Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is seeking a deal similar to the one that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. received, according to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Pittman fetched three years and $70 million on his latest deal, which would suggest that Higgins is looking for a three-year deal worth roughly $23 million on an annual basis. If so, there's a significant gap in negotiations between him and the Bengals, who have not offered more than $20 million annually, according to Conway. The former second-round receiver previously requested a trade, but as it stands, he's expected to remain in Cincinnati for the 2024 season. With Joe Burrow throwing him passes, Higgins ranks as a low-end WR2 in fantasy football.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown remains the No. 2 option out of the backfield after the team opted not to select any competition in the NFL Draft. Cincinnati replaced Joe Mixon with Zack Moss last March, and while it seemed like they could upgrade their backfield in the draft, that wasn't the case. Instead, it appears Moss will be Cincinnati's primary running back, barring a surprise signing or trade. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic indicates that Moss has a leg up over Brown heading into the summer, including on third downs. This isn't necessarily a surprise given that Moss looked great in Indianapolis last year, but Brown also flashed promise as a rookie, totaling 335 yards and a touchdown. He enters the summer as Moss' backup but could push for more snaps with a strong camp.

The Cincinnati Bengals mildly surprised by not taking a single running back in this year's NFL draft, which means Zack Moss is in line for lead-back duties in his first year in Cincy in 2024. Moss will be the prime candidate to assume the third-down role with his extensive experience pass-blocking (68 opportunities last year, 15th in the NFL), and holding up relatively well. Chase Brown will also be involved as a complement to Moss, but after the Bengals didn't add a single RB in the draft, Moss' fantasy arrow continues to point up heading into 2024 after he impressed in Jonathan Taylor's absence with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. "No. 1, I think he'll be really good in the screen game because he's the kind of guy you get in space and has lateral quickness to make the first miss," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Iowa tight end Erick All with the No. 115 overall selection in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. All will join a tight end corps in Cincinnati that already includes newcomer Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample. All led Iowa in receiving yards (299) and touchdowns (three) last year despite missing half of the year due to a torn ACL. He also had spinal surgery in 2022, so there is a real injury concern with All at the next level. When he's healthy, though, he's an intriguing tight end prospect for a Bengals team that lacks any real big-name player at the position. Even if All is healthy in his rookie year in 2024, it's hard to envision him becoming a major player in an offense that already has plenty of mouths to feed.

The Bengals selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton with the No. 80 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The 22-year-old began his collegiate career at Georgia. However, he played at Alabama in the last two seasons. During his time with the Crimson Tide, he totaled 79 catches for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also averaged 20.5 yards per catch as a senior. It will be tough for anyone to get consistently involved offensively with Ja'Marr Chase and potentially Tee Higgins in the equation. However, If Burton gets snaps, he could flourish catching passes from Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.