Bengal TE strategy

[BengalChris]

(07-29-2020, 02:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The following post is a compilation of different comments and stats from ProFootballOutsiders.

Taylor has a specific offensive scheme that he likes to employ.  Last year no team in the league used 3+ WR more often than the Bengals, and only one team used multiple RBs less often.  So it will be interesting to see how Taylor uses his TEs in the 2020 "Burrow Offense".  At LSU Burrow threw over half his passes to slot receivers, but in the LSU offense that included TE Thaddeus Moss.

Last year Eifert had 64 targets while Uzomah had 40.  While they were both listed as "TE", they were used in completely opposite manners.  Seventy-five percent of Eifert's targets came when he was lined up in the slot or out wide.  That was the 4th HIGHEST percentage among all TEs in the league (min 25 targets).  On the other had only 15% of Uzomah's targets came when he was slot/wide and that was the 5th LOWEST rate among all TEs in the league.

So even though Eifert played almost half of the offensive snaps last year (491) he was mainly a slot receiver or even a WR.  Uzomah played 644 snaps, but he was much more of a traditional TE.  So how will Taylor replace the snaps that Eifert had?  Since Burrow loves to look at the slot/TE so often I wonder if we will just use an extra WR instead of Eifert.  Or will Uzomah get more snaps lining up in the slot or out wide.  Or will Sample get the snaps when the TE moves out to the slot/wide position?

Thoughts?

I expect Boyd to get most of the slot time and catches with AJ moving inside some times.

Higgins will be fine on the outside opposite AJ.

Sample will come in to block. Eifert's 65 targets last season will not go to Sample, who I doubt has had 65 targets in his entire football career.

Ross will be used to run down the field a few times a game until he breaks again. Burrow will throw him a bone once in a while.