(06-12-2018, 11:43 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Remember when Lapham called out Gresh. I hope that dude now realizes how wrong he was.

He wasn't wrong.  Gresh had his strengths, but was dumb as a rock and has been meh with the Cardinals.  

I don't think Lap should have called him out - just isn't good journalism, and pretty classless.  But they knew Gresh was a fail the first OTAs.   Certainly by training camp the word was that he was a slow study.  He had consistent problems with routes and assignments and couldn't control his emotions on the field or in the locker room.

I will say he was a vicious blocker and strong as an ox.   I remember him tearing up DEs and he destroyed Kansas City's top tier safety.

I don't know if I remember correctly but Lap called him out for failing to play with a minor injury.  The problem with Eifert is that he has never resolving major injuries.

Someone said he would not be surprised if he retired in a couple of years.   I think there's a very real possibility he retires this year.  Back injuries almost never resolve to the degree you can play a violent game like NFL football.

But I don't think Lap was wrong about Gresh failing to play with a minor injury.   Just not his job to call him out on it.

So maybe we can merge this thread with the Woodside DUI thread and come up with the perfect solution. Put Eifert to work as the 3 million dollar designated driver. Use the clause "other duties as directed".

Tyler Eifert is out here. Wearing pants. No helmet. @FOX19 #Bengals pic.twitter.com/llRG4Wmkcr

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) June 13, 2018

Tyler Eifert left briefly is back out here for stretching. @FOX19 #Bengals #EifertWatch2018 pic.twitter.com/6DnyqBc9PM

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) June 13, 2018

Is it wrong that the simple act of Eifert stretching makes me nervous?  

I'm a huge fan of the guy's talent and what he brings to the team when healthy...but I can't help feeling like he always one good sneeze away from landing on the IR again. 

Hate to hear this about Eifert.

Should have been the second best TE but another example of Bengals being snake bit. (i.e., what would have happened if Palmer had not been injured by dirty Steelers, David Pollack not hurt, Greg Cook not hurt, Kijana Carter not hurt,etc.)

(06-13-2018, 03:04 PM)Bengalholic Wrote:

Tyler Eifert is out here. Wearing pants. No helmet. @FOX19 #Bengals pic.twitter.com/llRG4Wmkcr

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) June 13, 2018

Tyler Eifert left briefly is back out here for stretching. @FOX19 #Bengals #EifertWatch2018 pic.twitter.com/6DnyqBc9PM

— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) June 13, 2018

Seems like the Bengals are still taking it easy on Eifert. 

(06-13-2018, 02:28 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Bryant did not play a full season in Tampa Bay in 2009, as he had injuries that led to him getting surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee after the 2009 season. And he never recovered from the surgery.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5509631

(06-13-2018, 02:31 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Bryant only put up 5 games of 50+ yards his final season in Tampa (only getting 100+ yards once) and was held to 3 catches or less 9 times in 13 games.

Bryant had surgery before the 2009 season, not after.  He did have some injury issues but he played in the final 7 games of the season catching 23 passes for 371 yds (16.1 avg).  He had 91 yds against the Falcons in week 12 and 116 against the Panthers in week 13.  He was having some problems with the knee but he was healthy enough to play and produce.  Then by training camp he claimed he could not even practice.  Clearly there was another injury sometime between the end of the '09 season and training camp in '10.

(06-13-2018, 03:27 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Bryant had surgery before the 2009 season, not after.  He did have some injury issues but he played in the final 7 games of the season catching 23 passes for 371 yds (16.1 avg).  He had 91 yds against the Falcons in week 12 and 116 against the Panthers in week 13.  He was having some problems with the knee but he was healthy enough to play and produce.  Then by training camp he claimed he could not even practice.  Clearly there was another injury sometime between the end of the '09 season and training camp in '10.

Ahh yes, you are right. I did not see the date mentioned in the articles I had found about Bryant with the Bengals and assumed it was after the 2009 season based on the way it was being described in the article I linked. I now found that it was mid-August 2009.

gotta love our Cincinnati Sports teams..the Reds are paying Homer Bailey 20 million dollars a year for nothing but lengthy injuries

(06-13-2018, 03:27 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Bryant had surgery before the 2009 season, not after. He did have some injury issues but he played in the final 7 games of the season catching 23 passes for 371 yds (16.1 avg).  He had 91 yds against the Falcons in week 12 and 116 against the Panthers in week 13.  He was having some problems with the knee but he was healthy enough to play and produce.  Then by training camp he claimed he could not even practice.  Clearly there was another injury sometime between the end of the '09 season and training camp in '10.

