On first pass, it seemed like a rather routine move when the Cincinnati Bengals claimed defensive end Bryce Sterk from the Miami Dolphins.
Maybe not.
Sterk, a college free agent who signed with the Dolphins after the draft, apparently did so after agreeing to make the transition from defensive end to…tight end.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explained:
“For one, Sterk is a bright young man who likes challenges, Brennan said. And Brennan said ‘the pitch to Bryce was he would be the only tight end they would bring in. That was appealing. The Dolphins were the first to offer and they were aggressive about it. It was a tough decision.'”
It’s an interesting little detail about the newest member of the Bengals, especially considering Sterk was a monster at the FBS level last season, recording 65 tackles and 15 sacks. Per the writeup, he hasn’t played the offensive side of the ball since high school.
Based on how the Bengals have written about the move already, Sterk is going to sit comfortably as a defensive lineman and compete during camp. But he’d have to compete at two of the team’s deeper positions regardless.
