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Tyler Kroft

Bills Restructure Tyler Kroft’s Deal

March 12th, 2020 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have restructured Tyler Kroft‘s contract, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Under the new deal, Kroft is set to earn $4MM in 2020, with $3.4MM of that sum being guaranteed. In exchange, the last year of his contract was wiped out.

If Kroft stays healthy and plays well, he’ll now have a chance to cash in as a free agent in 2021. In that scenario, he’d also stand to benefit from a new collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to increase the players’ share of revenue.

Kroft came to the Bills last offseason on a three-year deal worth $18.75MM. The tight end missed a big chunk of his last Bengals season thanks to a foot injury and, unfortunately, injured it again as he prepared for his first year with the Bills.

This year, Kroft will aim to get back towards his 42/404/7 stat line from 2017. The Bills won’t necessarily bank on that, though. Before the restructuring, the Bills made a play for veteran tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen ultimately opted to sign with the Seahawks, but it was a sign that the Bills are willing to spend in order to fortify the position.

In 2019, rookie Dawson Knox featured as the Bills’ top TE.

Injury Notes: 9/20/19

September 20th, 2019 at 10:53am CST by Rory Parks

Here are the latest significant injury-related notes from around the league:

  • Marshall Newhouse, whom the Patriots signed last week, will serve as the club’s starting left tackle until Isaiah Wynn returns, per Doug Kyed of NESN.com (via Twitter).
  • As expected, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson will not play in Week 3, but the club is still optimistic about the availability of Alshon Jeffery and Dallas Goedert, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com tweets.
  • Buccaneers LB Devin White will not play this weekend, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link).
  • Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard is out of the concussion protocol and will play in Week 3 per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (via PFT). Rookie QB Daniel Jones will be making his first start, so Shepard’s presence will be especially helpful.
  • The Seahawks are getting closer to full strength, as both WR David Moore and defensive end Ezekiel Ansah are expected to play in Week 3, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. We had already heard that Ansah was likely to make his Seattle debut this weekend, but Moore’s return is earlier than expected, even after we learned at the end of August that he would avoid IR.
  • Top Jets defenders C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams are not expected to play this week, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The Week 3 outlook is also bleak for WR Demaryius Thomas and LB Jordan Jenkins.
  • Tyler Kroft‘s Bills debut may be put on hold for awhile longer. Kroft was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, but as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Buffalo HC Sean McDermott told reporters that Kroft injured his ankle in Thursday’s practice and will undergo further evaluation.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Gronkowski, Dolphins

August 16th, 2019 at 8:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It looks like Bills tight end Tyler Kroft isn’t going to be ready for the start of the regular season. Buffalo signed Kroft to a three-year, $18.75MM deal back in March, and he was supposed to be their starter. He then broke his foot during OTAs, and the initial timelines had him coming back sometime right around the start of the regular season. He apparently isn’t too close to returning, as he hasn’t done any on-field work yet, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (Twitter link). Buscaglia adds that it’s “looking more and more likely” that Kroft opens the year on the PUP list.

If he does start the season on PUP, Kroft will have to miss at least Buffalo’s first six games. That’s not welcome news for the Bills, as they don’t have a ton of experience at the position. Kroft showed some potential during his four years with the Bengals, but an injury to the same foot limited him to just five games last season. In 2017, he had 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. Kroft’s injury may end up opening up opportunities for rookie Dawson Knox, who the Bills drafted in the third round back in April. Buffalo also has veteran Lee Smith on the roster, although he’s always been a blocker and has barely ever contributed as a receiver.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Speaking of Bills rookies, running back Devin Singletary seems to be developing nicely. After a visit to Bills camp and speaking with members of the organization, Albert Breer of SI.com writes that Singletary has “picked up enough to be a three-down back right away” (Twitter link). The Bills drafted Singletary, a Florida Atlantic product, 74th overall. The only thing standing in his way now is that the Bills have a crowded backfield, with Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, and T.J. Yeldon also in tow. To that end, Breer writes that he expects Buffalo “to get trade calls” on their running backs. Over his last two seasons at FAU, Singletary rushed for 3,266 yards and a whopping 54 touchdowns.
  • There’s nothing former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can do to convince people he’s really retired. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes about his retirement, “few people are taking it seriously.” Volin has a new piece where a handful of former players and coaches all offer their view that Gronk might not really be done after all. The legendary tight end has insisted he’s enjoying his time away from the game, but Volin writes that “few people believe that Gronk won’t at least strongly consider coming out of retirement this fall.” It’s hard to speculate one way or the other, but he still is only 30. It’s impossible to predict, but it certainly wouldn’t be shocking if he comes back for one more ride.
  • When the Dolphins drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick 11th overall last year, they knew he wasn’t going to have one set position. He’s been moved around a good amount, and Fitzpatrick might be a little frustrated with how the new coaching staff has been using him. Fitzpatrick’s mom recently took to Twitter to respond to a beat writer’s tweet that he was playing poorly, arguing the coaches shouldn’t be playing him at strong safety, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. Asked about it after practice, Fitzpatrick said “she’s being honest and saying how she feels. There’s nothing wrong with it. I wish she would have addressed me first and talked to me first before it happens, but it is what it is. She feels very strongly.” He then also indicated he more or less agrees with her assessment, saying “she’s not wrong.” Per Beasley, the Dolphins plan to use Fitzpatrick “all over the field” in 2019.

Bills TE Tyler Kroft Suffers Broken Foot

May 21st, 2019 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

Bills tight end Tyler Kroft suffered a broken foot during OTAs on Monday, coach Sean McDermott told reporters (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of SiriusXM). The Bills inked Kroft to a three-year deal in March with plans to use him as a starter right off of the bat. Kroft’s timeframe for recovery is 3-4 months, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, which puts him right up against the start of the season and raises the possibility of beginning the season on the PUP list.

Kroft, 27 in October, injured the same foot early last year and wound up missing the rest of the season with the Bengals. The Bills are hoping he’ll bounce back quickly and provide production similar to his 42/404/7 line in 2017.

If Kroft misses time, the Bills will be left with a tight end group consisting of blocking specialist Lee Smith and rookies Moral Stephens and Tommy Sweeney. Meanwhile, veteran Jermaine Gresham stands as the best remaining free agent tight end.

Contract Details: Collins, Morse, Graham

March 11th, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:

  • Landon Collins, S (Redskins): Six years, $84MM deal, $45MM guaranteed. $15MM signing bonus, $6MM option bonus for 2024 (exercised between first and fifth of 2020). Deal includes $32MM guaranteed over the first two seasons. $5MM of his 2021 salary is guaranteed at signing. Salaries: $1MM (2019), $10MM (2020), $12.5MM (2021), $11.5MM (2022), $12.5MM (2023), $13.5MM (2024). All Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
  • Mitch Morse, C (Bills): Four years, $44.5MM, $26.5MM guaranteed (original story). Receives $19.5MM in 2019, $28.375MM in 2020. Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.
  • Brandon Graham, DE (Eagles): Three years, $40MM. $23.5MM guaranteed. $12.5MM signing bonus. Salary: $1MM (2019), $10MM (2020). Team option for 2021: $13MM salary and $3.5MM option bonus. Twitter link via Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic.
  • Danny Amendola, WR (Lions): One year, $4.5MM. $4.25MM fully guaranteed. $250K in per-game roster bonuses, $1.25MM in incentives. Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
  • Tyler Kroft, TE (Bills): Three years, $18.75MM. $8.3MM guaranteed, $2.4MM signing bonus. Will earn $1.8MM salary in 2019, $4.45MM in 2020. Roster bonuses include $2.1MM (2019), $750K (2020), $750K (2021). Twitter links via Wilson and ESPN’s Mike Rodak.

Bills To Sign Tyler Kroft

March 11th, 2019 at 4:35pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

After signing Frank Gore and Kevin Johnson earlier today, the Bills are making another move. Buffalo has agreed on a deal with tight end Tyler Kroft to a three-year deal, his agent Mike McCartney tweeted.

The deal is worth $18.75MM over the three years, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport also adds that the value of the contract can increase to $21MM, presumably through incentives. That’s a pretty hefty contract for a player who doesn’t have much of a history of production, and who played in just five games last season.

Kroft comes to the Bills from the Bengals, where he has filled in as Cincinnati’s tight end the past several seasons as Tyler Eifert has dealt with numerous injuries. The Bengals took Kroft in the third round back in the 2015 draft. He broke out in 2017, starting all 16 games and catching 42 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns.

But he suffered a foot injury early last year, and ended up missing the rest of the season. The fact that he was able to land this type of contract shows that the limited number of tight ends available in this year’s free agency class are all about to cash in.

Bengals Place TE Tyler Kroft On IR

November 16th, 2018 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Kroft will not be making a return from injury this season. The Bengals kept the tight end on their active roster in hopes he would be able to come back from his foot injury, but that won’t happen now.

The team placed Kroft on IR Friday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. Cincinnati will promote linebacker Brandon Bell off its practice squad to fill the roster spot.

The Bengals have been operating shorthanded at tight end for most of the season. Tyler Eifert has been on IR for weeks, while Kroft has been on the mend with a broken bone in his left foot. C.J. Uzomah‘s filled in as the starter, and that arrangement will continue.

While Kroft is expected to be healthy in time for free agency, this was not a good contract year. Kroft attempted to avoid surgery in order to play for a Bengals team contending for a playoff spot, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), but he’ll now be out. It appears likely a procedure will occur soon.

In 2017, Kroft stepped in for an injured Eifert and caught 42 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns — all far and away career-high marks. Other than his ’17 contributions, Kroft has not contributed much statistically since joining the Bengals as a 2015 third-round pick.

