Bengals TE situation is one of the worst in the league entering free agency

As the Cincinnati Bengals enter free agency, they’re in a situation where they need to find a starting tight end. Drew Sample has proven he isn’t the answer and while fans had expectations for Thaddeus Moss, he never found the field.

Mike Clay released his pre-free agency NFL unit grades and the Bengals had one of the worst grades in the league at tight end with a 0.8. Clay does not include unrestricted free agents or retired players in these grades so C.J. Uzomah doesn’t factor into the grade since he’s set to hit the open market.

This means the Bengals are graded on who they have under contract for 2022 at the tight end spot. It’s not surprising to see that Sample, Moss, and Mitchell Wilcox didn’t give the team a high grade considering their lack of production at the professional level.

Bengals TE position not looked at favorably

The only teams with worse situations at tight end than Cincinnati are the Cardinals (0.1), Seahawks (0.3), Titans (0.4), Giants (0.5), and Jets (0.6). The Bengals have the worst tight end situation in the AFC North, as the Ravens have one of the best situations with a 3.9, the Browns sit at 2.9, and the Steelers received a 2.5 grade.

Fans are expecting Uzomah to re-sign with the Bengals this offseason but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if the team targeted a tight end in the draft or even a different option in free agency. Guys like Trey McBride and Isaiah Likely could be landed in the second round of the draft and as for free agency, there isn’t a shortage of talented names to sign this spring.

It’s important for the team to find a tight end capable of taking this offense to the next level. If the organization believes Uzomah is that guy, then that’s fine, but they’d still be wise to draft a tight end as well.

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How do you feel about the Bengals’ tight end position moving forward?