question marks. Boyd has been the one rock this group can lean on, and Auden Tate has shown he belongs. But after that, you have Alex Erickson, who is nice only as a spot player. Beyond that, the guess-work increases.

The Bengals don’t need to reboot the wide receiver group, however, they do need depth. The Bengals need someone who can come in when injuries happen and make the defense pay attention. When Green or Ross is out, there simply isn’t anyone who scares defensive coordinators on the outside.

As we approach the draft season, we will take a deep dive into prospects, and this is a deep wide receiver class. The Cincinnati Bengals should be able to find talent in the middle rounds, which would be a perfect scenario for this team as the off-season approaches.

This is not a doom and gloom situation, and if players can stay healthy, you would at least have a nice rotation going forward. Adding another piece to this receiver group would give Zac Taylor more options to scheme around, and opposing defenses more to scheme for.