I'm thinking no, but I don't think his first hit should come week 1. How will they know if he can take one?

What would you do? Sit him? Get him live game reps and test his back?

He hasn't got real action since 2016.

Hell yes, he needs to knock the rust off, get his body tuned in to football again.

I'm not saying extensive action, but he needs to get some meaningful reps in each game.

Can we wrap him in bubble wrap?

(03-23-2018, 09:29 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Hell yes, he needs to knock the rust off, get his body tuned in to football again.

I'm not saying extensive action, but he needs to get some meaningful reps in each game.

What he said.

It's been awhile since the dude played some football, so he needs to get ready.

And it's now Lazor's playbook, so all of the first stringers need to have actual game reps to gel and work out the kinks.

Of course he needs a little live action but keep him very limited and sit out the fourth game.

He needs to play in any games Dalton plays in. Presumably a new offense with Lazor washing away the last of the Zampese stains means the QB and TE need to get on the same page.

An Eifert on the bench does you the same good as an Eifert on the trainer's table does.

If he explodes on his first hit in preseason, at least you will still have enough time to find a semi-viable replacent, which can't be said for when the regular season already starts.

We wrap him in bubble wrap and put him in a box till game 1

Eifert is like good China ware. Bring him out when it means something.

Yes, if he gets hurt he gets hurt, would have happened in the season opener anyways. Dude is glass, I would bet a good chunk he doesn't play 8 games this year.

(03-24-2018, 08:11 AM)ah5 Wrote: Yes, if he gets hurt he gets hurt, would have happened in the season opener anyways. Dude is glass, I would bet a good chunk he doesn't play 8 games this year.

I think we’ll be lucky to see 6.

(03-24-2018, 09:19 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: I think we’ll be lucky to see 6.

I'm going to be optimistic and say 9

(03-24-2018, 09:21 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'm going to be optimistic and say 9

I would like to see 16, but we all feel we won’t get that out of him. It’s really a crap shoot tbh. What would be even better is if we had a bad as TE beat him out of the starting position and kick ass all season.

Believe he needs the reps and a few hits to build confidence that he is healed and ready.

But would not overdo it.

Get him work early and then get him the hell out of game before some UDFA trying to make squad lays the wood on him on a meaningless play.

No way. Glass Joe needs to at least make it to Week 1 intact.

If he's able he'll play in PS..I see no reason whatsoever to have him wrapped up doing nothing then have him unable to play in games that matter . They didn't re-sign him to be a sideline decoration.... I hope   

Give him some limited snaps in the preseason to get in game shape and take a hit or two for confidence. No extended playing time.

(03-23-2018, 09:29 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Hell yes, he needs to knock the rust off, get his body tuned in to football again.

I'm not saying extensive action, but he needs to get some meaningful reps in each game.

I say if he can’t handle an nfl hit let’s find out ASAP imo. Throw him out there in the third quarter of preseason. He will get hit like it week 1 those fools trying to make the roster fight for there life. I’m hoping he’s tougher than he looks but I need to know fo sho ASAP

Yes. Every BLEEPing snap. If he breaks it’s better to know before the season starts.

(03-24-2018, 02:50 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes. Every BLEEPing snap.  If he breaks it’s better to know before the season starts.

Eifert at the line:

He has to see some snaps sometime before the season starts but they need to be extremely careful.