Bengals Urged to Sign Former 1,000-Yard WR as Tee Higgins Insurance

Getty An NFL writer suggested veteran wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. as Tee Higgins insurance in free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals still have approximately $23.43 million in available cap space in 2024 according to Over the Cap. And with minimal roster holes to fill heading into the NFL draft, Bleacher Report analyst Matt Holder suggested that Cincy use some of that spending money to bolster their wide receiver corps.

“To be honest, the Bengals have a pretty good roster where there isn’t much room for an outsider to come in and start right away,” Holder noted in his article determining late free agent fits for each team. Instead, the writer urged Cincinnati to think long-term with a DJ Chark Jr. signing at wide receiver.

“Adding Chark would be a move to see if he can potentially replace Tee Higgins next season,” Holder reasoned. “The 2019 Pro Bowler isn’t the same player he used to be, but he is coming off back-to-back 500-yard campaigns.”

During his Pro Bowl campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chark topped 1,000 receiving yards for the first and only time in his career. He’s a 6-foot-3 big play threat who has 23 career touchdowns and an average of 14.5 yards per reception.

Bengals Should Add 1-2 WRs Before End of 2024 Offseason

If the price is affordable — and it should be considering Chark signed for $5 million last spring — this potential acquisition makes sense for a couple of reasons.

The first is that you can never have enough depth, and as of now, the Bengals are lacking in that department at WR. Ja’Marr Chase is your superstar No. 1, and Higgins has already vocalized that he plans to play on the franchise tag if Cincy elects not to trade him.

Behind the top two, there are question marks.

2023 draft picks Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas showed glimpses of promise as rookies, but you can’t rely on a fourth rounder and a sixth rounder to take major leaps in production. After all, long-time staff favorite UDFA Trenton Irwin outshined both when called upon.

Chark is a former second-round talent with a proven track record, and he’d immediately become the Bengals’ third best wideout on the roster if signed.

Reason number two is Higgins. As Holder alluded, this transaction would be as much about 2025 as it would be about 2024.

If Cincinnati can convince Chark to take a two-year deal, for example, he could spend year one learning the system as a rotational piece and then step into Higgins role next season. In the meantime, he’d also serve as injury or holdout insurance on the outside, should something happen to Chase or Higgins.

Chark is a step or two below the Bengals’ current star pass-catchers, but he’s similar enough to Higgins to help with the transition in the case of a 2025 departure. Coupled with a dynamic slot receiver selection in the draft, Cincy could arm Joe Burrow with his deepest WR corps since entering the league.

Healthy Bengals Roster Is Still Greatest Threat to Chiefs in AFC Conference

It’s an all-in type move to keep Higgins at a $21.816 million salary, so why not go one step further? Sign Chark, draft a slot-threat in round two or three, and then save your round one selection for a new pillar on the offensive or defensive line.

When healthy, the Bengals are the only AFC team that has consistently bested Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs more often than not. That gives them the most likely odds of dethroning the back-to-back defending world champions.

They just need a strong draft and one or two more veteran additions to account for any bumps and bruises along the way.