Noah Fant has a clear role with the Bengals.
The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly signing tight end Noah Fant, recently released by the Seattle Seahawks.
Fant is an exciting addition as he is a very athletic weapon with a good pedigree as a former first-round pick.
Bengals’ headline coach Zac Taylor reacted after the news broke before speaking with the press prior to practice starting Thursday.
“(Fant) gives you even more flexibility,” Taylor told reporters on Thursday. “You’ve got a player that’s really a plus player in both the run and the pass. So at the point of attack, blocking, backside blocking, and protection can help you, but he’s also really explosive as a receiver.
“Great size. Great explosiveness. Really good hands. Tough to bring down. I think that’s another weapon, anytime we can add weapons like that, and Erick All played that role for us last year as well. So again, we really feel good about where we are with our tight end room.”
Taylor, alluding to Fant filling the role left vacant by All’s knee injury in the middle of last season, gives you a perfect idea of how he will be used.
As a rookie, All was mainly used as an inline tight end who was attached to the offensive line. He was often sent in motion at the snap or would come back around behind the offensive line at the snap of the ball and provide a backside block, as Taylor alluded. Sometimes it looks more like they are acting as a lead blocker on running plays.
That is what Fant did a lot of when he was with the Denver Broncos, as well as in college. That tight end who plays attached to the offensive line. The Seahawks used him more lined up out wide.
That is a big difference we will see in Cincinnati. The Bengals have Mike Gesicki, who lines up more as a receiver in the slot or out wide, so they won’t need Fant out there doing that.
Ultimately, Fant provides the same upgrade that All did over Drew Sample. Sample has been that guy since he got drafted by Cincinnati way back in that same 2019 draft that Fant was selected in. Sample is a terrific blocker and has been an unsung hero on many big plays.
The problem is he isn’t as big of a receiving threat compared to Fant and All. Adding that threat opens up the offense even further with what it can do.
Overall, the tight end room is looking rather stacked at the moment. Fant might not be a guy who sees a ton of snaps, but he could end up being very useful if he can gel with Joe Burrow in that role.
