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Alex Erickson, the coolest story in Cincy

By on Aug 30, 2016, 2:54pm CDT4

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Full disclosure, I'm not a Wisconsin fan. I don't even follow the Big 10 very closely. But in case some of you aren't aware, Alex Erickson has been the biggest name in the Queen City for the past three weeks. So just how did the kid from Darlington, WI (population: 2,400) become the darling in Cincinnati (population: 300,000)?

After losing both their WR2 and WR3 in free agency, the Bengals have had opportunities at the position. Adding to that, of those vying for spots, only three WRs out of the thirteen in camp had more than five NFL receptions. Brandon LaFell, Tyler Boyd, and of course star player AJ Green were locks, but under them was no guarantees, and every fan had their favorites. 2016 sixth-rounder Cody Core turned a lot of heads with impressive camp play. 2014 seventh-rounder James Wright showed a lot of promise before losing 18 months to a knee injury, and looked to be back to form. Brandon Tate, while being no ones favorite, brought experience and was entrenched as a return man. Jake Kumerow, a fan favorite from D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater, was looking to make the roster after maturing a year on the practice squad. Mario Alford's speed made many fans drool; and he was considered to be the one guy with a shot to contribute on returns and finally beat out the aforementioned Tate. Late addition Rashaun Simonise from Canada got people talking about his potential. Even a guy like former Georgia Bulldog Michael Bennett had fans in his corner.

But looking back, one player stands out as getting none of that attention. Undrafted college free agent Alex Erickson.And in the rare occasion Erickson did get mentioned,he was rather quickly discounted even by knowledgeable Bengals fans. As you can see in replies to that post, multiple people agreed that Alonzo Russell from Toledo was closer to a roster spot than Erickson. The former Badger wasn't even a longshot, he was a no-shot. But for the young player wearing #12, August 12th is the day everything would change.

It was the Bengals first preseason game. After an impressive catch from Tyler Boyd to move downfield, it was the kid from Wisconsin who finished the drive with an easy catch on a well-run slot route. But it wasn't until later that Erickson hit the highlight reels. Getting what could have ended up being his only opportunity as an NFL return man with under 3 minutes left in the game, Erickson made the most of it. After a booming punt forced him to secure it while moving the wrong way, he proceeded to break approximately six tackles and outrun a few more at the sideline for an 80-yard return TD.

Erickson became a lightning rod overnight. That single play created a groundswell of support for the young man. But if anything, the pressure was only magnified for the second game. After all, every eye was on him now. Had it just been a fluke against camp bodies, or could this guy have something to him? Unfortunately, he didn't get much of a chance at first against DET. He did nab a few receptions in the second half, but nothing truly exciting. But the 4th quarter was once again Erickson's. An electric 30-yard return made sure he stayed in the fans' good graces, and continued his rise.

Queue the 3rd preseason game, often touted as the NFL's dress rehearsal. Getting to return from the start of the game, the opportunity to shine against a real NFL coverage unit was finally here... and shine he did. It wasn't all positive, as a poor decision to let a punt bounce cost ~12 yards of field position, but he rallied. Erickson continued his bid the same way he started it, as he again broke tackle after tackle. The cherry on top of his day was his best play as a WR, notching an impressive 21-yard catch and run TD against the Jaguars 1st team defense.

So after all of that, today the Cincinnati Bengals have cut ties with veteran Brandon Tate; for the first time since 2010 the primary return man spot will belong to someone else. Marvin Lewis is known for erring on the side of experience, sticking to his veteran players even when he maybe shouldn't. Dropping Tate in the first round of cuts shows a confidence we don't normally see from him. Confidence in Alex Erickson, the no-shot who will be starting at return specialist for the Cincinnati Bengals.

FanPosts are user-created posts from the Bucky's 5th Quarter community. They reflect the opinions and views of that particular user, not that of the staff of Bucky's 5th Quarter nor the blog community as a whole.

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