The Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 season got off to a rocky start as early as training camp.
Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow injured his calf and has only recently begun to move and look like his usual self. look and move like his usual self. That's a great sign for Burrow and the Bengals to get their offense jump started again.
Entering Week 6, the Bengals ranked 25th in EPA per play on offense. Burrow is ahead of only Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Kenny Pickett in EPA plus CPOE (completion percentage over expectation) composite score. The whole world knows those aren't the only quarterbacks he is better than.
But he could use some help. It might not seem like that's the case because of the weapons Burrow has around him, but Tee Higgins has missed time with injury this season. His offensive line hasn't done a great job protecting him. Cincinnati is getting almost nothing out of Irv Smith Jr., who was signed to replace Hayden Hurst, who the Bengals added before last season to replace CJ Uzomah.
The Bengals made the Super Bowl two years ago. A year after that, they made yet another AFC Championship Game. They're in it to win now. They should be aggressive in adding reinforcements for Burrow. There are a couple of interesting names out there Cincinnati could acquire on the cheap that could help the team on its quest for the Super Bowl.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
Remember the last time Cincinnati reunited Burrow with a college teammate? Ok, it's a little different when the subject of that question is Chase, but Terrace Marshall Jr. shined at LSU alongside Burrow, too. Marshall didn't put up the gaudy numbers Chase or Justin Jefferson managed on the Tigers' famed 2019 national title team, but he did catch 13 touchdowns and racked up 671 yards on 46 receptions that season.
It isn't like Marshall has been a complete disappointment in the pros, either, even if his numbers aren't exactly prolific. In 32 career games, he has 61 receptions on 104 targets for 742 yards and one touchdown. To put that in context, Chase—granted, one of the five best receivers in the NFL—has 50 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns in six games this season alone. But Marshall was sneakily productive on a bad Carolina Panthers team last year, averaging 1.84 yards per route run last season, ranking 39th among all wideouts, according to Player Profiler.
Marshall has the prototypical size and speed to be an impact receiver in the NFL, but playing time and a friendly situation has eluded him so far in his career. Cincinnati could be the perfect place for his fresh start, which Carolina seems inclined to give to him.
The Bengals could use him in the future, too. Higgins has yet to sign a long-term deal with the Bengals, who ar alsoe going to need to sign Chase to a long-term deal soon. Both he and Tyler Boyd are entering the final years of their respective contracts. Cincinnati is going to need to find talent on the cheap to surround Burrow and Chase. Getting someone like Marshall, who has experience playing with both and has shown some ability to succeed at the NFL level, would make a lot of sense.
Zach Ertz
Hurst was a key member of the Bengals' passing attack even though he wasn't anything special. He averaged a meager 1.23 yards per route last season, finishing with 52 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns on 68 targets. But he did help Cincinnati move the chains and was a nice security blanket for Burrow. Those numbers aren't gaudy, but they're a heck of a lot better than the six receptions for 32 yards they've gotten from Irv Smith Jr. in four games this season.
That's why the Bengals should trade for Zach Ertz from the Arizona Cardinals. Believe it or not, Ertz, who himself wasn't playing the best ball of his career a year ago before tearing his ACL, ranks sixth in the NFL among tight ends in targets. Only TJ Hockenson, Travis Kelce, Evan Engram, Sam LaPorta, and Darren Waller have more. Ertz isn't doing much with those targets; he's averaging 1.04 yards per route run and has only 43 yards after the catch this season. But he still is a nice chain-mover who could help Cincinnati.
The Cardinals aren't competing this season and have a promising young tight end in Trey McBride waiting in the wings. Cincinnati needs an upgrade at that position. A trade makes sense for all parties and shouldn't cost much. Get it done.
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