Bengals’ Tyler Eifert Passes Physical
Great news for the Bengals. Tight end Tyler Eifert has passed his physical and has been removed from the offseason PUP list, the team announced on Monday. 
Eifert has been recovering from back surgery and his status for training camp was unclear. During voluntary offseason team activities, he was limited in his participation, but it sounds like he’s on the right track for summer practices and playing in Week 1.
When he’s on the field, Eifert is among the best tight ends in the game. Unfortunately, injuries have defined his career. The 2015 Pro Bowler has missed 51% of the Bengals’ regular season games since 2013. He missed 14 games last season and eight in 2016.
In March, Eifert re-signed with the Bengals for $5.5MM on a one-year deal. Needless to say, this is a pivotal season for Eifert’s future with the Bengals and his overall future in the league.
Carlos Dunlap Bengals Talks Heating Up?
- Carlos Dunlap and the Bengals may be approaching the finish line on what would be a third Cincinnati contract for the veteran defensive end. Drew Rosenhaus spent time in Cincinnati this weekend, and Dunlap said (via Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer), “When you see him out here you know he is doing something. He’s out here for a reason.” Dunlap and the Bengals have made progress on a deal this offseason, but the 29-year-old pass rusher remains tied to his second contract. That deal expires after this season. Dunlap wants to play the rest of his NFL days in Cincinnati. “I would love to get it done. I would love to finish my career here as a Bengal,” he said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com.
Bengals’ OL Rod Taylor Tears ACL
It looks like Bengals rookie offensive lineman Rod Taylor will have to wait until 2019 to make his NFL debut. Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com reports that the seventh-rounder has torn his ACL and will miss the upcoming season.
Taylor suffered the injury during training camp on Thursday. The lineman “crumpled to the ground and grabbed his right knee” before being carted off the field by trainers. He was seen using crutches in the locker room on Friday, and it didn’t take long for an official diagnosis. Owczarski notes that the rookie will eventually be placed on the injured reserve, but the team isn’t in a rush as they evaluate the “surgical options.”
The six-foot-three, 320-pound lineman started all 12 games at right tackle for Mississippi last season. The Bengals ended up selecting him with a seventh-round pick (No. 252) in this past year’s draft, as Owczarski writes that the team was confident that he’d make the roster due to his athleticism.
With 14 offensive linemen on the roster, Taylor was still going to have to prove his worth in order to make the opening day roster. With the rookie out of the picture, the likes of Kent Perkins and Justin Murray could have an increased chance of making the team.
Brooks: Bengals Logical Spot For Thomas
If the Seahawks do decide to get serious about a trade, Brooks notes that, beyond the Cowboys, the Chargers, 49ers, Buccaneers and Bengals are the most logical destinations. The Bolts drafted Derwin James and have Jahleel Addae on the books for three more seasons, but Brooks cites the need for a deep centerfielder-type safety nonetheless. And Thomas has a history with Los Angeles DC Gus Bradley. He has a background with San Francisco DC Robert Saleh as well. The Bengals hosted Eric Reid on a visit that went poorly, but they were only in the market for a backup safety at that time. Tampa Bay spent plenty to add to its defensive front this offseason and added three DBs in the draft’s middle rounds. The Bucs boast Chris Conte and second-year man Justin Evans as their top safeties.
Bengals Place DE Gaelin Elmore On Reserve/Retired List
It sounds like Gaelin Elmore‘s NFL career will be ending before it even began. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the Bengals placed the rookie defensive end on the reserve/retired list earlier today. Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com tweets that Elmore is planning on going into the ministry.
Placement on the list indicates that Elmore has chosen to retire instead of honoring his contract. The defensive end won’t count towards the Bengals’ roster or cap. However, the organization will hold the rights to the defensive end.
Elmore had three solid seasons with Minnesota, including a 2016 campaign where he compiled 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. He transferred to East Carolina for the 2017 season and wasn’t nearly as productive, finishing the year with only 14 tackles. Despite the underwhelming campaign, the Bengals clearly had high hopes for the prospect. After going undrafted in this year’s draft, Elmore signed a three-year, $1.71MM deal with the team.
