01-06-2021, 11:50 AM
(01-05-2021, 10:46 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I'd bet money that Erickson, Thomas and Morgan are on the roster to go along with Boyd and Higgins. Throw in (probable) Chase and you have 6. That's not counting a later round pick or FA/cut down day signing. I don't see WR depth as a concern at all.
Uzomah and Sample are roster locks next year. Schreck has 0 dead money in '21 if cut and Carter is a UFA. Neither of those guys would make a ripple if they're not on the roster next year, though Carter has value on ST (granted, i don't value ST quite as much as some others--i think those roles are filled rather easily) and i think he's vastly underutilized as a pass catching TE.
Adding 15-20 lbs is too much weight for one offseason and more than likely not very attainable. I don't see Tate as a prototypical TE as much as a 'tweener'. Adding 1 to 2 lbs a month is very doable and would get him up to around 240 during training camp, which is what Pitts is right now. It would also be slow enough to allow his body to adapt without too much (if any) loss in physical skill. That's the whole reason they would need a very detailed program for him to follow, which would include training in TE concepts and route running. There are flexibility exercises that could be very beneficial to him as well as things he could do to help/keep speed. There's no denying his ability to catch the ball and he's not as limited in short area quickness as you're claiming. I would never expect him to be a "stud" in year one or any year after that, simply trying to find a role that could get him on the field more and in a way that would help the team more. As far as in-line blocking, i would expect that to be minimal, same as it is with Pitts but i believe Tate is already a better overall blocker than Pitts.
Now...do i expect the Bengals to even entertain this idea? No. Not at all. But i think it's an intriguing idea. Maybe it has more to do with me wanting the team to try and do something i see other teams do; actually show some innovation with something that's not unrealistic. Thinking outside the box just a bit with a low level of risk.
Pitts is a weapon but i don't really think i want him at #5 if Chase is there. If Chase isn't there, or even if the Bengals choose him regardless, tbh, i won't be upset.
Thomas seemed to fall out of favor as the year went on. Erickson could return, but it's also a deep draft for slot WR's with return ability. Morgan offers nothing as a position player.
Why would Tate want to even attempt this conversion? He's basically guaranteed a spot at WR next year and will have a good shot at getting a second contract somewhere if he stays there. If this TE conversion doesn't work out, he gets cut a year short of earning full retirement benefits from the league and is probably out of the league. It's a terrible risk/reward for the guy.
His quickness issues are not overstated. Guy ran a 4.58 shuttle at his pro day. By comparison, the top shuttle from a WR at the combine last year was 4.12. For further comparison, Drew Sample ran it in 4.31. He's bad by TE standards. His athletic measurements are downright brutal by NFL standards. The only things he has going for him are size and great hands. Not being a great natural athlete, the odds are ridiculously bad that he can pull off what you're asking. He will also see more balls as a #4/5 WR than as a #3/4 TE. Pretty much anything you can do with him as a move TE, we could already do with Uzomah. Just seems like a lot of trouble to go through to force targets to a depth guy.
