This guy is making Cincinnati’s front office look smart.
The Cincinnati Bengals made several great additions in free agency over the offseason, but one player in particular is really looking like a steal during training camp so far, according to Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report.
Mike Gesicki could end up being a bargain
The outlet recently included Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki on a list of eight players who look like free agent steals during training camp. Gesicki signed a one-year, $2.5 million dollar deal with the Bengals, and he’s currently competing for the team’s starting spot at tight end. He’s also already developed some nice chemistry with star quarterback Joe Burrow, according to James Rapien of Sports Illustrated.
This is no surprise. Gesicki immediately fills a void for the Bengals at the tight end position, and he represents an upgrade over what the team had last season, especially in the pass-catching department.
Gesicki has never had less than 20 receptions and 200 receiving yards in a single season, and he has tallied 20 touchdowns over the course of his career. He also went over 700 receiving yards in a season on two separate occasions. He’s only a couple years removed from tallying 73 receptions for 780 yards as a member of the Miami Dolphins in 2021.
Playing alongside the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should also help to open things up for Gesicki in the middle of the field, so he could potentially be poised to put up some big numbers in Cincinnati in 2024, and that was the crux of the rationale provided by B/R.
“In a Burrow-led offense, Gesicki may see plenty of targets in one-on-one opportunities as defenders focus on Chase and Higgins on the perimeter,” Moton wrote. “If he’s the No. 3 option in the aerial attack, his one-year, $2.5 million contract will be one of the best bargains of the offseason.”
We’re not here to give out fantasy football advice, but Gesicki is a guy who could absolutely eat as a value pick in the mid-to-later rounds. He could also prove to be very valuable to the Bengals, and potentially worth much more than the relatively small contract he signed over the offseason.
