Tag: Tyler Boyd

Steelers miss out on free-agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Steelers missed out on a big opportunity with WR Tyler Boyd.

On Tuesday, the news came out that the Tennessee Titans had agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd. According to multiple sources, Boyd is signing a one-year contract with a potential value of $4.5 million.

Boyd is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL during his career. Here’s how he ranks in Bengals history after eight seasons:

• 6,000 rec. yards (7th in franchise history)

• 513 receptions (4th in franchise history)

• 31 rec. touchdowns (11th in franchise history)

The Steelers were one of the teams in the mix to sign Boyd in the offseason and seeing how things played out it is really disappointing to see Boyd ended up with another team on such a reasonable contract. The rumor was the Steelers and Boyd couldn’t come together on a contract which really makes us wonder just how badly the front office tried to lowball him.

Pittsburgh traded away Diontae Johnson in the offseason and despite drafting Roman Wilson still needs to add talent at the position. Missing on Boyd really limits the Steelers options unless they work out a trade.

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What Titans’ Tyler Boyd signing means for Treylon Burks, Kyle Philips

What the Titans’ signing of Tyler Boyd means for Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips moving forward.

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly adding wide receiver Tyler Boyd on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million in free agency, which is very bad news for both Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks.

Boyd, 29, is a slot specialist and very familiar with head coach Brian Callahan’s offense after playing in it for five season. He now becomes the favorite to be the No. 3 option in Tennessee’s wide receivers room behind DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley.

That knocks Burks down in the pecking order even farther and will limit his snaps considerably, assuming he stays in Nashville and isn’t traded, which now becomes much more possible.

It’s also disastrous for Philips’ chances of seeing playing time, as he’s a slot-only receiver. He may not even make the team at this point and will have to find other ways to contribute if he wants to, like with returning kicks.

However, we’ve already been down that road and it wasn’t good. It wouldn’t be at all shocking to see Philips traded, also, although it remains to be seen how interested teams will be in a player who hasn’t done much of anything over the past two years.

Burks is much more likely to draw interest, but neither he nor Philips will garner much in a deal. The Titans might be better off holding on to Burks specifically, just in case of injury.

Whatever the case may be, both Burks and Philips are in much worse shape with the Titans than they were when they woke up this morning.

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Colts’ division rival Tennessee Titans add WR Tyler Boyd

The Tennessee Titans reportedly added wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who the Colts will now have to contend with twice in 2024.

For the 2024 season, the Indianapolis Colts’ secondary is going to have to contend with wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million with the Tennessee Titans, according to Jeremy Fowler.

Boyd is a former second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2016 NFL draft and had spent his entire career there. Although the Bengals had Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver as well, Boyd remained a big part of the Cincinnati offense over the years.

Boyd eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. From 2020 through 2022, he totaled at least 851 receiving yards, including a near career high of 13.3 yards per catch in 2022.

Last season, Boyd’s production took a step back. He was still very reliable, catching 74 percent of his targets, but averaged just 10.0 yards per catch, totaling 667 yards. Boyd has scored 32 touchdowns in his career.

Boyd will be joining a Titans’ offense that will be led by second-year quarterback Will Levis. In nine games last season, Levis completed 58 percent of his throws at 7.1 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns to four interceptions.

Also at the receiver position for the Titans will be DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley.

They will present a major test for an Indianapolis secondary remains a big unknown. Following the draft, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley met with the media, and outside of Kenny Moore in the nickel and Julian Blackmon as the strong safety, all of the other spots on the back end are up for grabs.

With Boyd having spent the majority of his career playing out of the slot, he could be matched up often with Moore.

Former Bengals WR Tyler Boyd’s free agent market heating up

And one of the teams interested is an old friend.

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd has a market that is starting to heat up in the wake of the 2024 NFL draft.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Boyd met with the Los Angeles Chargers and also has a meeting with the Tennessee Titans lined up.

