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Bengals re-sign Tyler Eifert!!!


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Report of Eifert deal may be last major pact for '18

Posted 49 minutes ago

hobson60x60.jpgGeoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

080117-eifert-tyler-ar.jpg
 

With reports surfacing Thursday they have re-signed erstwhile Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Eifert to a one-year contract, the Bengals appear poised to shut down any more major deals in free agency.

That leaves center Russell Bodine unsigned and even though he’s a player the Bengals would like back the commitment to rehabbing the offense has accounted for nearly $20 million on this year’s salary cap. The Cordy Glenn trade counts $11.25 million and it’s believed Eifert’s deal could max out in the $8.5 million neighborhood.

The Bengals, believed to have upped their offer to get in the same tier with the Rams and 49ers in the Eifert Derby, are delighted to get him back despite his injury history that has knocked him out of more than half his 80 NFL games. They know when healthy he’s broken up more games than the internet with a Pro Bowl season in 2015 that saw him confound defenses with 13 touchdowns.

“I knew where I wanted to be,” Eifert said. “It’s a place I called home for five years. I like the guys in the locker room. I love the coaches. The fans have been great. The way I left it, it’s not the way I wanted to leave it. I felt like owed it to Mr. (Mike) Brown, Coach (Marvin) Lewis and the fans to come back and give them a good year.”

It has been expected that any deal for Eifert includes a base salary (figure in the $5.5M area) as well as incentives based on play time as well as catches, yards, and touchdowns. Eifert has played just eight games since he got hurt in that ’15 Pro Bowl with ankle and back problems.
He had back surgery this offseason and says he’s been cleared by the surgeon, but head coach Marvin Lewis indicated the club has yet to clear him. Eifert said Thursday he feels great and that he’ll be able to participate in the off-season workouts that begin next month and practice in May and June.

The last time he did that?

It would have been 2015.

“That was a pretty good year, wasn’t it?” Eifert asked.
 
 
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Tyler Eifert's best bet was to return to Cincinnati

3:20 PM CT
  • terrell_katherine.png&w=160&h=160&scale=
    Katherine TerrellESPN Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals and Tyler Eifert need each other.

The offense is just plain better with Eifert on the field, and it's clear that Eifert thrived there when he was healthy.

It was in the best interest of both sides to make something happen to get Eifert back to Cincinnati for the 2018 season.

 

 

Tyler Eifert will re-sign with the Bengals after not drawing much interest in free agency. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Eifert agreed to a one-year deal with the Bengals on Thursday, less than 24 hours into the start of the free agency period. By that point, Eifert's agent had been allowed to negotiate with other teams for several days, and he was still without a team.

Eifert did draw interest on the market, but to what extent is unknown. At least one team was intrigued by his past production but wary of taking a risk on a player who had played only 10 games in the past two seasons. It didn't help that Eifert was coming off consecutive years that ended with him having back surgery and has a long sheet of medical issues that include injuries to his elbow and ankle, among other things.

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Eifert said in the fall that the doctor assured him he would be recovered to 100 percent following his latest back surgery, but it's clear the injury history severely limited his market.

The terms of Eifert's new deal haven't been disclosed, although the NFL Network reported it was worth up to $8 million, indicating Eifert essentially signed a "prove it" deal. It probably will be similar to deal for Vontaze Burfict, whose extension last fall included a large base salary, a smaller signing bonus, and significant per-game roster bonuses. In Burfict's case, that'll somewhat protect the Bengals if he is off the field due to a suspension. In Eifert's case, it will protect them if he gets injured again.

In the absence of an offer that far outshone what the Bengals gave him, it was a no-brainer for Eifert to return to Cincinnati. Although he has played in only 10 games in the last two seasons, he thrived here in 2015 when he caught 13 touchdown passes. He and Andy Dalton have good chemistry, and the Bengals have made no secret that they wanted him back.

Eifert is essentially betting on himself with this new contract, and the best place to do that is somewhere he's comfortable. Signing with a new team is always a risk, and Cincinnati is a place where he knows he can be successful. Eifert obviously felt comfortable enough to stick around in Cincinnati to do his rehab after undergoing back surgery for the second straight year, and considering how much time he has spent with the medical staff there, there are probably few people who know his body's limits better.

While Eifert's first foray into free agency probably was disappointing, this could be a make-or-break year for his career. Eifert never has played a 16-game season, and he has to prove he can still be the player he was in 2015. The Bengals need to prove they can get their offense out of the NFL cellar, and getting Eifert on the field is a big part of that.

Eifert is only 27, so if he has another year like 2015 and stays healthy, he could cash out on the free-agency market next season.

 

 

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/29774/tyler-eiferts-best-bet-was-to-return-to-cincinnati

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7 minutes ago, oldschooler said:

Report of Eifert deal may be last major pact for '18

Posted 49 minutes ago

hobson60x60.jpgGeoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

080117-eifert-tyler-ar.jpg
 

With reports surfacing Thursday they have re-signed erstwhile Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Eifert to a one-year contract, the Bengals appear poised to shut down any more major deals in free agency.

That leaves center Russell Bodine unsigned and even though he’s a player the Bengals would like back the commitment to rehabbing the offense has accounted for nearly $20 million on this year’s salary cap. The Cordy Glenn trade counts $11.25 million and it’s believed Eifert’s deal could max out in the $8.5 million neighborhood.

The Bengals, believed to have upped their offer to get in the same tier with the Rams and 49ers in the Eifert Derby, are delighted to get him back despite his injury history that has knocked him out of more than half his 80 NFL games. They know when healthy he’s broken up more games than the internet with a Pro Bowl season in 2015 that saw him confound defenses with 13 touchdowns.

“I knew where I wanted to be,” Eifert said. “It’s a place I called home for five years. I like the guys in the locker room. I love the coaches. The fans have been great. The way I left it, it’s not the way I wanted to leave it. I felt like owed it to Mr. (Mike) Brown, Coach (Marvin) Lewis and the fans to come back and give them a good year.”

It has been expected that any deal for Eifert includes a base salary (figure in the $5.5M area) as well as incentives based on play time as well as catches, yards, and touchdowns. Eifert has played just eight games since he got hurt in that ’15 Pro Bowl with ankle and back problems.
He had back surgery this offseason and says he’s been cleared by the surgeon, but head coach Marvin Lewis indicated the club has yet to clear him. Eifert said Thursday he feels great and that he’ll be able to participate in the off-season workouts that begin next month and practice in May and June.

The last time he did that?

It would have been 2015.

“That was a pretty good year, wasn’t it?” Eifert asked.
 
 

F Jethro & Pacman.  Wouldn't mind seeing them sign a solid safety to lessen the need to draft one though.

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