Both Kroft and Eifert are free agents in 2019. While another Eifert injury clouds his future with the team, Kroft sought an extension this summer. That did not end up coming to pass. Kroft caught just four passes this season.

A 2015 fifth-rounder, Uzomah is also a free agent at the year’s conclusion. So, the Bengals will have decisions to make at this position and won’t have much in the way of 2018 work samples on which to do so. Although, these next several games will be key for Uzomah in this regard.

Injury Updates: Fins, Peters, Wright, Jets

October 16th, 2018 at 9:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Brock Osweiler and some pivotal run-after-catch action from his receivers came through to help the Dolphins to key win over the Bears, Ryan Tannehill has obviously been the better quarterback since these two began their careers six years ago. But Tannehill’s dealing with another injury, a shoulder malady, after two years of knee trouble. Adam Gase did not do much to squash the notion his starter’s dealing with a long-term malady, but Miami’s third-year coach said he has “complete confidence” Tannehill will play again this season (Twitter links via the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley). Despite being listed as one of the longest-odds Super Bowl teams coming into the season, the Dolphins are 4-2 and in early contention for a playoff berth. They host the Lions on Sunday, and Osweiler may have to prepare for another week as the starter.

Here’s the latest from injury news cycles:

  • Jason Peters is dealing with a partially torn biceps muscle but may not have to miss any games because of it. Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland (via Jeff McLane of Philly.com, on Twitter) does not expect his left tackle to miss time. The 15th-year veteran was already afflicted with quadriceps injury, missed most of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run last season and is now in his age-36 season. But Peters has started all six games for this year’s Philadelphia squad.
  • The Jets will be without their leading receiver for some time. Quincy Enunwa suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. He’s likely going to miss at least three games, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Enunwa missed all of last season because of a neck injury. In a contract year, Enunwa returned to be Sam Darnold‘s top target thus far. He’s hauled in 22 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown. The Jets have turned to Terrelle Pryor more over the past two games, with the former Browns and Redskins wideout catching a touchdown pass in each, and he’ll be relied upon more in the immediate future.
  • Pete Carroll had hoped his top outside linebacker would be ready to start his season sometime in September, despite undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery just before the season. But K.J. Wright‘s missed six games. the Seahawks coach revealed Tuesday (Twitter link via the Seattle Times’ Percy Allen) Wright encountered a setback during Week 3 practice to delay his recovery. But he’s back on track now. The Seahawks have their bye this weekend and may be ready to finally see Wright in action in Week 8. The second half of the season will be critical for the 29-year-old linebacker, who is in a contract year.
  • Shane Ray‘s also in a contract campaign and looks to be auditioning for other teams after the Broncos didn’t pick up his fifth-year option following their first-round selection of Bradley Chubb. Ray’s now run into more injury trouble, suffering a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The likely free agent-to-be seems certain to miss Denver’s Thursday game in Arizona, if not more time.
  • The Bengals are now down to their third-string tight end, C.J. Uzomah, as the starter after losing both Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft. However, Marvin Lewis does expect Kroft — out because of a broken bone in his foot — to return this season. Kroft, too, is in a contract year.

Tyler Kroft Has Broken Bone In Foot; Latest On Preston Brown

October 14th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Rory Parks

The news keeps getting worse for the Bengals and their tight ends. After losing Tyler Eifert for the season due to a broken ankle, Cincinnati will be without Tyler Kroft for at least the next several weeks, if not the entire season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Kroft left the team’s Week 5 win over the Dolphins with a right foot injury, and as it turns out, he has a broken bone in his foot. Schefter reports that Kroft will meet with a specialist within the next several weeks to determine whether he can play through the injury or if he will need season-ending surgery.

It’s a tough blow for Kroft, who emerged during Eifert’s absence last season to post 42 catches for 404 yards and seven scores. That performance even had Kroft, who is in the last year of his rookie contract, thinking about a lucrative multi-year extension, which is probably not in the cards at this point. Before his injury, Kroft had managed just four catches for 36 yards in 2018, and he was being considerably out-snapped by C.J. Uzomah (who, like Kroft, was a 2015 draft choice). It appears that Uzomah will remain Andy Dalton‘s top tight end for the rest of the season, even if Kroft is able to come back, though Cincinnati added some depth to the position earlier this week by plucking Matt Lengel off the Texans’ practice squad.

Meanwhile, Bengals linebacker Preston Brown is dealing with a painful injury of his own. An ankle injury forced him to miss two games earlier this year — the first games he ever missed during his five-year career — and he re-aggravated that injury during last week’s Dolphins game. Paul Dehner Jr. and Fletcher Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer report that Brown will not be completely healed for some time, but he will attempt to battle through the next three games before the team’s Week 9 bye, which he is very much looking forward to.

Tyler Kroft Seeking Contract Extension

July 8th, 2018 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Parks

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.

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