HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Posted: 12:42 p.m. Friday, July 26, 2013 Bengals tight end Gresham working hard to forget past failures By Carlos 'Big C' Holmes Staff Writer CINCINNATI - Jermaine Gresham was the last player to exit the practice field on day one of training camp Thursday. He could be seen from a distance putting in extra time with coaches long after the regular workout had ended. What stood out most was the sight of the Bengals tight end catching passes from the Jugs machine until the sun began to set. Gresham is on a mission this summer while at the same time fighting to exorcise some demons. "My whole intent during the offseason was to make up for where I left off in the playoff game last season," Gresham said after practice. "There's no doubt about it, I cost my team the game. My mindset since then has been about getting back to playing the position and catching passes on the field consistently instead of looking not so healthy out there at times. I had to get my mind right." Gresham dropped a critical pass in Cincinnati's 19-13 playoff loss to the Houston Texans. The letdown performance has haunted him like the ghost of Christmas past. "It's all about me being a professional," he said. "I owe it to the fans and people who got me here to do better because being a disappointment is not what I am. I'm just trying to make up for it. I'm another year wiser and know what's expected of me. I just have to do my job and not let my teammates down. It's sad that it has taken so long, but I'm really starting to figure some things out. Things will be different this year." The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Gresham trained with four-time Olympic track-and-field gold medalist Michael Johnson in Texas during the offseason. The training was centered on football skills for overall performance rather than getting bigger or stronger. The imposing tight end was sleek and exceptional on his first day of training camp. He showed his athleticism catching the ball and blocking ability during 11-on-11 drills. His goal is to contribute more in the passing game this season. Gresham put up some respectable numbers last season, hauling in 64 passes for 737 yards and five touchdowns, which earned him a second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl. Despite the production and accolades as one of the league's elite, Cincinnati drafted tight end Tyler Eifert with the No. 21 overall pick. The Bengals selecting Eifert was a big deal and sent a strong message to the team's current starting tight end. "It made me work harder," Gresham said. "I totally understand why the organization did it. I played like crap so they drafted a tight end. They put the paint on the wall and I accept it. I'm not going to back down from the challenge. Tyler is a great player and he's going to make plays for many years to come. There is nothing but respect there because we have the same common goal and that's to win it all." The players are represented by CAA Sports agents and know each other well. Nevertheless, there will be spirited competition at the position in camp and both are expected to play significant roles in the offense. "I want to lead by example and play the game like I know how," Gresham said. "I just want to fall in line with what Andy (Dalton) is doing. He's a great quarterback. I'm tired of everybody bashing him because he is a franchise quarterback. If I could I would sign him to a 12-year contract, he's that good. I'm just trying to do my part to contribute to the team. "If they want me to go out there and block, I have to make sure that I am mentally and physically prepared to be that guy. I will do whatever it takes. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is us getting further along in the playoffs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 I keep saying it. Gresham knows the truth far better than supporters who make excuses for his play. Props to Big C for writing the article Josh Kirkendall should have written. :41: And huge epic shining props to Jermaine Gresham for his stunning candor and refreshing honesty. :41: Maybe we can have a truly honest conversation about Gresham now. Change is overdue. As for whether Gresham has truly gotten it or not, he'll have to prove it on the field, but I've been listening and paying attention and repeatedly noted how Gresham is, post meltdown, saying all the right things. And by that I mean all the big things. All the stuff you want to hear from someone who carries around his multiple Pro Bowl invites as if they were anchors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 No one is saying he doesn't need to get better. But some of us think he is a good player that needs to get better, and others think he sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Yeah, but Gresham is admitting he sorta sucks. Says he knows the reason Eifert is here is because he played like crap. Says he had to get his mind right and he's only just now starting to figure things out. That's more honest than most Bengal fans seem capable of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dex Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Yeah, but Gresham is admitting he sorta sucks. Says he knows the reason Eifert is here is because he played like crap. Says he had to get his mind right and he's only just now starting to figure things out. That's more honest than most Bengal fans seem capable of. Gresham may be no better than an average NFL tight end, but that isn't why Eifert got drafted. Eifert had no business falling to the 21st pick. Even teams with truly great TEs would love to have added Eifert. For instance, imagine what the Saints could have done with both Graham and Eifert playing together, but they had too many defensive holes to fill. In a few years teams like the 49ers and the Steelers may regret not taking Eifert when they had the opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Gresham may be no better than an average NFL tight end, but that isn't why Eifert got drafted. Jermaine Gresham says you're wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Yeah, but Gresham is admitting he sorta sucks. Says he knows the reason Eifert is here is because he played like crap. Says he had to get his mind right and he's only just now starting to figure things out. That's more honest than most Bengal fans seem capable of. lol Eifert is here because he was one of the best, if not the best, offensive playmakers in the draft. If he were a WR, 99% chance he's still drafted by the Bengals if available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 lol Eifert is here because he was one of the best, if not the best, offensive playmakers in the draft. If he were a WR, 99% chance he's still drafted by the Bengals if available. Refer to post #6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mongo Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Gresham can say and believe anything he wants. With the exception of Boomer, no player has ever been privy to the front office's reasoning behind draft picks at their position (or any position for that matter). Few teams have shutdown corners to stop elite wide receivers. No teams have shutdown linebackers or safeties to neutralize elite