POSITION(5): Tyler Eifert, Jermaine Gresham, Richard Quinn, Alex Smith, Bryce Davis
ADDITIONS
Alex Smith
Tyler Eifert
DEPARTURES
None
THE OPENING
The tight end position is one that Bengal fans are excited to see develop. Currently the Bengals have one of the most talented tight ends in franchise history, starting with a two-time Pro Bowler and a highly talented kid out of Notre Dame. Both of these guys are first round draft picks and both look to do damage for the Bengals this season.
THE CAST
Jermaine Gresham is a talented tight end that is putting up comparable numbers to the best players at his position in team history. However, many Bengals fans think of the drops when they think of his play. Josh recently dove into those feelings and the fact is Gresham is an effective weapon for the Bengals.
As a rookie, Tyler Eifert is still an unknown. Even though he was impressive in college with the hype to go along with it, he still needs to strap on the pads and produce for the Bengals.
Alex Smith was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2005 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over his NFL career, he has played for the Bucs, Eagles, and most recently, the Browns. He has caught 160 passes for 1,461 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has been primarily used as a blocking tight end recently and occasionally, played H-back with the Eagles and Browns.
Richard Quinn was a second-round pick out of North Carolina by the Denver Broncos in 2009. He has only caught one pass for nine yards in his career. He was inactive for most Bengals games in 2012.
Bryce Davis is primarily a long-snapper that adds a body for Clark Harris to take a breather, or a contingency if there's an injury.
THE EXPECTATION
Huge. We are having these visions of extremely productive tight end that we've seen expand throughout the league, most notably the Patriots (before this offseason). Two tight ends formations with players that are extremely athletic and talented are match-up nightmares for the defense.
We envision redzone production to increase with a shifting offensive philosophy that allows both playmakers the opportunity to thrive.The Bengals need to decide on what they have in Alex Smith. All indications are that he is impressing in camp and will probably be the next man up behind Gresham and Eifert.