Following Elmore’s retirement, the Bengals are now relatively thin at defensive end. Behind starters Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, the team is only rostering a pair of backups in Jordan Willis and Sam Hubbard.
Cedric Ogbuehi On Move To Right Tackle
- Former first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi has been a severe disappointment during the first three years of his career, but the Bengals offensive lineman is now feeling revived by a planned move from left to right tackle, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Coming in at right, at a new position, I felt comfortable,” said Ogbuehi. “Feeling comfortable is a big part of it. I played it. I know what to expect now. I know a lot; like what to do better than last time. I’m excited for the challenge. I’m excited for camp.” Cincinnati doesn’t much invested in Ogbuehi’s future, as the club has already rejected his 2019 fifth-year option. Additionally, the Bengals acquired Cordy Glenn from the Bills during the offseason, and will now install the veteran on Andy Dalton‘s blindside. Still, the 26-year-old Ogbuehi could have one last chance as a starter on the right side while working under new offensive line coach Frank Pollack, all before hitting free agency next March.
- In case you missed it, PFR’s Zach Links outlined Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap‘s case for a contract extension, noting Cincinnati’s heavy investment along the edge position in recent drafts.
Extension Candidate: Carlos Dunlap
Earlier this year, defensive end Carlos Dunlap opted to skip the Bengals’ organized team activities. The decision to work out on his own in Florida cost him $300K in bonuses, but it may have helped him ramp up pressure on the team as he pushes for a new deal. For his part, Dunlap claims his decision was made for football reasons. 
[RELATED:Tyler Kroft Seeking Contract Extension]
“All the comments and everything talking about the reasons for me not being here obviously hit home a little bit because they painted me to be a selfish guy, which was not my objective,” Dunlap said. “My goal was to make sure I was in the best shape for when football starts so that I can be there for my team for the long haul.”
Either way, it’s clear that Dunlap wants to stay with the Bengals beyond 2018 on a new and improved deal. The Bengals also want to keep him for the long haul, but only at the right price.
Dunlap is entering the final year of the six-year, $40MM extension he signed in 2013. The 29-year-old will earn a base salary of $7MM, which is well below his true value.
Extending Dunlap is a pricey proposition and the decision is complicated by the club’s other extension candidates. Fellow defensive lineman Geno Atkins is entering the final year of his contract and a new pact may call for upwards of $12MM per year. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard is coming off of a career year and the Bengals would like to keep him, despite the presence of Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III. There’s also a trio of tight ends to consider in Tyler Kroft, Tyler Eifert, and C.J. Uzomah, and the team may want to leave some money in the coffers to re-sign defensive end Michael Johnson after the 2018 season.
The Bengals have also invested heavily in defensive ends in recent drafts by adding Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis, and Sam Hubbard. In theory, they can part with Dunlap if the price gets too high if they are confident in their your DE group.
Still, Dunlap has been tremendous in Cincinnati, particularly in the second half of games. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have routinely rated him as a top-30 edge defender over the past seven seasons and he has been equally strong against the pass and the run. Even if the youngsters could do an admirably job in his stead, losing Dunlap would hurt the team’s front seven.
Dunlap is well aware of the riches that could await him in free agency as the edge defender market continues to rise sharply. In theory, Dunlap could parlay a big 2018 season into a $15MM/year deal, but he would be taking a risk if he cannot turn in another quality season for the Bengals. A new deal would give him financial security and, depending on the length of the deal, give him an opportunity to retire with the only club he’s ever known.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Cincinnati, but Johnson’s expiring $6.1MM contract should provide the team enough room to get a deal done. If Dunlap is willing to sacrifice some upside in order to remain with the Bengals, the two sides could find a midpoint with a four-year extension in the range of $50MM. Alternatively, a shorter extension could make sense for the two sides. An additional three years added to Dunlap’s contract would allow him to hit the open market again at the age of 32 and give the Bengals some wiggle room should they look to hang on to their trio of younger defensive ends.
