Would You Be Okay If

[Bengalpool]

I know we need a TE, but most importantly we need to focus on the OL still. I would argue CB too. Burrow is our #1 priority, don't forget it. We could invest a majority of our remaining cap/cash on OL and no one would complain. If they did, their priorities would be mixed up.

At this point, get your OL fixed, that means 4 new starters from LG to RT. And find you a vet min starter at TE and draft McBride or (insert TE here).

[jj22]

They spent a 2nd round pick on Sample likely thinking they wouldn't re-sign CJ (and not realizing the role he'd play on a SB team). It's just time for him to step up. They are doubling down on the move. I liked Moss, but he can't stay healthy and can't be relied on.

[Millhouse]

It's not ideal but only if they draft one of the top two receiving tight ends early on, meaning their 1st or 2nd round pick, or try to trade up in the 2nd for one of them.

One big issue at the moment as well is that they don't have a 4th receiver, at least anyone of quality. Rolling into the season with just Chase, Tee, and Boyd is not a good thing.

[TKUHL]

(03-17-2022, 09:37 AM)Millhouse Wrote: It's not ideal but only if they draft one of the top two receiving tight ends early on, meaning their 1st or 2nd round pick, or try to trade up in the 2nd for one of them.

One big issue at the moment as well is that they don't have a 4th receiver, at least anyone of quality. Rolling into the season with just Chase, Tee, and Boyd is not a good thing.

Especially when we run 3 Wr sets what 70% of the time. I would still like to get OJ Howard and keep using Sample for what he is a blocker. I think Hunter Henry is still out there also. I would be cool with McBride but I doubt he will be there at the end of the first. So my next two FA’s I’d like to see are C- JC Trotter/Bozeman and OJ Howard/Henry. Seems Collins might be let go, would like to just make a trade for the guy.

[basballguy]

If we're looking for CJ level production I think Sample will be just fine....then again you can get that type of production out of almost any TE.

I wouldn't be upset if we went with Sample

[fredtoast]

Drew Sample played close to half of the offensive snaps last year (42%), but he is not a #1 TE. Most teams in the league have a guy like Sample that plays an important role in their offense without catching a lot of passes. If Sample had been a lower draft pick instead of a a 2nd rounder people here would like him a lot more (see: Ryan Hewitt). But we still need a #1 TE who can at least block a little while being a receiving threat.

I like Uzomah a lot. He was a better TE than a lot of people here give him credit for. He just did not get a lot of targets because of our 3 top WRs. He was worth $8 million a year to a team that needs another receiving threat, but he was not worth that much to the Bengals.

I would sign a cheaper free agent to be our #1 TE. I might even draft a guy, but I would not use a pick in the first 2 rounds on TE simply because we don't need a great receiver at TE.

[grampahol]

Sample played quite a bit this past season, but was never really called on to catch passes because, duh,, CJ, but CJ is now history so I've moved on from the bum..(not really, at least as much as some others) Every former Bengal who signs a FA deal to me becomes dead, a bum and unworthy...with very few exceptions..I'm just wired that way..LOL
Anyway, Sample is a proven commodity in the blocking game where he's pretty good. Can his passing game improve? Hell yeah, but this team most definitely has other options and/or priorities. He's been more of the emergency dump off in the passing game. I'd like to see someone step up, perhaps even Sample himself, but we'll see.
The team isn't done in FAgency, but the big ticket signings I think are unless they really surprise us out of the blue..
 

[Soonerpeace]

(03-17-2022, 11:25 AM)TKUHL Wrote: Especially when we run 3 Wr sets what 70% of the time. I would still like to get OJ Howard and keep using Sample for what he is a blocker. I think Hunter Henry is still out there also. I would be cool with McBride but I doubt he will be there at the end of the first. So my next two FA’s I’d like to see are C- JC Trotter/Bozeman and OJ Howard/Henry. Seems Collins might be let go, would like to just make a trade for the guy.

OJ went to the Bills for like only 3 million

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 11:34 AM)basballguy Wrote: If we're looking for CJ level production I think Sample will be just fine....then again you can get that type of production out of almost any TE.  

No you can't get that type of production out of almost any TE considering the number of targets Uzo had.  He was top 10 among starting TEs in both "catch percentage" and "yards per target".

If Uzo was as bad as many of you say then no NFL team would ever pay him $8 million a year.

[*Go Cards*]

Would be fine getting TE out of draft, yet would hate to have to count on O-linemen coming out of draft.

There is still work to be done.

[*Go Cards*]

(03-17-2022, 07:13 AM)casear2727 Wrote: If we add Tretter and Collins I don’t care if we play Brandon Allen at TE…

Armstead would not hurt my feelings either who was waiting to see if the Saints would sign Deshawn Watson before signing elsewhere. 

Albeit it is probably a pipe dream lol

[THE PISTONS]

(03-17-2022, 12:19 AM)Housh Wrote: Yes. Full disclosure to the board. I dont care about the TE position.


Burrow goes 5 out alot and id honestly just get more snaps for Tate. Would I love a 6 foot 6 245 pound TE with hands of silk? DUH. But the way Burrow plays I dont think he needs one. I think Moss or an AVERAGE pass catcher will do. And honestly Moss starting and catching passes from Burrow would just make me happy. Idc how good they would actually be, I watched Burrows whole LSU career. I would just love to see Moss starting

Tate is a free agent I think.

