I was wrong about Hayden Hurst - I'll take my crow medium rare, plz

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-09-2023, 10:04 AM)Synric Wrote: Bengals offense doesn't run through the TE so those are good numbers... Tight Ends are also notoriously difficult to transition from the NFL. So it's either pay way to much for 3rd option in your offense or resign Hayden Hurst while developing a day 2 or early day 3 guy.

Bengals offense doesn't run through the TE because they don't have a great TE. That's kind of chicken and egg there. You get Travis Kelce and suddenly your offense runs through the TE, you have Drew Sample and suddenly your offense doesn't run through the TE.

It is worth noting that before Sample got hurt, the Bengals were starting 2 TEs in both of the first two games of the season. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Hurst is terrible or that he shouldn't be re-signed on a 1 year deal if it makes financial sense. I'm just saying he's not really a #1 TE and isn't the future and the Bengals should plan/prepare accordingly as next year might realistically be the last year he is decent. He came into the NFL later in his age 25 season and his yards per catch has declined every year he's been in the NFL since, so we might be seeing the very tail end of a short career. There's also a small chance that Higgins is not on the team next year if an extension doesn't happen (and I am not really sure it's feasible to pay Burrow, Chase, AND Tee from a roster construction standpoint). Boyd's catches and yards have decreased 3 straight years now while he's turning 29 this year, and like Tee he's under contract for only 1 more year.

Signing a young veteran or finding a good 3rd round or earlier TE who you can develop in 2023, should be a decent priority this offseason, up there with finding another WR to develop too.

Still don't regret letting CJ leave, as his contract was way too much for the player he was, but they need to start preparing for turnover and Hurst is the easiest one as his receiving stats are more in line with RB production than a TE.