Former Wisconsin football wide receiver Alex Erickson was an undrafted free agent signed by the Cincinnati Bengals. What are his chances of making the 53-man roster?
Heading into the 2016 NFL Draft, former Wisconsin football wide receiver Alex Erickson bolstered his chances at a draft selection with a strong pro day, but he didn’t hear his name called on draft day.
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Shortly after the draft, Erickson was one of seven former Badgers to sign in undrafted free agency, joining up with the Cincinnati Bengals.
After nearly tying the Badgers single-season reception mark last season, Erickson has a new challenge on his hands: Making the Bengals roster.
As far as chances for undrafted free agents go, Erickson has a good shot in Cincinnati considering the current roster situation at wide receiver.
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The Bengals lost two of their top three wide receivers from last season with Marvin Jones departing for Detroit in free agency and Mohamed Sanu signing with Atlanta.
The only wide receiver returning from last season who caught more than two – yes two – passes in a Cincinnati uniform last season is A.J. Green.
Obviously Green, a top-5 wide receiver in the league, is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver for the Bengals and a one of the best pieces in the league to build a wide receiver group around.
Behind Green, the Bengals have a couple of experienced receivers in eight-year vet Brandon LaFell and seven-year vet Brandon Tate.
LaFell missed time last season and had just 37 catches in 11 games for the New England Patriots last season. Though Tate has been in the league seven years, he’s only registered double-digit catches in three seasons, and caught just two passes last year. He’s more known as a kick and punt returner
The only other receivers on roster with experience are third-year player James Wright, who caught five passes in 2014 before missing the 2015 season, and second-year receiver Mario Alford, who caught just one pass last season.
Beyond those five players, Erickson joins a group of four other rookies and two holdovers who head into this season with no game experience.
The Bengals have former Wisconsin-Whitewater receiver Jake Kumerow and former Georgia receiver Michael Bennett, both practice squad players last year, and rookie receivers Tyler Boyd, Cody Core, Antwane Grant and Alonzo Russell.
Boyd, a Pittsburgh product, was the 55th overall selection this year in the draft by the Bengals and Core, a former Mississippi receiver, was a sixth round pick, No. 199 overall.
Erickson, Grant and Russell all went undrafted.
The Bengals are likely only sold on three wide receivers – Green, LaFell and second-rounder Boyd. Core has higher expectations as a draft pick and Tate should make the team as a returner and a receiver as well.
That leaves Erickson to battle it out with a few rookies and other young players for one of probably three spots left on the depth chart.
Erickson brings good hands, solid route-running and slot-receiver abilities to the table, and certainly will have a chance to prove himself in training camp.
Nothing will be handed to him, but that’s not a new feeling for the former Wisconsin football walk-on.
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Erickson has a decent shot at making the roster, and should at the very least earn a place on the Bengals practice squad following training camp.