[basballguy]

(03-17-2022, 11:41 AM)fredtoast Wrote: No you can't get that type of production out of almost any TE considering the number of targets Uzo had.  He was top 10 among starting TEs in both "catch percentage" and "yards per target".

If Uzo was as bad as many of you say then no NFL team would ever pay him $8 million a year.

I don't think anyone is saying Uzomah is bad...you might be making that up in your head.  

Dude had a career year....and that career year was 50 catches for 500 yards and 5 TDs.  Spin it any way you want...that production can be reproduced with almost any TE.  

[Millhouse]

(03-17-2022, 11:25 AM)TKUHL Wrote: Especially when we run 3 Wr sets what 70% of the time. I would still like to get OJ Howard and keep using Sample for what he is a blocker. I think Hunter Henry is still out there also. I would be cool with McBride but I doubt he will be there at the end of the first. So my next two FA’s I’d like to see are C- JC Trotter/Bozeman and OJ Howard/Henry. Seems Collins might be let go, would like to just make a trade for the guy.

Thats the thing. Having a legitimate tight end threat that can work the middle of the field and linebackers, greatly helps the passing game in general as it helps keep the coverages honest. Uzo was able to do this, even though maybe not on the level of a prime Gronk or Kelce. But if they went into the season with just Sample, coverages will heavily concentrate more elsewhere. Keep Sample for blocking, but have to find someone else to be a threat at somewhat of a level to keep defenses more honest.

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 12:27 PM)basballguy Wrote:  Spin it any way you want...that production can be reproduced with almost any TE.  

Not with the same number of targets.

You are making the same mistake everyone else does.  You look at raw totals instead of efficiency.  But NFL teams know better.  That is why Uzomah got $8 million a year in free agency.  They do not pay that kind of money to a player who could be replaced by "almost any TE".

[basballguy]

(03-17-2022, 12:33 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Not with the same number of targets.

You are making the same mistake everyone else does.  You look at raw totals instead of efficiency.  But NFL teams know better.  That is why Uzomah got $8 million a year in free agency.

You act like CJ would've had this efficiency if Jeff Driskel was his QB.  Let's face it, having an accurate QB matters.  

Last year Drew Sample caught 40 passes on 53 targets for 350 yards.  Seems me be the efficiency is very close to Uzomah this year.  

8mil a year is good for 14th on the list of TE salaries...putting him middle of the road for salaries....for middle of the road stats.  CJ got exactly what he deserved on production that can be reproduced with probably any other TE where Joe Burrow is the QB.  

We've already seen what Sample could do (last year).  Sample performed just fine and has an appealing contract.  So if we roll with Sample (as the OP suggests) I think we will see similar production and we have the 2020 season to reinforce that idea.  

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 12:55 PM)basballguy Wrote: Last year Drew Sample caught 40 passes on 53 targets for 350 yards.  Seems me be the efficiency is very close to Uzomah this year.  


We've already seen what Sample could do (last year).  Sample performed just fine and has an appealing contract.  So if we roll with Sample (as the OP suggests) I think we will see similar production and we have the 2020 season to reinforce that idea.  

This just proves that you do not even understand what "yards per target" means.

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 12:55 PM)basballguy Wrote: You act like CJ would've had this efficiency if Jeff Driskel was his QB.  Let's face it, having an accurate QB matters.  

You still don't get it.  Unless you think that the fact Tyler Boyd had a higher yards per catch with Dalton in 2018 means Andy is a better QB than Burrow.

(03-17-2022, 12:55 PM)basballguy Wrote: 8mil a year is good for 14th on the list of TE salaries...putting him middle of the road for salaries....for middle of the road stats. 

So now there are only 28 TEs in the NFL?

[basballguy]

(03-17-2022, 01:20 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This just proves that you do not even understand what "yards per target" means.

You mentioned yards per target and catch percentage.  But It's cool if that's what you want to focus on so you can insult me.  

This is why nobody likes you.  To think there was a point over the last 15 years or so where I thought people were unjustly harsh towards you.  

You may want to consider being a kinder human instead of the antagonistic keyboard warrior you try to be. 

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-16-2022, 10:57 PM)BuildTheWall Wrote: We went into the draft with our TE depth chart:

1. Drew Sample
2. Mitch Wilcox
3. Thaddeus Moss
4. Scotty Washington

Along with maybe one no-name signing? I mean, so long as we draft one, or scoop up somebody during the wave of camp/preseason cuts, I'm okay with it. Moss was Burrow's college teammate, and played well, so there is some chemistry. And Sample could be in line for a Dalton Schultz-style 4th year breakout if he's given more snaps. Even if not, he's one of the better (even if not elite) blocking TEs. The TE isn't featured that often in our offense, and with Chase, Higgins, Boyd, and Mixon, he'd be the 4th option most of the time. I'd love McBride if he was BPA, or a Ruckert in the mid-rounds, but I honestly don't think it's the end of the world if we just stand pat at TE and focus on other more pressing needs.

It depends on what we do elsewhere. If we roll into the draft with TE, RT, & CB all needing a starter quality guy and without another IOL add, yes, I am gonna be pissed. 

But that is basically the situation now.  I cannot imagine we whiff from here. ATM, we could just start Waynes, so it is not entirely a void at CB.