One of the tougher calls the Cincinnati Bengals have to make this offseason centers on free agent Tyler Eifert.

Eifert was an unknown going into the first year under Zac Taylor and ended up playing a limited role while managing to stay healthy for all 16 games.

So the issue is simple: Should the Bengals bring him back and hope for continued health or let him walk?

 

Pros of bringing Eifert back

Eifert finally stayed healthy and played a full 16 games for the first time in his career. It was the first time since 2015 he managed to play a double-digit game count.

The production wasn’t all that terrible either, as Eifert saw 63 targets and caught 43 of them for 436 yards and three scores. It was a little strange he wasn’t used more often in big situations as a chess piece, but growing pains with a new staff, quarterback changes and needing to help block alongisde a miserable line played a role.

Should Eifert return, he’d only be 30 years old next season and a big-bodied target for a rookie quarterback. If the offensive line is improved, he might find himself freed up to make an even bigger impact in Taylor’s system.

On the financial side, many of the questions the Bengals could ask about Eifert right now are also questions other teams have, which could keep him in a reasonable price range.

 

Cons of bringing Eifert back

There’s no guarantee Eifert can stay healthy given the rare occurrence that was 2019. And while Eifert played in all 16 games, he only saw the field for 45 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

Is that 45 percent better than none at all? Maybe. This was Eifert’s healthiest season since 2015, the difference being he scored three times compared to 13 times in 2015.

Bringing Eifert back could mean a lesser role for C.J. Uzomah, a guy the Bengals extended and could feature in the offense in a similar manner. And the team likes what it has elsewhere on the depth chart with guys like Mason Schreck and Cethan Carter, never mind the ability to add big talent elsewhere in free agency or during the draft.

We know the Bengals don’t like to spend a ton of cap and doing so on Eifert here could mean less money for other free agents like A.J. Green and Darqueze Dennard. It could also mean less money for critical extensions like Joe Mixon and William Jackson.

 

Verdict

Is this going to be a team-friendly deal? That’s probably the deciding factor here. If so, it couldn’t hurt to have the potential massive upside of Eifert on the field at even a 50-percent clip if Taylor can get him more involved as a weapon.

Eifert is a major risk for obvious reasons. But if the offense doesn’t collapse in on itself if he gets hurt like it has in the past, it’s an easier gamble to accept. In the name of helping a rookie passer as much as possible, the upside of a player like Eifert at a cheap cost is hard to dismiss.

[vertical-gallery id=27792]