Bengals perfect free agent fit is WR Will Fuller per Pro Football Focus

One of the Bengals biggest needs entering the 2021 season is a wide receiver who is a deep threat in the passing game. Cincinnati could choose to add a speedy WR through free agency. One potential addition is former Houston Texans WR Will Fuller. Fuller averaged 16.6 yards per reception in 2020.

With a career average of 14.9 YPR, Fuller is 11th among active players in YPR. Tee Higgins led Cincinnati with a 13.6 YPR average during his rookie season in 2020. Fuller ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine. Higgins was recorded running a 4.59 40 at his Pro Day in 2020.

Fuller would provide a much faster WR as a deep threat and one the Bengals sorely need. Fuller is coming off career highs with 53 receptions, 879 receiving yards, a 16.6 YPR and eight touchdowns. Fuller’s YPR and TDs eclipsed anyone on Cincinnati. What happens in free agency will influence the NFL Draft.

The Bengals seem likely to make the offensive line a priority in free agency. Free-agent guard Joe Thuney has been the most often mentioned. Fuller earned over $10 million in 2020. The evaluation for Fuller is $7.16 million per year according to Overthecap.Com. That is a reasonable number for Cincinnati.

"CINCINNATI BENGALS: WR WILL FULLER V2020 team: Texans | Age entering 2021 season: 27Free agency will tell us a lot about what the Bengals plan to do in the draft, as both receiver and tackle are big-time needs. If they have their mind set at tackle in the draft — Oregon product Penei Sewell is looking like a heavy favorite — they could add a serviceable weapon for Joe Burrow in free agency.In Fuller, the Bengals would get a speed demon who can complement the other players in the receiving corps. Given Burrow’s accuracy in the intermediate range (1-19 yards downfield) and Tyler Boyd‘s big catch radius already entrenched in Cincinnati, the Bengals don’t strictly need a tried-and-true player who can get separation.Instead, they could target Fuller’s downfield speed, which would go a long way toward improving a passing attack that ranked 31st in deep passing yards in 2020 (470). Fuller also quietly had the ninth-highest grade at receiver in the league last season, at 86.2."

Pro Football Focus views Fuller as the perfect fit for Cincinnati with Thuney being a match for the Denver Broncos. The Bengals signing Fuller would make a difference throughout the Cincinnati offense. The ability for Fuller to make plays in the deep passing game would open up the run and the intermediate passing game.

Fuller would replace A.J. Freen as the third WR for Cincinnati. Green is in the twilight of his career with fading skills. Behind Boyd, Green and Higgins, Auden Tate had the fourth most receptions for Cincinnati in 2020 with 14. Fuller would fill a huge void in the Bengals WR corps and provide a veteran presence.