2014 Review

It's incredible to think about the weapons Cincinnati's offense has and consistent failure to take that next step forward. There were more excuses for Andy Dalton last season. The Bengals projected number-two receiver Marvin Jones didn't play due to a foot injury. If that wasn't enough, 2x Second-Team All-Pro A.J. Green missed three games and was noticeably ineffective in others with the toe injury. Lastly, Tyler Eifert missed the final 15 games of the season with an elbow injury.

Green still finished the season over 1,000 yards and thanks to his absence, Mohamed Sanu set career-highs in receptions (56), receiving yards (790) and touchdowns (five). With limited receiving options, Dalton had the worst season of his career, setting a career-low in touchdowns (19) and matching his career-low in passing yards (3,398).

The one positive came at running back where the Bengals second-round pick, Jeremy Hill, emerged as the ground and pound destroyer that matched so perfectly with Giovani Bernard. Hill finished the year with over 1,100 rushing yards on just 222 carries and added nine touchdowns for good measure. Meanwhile, Bernard missed three games and returned to a new role, primarily being out there on passing downs. It's a change we will see carry over into the 2015 season.

NFL Draft

Tyler Kroft, Tight End

While the Bengals addressed the offense early, the first two picks went towards the offensive line. Selected with the 85th overall pick, Kroft comes to Cincinnati as Jermaine Gresham's replacement as the Bengals number-two tight end and in-line blocker. When Cincinnati uses a two-tight end set and moves Kroft around, he will show the receiving ability that helped him put up big numbers as a slot option at Rutgers in 2013. He won't hold significant fantasy value as a rookie but is a must-add if Eifert suffers an injury and is worth owning in dynasty leagues.

Potential Breakout Star

Tyler Eifert

Last year was the time for Eifert's breakout season and things started out well early in Week 1. After the first quarter, he had three receptions for 37 yards. But his third catch of the quarter would be the last of his season thanks to a dislocated elbow. The recovery took longer than expected so Eifert underwent a cleanup surgery on his elbow, ending his season. 

At the beginning of OTA's, Eifert has been drawing plenty of attention from around Cincinnati. During OTA's, Bengals writer Coley Harvey shared that Eifert "caught virtually everything thrown his way". As Harvey added, the Bengals' coaching staff is still taking it slow with Eifert as a pre-caution, but the young tight end has shined so far. If Eifert stays healthy, the "move" tight end could be a dynamic weapon in this offense and serve as Dalton's second go-to target, taking advantage of linebackers while teams slide a safety to help against Green. If all goes well, Eifert could easily be a top-10 fantasy tight end this season.

Potential Disappointment

Mohamed Sanu

A healthy Bengals' offense is bad news for Sanu's fantasy value. While the 25-year-old did take some advantage of his opportunities last season, he didn't show nearly enough to unseat Jones for the second receiver spot in Cincinnati. Simply put, nine drops is an unacceptable number when you've only been targeted 98 times. His 9.2 percent drop percentage was worst amongst all wide receivers with more than 60 targets.

Now with Jones healthy, Sanu slides down into the third receiver spot and it's not a prime position to be in. He will find himself at least fourth in the pecking order for targets behind Green, Jones and Eifert with the potential for Bernard to even surpass him. Just avoid Sanu in your fantasy leagues this season –  there are plenty of other wide receivers that offer more upside and security.