Penei goes 2 overall, who do you pick?

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-03-2021, 04:35 PM)Whatever Wrote: There's several issues with this. Tate is one of only 3 non-PS WR's  under contract next year.  Converting Tate would mean we have to sign/resign/draft 4 WR's.  WR depth is a much bigger concern than TE depth.  It's a very safe bet that Tate can make the roster as a WR next year.  It's very long odds that he can make it as a TE and the odds of him being a stud in his first year playing the position are astronomically high.  

Tate has big time physical weaknesses in straight line speed, short area quickness, and route running.  Adding 15-20 pounds to his frame is only going to make those issues even worse.  He'll be slower, have less burst, and his routes will be even more imprecise.  On top of that, he'll have to block in line, which will be another weakness in all likelihood.  He's injury prone, and carrying that extra weight will but even more strain on his body.  It's also going to make it tougher to rotate his body in the air to make his highlight reel catches.  Plus, all the time he's going to spend in the off-season trying to bulk up and learn to block in line is going to take away time from the thing he needs to improve to be an effective receiving threat, like route running.

Pitts has athletic traits that Tate simply can't match and experience at the position. The only thing really comparable between them is the highlight reel grabs and Pitts is doing it at 10-15 pounds heavier.  

I'd bet money that Erickson, Thomas and Morgan are on the roster to go along with Boyd and Higgins. Throw in (probable) Chase and you have 6. That's not counting a later round pick or FA/cut down day signing. I don't see WR depth as a concern at all. 

Uzomah and Sample are roster locks next year. Schreck has 0 dead money in '21 if cut and Carter is a UFA. Neither of those guys would make a ripple if they're not on the roster next year, though Carter has value on ST (granted, i don't value ST quite as much as some others--i think those roles are filled rather easily) and i think he's vastly underutilized as a pass catching TE. 

Adding 15-20 lbs is too much weight for one offseason and more than likely not very attainable. I don't see Tate as a prototypical TE as much as a 'tweener'. Adding 1 to 2 lbs a month is very doable and would get him up to around 240 during training camp, which is what Pitts is right now. It would also be slow enough to allow his body to adapt without too much (if any) loss in physical skill. That's the whole reason they would need a very detailed program for him to follow, which would include training in TE concepts and route running. There are flexibility exercises that could be very beneficial to him as well as things he could do to help/keep speed. There's no denying his ability to catch the ball and he's not as limited in short area quickness as you're claiming. I would never expect him to be a "stud" in year one or any year after that, simply trying to find a role that could get him on the field more and in a way that would help the team more. As far as in-line blocking, i would expect that to be minimal, same as it is with Pitts but i believe Tate is already a better overall blocker than Pitts.

Now...do i expect the Bengals to even entertain this idea? No. Not at all. But i think it's an intriguing idea. Maybe it has more to do with me wanting the team to try and do something i see other teams do; actually show some innovation with something that's not unrealistic. Thinking outside the box just a bit with a low level of risk. 

Pitts is a weapon but i don't really think i want him at #5 if Chase is there. If Chase isn't there, or even if the Bengals choose him regardless, tbh, i won't be upset.