The Cincinnati Bengals brought in former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau for a visit on Friday. The 25-year-old left Cincinnati without a deal and visited the Saints on Saturday.
The tight end class in the 2023 NFL Draft is deep, but adding Moreau makes a ton of sense for a Super Bowl contending team like the Bengals.
Plug-And-Play Starter
Moreau would be an instant starter in Cincinnati. Devin Asiasi is the only tight end on the Bengals’ roster.
Hayden Hurst was solid last year as the Bengals’ starting tight end, but he signed with Carolina.
Moreau is one of the only remaining potential upgrades left on the free agent market. He’s entering his prime at just 25-years-old. He’s athletic and spent the past four years learning how to play tight end in the NFL.
He ran a 4.66 40-yard dash, is a capable blocker and posted a career-high 33 catches for 420 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders last season.
Adding Moreau would give the Bengals a solid starter with upside without breaking the bank.
It would also give them flexibility in the draft. They wouldn’t be forced to reach on a tight end, but they could take one at any point in the draft if it was the top player on their board.
Foster Moreau’s breakout season could be coming… especially if he’s catching passing from Joe Burrow in 2023 #Bengals pic.twitter.com/myM6q5uKZ0
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) March 19, 2023
Explosiveness
Moreau averaged at least 6.3 yards-after-catch per reception over the past three seasons.
He’s great at tracking the ball downfield and would give the Bengals another player that could produce explosive plays. Moreau could thrive in an offense that has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins commanding the attention of opposing defenses.
He averaged 20 yards-per-catch in 2020. Guys like Hurst and C.J. Uzomah were solid players, but they didn’t have Moreau’s ability to produce big plays downfield.
LSU North
First it was Burrow, then it was Ja’Marr Chase. Adding their former teammate would just continue the “LSU North” theme that has helped the Bengals become a perennial Super Bowl contender.
What are Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire up to these days?
Just kidding, sort of…
Adding Moreau would give the Bengals stability at the tight end position, especially if they could sign him to a multi-year deal.
