How about the ones they’re playing this year?
If Rob Gronkowski returns to Tampa Bay, the Bengals play the NFL top three receiving tight ends via yards from last season (Baltimore’s Mark Andrews, Kelce, Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts) and six of the top eight (the Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz, Gronkowski, and Miami’s Mike Gesicki).
“Once again,” Anarumo says of the steady avalanche of receiving tight ends. “He’ll be here at the beginning of the season, which will help us.”
Flowers is the quintessential Anarumo player, given he has built his hybrid 3-4 scheme on the versatility of players like Flowers. After playing him nine snaps in the AFC title game, he brought him back for 13 plays in a different role in the Super Bowl. With Rams tight end Tyler Higbee sidelined, Flowers was helping out in double coverage. Anarumo says his niche this season could widen.
“I know what he can do. Certainly he’s carved out a heck of a role for all the tight ends we have to cover,” Anarumo says. “Certainly he’s a guy…