Bengals WRs Coach Troy Walters Looks For Elite Trio To Take Next Step

It was in that Chicago game Higgins tore his labrum, but missed just two games before deciding he would forgo surgery, a decision that greatly impressed Walters.

“It just shows you his toughness and grit,” Walters said. “You saw the impact he had on this team. We didn’t ask him to do it much, but when we did, he went and blocked the safety. Now his job is to get that shoulder 100 percent. He’ll stay in shape and be around here all summer.”

But it is Chase that has the toughest assignment of the trio. He seeks to improve on that dream Bengals-record 1,455 yards chalk full of stunningly big moments.

“I don’t think. I know Ja’Marr can be better,” Walters said. “If you look, he probably had a dozen drops. A dozen plays. If he makes the play, it’s another game changing play. Now, he had several where he made those plays, but there are plays he’d like to get back. He can continue to improve on his overall route running. That’s where we’re working.

“He knows the plays, so now he’s looking at different techniques at the top of the route, different fundamentals to separate and allow him to become an even more dangerous as a route runner. He’s a handful and he’s just going to get better.”

Before Walters arrived in 2020, he watched tape of Boyd playing a lot on the outside in 2019 in the absence of the injured A.J. Green on the way to a career-high 1,046 yards.

“He’s going to make a living inside, but he can have some value as a wide receiver in different situations,” Walters said. “He has good vision on the outside. We can get a good matchup on a DB and he’s savvy enough to find ways to get open on the outside.”

Walters says Chase is also savvy enough to make the move into the slot on some snaps and offers as evidence the 72-yard touchdown catch that started the Bengals’ scoring in the AFC North-clinching 34-31 win over the Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium. About 60 yards of it came after the catch as Chase smoked the middle.

“We’re looking to get better,” Walters said.

Or else,…