National media outlet names Bengals' most 'overvalued' player
CBS Sports recently named the most overvalued player on each AFC team and their choice for the Cincinnati Bengals wasn't shocking. Jeff Kerr, an NFL writer for CBS Sports, went with cornerback Eli Apple as Cincinnati's most overvalued player. From CBS Sports: There's a lot of stock the Bengals are buying in Eli Apple, banking on […]
CBS Sports recently named the most overvalued player on each AFC team and their choice for the Cincinnati Bengals wasn't shocking.
Jeff Kerr, an NFL writer for CBS Sports, went with cornerback Eli Apple as Cincinnati's most overvalued player.
There's a lot of stock the Bengals are buying in Eli Apple, banking on a bounce-back season from one of the maligned cornerbacks in the game. Apple wasn't expected to end up starting for the Bengals, but Trae Waynes suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the preseason — forcing Apple into the starting lineup. Apple never looked back after that, playing his best season in a career that was labeled a bust before he signed with Cincinnati.
Targeted 78 times in 617 coverage snaps last season, Apple allowed just 52.7% of his passes targeting him to be caught for 512 yards and three touchdowns. As the primary defender, Apple allowed just a 60.8 passer rating when opposing quarterbacks have targeted him — with just four defensive pass interference penalties. Of course, all that progress seemed to be impeded after a dreadful Super Bowl LVI.
As Kerr pointed out, Apple actually had a pretty decent regular season. But his not-so-great Super Bowl pretty much erased the memories of a good regular season from the minds of Bengals fans.
To make matters worse, Apple is a massive trash talker. And he talked plenty of trash before the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for the Bengals, he wasn't able to back it up.
Ouch.
I don't know how CBS Sports views Apple as overvalued — considering fans don't seem to value him that much anyway — but I guess the Bengals' roster is so good that there weren't any better options to choose.
Featured image via Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
