Jermaine Gresham Close To Leaving Bengals

We are less than a day away from free agents signing new contracts, and the Bengals are on the verge of losing their first player to free agency. Reports from Adam Caplan of ESPN say that the Oakland Raiders could be looking into acquiring Jermaine Gresham.

#Raiders have interest in TE Jermaine Gresham, source said. Not as much as first thought on Julius Thomas.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 8, 2015

Many have speculated the Bengals probably weren’t going to retain Gresham for the 2015 season. He is one of the better tight ends in this year’s free agency pool and so, the Raiders are not the only ones who’ve expressed interest in the five-year veteran.

The Cleveland Browns have been eyeing Gresham, as they are expected to lose tight end Jordan Cameron to free agency according to a few reports including Pro Football Talk.

If Gresham leaves the Bengals, he will have spent five years in Cincinnati. He will leave with 280 career receptions, 2,722 reception yards, and 24 touchdowns. His best year came in 2012 when averaging 11.5 yards per reception on 64 catches. His next team will need to work with him on turnovers however, as he recorded six lost fumbles and put 11 balls on the ground during his time in Cincinnati.

Jermaine Gresham was a pivotal part of last season as the core of the receiving group, A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, and Tyler Eifert, were injured for a large chunk of the season. His presence will be missed as he provides the Bengals with solid depth. Nonetheless, it is a good move for the Bengals if they are dedicated to bring in someone to complement Eifert, with the hope that he stays healthy in 2015.

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