Cincinnati Bengals 2015 Training Camp Profile: WR A.J. Green

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Cincinnati Bengals Camp Profile Of A.J. Green
Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like yesterday when A.J. Green was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. The truth is the ex-Georgia Bulldogs superstar will turn 27 on the final day of July, but that is an age when receivers usually hit their stride. When healthy, this ball-hawk is in the top echelon of receivers in the NFL. He needs to stay at that lofty level if the Bengals are to have any chance of winning their fourth division championship since 2004.

Green missed three total games last year and parts of two others with a nagging toe injury suffered in Week 2. Despite the ailment, he still put up some impressive number for the season. He recorded his fourth consecutive 1000-yard campaign when he snagged 69 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns. Although those totals were impressive for someone who didn’t play a complete season, Green will need to get back to the full-season production he is capable of.

Of course, the former first-round pick will have zero competition for his spot as the Bengals’ No. 1 receiver. He will need help from his fellow wideouts, however, to take all of the pressure off of him. Cincinnati will probably start the up-and-coming Mohamed Sanu opposite the All-Pro. Sanu has the type of speed and size combination that should pose a nice dual-threat with Green. The Bengals really haven’t been able to utilize the duo of a completely healthy Green and a polished Sanu.

Also seeing time in Cincinnati’s receiver rotation should be veterans Marvin Jones, Brandon Tate and free agent pickup Denarius Moore. That trio will not exactly scare rival defensive coordinators, so it’s up to Green and Sanu to carry Cincinnati through the air. Perhaps another former first-round pick, tight end Tyler Eifert, can finally live up to his potential and help eat up some safeties underneath so Green can fly down the field in single coverage.

The biggest thing Green can do for the Bengals this season is to help revive the career of quarterback Andy Dalton. Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, it seems as if Dalton’s skills have deteriorated. Not having Green as his No. 1 man for an entire schedule could have hurt Dalton, so it’s only fair to give the fifth-year pro another chance before calling for his head.

One thing to keep in mind as the Bengals head to training camp is that this is the final year of Green’s five-year contract. If he wants to eclipse the $10 million he makes now, Green will have to get back to the dominant level he has reached in the past.

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