Jermaine Gresham's Exit Imminent?

Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham (84) against the Denver Broncos at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 37-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

According to ESPN Cincinnati’s twitter page, the Oakland Raiders are expected to sign former Cincinnati tight end Jermaine Gresham later today.

#Raiders expected to sign FA TE Jermaine Gresham later today
— Cincinnati_ (@CincinnatiSprts) March 11, 2015

Jermaine Gresham’s exit would end what’s been a difficult relationship between he and fans the past few years. Many fans grew tired of his mental errors including ill-timed penalties both before and after the snap. They also were frustrated by simple performance errors like his issue with dropped passes in years past.

In fairness, Gresham did improve in these areas last year while playing an important part in the run game; Gresham is a highly talented blocker. Replacing a player of his potential won’t be easy, but as the coaching staff grew to distrust the veteran tight end, a change of scenery seems appropriate for Gresham.

The Bengals should make finding a replacement a high priority in the draft, especially if they are going to keep Ryan Hewitt in the fullback role. Gresham, theoretically, is the perfect match to a wide receiving-esque tight end in Tyler Eifert. Finding a player of Gresham’s skill set won’t be easy, but the Bengals have had a keen eye for talent in recent years, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Don’t forget, the Bengals have had a meeting with the ultra-versatile James Casey already.

Next: Could Bengals Acquire TE/HB James Casey?

Jermaine Gresham’s Exit Imminent?

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