The odd man out as the Bengals look to pair Ja’Marr Chase with Tee Higgins on big-money deals, Boyd had a predictably quiet market before a 2024 NFL draft loaded with wideout talent.

Boyd’s two suitors make sense, though. He’s the type of reliable slot man who could help along Justin Herbert with the Chargers. That, or he could link back up with Brian Callahan and help Will Levis in Tennessee.

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Report: Chargers met with free agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Chargers continue to pursue the wide receiver market despite adding three in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Chargers continue to pursue the wide receiver market despite adding three in the 2024 NFL draft.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team met with former Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd in Los Angeles this week.

The team registered reported preliminary interest in Boyd, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and D.J. Chark. Los Angeles hosted Chark for a visit at the facility last week prior to the draft.

Joe Hortiz has been adamant that adding talent doesn’t stop at any point on the football calendar. The Chargers took Ladd McConkey, Brenden Rice, and Cornelius Johnson in the draft.

Boyd will enter his ninth NFL season in 2024. It appears as though it will be his first year outside of Cincinnati. He’s already put up 6000 yards and 31 touchdowns in his eight seasons.

Boyd’s production has dipped to some extent, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins taking up significant roles for the Bengals. A season-ending wrist injury to quarterback Joe Burrow is also a variable in the related offensive production decline.

Generally, Boyd is still a relatively reliable slot presence. However, the eight-year vet has seen some target metrics, like yards per route run (1.15 in 2023) and yards per reception (10.0 in 2023), dip to career lows.

The Chargers seem likely to sign a receiver soon despite having 10 on the roster already. So far, their room contains:

Quentin Johnston

Josh Palmer

Ladd McConkey

Derius Davis

Simi Fehoko

Brenden Rice

Cornelius Johnson

Jaylen Johnson (UDFA)

Jaelen Gill (UDFA)

Leon Johnson (UDFA)

Titans, WR Tyler Boyd set for free-agent visit, per report

The Titans and wide receiver Tyler Boyd are reportedly set for a free-agent visit.

The Tennessee Titans are exploring the free-agent market for wide receiver help and a familiar name to head coach Brian Callahan is reportedly one of their targets.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Titans are set to meet with ex-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd later this week. Fowler adds that Boyd has already met with the Los Angeles Chargers.

A former second-round pick of the Bengals in 2016, the 29-year-old has spent all eight years of his NFL career with the Bengals, tallying 6,000 yards and 31 scores in that span.

Five of those seasons were spent working under Callahan, who was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2019-23. In 2023, Boyd finished with 667 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 3 option in Cincy’s passing game.

Callahan recently mentioned how he was looking for someone to emerge in the slot for Tennessee, so it comes as no surprise that the Titans are exploring adding the best available slot receiver.

The Titans could use more depth in general behind Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, as they have a slew of question marks as depth options.

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Marcus Brady on Chargers’ wide receivers: ‘We know we have to fill the room’

The Chargers are thin at the wide receiver position.

Chargers pass game coordinator Marcus Brady gave his assessment of the wide receiver room on Monday when asked about it in his media availability:

Right now, we have a small group, as it is [laughter]. They know that, we know that. It’s still early right now. Obviously, we have the Draft coming up. We’ll see where that goes. Then, talking to [General Manager] Joe [Hortiz] and Jim [Harbaugh], obviously, we know that we have to fill the room. We’ll get to that point when the time’s right.

As Brady mentions, the draft is rapidly approaching for the team and there should be an expectation that multiple wide receivers will be added between now and OTAs. If not numerous wideouts in the draft, specifically, the Chargers have also been linked to free agents like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Boyd.

On the departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Brady said they’re trying to ultimately replace the production of two players that have had “elite success” in the league.

Brady also said that the No. 1 thing they’re looking for in wide receivers is the ability to get open.

The number one thing is being able to get open, create space and give a throw for the quarterback. Guys that are great off of the line of scrimmage on their releases, if they’re getting pressed, guys that are great at top of the route, and then guys that can make those tough catches. It’s a combination of all three of those. Then, kind of go from there.

