Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert will have successful season

By Stephen Forsha | Jul 31, 2015

The Cincinnati Bengals have many players to look forward to this training camp and 2015 season, but one player I’m looking forward to seeing more than others in his comeback trail is tight end Tyler Eifert.

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Eifert missed all of last season (OK, he was on the field for eight plays) with a dislocated elbow, but even with missing a year of pla,y he’s still one of the better players on the Bengals, and he’s going to be a very important part of not only the offense, but in the growth of quarterback Andy Dalton.

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Losing a player with the ability of Eifert hurt the Bengals last season, even though they reached the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, finishing with an overall record of 10-5-1 – good enough for second place in the division, only trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Playing in just 16 games for his two-year NFL career, the former first-round pick by the Bengals in 2013 has had some success, but considering the fact he’s a first-rounder, and the fact he’ll be the starter for this ball club, there is no reason not to expect success from the 6-6, 250-pound 24-year-old.

In his rookie season of 2013, Eifert had 39 receptions (59 targets) for 445 yards, averaging 11.4 yards per catch. He also grabbed two touchdowns. Even in his short appearance during the ’14 season, Eifert had three receptions for 37 yards, averaging 12.3 yards per catch.

The now third-year Bengal tight end has loads of talent, but it will be interesting to see how he recovers from his injury headed into training camp.

Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com asked a question in a recent article about what happens if Eifert gets hurt again. In the article, Dehner Jr. wrote:

"“After Eifert, the Bengals have zero NFL snaps between backups Kroft, Uzomah, Jake Murphy, Matt Lengel and John Peters. Looking at projected depth charts across the NFL, the Bengals are the only team with a rookie as their No. 2 tight end.”"

The article pretty much sums up Eifert’s importance to the Bengals’ offense this season, and that is there isn’t much experience behind Eifert, and if he’s not on the field this season, well, the Bengals’ playoff streak may stop at four consecutive years.

Last year was one of those injuries you don’t really expect, so if Eifert can dodge the injury bug this season, he’ll outplay what he did his rookie season of ’13.

With Eifert being sidelined last season, Jermaine Gresham took over the lead role at the tight end spot, finishing the regular season with 62 receptions (79 targets) for 460 yards and five touchdowns, being the third-best Bengals receiver in ’14.

My prediction with Eifert in looking at what he accomplished thus far in his short NFL career and what Gresham accomplished last season, I can see Eifert with over 500 yards receiving and six touchdowns.

Depending on if the rushing game for the Bengals continues to grow or takes a step back, Eifert could be closer to the 600-yard mark if Dalton is forced to check down during a pass rush.

Again, Eifert may not be known in all NFL circles just yet, but he’s one of the players you will want to keep an eye out on this summer and into the ’15 season. If he stays healthy and plays to his potential, you will not be disappointed.

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