CINCINNATI – Troy Walters often thinks of the fortunate situation in which he finds himself.
“Every day,” the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach told USA TODAY Sports. “Because every day (the receivers are) doing something out on the field, you just sit back, it just amazes you. So every day someone’s making a play and just truly blessed and honored and don’t take any day for granted.”
Few NFL coaches in the league enjoy the talent pool in Walters’ room. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are arguably – and it’s a logically sound argument – the best one-two punch at receiver in the league. The guy throwing them the ball is Joe Burrow. They are productive, and after seasons of contract-related drama, both are paid.
“But what I love most about those guys is they’re just good people,” Walters said of Chase and Higgins. “They’re fun to be around. Every day’s a good day.”
That was even before they became the highest-paid receiving duo in NFL history this offseason. (They broke the news simultaneously and share an agent.) Chase signed a four-year extension worth more than $40 million in average annual value, which made him the highest-paid non-quarterback until the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt inked his new deal this month. His megadeal came after he won the receiving triple crown, as he led the league in all three major categories: 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Higgins, meanwhile, also signed a four-year pact that, at $115 million total, made him a top-10 wideout in terms of salary. Previously, he’d threatened to hold out, and the Bengals applied the franchise tag to him in consecutive years. He responded to speculation that his early-season hamstring injury had more to do with his dissatisfaction with the tag than actually being hurt. Chase sat out all of training camp last year and rejoined practice with less than a week before the team’s regular-season opener and took out a $50 million insurance policy on himself to protect against injury.
“First, you’re happy that they got what they deserved, what they’ve worked hard for. I’m happy for them,” Walters said. “And then, it’s not a distraction. Not to say it was a huge distraction last year, but any time you got guys missing practices and not here and so forth, it’s tough. But they’re locked in.”
The new challenge for Chase and Higgins, Walters said, is to make sure that the production matches the paycheck.
“The standard is high and they got to meet it every day,” he said. “And they do that.”
During Wednesday’s practice, Higgins made plays during the move-the-ball portion of practice Chase was his usual self in the red zone. Andrei Iosivas is always primed to make one or two big plays that go unnoticed, Walters said. Mitchell Tinsley made plays that caught Walters’ eye. Isaiah Williams, a second-year player from Illinois, has had moments.
Burrow specifically mentioned Jamoi Mayes and Charlie Jones as two other young receivers who have looked sharp during their reps with No. 9.
“We’re as deep at the receiver position as we’ve been since I’ve been here,” Burrow said.
He continued: “When somebody goes down, you can put somebody right there that we have a lot of faith in.”
Not all of those wideouts have a ton of game reps, but they keep making plays in practice. There have not been many mental errors to this point in camp, which is rare, Burrow said.
“I feel great about where that room is,” he said.
The leadership in the Bengals’ receivers room is young. Higgins is the most experienced as a sixth-year veteran who was part of Burrow’s draft class, and Chase is one year behind them. What Iosivas admires about them is the way they find ways to improve what they already excel at.
“Seeing greatness in front of you makes me want to be great as well and that’s why I think our receiving room is so good,” Iosivas told USA TODAY Sports.
Even when Chase held out last year until the start of the regular season, nobody was bothered. The coaches want him in the room, of course. But Chase never lacked the support of his teammates.
“Off the field, it’s more like you want your guys to win,” Iosvias said.
And off the field, Chase and Higgins are best friends. They are never going at each other over who is getting the ball more.
‘There’s never any ego. There’s never any jealousy,’ Walters said. ‘As coaches, that gives you some ease, that gives you some comfort.’
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They are complements from a skillset perspective. Chase is versatile and can play on either side of the formation. If teams focus on him, then Higgins – a bigger, still fast, more vertical threat – can make them pay. Chase wins 1-on-1 matchups almost every time.
“One has size, the other has versatility,” Walters said. “Ja’Marr is strong run-after-the-catch. Tee is a big body. He’s going to make all the 50-50 catches.
“They set the standard,” Walters added. “Everyone wants to be like them.”
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Defenses know Burrow would throw the ball to Higgins and Chase every chance he can. Burrow also understands that defenses can divert enough resources to take both guys out of a play.
Which makes players such as Iosivas, Burton, tight end Mike Gesicki (and Erick All Jr. once he returns from injury), among others, all the more integral to what the Bengals want to accomplish through the air.
Iosivas popped out with multiple nice plays during Wednesday’s practice.
“He’s having a great camp,” Burrow said of the sixth-round pick from Princeton.
Jermaine Burton has also flashed during camp, Walters said. Following an unsettling rookie season, Walters had a good spring. But the team is still seeking consistency on and off the field from Burton, who was accused of assaulting a 19-year-old woman he dated in January (no charges were filed) and had a handful of other behavior-related issues during his rookie season.
In his second season, Walters said, Burton knows where to line up and plays with more speed. But he still has to master the details so Burrow can trust that he’ll be where he is supposed to be.
Contested catches was a weakness of Iosivas’ as a rookie and first couple of seasons in the league. Burrow took note of the improvement he’s seen.
“He’s doing a great job of locating (the ball), finding it, and making an aggressive play on the ball … he continues to show that in practice and he’s going to continue to get opportunities like that in games,” Burrow said. “You build that trust, you’re going to get opportunities.”
Walters said Iosivas has been focused on gaining yards after the catch because, with Chase and Higgins dominating the target share, he may have 40 to 50 catches on the season. But if he can make them productive and “explosives,” Walters said, “he’s going to have a good season.”
It helps Iosivas can play all three receiver spots and has the size and intelligence to do so. He’s big enough to block. Putting him outside helps create slot looks for Chase or can give Higgins a spell.
“That goes unnoticed, just the value in terms of the multiple positions he plays and the multiple roles … he’s a valuable piece of the offense,” Walters said.
Not bad for a sixth-rounder from Princeton.
“I think he came in with a chip on his shoulder and he’s definitely produced better than a sixth-rounder would,” Walters said, “and he keeps getting better and he’s not satisfied.”