Welcome TE Hayden Hurst

[TecmoBengals]

My prediction:

Hurst has one hell of a '22 - '23 season catching balls from Joey B. This time next year, someone swoops him up in free agency with a 4 year, $35 million + deal and the forum erupts that we suck for not retaining him.

Joey B is going to ensure a lot of WRs and TEs get paid.

[Bengalpool]

(03-17-2022, 04:51 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: My prediction:

Hurst has one hell of a '22 - '23 season catching balls from Joey B. This time next year, someone swoops him up in free agency with a 4 year, $35 million + deal and the forum erupts that we suck for not retaining him.

Joey B is going to ensure a lot of WRs and TEs get paid.

He definitely brings the best out of his playmakers. 

[fredtoast]

O.J. Howard has been in the league a year longer than Hurst (5 to 4) but is a year younger (27 to 28). Hurst played minor league baseball for 2 years before going back to college for football.

I never wanted Howard because he has been injured for the last 2 years, but I just found this interesting.

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-17-2022, 04:47 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'll say this about Hurst's time with ATL.
They saw him in 2020, and they still decided to go get Kyle Pitts and make him the primary TE in 2021. Now they let Hurst leave.
They must not have thought very highly of him to keep him the starter and retain him.

Just because they drafted a TE in the top 5 because he was the biggest freak athlete to ever come out at TE doesn’t mean they didn’t like Hurst.

Ravens traded him because Mark Andrews is a top 3 TE in the league. Atlanta just drafted a guy in the top 5, are too busy pursuing an expensive QB when they have a crazy expensive QB under contract already and they are in cap hell with a shitty team.


Didn’t read page 2. So I may be the first to say it.

Hurst is an upgrade from Uzi and I bet he cost less. Major win

[*ochocincos*]

(03-17-2022, 04:50 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: because he, along with Chase, were the best pass catchers available, and Pitts has the versatility to play wide out

Because Pitts is a (far) better receiving TE compared to Hurst, yes.
If ATL was really happy with Hurst at TE, they could have just picked Chase to play opposite of Ridley.
But they chose Pitts because he was more versatile and could offer (far) more at TE as a receiver.

[TecmoBengals]

I'm good with the organization signing Hurst rather than paying 8 million for an average NFL caliber TE. It has been an interesting FA period, TEs are getting paid.

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-17-2022, 04:43 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Based on what?

Hurst:
Best season as a receiver - 571 yards, 6 TDs in 16 games
1304-12 across 57 games

Howard:
Best season as a receiver - 565 yards, 5 TDs in 10 games (went down with injury)
1737-15 across 59 games

Howard's a better receiver when on the field, he just got put on the backburner when Gronk came to the Bucs (understandably so).
Howard's also suffered from more injuries than Hurst, so there's more risk there.

There was a lot of fanfare around Howard back in 19 or whenever he was drafted. I think a lot of his hype stems from that. And for whatever reasons, injuries included for sure, he's never really knocked it out of the park on the NFL field.

[casear2727]

(03-17-2022, 04:47 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'll say this about Hurst's time with ATL.
They saw him in 2020, and they still decided to go get Kyle Pitts and make him the primary TE in 2021. Now they let Hurst leave.
They must not have thought very highly of him to keep him the starter and retain him.

Not really fair, Pitts is elite.

[casear2727]

(03-17-2022, 04:57 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: There was a lot of fanfare around Howard back in 19 or whenever he was drafted. I think a lot of his hype stems from that. And for whatever reasons, injuries included for sure, he's never really knocked it out of the park on the NFL field.

I think it was 2017.

[*ochocincos*]

(03-17-2022, 04:57 PM)casear2727 Wrote: Not really fair, Pitts is elite.

It is fair though.
One is considered elite, one is definitely not.

Hurst is about on par with Uzomah. Might be a bit better, we'll have to see.

[THE PISTONS]

Hurst can't block.

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 04:51 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Bro - this is a meh signing. Like he's fine, but no one is wetting their panties over Hayden Hurst. 

It's fine for what it is. A 1 year stop gap who is going to give you some production. 

Most of us are realistic.  We don't whimper just because all of our free agents are not first team All-Pros or the specific one player that we wanted.

TE is not going to be a key to our success with the 3 WRs we have.  So spending a ton of money on a TE would be a waste.

[casear2727]

(03-17-2022, 04:45 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I think it all comes down to dollar value.

I'd say Hurst is just a little less talented than Uzomah for a lot less money.  And I am fine with that.  No TE is going to get a lot of targets here or be a key to the passing game.  Hurst should be fine for what we need.

I see it the other way. Hurst is a very good athlete - multi sport star like you said, seems to have more natural ability and game.  CJ seemed to have size, but not fluid and not creative.  I think this guy can be more for Joe....

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 04:58 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Hurst can't block.

That is an interesting claim considering he was used more as a FB than Uzomah ever was.

What makes you say he can't block?

[WeezyBengal]

(03-17-2022, 04:59 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Most of us are realistic.  We don't whimper just because all of our free agents are not first team All-Pros or the specific one player that we wanted.

TE is not going to be a key to our success with the 3 WRs we have.  So spending a ton of money on a TE would be a waste.

Right... 

[casear2727]

(03-17-2022, 04:58 PM)ochocincos Wrote: It is fair though.
One is considered elite, one is definitely not.

Hurst is about on par with Uzomah. Might be a bit better, we'll have to see.

So we let Higgins go because of Chase I guess that Higgins value? 

Might be a poor analogy but you know what I mean...

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-17-2022, 04:47 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'll say this about Hurst's time with ATL.
They saw him in 2020, and they still decided to go get Kyle Pitts and make him the primary TE in 2021. Now they let Hurst leave.
They must not have thought very highly of him to keep him the starter and retain him.

I gotta say, this is a terrible take. If we were in their spot, we'd have taken Pitts and cut CJ in a heartbeat.  Pitts is an all-worl pass catching TE. Possibly the best in the league already. 

Why do people always assume the team let the player go. If you are Hurst, we stay in ATL behind Pitts. Wouldn't you rather play more & have a shot to rebuild value? That ain't happening in ATL. 

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2022, 04:59 PM)casear2727 Wrote:  CJ seemed to have size, but not fluid and not creative.  I think this guy can be more for Joe....

Like what?  His sculptor?  His poet?

[WeezyBengal]

(03-17-2022, 05:00 PM)fredtoast Wrote: That is an interesting claim considering he was used more as a FB than Uzomah ever was.

What makes you say he can't block?

After looking into after my original question its pretty widely regarded that he is a poor blocker. 

PFF:

I've got it PBLK 32.5 RBLK 57.7 REC 57.4 VS Uzomah PBLK 70.6 RBLK 60.0 REC 62.0

[Millhouse]

(03-17-2022, 04:42 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yep, I mean I don't follow Atlanta at all but it seems they've been close to a dumpster fire last couple seasons. So hopefully he'll be even better with JB and Co.

My dream was to get Gronk on a very team friendly deal, who's wasn't ? But after Brady unretired I knew that was shot down. 

This team doesn't highlight the TE position enough to make a big payday out of a signing one when they still need to get another Olineman and CB, DT or whatever.

I'm fine with it.

Yeah Atlanta was bad. But the Ravens passing game was nothing to write home about it either. Hopefully being in this offense, Hurst will excel as opposed to those two offenses in his first four years. I think he can myself.