Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor praised free agent signing tight end Irv Smith Jr. during the team's training camp practices, calling him "super locked in."
Taylor silenced concerns about Smith Jr.'s ability to build chemistry with his new starting quarterback, describing the former Viking as "super locked in" and praising his attention to detail. Though Joe Burrow (calf) will now be sidelined for most of training camp, Smith Jr. could benefit from playing as the team's top tight end, which has been a productive role for fantasy football in recent seasons.
Smith Jr. was never quite able to put it all together for a full season in Minnesota, but did show flashes of top-notch athleticism for a pass-catching tight end. He is projected to finish as the TE18 in numberFire's models this season.
Source: Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic