06-26-2023, 01:42 PM
ESPN Ranks Every Group Of WRs, TEs, and RBs, and we come in at #2 behind San Fran!
I think Higgins would be a #1 on just about any other team, so it doesn't surprise me that him and Chase make up probably the best receiving duo in the league.
Sad that Boyd's probably gone after this season with the addition of Jones, and you might think he's expendable, but you have to think that he'll be doing his best to put out an audition tape for every other team to see, so that gets me excited about the depth of our receiving room.
I've said that ignoring TE in the draft with so many good ones meant that maybe we just don't value the TE position enough, but I'm hoping that we find a solid tight end that becomes a cap casualty for another team so we can upgrade the position, especially because of Smith's health concerns.
If he can stay healthy and avoid injury, I think Burrow could allow him to live up to his potential as a high second-round pick.
When Mixon runs downhill and doesn't dance, he's a damn good back. Even if he just pauses and picks his spots before he hits the hole, he's good, but dancing around in the backfield and then even once he gets going killed his production. I remember Burrow telling him "if we run the ball like that, no one can stop us."
We could still sign Dalvin cook, which would be huge, or maybe even Zeke Elliot.
With an offense as explosive as ours, we just can't have our back dancing around like Mixon does a lot, but hopefully he's over it. An improved line will also help whoever our back is.
Chase Brown could also surprise and be special!
They ranked San Fran as #1, which , yes, they have CMC and he might be the best back in the league if you factor in receiving, but I just don't see it.
They do have Kittle, who is a top TE in the league, and Samuel and Aiyuk are good, but they're no Higgins and Chase.
It's going to be a hell of a year!
WHO-DEY!
Quote:Last year, the Bengals ranked No. 1 on this list by a considerable margin. This year, they drop down to No. 2. I've made the case that the Dolphins' wideout duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle was the most productive in football last season, and A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are incredible, but if you were going to pick one duo to build your team around in 2023, could you avoid choosing Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins? The only thing that slowed Chase a year ago was a hairline fracture in his hip. The Bengals averaged 28 points per game without Chase in the lineup, which should tell you just how great the rest of their offense was.
Chase and Higgins require no introduction or explanation. Tyler Boyd continues to compete for the spot as the league's best third wideout, although he dropped from 1.7 yards per route run to 1.4 last season. That might not sound like much, but it amounts to 117 fewer receiving yards over the course of the season, and it came in a season in which Chase missed meaningful time. Boyd is still a valuable third playmaker, but in a league in which Jaxon Smith-Njigba is now a third wideout, Boyd doesn't feel as luxurious.
I think Higgins would be a #1 on just about any other team, so it doesn't surprise me that him and Chase make up probably the best receiving duo in the league.
Sad that Boyd's probably gone after this season with the addition of Jones, and you might think he's expendable, but you have to think that he'll be doing his best to put out an audition tape for every other team to see, so that gets me excited about the depth of our receiving room.
Quote:Going from Hayden Hurst to Irv Smith at tight end is a downgrade. Smith hasn't been able to stay healthy, missing 29 of 50 possible games over the past three seasons while battling knee, hand and ankle injuries. Smith hasn't produced at a TE1 level while healthy; this is a position I'm hoping the Bengals address between now and the trade deadline.
I've said that ignoring TE in the draft with so many good ones meant that maybe we just don't value the TE position enough, but I'm hoping that we find a solid tight end that becomes a cap casualty for another team so we can upgrade the position, especially because of Smith's health concerns.
If he can stay healthy and avoid injury, I think Burrow could allow him to live up to his potential as a high second-round pick.
Quote:Last season also looked like a step backward for Joe Mixon, who averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, which is the worst full-season mark of his career. Advanced metrics liked Mixon's season more than the raw numbers, though; he posted 43 rushing yards over expected and ranked 10th in Football Outsiders' version of success rate. There are questions about whether Mixon will be a cap casualty before the season-- and the Bengals lost backup Samaje Perine to free agency -- but Mixon can still be a useful back if he's on the Week 1 roster. The slight downgrades by Mixon and Boyd and the change at tight end was enough to bump Cincinnati out of the penthouse.
When Mixon runs downhill and doesn't dance, he's a damn good back. Even if he just pauses and picks his spots before he hits the hole, he's good, but dancing around in the backfield and then even once he gets going killed his production. I remember Burrow telling him "if we run the ball like that, no one can stop us."
We could still sign Dalvin cook, which would be huge, or maybe even Zeke Elliot.
With an offense as explosive as ours, we just can't have our back dancing around like Mixon does a lot, but hopefully he's over it. An improved line will also help whoever our back is.
Chase Brown could also surprise and be special!
They ranked San Fran as #1, which , yes, they have CMC and he might be the best back in the league if you factor in receiving, but I just don't see it.
They do have Kittle, who is a top TE in the league, and Samuel and Aiyuk are good, but they're no Higgins and Chase.
It's going to be a hell of a year!
WHO-DEY!
![[Image: 7LNf.gif]](https://i.gifer.com/7LNf.gif)
