The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bolster their wide receiving corps, as they have brought in former New York Giants star wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. Nicks has only spent one season away from the Giants, and that was in 2014 after he had signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
At only 28 years old, Nicks should still have some gas left in his tank and could see a bit of a career resurgence if he ends up signing with the Bengals. Nicks would likely be the third or fourth receiver in this offense, that is unless the Bengals completely ignore the position during the NFL draft.
Nicks recorded two starts, seven receptions, 54 yards, 7.7 yards per catch and zero touchdowns during the 2015 NFL season.The Cincinnati Bengals collapsed in the playoffs, as they failed to put away the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals had been a dominant football team all season long until the Playoffs. It could have been the fact that Andy Dalton was injured, it could've been that they were not prepared, but whatever the case, that loss will haunt them for a very long time.
The hits continued during free agency, as they saw Marvin Jones become one of the most valued wide receivers in free agency. He would sign a mega deal for a middling, injury prone, number 2/3 wide receiver with the Detroit Lions, who just saw Calvin Johnson retire.
The Bengals would also lose wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to the Atlanta Falcons, as they continue to look for a wide receiver that can complement Julio Jones. Cincinnati also saw the departure of outside linebacker Emmanuel Lamur and right tackle Andre Smith, as they would sign with the Minnesota Vikings.
Lastly, the Bengals saw defensive end Wallace Gilberry head to the Lions, which just forces them to look to draft a defensive lineman at some point during the 2016 NFL Draft. They would also re-sign several key players who will continue to help this team get back to the playoffs in the 2016 NFL season.
The Bengals re-signed cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, inside linebacker Vincent Rey, and defensive tackles Pat Sims and Brandon Thompson. The last aspect of free agency that the Bengals have touched upon is talent acquisition, which is where they somewhat fell short.
They were looking to re-sign at least one of their free agent wide receivers, but instead, they come away empty. They had to make do with the players that were remaining towards the end of the free agent frenzy.
They signed wide receiver Brandon LaFell from the New England Patriots, safety Taylor Mays from the Oakland Raiders, and inside linebacker Karlos Dansby from the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals could continue to build up this roster and prepare for the draft by signing Nicks, as he will help fill a key position of need for this franchise.