tight ends. If you have the chance to have two really good tight ends, you take it. Thinking more into it than that is silly for Gresham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Gresham can say and believe anything he wants. Not sure why you'd want to but you're free to ignore any players self-evaluation of his own play or his feelings about why a competing player was drafted. Thinking more into it than that is silly for Gresham. I hope not. Without Gresham facing up to his failure he's unlikely to get better, something we all want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Lucid| Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 I don't understand this whole "crusade" mentality some people get with certain concepts around here.. It get's tiresome to keep reading the same crap from the same person over and over again as their inability to accept that others may have a different opinion than them drives them to keep stuffing their obsession down our collective throats ad-nauseum,, Key of G, with a lively beat.. You're talking alot, but you're not saying anything. When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed. Say something once - why say it again? Not trying to single you out exactly, but you seem like a pretty sharp guy.. Any perspective on why you are doing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Yeah, but Gresham is admitting he sorta sucks. Says he knows the reason Eifert is here is because he played like crap. Says he had to get his mind right and he's only just now starting to figure things out. That's more honest than most Bengal fans seem capable of. He admitted he sucked in the playoff game. As did most of the offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 2 years at pro bowl - TE staying after to get better Supposed top 5 right tackle hasn't practiced once. Which does Hair spend more time complaining about? Odd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 If you wanna talk shitty playoff games. Lets watch Andre Smith vs. Watt. Yet he has yet to practice all offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alleycat Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Supposed top 5 right tackle hasn't practiced once. Supposed by you. Just like MJ was an "elite," "top 10 DE?" In neither case did the money in the Bengals' final offer to either player reflect those values. Perhaps in both cases, like many others, if certain people stopped pimping them so hard, others wouldn't be trying to tear them down so much. It's interesting to note that these certain people also tend to overly denigrate Dalton, while the opposite group tends to support him more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 It get's tiresome to keep reading the same crap from the same person over and over again as their inability to accept that others may have a different opinion than them drives them to keep stuffing their obsession down our collective throats ad-nauseum,, Jermain Gresham doesn't share your opinion about Jermain Gresham. And neither do I. Not trying to single you out exactly, but you seem like a pretty sharp guy.. Any perspective on why you are doing it? I do it because you won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengaled Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 I don't understand this whole "crusade" mentality some people get with certain concepts around here.. It get's tiresome to keep reading the same crap from the same person over and over again as their inability to accept that others may have a different opinion than them drives them to keep stuffing their obsession down our collective throats ad-nauseum,, Key of G, with a lively beat.. Not trying to single you out exactly, but you seem like a pretty sharp guy.. Any perspective on why you are doing it? 2 years at pro bowl - TE staying after to get better Supposed top 5 right tackle hasn't practiced once. Which does Hair spend more time complaining about? Odd? If you wanna talk shitty playoff games. Lets watch Andre Smith vs. Watt. Yet he has yet to practice all offseason. :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: :20: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted July 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 2 years at pro bowl - TE staying after to get better Supposed top 5 right tackle hasn't practiced once. Which does Hair spend more time complaining about? Odd? Pro Bowl TE mentally breaks down during playoff game. ORT misses a few practices several months before regular season games are played. Which does odd Scharm spend more time complaining about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Supposed by you. Just like MJ was an "elite," "top 10 DE?" In neither case did the money in the Bengals' final offer to either player reflect those values. Perhaps in both cases, like many others, if certain people stopped pimping them so hard, others wouldn't be trying to tear them down so much. It's interesting to note that these certain people also tend to overly denigrate Dalton, while the opposite group tends to support him more. MJ is good. Not sure about your point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Pro Bowl TE mentally breaks down during playoff game. ORT misses a few practices several months before regular season games are played. Which does odd Scharm spend more time complaining about? You conflicted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bgal Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Perception is reality for the person doing the perceiving. Gresham is going to view a 1st round pick being drafted at his position group differently than just about anyone else. It's clear from an outside perspective that Eifert was just that good and we couldn't pass him up. It really had nothing to do with Gresham BUT I'm glad he's taking this opportunity to get better and look within his own game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bgal Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 It's also awesome to hear how much the players like Andy. This team is really fun to root for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Perception is reality for the person doing the perceiving. Gresham is going to view a 1st round pick being drafted at his position group differently than just about anyone else. It's clear from an outside perspective that Eifert was just that good and we couldn't pass him up. It really had nothing to do with Gresham BUT I'm glad he's taking this opportunity to get better and look within his own game. nailed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydenM Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Pro Bowl TE mentally breaks down during playoff game. ORT misses a few practices several months before regular season games are played. Which does odd Scharm spend more time complaining about? So now we are equating dropping a pass to having a mental breakdown? Some of you people are so ridiculous and exaggerated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Well, they went in (the draft) vocally challenging themselves to get better on offense. I would say they did exactly what they wanted to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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