Fine with me. I don't want him on the field till opening day. Then we might get a half out of him before he's out for the year.

(05-24-2018, 01:38 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Best route running TE in the NFL when healthy.

Runs precision routes like a WR. Eifert does.

Kroft is a very solid #2 TE, i just don't think he could ever become "just as good" as Eifert when healthy.

Indeed!

(05-24-2018, 01:38 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Best route running TE in the NFL when healthy.

Runs precision routes like a WR. Eifert does.

Kroft is a very solid #2 TE, i just don't think he could ever become "just as good" as Eifert when healthy.

We all know he is or was a great TE.  But He has only played 39 games in 5 years.  He played 15 games in 2013, 1 game in 2014, 13 games in 2015, 8 games in 2016, and 2 games in 2017.  He got hurt in the freaking pro bowl. It's hard to believe someone who is made of glass is suddenly going to start playing 16 games in the regular season because he never has.

(05-25-2018, 07:54 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: We all know he is or was a great TE.  But He has only played 39 games in 5 years.  He played 15 games in 2013, 1 game in 2014, 13 games in 2015, 8 games in 2016, and 2 games in 2017.  He got hurt in the freaking pro bowl. It's hard to believe someone who is made of glass is suddenly going to start playing 16 games in the regular season because he never has.

Agree. Not going to get overly concerned with him.

(05-24-2018, 04:57 PM)3wt Wrote: I agree that Kroft is underrated.   He's a good tight end.  And Eifert blocks like trash.

But when he's healthy he's a totally amazing pass catching TE.

I do think they need to expand Kroft's role.   I think he's up to it.  He really improved last year.

(05-24-2018, 08:28 PM)3wt Wrote: And hopefully Pollack can get hold of Eifert with some blocking techniques.  If he can get Eifert able to block...

Where did all this come from?

Eifert isn't Reggie Kelly, but he's a more-than competent blocker and has been since 2015; only in his rookie season, did he have struggles.

(05-24-2018, 04:01 AM)Shady Wrote: Just read this


Why can't this guy go on the field without hurting himself?

Does he even need to get on the field to get hurt?

(05-24-2018, 06:27 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This 

Agree with Nate I do.


I don't thnk he will ever be as good as Eifert but Kroft is not some late-round scrub, or just a "blocking" TE. He is a long, athletic TE who could contribute a lot to our offense. I don't trust "pro day" numbers as much as combine numbers, but after not being able to run at the combine Kroft put up numbers at his pro day workout that would have ranked top six among the 18 TEs at the combine in six different events.


Short Shuttle... 4.20 (1st)
3-cone drill...... 7.12 (2nd)
Long Jump...... 10' (2nd)
Long Shuttle... 11.78 (2nd) (not sure how many even run this anymore)
Forty dash...... 4.67 (3rd)
Vertical.......... 34" (6th)

It seems silly to talk about workout numbers after a player has been in the league for 3 years, but Kroft has never been used in a way to maximize his potential as a receiver.

Fred agrees with me he does?

Nice numbers there for Kroft and like i said, nothing against him, think he can be a very good TE in the NFL, just
not the superstar pass catcher that Eifert is. We will see how much better he is once his QB has some time to get
him the ball...

(05-25-2018, 07:54 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: We all know he is or was a great TE.  But He has only played 39 games in 5 years.  He played 15 games in 2013, 1 game in 2014, 13 games in 2015, 8 games in 2016, and 2 games in 2017.  He got hurt in the freaking pro bowl. It's hard to believe someone who is made of glass is suddenly going to start playing 16 games in the regular season because he never has.

All true Bonnie, he is just such a great talent that i wanted us to bring him back in case he can play half the games
this year. Love the contract as well, incentive laden. If he plays half the games he helps immensely. Just imagine if
he could play all of them and a playoff game or two?

