Bengals' overlooked waiver wire claim already making noise at OTAs

While much of the attention has gone to the comeback story of Jermaine Burton so far, the Cincinnati Bengals wideout to watch behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is probably an overlooked waiver wire claim.

Last November, the Bengals claimed Isaiah Williams on the waiver wire and he appeared in a handful of games as a returner on special teams. The sophomore was brought on after repeated injuries to Charlie Jones.

Fast forward to right now, Williams has already been turning some heads as a possible slot receiver in the base offense, an idea reinforced by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.:

“The primary contestants for the spot are Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones and Isaiah Williams. There have been eyes opened around the progress of Williams, a 24-year-old out of Illinois who played six games for Cincinnati last season after being claimed off waivers from Detroit on Nov. 8. His quickness has shown up and he could find an impact as a slot receiver on offense.”

Andrei Iosivas is the third wideout going into the season, with Burton and Jones in the mix for the fourth and fifth spots, too.

But it’s Williams who might be the most interesting now. When rattling off names behind the big three, Kendric Pryor usually comes to mind first. Williams was a guy they really liked as a rookie, though, enough to go get him as a waiver wire claim last year, and if he’s proving them right already, there might be more than expected there.

Despite the big names, the Bengals have been a little top-heavy with so-so depth in recent years. If Williams is another guy who can play in the base offense and return kicks, it’s all the better for the overall outlook.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ overlooked waiver wire claim already making noise at OTAs

Bengals’ overlooked waiver wire claim already making noise at OTAs

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