CINCINNATI -- It's that time of year. You know, that time when NFL offseason grades and rankings lists are all the rage.

Earlier this week, as a special for ESPN's Insider's team, Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders broke down the remaining weaknesses each team in the AFC North failed to address after free agency and the draft. His big takeaway for the Cincinnati Bengals? That they didn't improve at slot receiver.

On the surface, it's easy to agree with him. But it'll be interesting to see how creatively the Bengals use the players they currently have at the position.

Let's review what happened there this offseason.

Brandon Tate, an occasional slot player was believed to be headed out of town, ended up being re-signed during free agency. With injuries to other receivers last season, he was called upon more often as a pass-catcher than at any earlier point in his Bengals tenure. His 17 receptions and 27 targets were more than he had in any of his three previous seasons in Cincinnati.

Along with re-signing Tate, the Bengals brought to town one of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson's former draft picks. Speedster Denarius Moore's time in Oakland had ended, and Jackson believed he could help Moore recapture some of the success he had at the start of his career in 2011.

In the draft, the Bengals also selected a similarly quick seventh-round rookie out of West Virginia, Mario Alford. Like the others, Alford could line up anywhere, but it's likely he sees some action in the slot.

The Bengals also will be getting back a healthier Marvin Jones, who returns after missing all of last year with ankle and foot injuries. If he can return to his 2013 form, his addition could just what the Bengals need to generate success from the position.

Since coming to Cincinnati in 2012, Jones has been one of quarterback Andy Dalton's favorite slot options -- particularly inside the opposing 20. According to ESPN Stats & Information, all six of Jones' career red-zone touchdowns have come while he was lined up in the slot. All but two of his 13 career first-down receptions out of the slot have come in the red zone.

Dalton's primary slot option at all points on the field the past three seasons has been Mohamed Sanu. Nearly 56 percent of Sanu's 119 career receptions have come with him in the slot. Of the 1,056 routes he has run since 2012, 56.3 came with him in the slot, according to Stats & Information. (It must be noted that the necessity of having Sanu double as the No. 1 receiver while A.J. Green was hurt parts of six games last season likely negatively impacted what his career slot production should be).

So just why is the slot position receiver so important? Because like Kacsmar wrote, the Bengals didn't necessarily get any better at quarterback, where the inconsistent Dalton returns for a fifth season. Part of what has made Dalton successful has been targeting quick slot receivers on underneath throws.

In addition to the aforementioned receivers, the Bengals could use running backs Giovani Bernard and Rex Burkhead in similar capacities. Bernard ran more routes out of the slot last year than he did the season before. Burkhead, who had to fill in as an extra receiver with Green and others hurt for January's playoff game, has caught the coaches' attention. Multiple Bengals coaches, including Marvin Lewis, have expressed a desire to giving him more opportunities in 2015.

While there were no tangible improvements to Cincinnati's slot position, keep an eye on how the Bengals use the host of potential pass-catchers mentioned above.