Cincy and our new coaching staff appeared to grab our potential free agent losses by the balls and agreed to bring back two offensive starters in tight end C.J. Uzomah and takle Bobby Hart. Both “eh” players but it shows we are ready to take care of our guys.
Both players are expected to sign their deals as soon as tomorrow, the day before the first day of the new league year when free agents are allowed to sign with other teams.
In the wake of the Uzomah report, another one followed that Tyler Kroft, another tight end drafted in Uzomah’s class of 2015, is ditching us for Buffalo. All signings are being reported as three year contracts and are thought to be in the $19-21 million range.
The men in stripes are apparently still talking to our main man who we thought was a goner Tyler Eifert. Eifert began the 2018 season in our starting lineup before missing the last 12 games with a dislocated ankle. Not a fun injury to live...totally gross.
B. Hart started all 16 games last season. Jim Turner, our new offensive line coach, says that he watched them all closely on film and it assured him that he wanted the tackle for more than 16 games. Turner made his thoughts well known on Hart at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month even though he dared not utter his name even before free agency started.
“I can’t comment on the right tackle because he’s unrestricted so I’m not sure what’s going to happen with him,” Turner said. “I thought he did a great job. I thought was phenomenal. I know he gave up some sacks and pressures and all this other business, but if you really watch him play, he played with passion and I thought he played well. He played for Jimbo, so I talked with Jimbo about him coming from Florida State. I just like what he brought to the table as far as energy is concerned. I think he’s an athlete and I think he’s a good player, a good, solid player”
Zac Taylor definitely feled the same way about Uzomah. Both Uzomah and and our other young TE Kraft, now with the Bills, fell victim to injuries last season. Kroft missed the last 11 games with a foot injury and just wasn’t the same guy he was in 2017 with 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. Uzomah’s 2018 season was a career year as the last tight end standing with 43 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns while playing with a pretty jacked up shoulder for the last half of the season. I mean he was beat the shit up. Real tough guy He ended up being.
Who knows who will start and who knows he makes it the entire season...we are afflicted with some kind of tight end injury disease... I mean Eifert just fell apart every year unfortunately. Either way we need a go to guy if Eifert, who can be as productive as Gronk when healthy, is out of the picture. Can not wait until the season starts to find out!
WHODEY
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