Bengals RB Chase Brown spent much of the offseason training with independent receiver coach Drew Lieberman. Brown and Lieberman worked on everything from the fundamentals of catching the football to the finer points of route running. Lieberman was blown away by the progress Brown made. “I’ve never seen a transformation like it,” he said.
Brown's teammates have noticed his growth as a pass-catcher, too.
“(Brown’s) looked great catching the ball out of the backfield,” QB Joe Burrow said.
WR Kwamie Lassiter: “I’ve been watching Chase Brown run routes. I’m like, ‘Man, you kind of look like a receiver. For real.'”
Brown caught just 14 balls as a rookie last year but averaged a big 11.1 yards per reception. That included a 54-yard catch-and-run TD in Week 14. Brown finished fourth among 69 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' 2023 receiving grades.
Pass-catching snaps look like his easiest path to playing time this season. Brown underwhelmed as a runner last year, ranking near the bottom of the league in success rate and PFF rushing grade. And his primary competition for snaps, Zack Moss, has totaled just 75 catches across four NFL seasons.
Cincinnati's backfield will be one of the more important training camp battles to monitor throughout August. There are certainly fantasy points to be had in what should be a high-scoring offense, assuming good health for Burrow.
For more on Brown, check out 2024 RB Sleepers.
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