10-14-2015, 04:17 PM
(10-14-2015, 09:03 AM)djs7685 Wrote: That first line is pretty harsh.
Gresham was the best TE we've had here in a reallly long time until Eifert showed up. He was good for a couple of penalties, fumbles, and drops each year (like every single other TE in the league though most want to ignore that), but he also extended plays and made some really nice third down conversions in his time here. Gresh gets a bit too much love from a couple people, but let's be real, he gets WAY too much hate from the majority.
I was very nervous going into this season with only Eifert + 2 rookies, but I'm pleasantly surprised. I think the Gresham bashing is unwarranted though, he doesn't "suck", he just didn't live up to his draft status and didn't really get near his potential. The dude can block reasonably well and hey, it's really not his fault that the playcalling for TEs was what it was when he was in town. The Bengals very rarely tried to get the ball downfield to Gresham, and he was perfectly capable of catching those passes. Unfortunately, he was obviously a disgruntled employee for some time and it was best for the team to let him go elsewhere even though I didn't agree with that over the offseason.
I'll admit that I was among those that overrated him during some of his time here, but 5 years, 280 catches, 2,770+ yards, 24 TDs, 139 first downs, and some solid blocking doesn't deserve the kind of hate the guy receives around these parts.
That's really not saying much. After Tony McGee, we had a long line of scrubs at TE. Gresh had decent stats here, but I think that was by default really. We never really had an established #2 WR during his tenure. Now he's gone and Dalton is having his best season. Makes you wonder.
As for the playcalling, maybe Gresh just didn't have the talent to do the things that Eifert is doing. I don't think the coaches just inexplicably figured things out after Gresh left. I think it's just that Gresh was incapable of doing the things that Eifert is doing right now. That seems far more likely to me.
Btw, Gresh has 5 catches for 51 yards in 5 games for AZ. "Sucks" is harsh, but maybe the dude just wasn't that good? Silly idea, I know.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
