04-30-2023, 07:27 PM
(04-30-2023, 03:44 PM)Nepa Wrote: The Bengals do utilize the tight end. Hayden Hurst, despite missing 3 games and part of another, was targeted 70 times last year, which was more targets than such TEs as Ertz, Kyle Pitts, Mike Gesicki, TJ Hokenson and many others. And Wilcox was targeted another 18. And the TEs served in other roles as well: blocking, running routes, etc. The Bengals do utilize a TE in their play schemes.
That Bengals fans, on a Bengals board, would like stability at the position, versus one-year rentals, is a valid concern. Likewise is the concern about the main TE on the team right now is a one-year rental who missed more than 40% of his previous games due to injury. Most fans are just concerned that in a tight-end heavy draft that the Bengals did not address the issue and probably are going to be looking once-again in the fall to add another one-year rental after players are cut, leaving the Bengals to hope they can get their first choices of cut TEs to sign with the Bengals rather than another team. Why have such a key position as a TE be a revolving door with learning the playbook each year?
I don't see the problem with Bengals fans having angst about the weakness of the TE group. Certainly many were justified in the past couple of years with expressing angst about the depth on the OL, until that finally got addressed. And its not just Bengals fans: many pundits were very surprised the Bengals did not bolster their TE group in this latest draft.
The TE group they currently have fit how they use the TE perfectly fine. I will also continue to point out a fact that everyone complaining about TE seems to avoid and that is the 4 game stretch in '22 where the Bengals were missing TE1 and TE2 and won all 4 games. The Bengals simply need a TE that can function within their scheme and do the things they ask that TE to do. The TE is not a star in the scheme of the offense.
If the group they have do not fit what they need or if they felt they needed to upgrade the position do you really think they would have passed on everyone of the TEs in this draft? Maybe there is a reason you have more angst about the position than the coaching staff does.
