Tag: irv smith jr.

Bengals coach details Irv Smith Jr.’s fit in offense

The Bengals scouted Irv Smith in the draft years ago and now add him to the offense.

The Cincinnati Bengals think new tight end Irv Smith Jr. can fit in better than expected as a run blocker while also providing a boost to the passing game.

So says tight ends coach James Casey, who scouted the offense’s newest free-agency addition personally on the run up to the 2019 NFL draft.

“He’s a good route runner. He’s got speed. He’s tough. He runs hard after the catch,” Casey said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He’s got good technique as a blocker. He’s not the biggest person, but he’s got good effort and isn’t shy about doing his job. He fits what we do and he’s just a great guy. Good person. Dad played. He knows what it’s all about and he does it the right way.”

Smith has always been a little underrated as a blocker, which has been a pleasant bonus to his game, considering his smaller frame (6’2″) for the position.

So while much of the focus centers understandably on Smith’s fit in a passing offense as the third or fourth option behind Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, Bengals coaches also had other factors in mind when signing a free agent they watched closely during the draft process.

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Bengals get great value with Irv Smith Jr.’s contract details

A nice move by the Bengals front office.

It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t have to dip into cap space much at all to sign tight end Irv Smith Jr. in free agency.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the one-year deal has a base value of $1.75 million with a maximum of $2 million.

That’s an incredible value for the Bengals. Smith is a high-upside player at a position of need who could very well come in and be the No. 1 tight end next year, depending on what happens during the draft.

Keep in mind that one year ago, the Bengals signed Hayden Hurst to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million, for context.

Even before knowing contract details, the signing of Smith wasn’t going to prevent bringing back other free agents like Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox, if not a rookie as early as the first round.

But seeing the details? It’s a strong move by the front office that keeps the expenses low and could potentially help the offense get even more production from the position.

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Bengals make Irv Smith Jr. signing official

It’s official for Irv Smith Jr. and the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals made the Irv Smith Jr. signing official Thursday morning with a post on the team’s official website saying they signed the tight end to a one-year deal.

“It’s a blessing to be a part of a great organization like this. I’m excited to win games and get to it,” Smith said in an Instagram story on the Bengals account.

Smith has said he chose the Bengals because he wanted to be with a team that had a chance to win a Super Bowl, and he said that he could be the missing piece that the Bengals need to make that happen.

However, this will also need to be a year where Smith proves that he can remain healthy, having not played a full season since his 2019 rookie campaign with the Vikings. After a high ankle sprain, he played in eight games last season after missing all of 2021 with a meniscus tear.

If he can stay on the field, the addition of Smith only puts more depth into an already high-power passing attack with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd all set to return in 2023.

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How Sports Illustrated grades Bengals free agency so far

Here’s how one major outlet grades Cincinnati’s trip to free agency.

With free agency well underway and many big names signed, the Cincinnati Bengals have made some big moves, most notably OT Orlando Brown Jr., safety Nick Scott and TE Irv Smith Jr.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated has given the Bengals a free agency grade of an A minus. They are one of only three teams he gave this high of a grade.

Here’s what Manzano said about the Bengals grade:

The surprise signing of Brown was enough to make the Bengals winners in free agency. Brown’s presence will allow Joe Burrow time to push the ball downfield to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Cincinnati lost both its starting safeties in Bates and Bell, but added a savvy veteran in Scott.

There is still a lot of offseason to go, but the Bengals have done about as well as they could have so far. Like Manzano said, signing Brown was very big for them, so the offseason will be thought of as a success regardless, but there are still areas they could improve.

The next step will be attacking more needs in the draft that is creeping up quickly, now less than a month away.

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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell comments on new Bengals TE Irv Smith Jr.

Some notable comments from Irv Smith Jr.’s former coach as he joins the Bengals.

Late Monday night, it was reported that the Cincinnati Bengals will sign the top TE remaining on the market, 24-year-old Irv Smith Jr.

Here’s what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the young TE on Tuesday at the NFL spring meetings:

“He’s great with the football in his hand. We found ways. Screens. On some of the keeper game, the movement game. We found ways to get him the ball,” O’Connell said. “Once he has the ball in the open field, he’s very rarely going to get tackled by the first defender. He was having a great training camp and he had a little bit of a finger injury. It didn’t slow him down by any stretch because he was still out there working, getting acclimated in our offense.”

These comments were reported on the Bengals official team website and provide Bengals fans with details on what to expect from Smith, who looks to prove his worth on a contending team in 2023, saying he might be the missing piece to get the Bengals a Super Bowl win.

If Smith is as good with the football in his hands as O’Connell says, there aren’t many better quarterbacks right now to have to throw to you than Joe Burrow, which is one of the reasons Smith chose Cincinnati.

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TE Irv Smith Jr. chose Bengals over Dolphins in free agency

Both teams have talented rosters.

The Miami Dolphins entered the offseason with the potential for holes at tight end, as Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen, who missed all of 2022, were set to hit free agency.

Then Miami released Cethan Carter and traded Hunter Long to the Los Angeles Rams, leaving just Durham Smythe and Tanner Conner at the position.

General manager Chris Grier did address the position in the first days of free agency, signing former Denver Broncos tight end Eric Saubert, but that’s not all he wanted.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, the Dolphins were in contention for Irv Smith before he chose to sign with Cincinnati.

