Ryan

Whalen

Whalen missed two weeks of practice, imperiling his roster spot. A sixth-round pick last season, Whalen caught four passes for 27 yards in four games. He’ll likely have to light it up in Cincinnati’s final two preseason games to get back on the coaching staff’s radar.

The Bengals like Whalen’s skill set as a backup receiver, but the team’s website acknowledges that he’s on the roster bubble. The top six wideouts right now are A.J. Green, Brandon Tate, Armon Binns, Andrew Hawkins, Mohamed Sanu, and Marvin Jones. They seem unlikely to carry seven receivers on the final 53.

It should go without saying after the 2011 sixth-rounder caught just four passes in four games as a rookie. Barring an exceptionally strong training camp, Whalen is likely gone.

Andy Dalton only threw for 105 as the passing game was shut down, so slot receiver Whalen came out on top of a putrid corps. The Bengals have an upcoming bye in Week 8, and Whalen won’t be worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Whalen has ties to coach Mike Zimmer from their time with the Bengals. He’ll compete for a role on special teams. 26-year-old Whalen is a roster longshot.

A 2011 sixth-rounder, Whalen has kicked around the bottom rung of the Bengals’ roster for three seasons, catching 11 passes across 17 games. Stanford appeared in 13 games for the Dolphins in 2013. He’ll shop his wares as a special teamer.

Whalen goes 6-foot-1, 204 and was a possession receiver under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, averaging just 10.7 yards per catch as a senior and earning honorable mention All-Pac 10 honors. A former walk-on, Whalen ran a 4.62 forty at the Combine. He probably isn’t going to do much on offense in the NFL.

A possession receiver under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, Whalen reportedly turned a few heads in player-organized workouts. We put even less stock in those reports than minicamp performances. Whalen is facing long odds to make the roster in Cincinnati’s deep receiver corps.