Tag: Mike Gesicki

New Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki seemed to have the team in mind well before the free agency market opened.

Gesicki himself appeared to suggest as much recently after his stint in New England on a rough offense that produced a career-low 45 targets.

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic summed up the situation nicely while looking at the signing:

After spending last year in the offensive trainwreck that was the New England Patriots, Gesicki knew exactly what his career needed and his skill set demanded. That’s why since the moment the season ended, he’d been talking to his wife, Halle, about going to Cincinnati. When the Bengals called, he knew where it would end.

Now Gesicki gets to become the latest one-year, prove-it target for Joe Burrow.

And he says that No. 9 factored more than anything in the thought process, per Dehner: “They could have said it was the worst place in the world, but when you got No. 9 at quarterback, I was like, ‘That is the place I want to go.’”

And go he did, with the potential to contribute more than the last few guys to hold the No. 1 spot on the depth chart over the last few years. With Gesicki’s skill in the slot well proven and Tyler Boyd gone, his initial gut feeling about Cincinnati could be proven right in a hurry.

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After finding a new running back with Zack Moss, the Cincinnati Bengals earn more high marks by agreeing to sign free-agent tight end Mike Gesicki.

For Gesicki, it’s a reported one-year deal worth just $3.25 million, which immediately qualifies it as a nice bargain deal that gives Joe Burrow a 6’6″ target who can line up in multiple spots.

And that’s the key takeaway and win for the Bengals right away — Gesicki makes them more versatile, not less. He’s spent a large chunk of his career effectively as a (large) wideout, so he can line up in the slot or inline, which is especially important now that the offense is likely to lose Tyler Boyd.

Cincinnati becomes tougher to prep for and defend as a result. Burrow and Co. want more under-center looks that are tough to figure out next year and Gesicki helps with that. Even very situationally — like in the redzone — the offense becomes much more dangerous because defenses could have to defend Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Gesicki and Andrei Iosivas all at once.

Even in base formations, the threat of Gesicki over the middle is a big problem for defenses while also trying to account for Chase and Higgins on the outside.

Gesicki is also a strong complement to Drew Sample, who just returned on a new deal of his own and will resume that strong blocking role the offense needs to keep those under-center looks strong.

Unlike Irv Smith Jr. last year, which flopped, Gesicki isn’t much of a gamble at all. And he’s better than reunion candidates like C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst, too. Maybe he turns one year into a massive extension elsewhere like those guys, but the Bengals won’t complain about the contention chances and hope that Burrow stays healthy in exchange.

And to top it all off, Gesicki doesn’t stop the Bengals from adding at least one more tight end through the draft or bringing back Tanner Hudson, too, perhaps as early as Round 1.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have found their next starting tight end in free agency.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Mike Gesicki.

Gesicki, 28, spent last year with the New England Patriots, catching 29 of his 45 targets and scoring twice over 17 games. He’s a former second-round pick of Miami and played five seasons with the Dolphins and averages 11 yards per catch for his career.

A 6’6″ weapon for Joe Burrow, Gesicki slots into the No. 1 role, leaving the recently re-signed Drew Sample as the blocking specialist. The Bengals could still look to draft a tight end or bring back Tanner Hudson, too, given the lack of names on the depth chart.

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