“I felt like Cincinnati had the best chance to win a Super Bowl. “It’s a great organization. Great coaching staff. (Head coach) Zac Taylor was very adamant about me coming to the team knowing what I can do to help the offense. And the proof is in the pudding at the tight end position. Having a relationship with Ja’Marr (Chase), getting to play with Joe Burrow and those guys speaks for itself. I’ve watched a lot of Bengals games over the years. I wanted to be a part of this opportunity to chase a ring and be a part of something special … I feel like I’m almost the missing piece to get us that Super Bowl.”

Smith spent his collegiate years at Alabama where he played with Tua Tagovailoa, but he ultimately chose to join Cincinnati. While both teams have extremely impressive rosters, the Bengals have accomplished more than the Dolphins have in recent seasons.

Zac Taylor’s team has made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, making it to Super Bowl in 2021 and losing in the AFC Championship in 2022.

With that knowledge, it’s not all that difficult to see why Smith made the decision that he did.

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Irv Smith Jr. opted for Joe Burrow over college QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins

The new Bengals TE also says he fells like the “missing piece” to a Super Bowl.

It was a fun bit of buzz to point out that when he agreed to a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, free agent tight end Irv Smith Jr. had offers on the table from other teams that he declined.

Apparently one of his options was a reunion with Alabama teammate and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the Miami Dolphins.

But Smith instead chose Joe Burrow’s Bengals.

“I felt like Cincinnati had the best chance to win a Super Bowl,” Smith said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s a great organization. Great coaching staff. (Head coach) Zac Taylor was very adamant about me coming to the team knowing what I can do to help the offense. And the proof is in the pudding at the tight end position. Having a relationship with Ja’Marr (Chase), getting to play with Joe Burrow and those guys speaks for itself. I’ve watched a lot of Bengals games over the years. I wanted to be a part of this opportunity to chase a ring and be a part of something special … I feel like I’m almost the missing piece to get us that Super Bowl.”

It wasn’t just Burrow’s presence that wooed Smith on the idea of a one-year deal in Cincinnati, but he offered plenty of praise for his new quarterback, as expected.

Besides Burrow and the offense itself, Smith and Ja’Marr Chase go way back. They played in the New Orleans Catholic League years ago. Smith then watched Burrow and Chase at LSU after he went pro, then has seen plenty of them in the pros since.

Now they all team up in Cincinnati, with Smith hoping he’s a key part of a championship run. While he would have been a stellar fit in Miami on an understandable reunion tour with Tagovailoa too, the allure of the Bengals as a top destination strikes again.

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Irv Smith Jr. believes he could be missing piece to a Super Bowl for Bengals

In speaking with the Cincinnati media on Tuesday, Irv Smith Jr. said he believes that he could be the missing piece to a Super Bowl.

The Minnesota Vikings saw Irv Smith Jr. sign with the Cincinnati Bengals late on Monday night. The departure of the Vikings’ second-round pick from 2019 felt inevitable because of the trade for T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline last October.

When speaking about signing with the Bengals to reporters on Tuesday, Smith said he believes that he could be the missing piece to a Super Bowl.

“Having a relationship with Ja’Marr [Chase], getting to play with Joe Burrow and those guys speaks for itself,” said Smith Jr. “I’ve watched a lot of Bengals games over the years. I wanted to be a part of this opportunity to chase a ring and be a part of something special. … I feel like I’m almost the missing piece to get us that Super Bowl.”

I think adding Smith being the missing piece is a stretch, but hyping up your new team is priority No. 1 when you have an introduction to the local media. A field-stretching tight end who can be flexed out into the slot and in the backfield will take pressure off Chase and Tee Higgins.

Watch: Highlights of new Bengals TE Irv Smith Jr.

Some highlights of the newest signing by the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals finally found a tight end in free agency with the signing of Irv Smith Jr. during the second wave of the open market.

A former second-round pick, Smith has battled injuries and getting meaningful chances as a pass-catcher over four seasons as a pro so far.

Even so, when he’s had the chance, Smith has put up some notable highlights.

Looking at the highlight reels below, it’s easy to see why the Bengals were drawn to his talent on the open market and why fans have every reason to hope and think he’s the next breakout tight end for the team while playing in the Joe Burrow-led offense.

Irv Smith chose Bengals in free agency over other offers

Other teams had offers in for Irv Smith but he chose the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals had some competition before signing Irv Smith Jr. in free agency.

But those other teams didn’t have Joe Burrow.

They also didn’t have Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and possibly a status as contenders.

Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager dropped this nugget after the signing: “A good sign for how far the Bengals have come… Irv Smith, Jr. had multiple offers and chose to play for Cincinnati over the rest because of Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and an opportunity to win.”

This isn’t the first time major names have mentioned the Bengals as a potential destination over the last few years and it won’t be the last. Even Orlando Brown reached out to the team first, with the team initially thinking he was out of their range.

For Smith, he now has a chance to be the latest tight end to cash in majorly after playing in the offense and with Burrow. He’ll be the third or fourth option in the offense, provided he can stay healthy and the Bengals don’t grab a prospect early in the draft that they consider an instant, every-down starter.

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