The future of Mike Gesicki
The NFL Combine has wrapped up in Indy and all attention shifts to Free Agency. Superstar names like Saquon Barkley and veteran Quarter Backs like Derek Carr and Jimmy G have garnered the most chatter and rightfully so. However, season after season, Super Bowl winning rosters have found building blocks within the depths of the Free Agency market. We are going to show the Tight Ends some love by discussing one of their own in Mike Gesicki.
Drafted out of Penn State by the Miami Dolphins, he’s made himself a Big Slot receiving weapon to be reckoned with by racking up 231 receptions for 2617 yards and 18 Touchdowns in his career thus far. A Tight End who offers more with his pass catching than run blocking. This fact caused a bit of a rift between him and Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel who expects his Tight Ends to block more in the running game, a department in which he’s severely limited. Gesicki’s receiving production took a nose dive as a result of less snaps on the field. Add to the fact that the Dolphins passing offense is centred around its two explosive outside receivers, Gesicki’s prospects in Miami don’t look so promising.
In his 5 year long NFL career span, Gesicki has only missed one game, which is a very impressive feat in such a high collision sport. This underlines his durability, which would make him a safe investment for his potential employers. Gesicki can be a very useful pass catcher used to work the middle of the field in an offense that forces the defence to protect the boundary against elite outside options, leaving the middle of the field vulnerable. Up step the Cincinnati Bengals. Hayden Hurst was the alpha in the Bengals’ Tight End room last season, he’s since entered free agency and most will agree that the Bengals would be well suited going after pass catching Tight Ends of a higher calibre. Gesicki was able to rack up good yardage in Miami, receiving passes from the likes of Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill and the oft injured Tua. By linking up with Joe Burrow, he’d be playing with the best QB in his NFL career who has the ability to maximise his receiving potential.
Should the Bengals decide to go in a different direction, other potential landing spots for Gesicki would be the Bears, Bills, Cowboys or the Giants who could all be best served with a sure handed and consistent receiving option at the position. That’s a mixed bag of QB styles and team aspirations which offer Gesicki a wide variety to chose from based on his priorities. Regardless of the final outcome, whoever manages to sign Gesicki this Free Agency will have a sure handed pass catcher roaming the middle of the field for the next couple of years who should produce at a good level and cap it off with some appalling attempts at the “Griddy”.