Denver Broncos: Tyler Eifert an option in free agency
The Denver Broncos have some connections to the Cincinnati Bengals and free agent tight end Tyler Eifert could be an intriguing option…
The Denver Broncos are expected to make a big push for free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, but what about filling some of the other holes on the roster?
Denver has a couple of interesting young tight end options in Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, Austin Traylor, and a couple of others, but free agent Tyler Eifert could make some sense for the Broncos.
Especially if Denver is able to land Cousins, getting Eifert on a one or two-year ‘prove-it’ deal could be extremely beneficial and add another layer to the offense.
NFL teams have begun to be notified that Bengals’ free-agent-to-be TE Tyler Eifert, who underwent micro-disc surgery last season, was cleared last week by Dr. Robert Watkins to participate in OTAs this spring and play in 2018, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2018
Eifert has struggled with injuries almost his entire career, but when healthy, he’s a touchdown machine and would be a very nice third piece in the Broncos’ passing attack.
For those reasons, Eifert might be the perfect fit for the Broncos in free agency.
He may not command the type of contract elsewhere that would prevent the Broncos from entering the bidding war for his services. There were players better and more proven than Eifert on last year’s free agent market that took less than market deals and one- or two-year contracts (see: Alshon Jeffery).
Unlike guys like Jeff Heuerman or Jake Butt, or even Austin Traylor, Eifert is a player you want to flex out and move around the offensive formation. You aren’t signing him to play in-line and block for you.
This is a player that would give the Broncos a wide variety of options in the passing game, and another athletic playmaker that could also elevate this team’s production in the red zone.
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If you were to hypothetically add Eifert and Cousins this offseason, I think the Broncos’ red zone production would increase considerably. Cousins has proven himself one of the most efficient red zone passers in football over the past three years, and with a big body like Eifert combined with players like Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, receivers out of the backfield like Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson — that’s going to be hard for teams to defend.
You would be taking a risk on Eifert, but that’s where I think financially this could be a risk worth taking. You could give him a contract that is mostly non-guaranteed with incentives for games played and possibly do something like they did with Russell Okung, where you include a team option at the end of the year.
That’s if Eifert is willing to bet on himself.
He’s already 27 years old and probably looking for the most guaranteed cash he can get. I wouldn’t blame him if he went to a team that was willing to just overpay him based on his past production. But if Eifert is a package deal with Kirk Cousins, that would be something I think the Broncos should seriously look into for what it could do to address one of this team’s most glaring weaknesses — red zone production — this offseason.