Sitting a little over two weeks from the draft, we’ll see how the Chargers evaluate some of the current class based on ability. Brady also mentioned that he “loves” working hand in hand with wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal right now in getting guys to learn the terminology early on. Surely, both coaches’ player evaluation and development skill sets could become important soon.

Steelers insider forecasts ‘ship has sailed’ on Tyler Boyd acquisition

It’s all but official that free agent WR Tyler Boyd won’t be joining the Steelers in 2024.

The thrilling first wave of NFL free agency came in and left like the wind, and it was an unprecedented one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The critical component the Steelers are still missing offensively — aside from a starting-caliber center — is at wide receiver. If general manager Omar Khan had a plan when they jettisoned Diontae Johnson, it hasn’t yet come to fruition. Even combined, Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson are not of Johnson’s talent level.

At one point early in free agency, the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd expressed mutual interest. But according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, that ship has sailed. It appears it could be because of a low-ball offer.

“I would say that it would be a long shot, at best, that the two sides come together,” Kaboly wrote in a recent Steelers mailbag. “From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers. I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed.”

Anything can still happen, but Boyd has plenty of potential suitors, decreasing the liklihood he’s wearing the black and gold in 2024.

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Tyreek Hill teases Dolphins adding WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Tyreek Hill says “OBJ to Miami confirmed.”

In March, the Miami Dolphins hosted Odell Beckham Jr. on a visit and, according to head coach Mike McDaniel, made a contract offer to the free agent wide receiver.

Two weeks later, there’s no further indication that a deal could come together, but Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill appears to think it’s coming soon. On his Snapchat story, Hill said Friday that Beckham joining Miami is “confirmed.”

“Things went great with him,” McDaniel said of Beckham in late March. “We did make him an offer and business takes time, especially with players like Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career and still has really good football in front of him and has options. I think those conversations will be ongoing. We’ll see where they go.”

Beckham, 31, sat out the entire 2022 season after suffering an ACL tear in Super Bowl LVI, but returned in 2023 on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. In his sole season with the team, the receiver recorded 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

In his nine seasons in the NFL, Beckham has recorded 566 receptions for 7,932 yards and 59 touchdown receptions.

While the Dolphins have a star duo of receivers in Hill and former top 10 draft pick Jaylen Waddle, the team has seen little production out of the rest of its receiving corps. Hill and Waddle combined for more than 2,800 receiving yards in 2023, but no other wide receiver on the team topped 300 yards.

In addition to their interest in Beckham, the Dolphins have reportedly kept an eye on former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

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Report: Chargers have had ‘preliminary interest’ in free agent WR Tyler Boyd

The Chargers have been a team tabbed to potentially get help in the free agent market since trading Keenan Allen.

Per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, the Chargers are amongst a group of teams that registered preliminary interest in veteran free agent slot receiver Tyler Boyd:

From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free-agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers.

The Chargers have been a team pegged to potentially get help in the free agent market since trading Keenan Allen to the Bears last month. Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh mentioned free agency in addition to the draft when discussing the wide receiver position.

Boyd will enter his ninth NFL season in 2024. It could be his first year with a team other than the Bengals. In his career, he has accumulated 719 catches for 6000 yards and 31 touchdowns.

In recent seasons, Boyd’s production has dipped, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins taking up significant roles. Last year, a season-ending injury to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also profoundly affected all offensive production.

Generally, Boyd is still a relatively reliable slot presence after he rushed for over 600 yards and two touchdowns last season. However, Boyd has seen some target metrics, like yards per route run (1.15 in 2023) and yards per reception (10.0 in 2023), dip to career lows.

If the Chargers entertain any free agent WR signings at this point, I’d expect them to likely come after the draft. They will probably want to see where they stand after day three of the draft with a wide receiver class, of which Hortiz has noted the depth. Also, post-draft free-agent signings won’t factor into the Bolts’ comp pick formula. Currently, LA is slated to get three Day 3 selections in 2025.