CINCINNATI — The excitement is about to reach a fever pitch for Darlington native Alex Erickson heading into his fourth NFL training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals.

With a new offensive-minded head coach taking over the reins of the team and a new fast-paced offensive scheme being installed, Erickson is hoping to build on the career numbers he put up as a kick returner and wide receiver for the Bengals in 2018.

“It’s been a lot different. We have an all new staff, so everything is different. Change is not always bad. A little uncertainty causes a bit of anxiety, but the transition has been going pretty well during OTAs and minicamp,” said Erickson during his recent youth football skills camp he hosted at Darlington High School. 

Zac Taylor replaces former head coach Marvin Lewis, who was fired following 16 years leading the Bengals. Taylor, 36, spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, first as wide receivers’ coach in 2017 and then as quarterbacks’ coach in 2018. During his time in L.A., the Rams were in the top two in the NFL in scoring and the top 10 in total yards and passing yards. 

Last season, the Rams were second in the league in scoring at 32.9 points per game after finishing second with over 6,700 total yards and fifth in passing with more than 4,500 yards. The Bengals were 17th in scoring (23.0), 26th (4,972) in total yards and 24th (3,290) in passing yards in 2018.  

“The offensive scheme is a lot different. It’s been a fun learning it and going out and practicing it. We’re doing a lot of things we haven’t done in the past,” said Erickson, who was signed to a two-year contract extension to last season.

Erickson has played in all 48 regular season games since joining the Bengals as an undrafted free agent following his stellar collegiate career at Wisconsin. Used primarily as a returner during his three-year career, the former Redbird and Badger got six starts at wide receiver last season and set a bunch of career highs as both a returner and a receiver during the Bengals’ 6-10 campaign.

Erickson finished second overall in the NFL in total return yards with a career-high 1,261 combined return yards. He tied for first in the league with 40 kickoff returns and was second overall with a career-best 1,049 kick return yards, while adding 20 punt returns for 212 yards and a career-best 10.6 yard per return average.

He also hauled in a career-high 20 receptions for 167 yards and ran the ball three times for 22 yards on offense, and made a career-best four tackles.

Erickson surely hopes to expand on those numbers under Taylor’s system, but he knows a lot of that is out of his control.

“Numbers-wise, I don’t set goals on that stuff because it’s somewhat out of our control. The return part has been a big part of my career, so I want to be a Pro Bowl returner. As a receiver, my goal is to be a starter. You’ve got to set the bar high and give yourself something to shoot for,” he said. 

According to a lot of media sources around the Bengals, Erickson is close to being a lock to make the 53-man roster once again following good performances during OTAs and mini-camps. However, he knows their endorsement means nothing if you don’t perform for the new coaching staff when they hit the field for training camp, which started on July 27 and lasts through Aug. 12. 

“It is what it is. You can’t control what they write, but you can control what you are doing on the field. It’s about doing things the right way and having fun with it,” Erickson said. “It’s just a matter of putting good things on film and doing the job the best you can. The coaches will take notice. Nothing really changes from that perspective. You want to keep improving every day, and every single year you want to get better and better. Over my track record, I’ve shown that. This year is no different. How can I expand the role I had last year and keep growing in the offense? Whatever the team needs, I’ll be there ready to go.”

With 12 wide receivers in Bengals’ camp fighting for six or seven roster spots, the competition should be as intense as it’s been in the past. Erickson knows he just has to keep doing what he’s done his entire football career to make the team. 

“The way I go about it I think I’m always on the bubble. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. I go at it every day like there is someone coming after my job because there is. I think at the end of the day it’s about going out and doing what you do to the best of your ability,” he said. 

Erickson had an eventful offseason as he and his wife, Kelsi, welcomed their first child to the family in March with the birth of their son, Owen.

“The adjustment was big, but it’s fun. It’s been a learning experience, but it’s truly just a blessing. There’s nothing else like it. You get to go home and see a little baby every day, so it’s awesome,” he said.

The Bengals opened training camp at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio, on July 27, before returning to Cincinnati for the remainder of camp. 

The Bengals will host their annual Family DEY practice at Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 3, starting at 2 p.m., and will kickoff their preseason schedule at Kansas City at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.

Cincinnati’s final pre-season game will be played at home against Indianapolis Thursday, Aug. 29. The Bengals will have until 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, to set their final 53-man roster.

After three straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Bengals hope to prove many of the NFL pundits wrong by making the AFC playoff field under their first-year head coach. If Erickson has his way, they’ll do just exactly that.

“As a team, it’s about winning the division, then getting in the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl. That’s our goal. There are 31 other teams with that same goal. We are all trying to achieve that level of excellence,” he stated. “I think it’s going to be a good year for the Bengals.”