Cincinnati

Bengals

Dehner noted that Gesicki could be a mismatch for slower safeties and small slot corners while operating out of the slot. He named Gesicki as his fantasy breakout candidate for the Bengals. Gesicki’s career has been on the ropes for the past two years, with both Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins and the Patriots failing to find a role for him. Before McDaniel arrived in Miami, Gesicki strung together two productive seasons as the Dolphins’ big slot. He topped 700 yards in back-to-back seasons and even caught 73 passes in 2022. Gesicki ran over 60 percent of his routes from the slot in those two seasons. A return to his pseudo-receiver role bodes well for Gesicki’s fantasy outlook, though fantasy managers should still treat him as a flier and a TE2 in early drafts.

This has long been the expected outcome for Higgins, who signed his franchise tender last month. The sides never appeared remotely close to a deal, and it seems all but certain Higgins will be allowed to reach free agency and walk next March.

Passing comments from HC Zac Taylor in end-of-season exit meetings, prompted Iosivas to seek out the acclaimed Lieberman, whose recent students include Brandon Aiyuk, Evan Engram, Jakobi Meyers and Dontayvion Wicks. Taylor imparted the same message unto Brown, and Iosivas later extended the invitation to join him and Lieberman in Atlanta. The duo spent the first of two months training in Lieberman’s unique catching system before focusing on route running techniques. Both players face in-house competition for their respective receiving opportunities but Dehner’s report is a positive step toward weekly fantasy football relevance.

It’s unclear who will take on the Bengals’ primary pass-catching role out of the backfield, though Chase Brown excelled in that role as a rookie in 2023. The speedy Brown caught 14 of his 15 targets for 156 yards and a touchdown last season. Zack Moss could also mix in on passing downs, though he seems more likely to take on Cincinnati’s primary early down role. Last season, Joe Mixon saw an 11 percent target share (64 targets) as the team’s lead back. More pass-game usage could be a huge statistical boon for Brown if he seizes the pass catching role this summer.

This had been a huge ball in the air for the Bengals as they look to bounce back from their sub-par, injury-marred 2023. Higgins will now be there on Day 1 of camp, presumably without a long-term agreement. The sides have until July 15 to hammer that out, but there has been little indication an agreement will be reached. Coming off by far his worst professional season — one where he missed five games — Higgins is looking to re-establish every-week WR2 status in fantasy.

Karras was entering the final year of a three-year deal he signed back in 2022, but has now been extended through the 2025 season. The veteran center has appeared in 33 of a possible 34 regular season games since signing with the team, and earned a PFF blocking grade of 67.4 last season, which ranked 15th amongst centers (min. 300 snaps).

Coming off surgery on his wrist after sustaining a season-ending injury last fall, Burrow said it’s hard to estimate how far along he is in his recovery. He assured reporters he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. That could mean Burrow will be limited and carefully managed by the Bengals this summer. The Bengals’ 2024 prospects hinge entirely on the availability of the oft-injured Burrow, entering his age-27 season. Jake Browning would serve as the team’s starting QB if Burrow misses time again in 2024.

Chase skipped the team’s OTAs as he pushes for a new contract with the Bengals. Chase, 24, is entering his fourth NFL season. The team picked up his fifth year contract option. It’s only a matter of time before the two sides come to a long-term agreement that will keep chase in Cincinnati for years to come. Chase in 2023 managed 100 receptions and over 1,200 yards despite Joe Burrow missing much of the year with lingering injuries. His 2023 receiving success rate (57 percent) was the highest of his NFL career.

Scharping was a second-round pick of the Texans back in 2019 and has started in 33 of the 79 games he’s appeared in, with his last start coming in 2021. He appeared in 31 games for the Bengals over the last two seasons but has seen just 43 offensive snaps over that span. He’ll look to catch on with the Eagles as added depth along the interior in training camp.

Higgins has yet to sign his franchise tag tender as he seeks a long-term deal or a trade. The franchise tender would pay Higgins, 25, $21.9 million in 2024. Ja’Marr Chase, who had his fifth-year option picked up by the Bengals last month, was also absent from the voluntary workouts. Higgins’ situation is devolving by the week and could end up with a prolonged holdout later this summer unless the Bengals decide to deal him to another team before the regular season kicks off.