Bengals' Alex Erickson: Moving closer to roster spote

Erickson moved one step closer to earning a roster spot with his strong performance in Sunday's preseason game against the Jaguars, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner reports.

With A.J. Green (knee), Brandon LaFell (thumb) and Tyler Boyd locked in as the top three wide receivers, Erickson is competing against Brandon Tate, James Wright and others for what may only be two roster spots. Though he wouldn't have much of a role on offense, Erickson could return punts and/or kickoffs if he makes the team, as he's picked up 167 yards and a touchdown on four punt returns this preseason. In addition to his 57 yards on two punts and 31 yards on one kickoff, Erickson caught his lone target for a 21-yard touchdown in Sunday's game. The undrafted rookie's emergence is bad news for Brandon Tate, who spent much of the past four seasons as Cincinnati's top kick and punt returner.