(05-25-2018, 12:31 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: All true Bonnie, he is just such a great talent that i wanted us to bring him back in case he can play half the games
this year. Love the contract as well, incentive laden. If he plays half the games he helps immensely. Just imagine if
he could play all of them and a playoff game or two?

I don't think half the games is enough.  I would rather have invested our time and money into finding another star tight end who is more durable.  I truly hope I am wrong, and he plays all season,  because he is a great talent.

(05-26-2018, 04:28 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: I don't think half the games is enough.  I would rather have invested our time and money into finding another star tight end who is more durable.  I truly hope I am wrong, and he plays all season,  because he is a great talent.

He’s a threat when on the field that’s for sure. Great hands and height. We really can’t design safe plays for him. TE’s take a beating. If it comes to him playing limited games, just hope it’s when it counts. But then again, why disrupt what got us there in the first place?

(05-26-2018, 09:50 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: He’s a threat when on the field that’s for sure. Great hands and height. We really can’t design safe plays for him. TE’s take a beating. If it comes to him playing limited games, just hope it’s when it counts. But then again, why disrupt what got us there in the first place?

That's the thing. At this point in the season nobody can point and say which game is going to count and which ones won't unless you're just pointing at every regular season game in general. There's no playoff game yet, no tied game or a game that might knock another team out of contention for the post season. There's only the upcoming season and we don't know how good or bad the team in general is going to do. For all we know every snap in every game will be critical or it could go like last season where we came out shooting blanks ..  

(05-26-2018, 05:24 PM)grampahol Wrote: For all we know every snap in every game will be critical or it could go like last season where we came out shooting blanks ..  

Yeah, we were *****'s without real ammo!

(05-24-2018, 07:01 AM)Synric Wrote: From what I understand Eifert has actually been cleared to practice since February but the Bengals are taking it very easy with him.

No Need to rush this, treat him like a fine piece of rare China, limit the reps all summer and have him ready for Week 1

How was his injury history in college. I read where he only played 1 game in his freshman year due to a back injury but was not able to find much else.

This post is going to sound more controversial than intended, but Ryan Shazier tried to spear Kroft with his helmet and instead ended up with a career ending injury. What if that had been Eifert? Would Eifert be the injured one?

(05-27-2018, 10:29 AM)corpjet Wrote: No Need to rush this, treat him like a fine piece of rare China, limit the reps all summer and have him ready for Week 1

That's the problem.  He's made of glass (or pottery)

(05-29-2018, 10:30 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: That's the problem.  He's made of glass (or pottery)

Crap, my post last night didn't take (damn connection).

Anyways, I wrote a contrarian post last night, saying that Eifert is NOT made of glass, as he never has gotten injured from an actual hit, save for his concussion.

All of his injuries have been from non-contact or training:

- The arm break was him putting excess pressure on it, no hit involved.
- The ankle was non-contact in the PB
- The back was from just a bad back (hereditary, it seems), exacerbated in non-contact drills during OTAs/TC/whatever he did last year

Until he breaks something or hurts something after a hit, I say to take as much punishment as he wants; just don't have him run 5000 of the same drill.

JMO.

I'd like to think that Eifert has gathered enough information, that he feels confident enough that the next hit isn't going to be his last.

(05-29-2018, 09:38 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: This post is going to sound more controversial than intended, but Ryan Shazier tried to spear Kroft with his helmet and instead ended up with a career ending injury.  What if that had been Eifert?  Would Eifert be the injured one?

No and no. It was not Kroft, it was Josh Malone Shazier tried to spear, and it was a hit to the ribs, which as a tight end Eifert takes all the time. Shazier's hit wasn't going to injure anyone but Shazier.

(05-29-2018, 12:44 PM)Sled21 Wrote: No and no. It was not Kroft, it was Josh Malone Shazier tried to spear, and it was a hit to the ribs, which as a tight end Eifert takes all the time. Shazier's hit wasn't going to injure anyone but Shazier.

My bad.  I thought it was Kroft.