Bryant only had a total of 124 yards over his last 4 games and other than a couple of instances, hadn't really looked very good the entire year. It seemed pretty obvious that he had not progressed very far by seasons end, and in fact, seemed to have regressed.

It was a huge gamble by the Bengals to sign him to a 4 yr- 28m deal coming off that disappointing season, and for that they deserved fair criticism, but failing to catch the chronic issue with his knee may not have been their fault:

'It's a complicated cartilage injury that won't show up on tests unless you're looking for it. This would explain how Bryant passed a physical despite being unable to play. It's a long-term knee problem that won't go away.' - per NFL medical source via Peter King

There were a ton of people on here who were all about this signing. Back surgery doesn’t mean that you have a brand new back. To pay this guy to go down the middle to catch passes and get clobbered isn’t smart. Hasn’t he now had multiple back surgeries? You expect to pay the guy that big chunk and expect any kind of consistency??? Seriously???? I expected him to retire before I heard of his signing. I just shook my head. Evidently a lot of you don’t know other people with serious back issues.

(06-12-2018, 05:43 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Honestly I would not be surprised if he never plays another snap.

I assume that he will be healthy for training camp, but he has a long history of not being ready when they say he is.

Spoke too soon!

Lewis on Eifert: does not know if he'll be ready for camp

— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) June 13, 2018

(06-13-2018, 02:32 PM)3wt Wrote: I don't know if I remember correctly but Lap called him out for failing to play with a minor injury.

But I don't think Lap was wrong about Gresh failing to play with a minor injury.

Except it came out later in FA that he needed back surgery for a herniated disc.

That was the "minor injury" that Lap gave him shit about. A herniated disc that needed surgery, which he still played through until he couldn't. I remember the guy being in tons of pain on the field, slowly dragging himself off the ground, and getting ready for the next snap.

Bengals medical staff F'd up (surprise), Lap publicly threw him under the bus, and then everyone went awfully silent when Gresham had to get offseason surgery as a FA.

Dude missed 6 games in 5 seasons as a TE for the Bengals.

PUP list!!! Use it. See what Shrek can do if Hewitt can play TE or trade or make a claim.

Eifert is clearly not all the way back. Give him as much time as possible.

In the mean time run a lot of 3 WR sets with the two 1st and the 2nd round WRs

(06-13-2018, 12:19 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I said that back before FA opened. $5.5 mill wasn't worth the risk.
Should have saved the $5.5 mill to put toward another player like OL or even cut LaFell too for additional $4 mill and could have put that toward a new shiny pass catcher that would be a more reliable and productive 2nd option in the passing game.

I was with ya. I wanted him back at a steep discount...and $5.5 million wasn't exactly steep enough.

I'm skeptical about him as well but to say we shouldn't have taken the risk and signed him makes no sense. First off knowing Bengals management they may have not spent the money anywhere else so we'd be left with MB banking the money. Second, there haven't been any setbacks they are just being overly cautious which I have no issue with since it is early June.

Let's wait until he is actually out for training camp or real season games before we decide it was a waste of money.

(06-12-2018, 08:43 PM)Bengalholic Wrote:

Looks like me trying to get back to my table right after they yell last call at the bar.

It's June why worry at this point. It's not about Eifert playing in Minny camp or even training camp it is about him playing the whole regular season and hopefully playoffs at a high level. If he is not ready by then it's a failure but until then let's keep an open mind.

The kid is just snake bit. Sorry to see such a gifted TE struggle with medical issues. It just wasn't meant to be. I am so ready to move on and hope the team drafts a talented TE fairly high next year draft.

Maybe I'm the only one thinking this but if he is injured or isn't ready during camp then maybe we should cut him. Give a space on the roster to a player that can actually make a contribution to the team during the season

If he's out there doing stretches and team stuff, a day after "not being on the field," I think everyone is REALLY jumping the gun here.

He could miss TC just as well as he could participate in every part of TC; its too early to call.

But if he comes back the day after missing time and he's still doing the same things he was doing before, I don't see how this changes anything.

Definitely not enough to have people up in arms though. Pipe down.

(06-14-2018, 12:56 AM)psychdoctor Wrote: The kid is just snake bit.   Sorry to see such a gifted TE struggle with medical issues.  It just wasn't meant to be.  I am so ready to move on and hope the team drafts a talented TE fairly high next year draft.

Yeah, barring any unseen immediate needs, I think a good TE should be on the radar fairly high next year.