Are You Ready for Some Football?!!!

[BZBot]

What we know heading into our Monday night opener against the Ravens.

Source: http://www.bengalszone.com/article.php?sid=562

[HoosierCat]

Good summary -- better than most of the MSM junk I've seen so far. One note re this:

But we are also without other 3rd down options. Irons and Chris Perry aren’t there to catch the ball coming out of the backfield and our tight ends are used more for blocking.

Carson has noted that Rudi has made some strides in pass catching. Reggie Kelly has also showed he can make the occasional circus catch, and No. 2 TE Daniel Coats has size and greats hands. No speed, he won't be a downfield threat but look for him to make some noise in the red zone at some pojnt this season, hopefully sooner than later.

[Kazkal]

Aye,Coats seems like solid 2# and a good TE to develop behind reggie since god knows we'll never draft a day 1 TE .

Which I'm glad because much better positions to address in day 1 then TE heh.unless shannon sharpe finds a fountain of youth and renters the nfl through the draft

[HoosierCat]

Aye,Coats seems like solid 2# and a good TE to develop behind reggie since god knows we'll never draft a day 1 TE .

Which I'm glad because much better positions to address in day 1 then TE heh.unless shannon sharpe finds a fountain of youth and renters the nfl through the draft

Coats was actually pretty well regarded. Scout.com had him ranked #16 among TEs -- not great but a damn good value pickup as a UFA. His big knock was speed, of which he has none. He's basically the fullback version of a TE, versus the Gates-type WR version. Which for the Bengals offense is just fine.

[BengalszoneBilly]

No. 2 TE Daniel Coats has size and greats hands. No speed, he won't be a downfield threat but look for him to make some noise in the red zone at some pojnt this season, hopefully sooner than later.

This guy shows tons of promise IMHO, and I say will give the Bengals a "rebirth" of sorts throwing to the TE position, especially without a clear cut #3 WR to go to. A great bonus for our offense I feel!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Coats was actually pretty well regarded. Scout.com had him ranked #16 among TEs -- not great but a damn good value pickup as a UFA. His big knock was speed, of which he has none. He's basically the fullback version of a TE, versus the Gates-type WR version. Which for the Bengals offense is just fine.

I'll admit I haven't been able to see much of him, but what I've seen I've liked. I think the scouts too often these days have a hard-on for TEs who are basically big WRs. I agree with you, we don't need that with Chad and TJ. What we need is somebody who won't necessarily put distance between himself and the coverage, but put a *body* between coverage and the ball, and catch the ball while taking a hit. Like you say, the "fullback" TE.

You give me a guy who can catch a 3rd and goal pass from the 7 in heavy traffic, who can still block well, and I'm thrilled. Don't give a damn whether you need a sundial to clock his 40.

[DesperateDerelict]

You give me a guy who can catch a 3rd and goal pass from the 7 in heavy traffic, who can still block well, and I'm thrilled. Don't give a damn whether you need a sundial to clock his 40.

It sure would be nice to have someone who could take advantage of the seam route against the constant Cover-2, over-and-under sideline coverage Chad & TJ must contend with all the time. With Henry available, we always seemed to stretch one of the over-safeties downfield, but Tab doesn't have the speed to do that.

All things being equal, I'm okay with our TE's . . . but if SF cuts V.Davis, we should grab him quickly !!!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

All things being equal, I'm okay with our TE's . . . but if SF cuts V.Davis, we should grab him quickly !!!

That's not happening anytime soon.

[HoosierCat]

Short piece on the TEs from Ludwig...

Bengals veteran shows rookie tight end the ropes

Kelly encouraged by what he sees in Coats: 'Every week, you see him getting better ... '

By Chick Ludwig

Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

CINCINNATI — The mere mention of Daniel Coats causes a smile to crease Reggie Kelly's face.

After all, Kelly is the teacher, and Coats is his prized pupil.

Kelly, the Bengals' incumbent tight end, has taken Coats under his wing. On Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium, the undrafted rookie tight end from Brigham Young University must fly on his own.

"My little man, 86, is doing a great job," said Kelly, referring to Coats' uniform number. "He's come in as a rookie and shown that he's very mature. He's made some really good blocks and really good catches. Every week, you see him getting better and better.

"Every time I think about him, I smile because I know I'm going to be there as a mentor to help him grow. Then, when I move on, I'll leave a great legacy behind with him, and I know he'll do the same thing when he gets older. I'm excited about his future. I see great things in store for him."

Coats finished the preseason with seven catches for 51 yards (a 7.3 average) with a long gain of 13 and a 7-yard touchdown from quarterback Carson Palmer.

He's also had some drops — typical for rookies. Their heads are spinning, thinking about all their responsibilities. Instead of concentrating on looking the ball into their hands, they're eager to make big yardage, and the ball hits the ground.

"Reggie's been great to me," Coats said. "He encourages me and shows me the right way to do things. I owe him a lot. I definitely look at him as a big brother. I'd be lost without him."

And let's not forget Nate Lawrie. Formerly with Tampa Bay and New Orleans, Lawrie signed with the Bengals on Aug. 2, learned the offense quickly and survived final cuts.

"I have to tip my hat to Nate, coming in during training camp and doing a tremendous job," Kelly said. "He's a guy who can block, who can hold the point of attack, who can catch and who's smart. Anything you throw at him, he's going to pick it up fast. The guy's from Yale. What do you expect?"

Said Lawrie: "Reggie is the wily vet of the group. He knows a lot about preparing and being a pro. If you're not learning from people who have been there, you're wasting an opportunity. I look to Reggie to see what he does and see if there's anything I can do to improve my game."

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/o...507bengals.html

[BengalByTheBay]

Funny, this kind of turned into the Daniel Coats thread along the way. I too like the hands this guy has shown. He seems to be able to get open over the middle consistently and, I would argue, CP has used the TE almost exclusively as a 3rd down option in this offense. As such, as long as he can get open and catch the ball (as opposed to stretching the d vertically) I'm excited about the prospects for him to contribute. Essentially, this offense seems geared to a TE who does not tip the defense as to whether the playh is a run or a pass. Coats fits that bill in almost the exact same way that Kelly does. It's not real exciting, but since we seem to have the most trouble converting TD's when we're inside the 10 -- I think that Coats is well suited to helping in just that situation.