The Cincinnati Bengals are taking a flier on a weapon their quarterback Joe Burrow is familiar with. On Monday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Bengals have claimed former Washington Football Team tight end Thaddeus Moss -- the son of Hall of Fame wideout Randy Moss. Thaddeus was recently released by Washington, and played his college ball with Burrow at LSU, where he helped the Tigers win a national championship in 2020.
Moss caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns in 12 regular-season games during his last season at LSU. He also stepped up during the College Football Playoff, as he recorded nine catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns in postseason wins over Oklahoma and Clemson. Still, his draft stock fell due to a Jones fracture in his right foot that was discovered during the combine, and he ended up going undrafted.
While Moss went undrafted, there were multiple teams that were interested in bringing him in as a free agent. The Bengals were one of those teams along with the New England Patriots, but he chose Washington because it was the first team to give him a call. Cincinnati currently has Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah as its top two tight ends, but neither had incredible seasons in 2020 when it came to catching the ball. In 16 games played, Sample caught only 40 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown while Uzomah missed 14 games due to injury.
A spot on the Bengals roster for Moss is not guaranteed, but his rapport with Burrow will definitely help his chances come training camp.
