The 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals cut Trenton Irwin, and the sixth-year wide receiver could land with a contender down the stretch. A former undrafted free agent, Irwin signed with the Miami Dolphins following the 2019 NFL Draft but couldn’t make the Week 1 roster. After spending a chunk of the season out of the league, the wide receiver signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2019 and never looked back. Starting as a depth receiver and special teams option, Irwin began to make a name for himself in the 2022 season.
After failing to eclipse 50 receiving yards in his first three seasons, Irwin became a larger part of the offense in 2022. Appearing in nine games, the wideout finished the season with 15 receptions for 231 yards and four touchdowns. He followed this up with 25 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown in 2023 despite the presence of the talented Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. Trenton Irwin might not be a superstar, but a receiver-needy team like the Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens could pursue the cut free agent.
Chargers, Ravens Could Sign Trenton Irwin After Unceremonious Cut
The Los Angeles Chargers passing attack lives and dies with second-round pick Ladd McConkey. The rookie is the real deal, but this offense must find another reliable set of hands to compete with the AFC’s elite offenses. After showing some signs of life earlier in the season, 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston crashed and burned over the past few weeks, recording a combined two receptions for 12 yards on nine targets. He’s only had one game with more than 55 receiving yards, and that came against a subpar Cleveland Browns secondary.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win with a run-heavy offense, but you need to throw the ball to win in the NFL. Justin Herbert has been playing at an MVP level since he fully recovered from his ankle injury, but he can’t do this all on his own. Trenton Irwin may not be a superstar, but the recently cut wideout could compete for targets in this offense. Irwin found a way to earn targets behind Higgins and Chase, so the wideout should be able to beat guys like Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark for work in this offense.
Replacing Diontae Johnson
The Diontae Johnson trade has been nothing short of a disaster for the Baltimore Ravens. Acquired for a late-round pick swap, the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Carolina Panther was supposed to add another set of hands to an offense that needed more depth. Instead, the wideout has recorded just one reception for six yards in his four games with the club and didn’t even see the field in Week 13’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Johnson ineffective and Rashod Bateman battling a knee injury, the Ravens could go after Trenton Irwin following his cut. Seeing as he spent the past six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore should be familiar with his abilities and what he brings to the table. Perhaps he won’t be anything more than the fourth option in the passing attack, but that’s still better than Johnson. If the Ravens want to finally go on a deep playoff run, they’ll need more pass-catching depth.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA Today Sports
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