Erickson received added work with the first-team offense in spring workouts due to injuries to A.J. Green (toe) and John Ross (undisclosed), Michael LaPlaca of the Bengals' official site reports.
Already valued for his prowess on kick and punt returns, Erickson seems to be making a case for an expanded role on offense. Whether the Wisconsin product actually improves upon the career-high 362 offensive reps he logged in 2018 is no sure thing, but his chances of doing so are aided by the fact that the receivers above him on the depth chart (Green, Tyler Boyd and Ross) have missed 37 combined games over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Erickson has been a picture of health since entering the league in 2016, having never missed a contest in three seasons. Erickson caught 20 of 29 targets for 167 yards and no touchdowns in 2018, with his best performance coming in Week 17 against the Steelers (six receptions for 63 yards on six targets).