Bengals Add To Scouting Staff
- The Bengals made a late-offseason personnel change. Christian Sarkisian will join the scouting staff as a scouting assistant, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Formerly the assistant director of player personnel at Northwestern for a year, Sarkisian will join an eight-person Bengals scouting staff.
- The tight end who serves as the Bengals’ Tyler Eifert injury insurance, Tyler Kroft is hoping for a long-term extension to stay in Cincinnati.
Tyler Kroft Seeking Contract Extension
Tyler Eifert is one of the most talented receiving tight ends in the league, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy. An unrestricted free agent this past offseason, he could have earned a massive payday if he had proven to be more durable. But he missed almost all of the 2017 campaign with a back injury, and he has missed over half of Cincinnati’s regular-season games during his tenure with the club. Ultimately, he signed a one-year deal worth up to $8.5MM to stay with the Bengals in 2018, which is still a nice chunk of change, but nowhere near what his talent itself would otherwise command.
But another Tyler and tight end, Rutgers product Tyler Kroft, emerged during Eifert’s absence last year, posting 42 catches for 404 yards and seven scores. The 2015 third-round selection picked a good time to establish himself as a receiving threat, as he is entering his contract year and, much like Trey Burton this offseason, could score a lucrative free agent pact even if he plays second fiddle to Eifert in 2018.
Kroft is fully aware of his contract status, and per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he would like to land a second contract from the team that drafted him. Kroft, however, does not want to dwell on the matter. He said, “[A new contract is] in the back of my head but I’m trying not to give it too much thought and try and control what I can control. That’s basically how I’ve been trying to think about it. Not get too excited or too down.”
He did, though, express confidence in his abilities and his role in the offense, which could be increased even more if Eifert — whose availability for training camp is already uncertain — once again struggles to stay on the field. If the Bengals are similarly confident in Kroft’s long-term prospects, they may want to lock him up now before his asking price continues to go up. After all, compared to his counterpart, Kroft has been a bastion of durability, having played in 46 of a possible 48 regular-season games over his first three years in the league.
In other Bengals news, Owczarski reports that Cedric Ogbuehi is (surprisingly) building momentum towards landing the team’s starting right tackle spot. Ogbuehi has been a major disappointment since the Bengals selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft, but he has looked good in spring practices and has adapted well to offensive line coach Frank Pollack‘s new scheme and techniques.
Extension Candidate: Geno Atkins
This offseason, we have (rightfully) heard a great deal about potential extensions for star defenders Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, and Jadeveon Clowney. That discussion has overshadowed Geno Atkins, to some extent, as he pushes for a new deal. 
The defensive tackle inked a five-year, $53.3MM extension with the Bengals back in 2013, which has him in place through the 2018 season. The deal has proved to be a winner for both sides. For the Bengals, the deal allowed them to keep a top performer under contract at roughly $10.6MM per year while the market advanced at a sharp rate. Atkins, meanwhile, made more cash than he could ever hope to spend and is now primed to do it all over again at the age of 30.
When Atkins’ deal began in 2014, he was the NFL’s third-highest paid 4-3 defensive tackle with a $9MM cap number. Today, his $9.5MM cap figure for 2018 places him seventh in the same category. After finishing the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 ranked interior defender – behind only Donald – something has to change.
Like Donald, Atkins is a stout run defender with the ability to also disrupt opposing quarterbacks from the interior. Atkins has notched at least nine sacks in each of the last three seasons, and, save for the 2013 season cut short by an ACL tear, he has never missed a game. Donald is still three years younger and in a class of his own, but Atkins has been far more dominant than many outside of Cincinnati realize.
If Donald signs first, Atkins’ camp will have a favorable comp to work off of, even though his deal will be worth less. The Bengals aren’t technically on the clock here, but they may want to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
A new deal for Atkins will definitely cost eight figures per year, but it remains to be seen how far the Bengals will go. With a fluid cap situation both this year and next, you can expect the Bengals to lock up Atkins on a multi-year deal worth around $12MM per season.