Question of the Day: Should the Bengals sign Reggie Kelly back in 2010?

by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 30, 2009 11:43 AM EDT in Analysis

Jay brought this up earlier in the morning and I wanted to expand on it. Even though he's out for the year, Reggie Kelly isn't gone. John Erardi caught up with Kelly, talking about the emotional scene on Hard Knocks when he learned his season was over before it started. Kelly also talks about the team's Tight Ends, giving Daniel Coats a ton of praise.

“I told him how proud I was of him. I wanted him to know he’s a guy who can be an every-down tight end. He can make a great living in this game. What I saw in Dan was a need for improvement in technique. That’s pretty much mental stuff. Ball security, footwork, hand placement – those can easily be improved.”

As for Kelly, he doesn't seem ready for retirement. “Still feel it in my bones, still got an itch that needs to be scratched." However, this is the final year under contract for him with Cincinnati. He's not the only one. Daniel Coats, J.P. Foschi, Darius Hill, Matt Kelly and Brad St. Louis are under contract until the end of this year, leaving Chase Coffman and Ben Utecht as the only signed Tight Ends for 2010.

This begs the question: Do you bring Reggie Kelly back for 2010? There's a tremendous amount of respect in the lockerroom for Kelly and after being inactive for three weeks, it would seem that Coffman's development will be a drawn-out process. I'm also slowly becoming a Daniel Coats guy. At first, I didn't see the potential in him. But I think Kelly's assessment of Coats is dead-on. Once he gets better with technique, he could be our best overall Tight End next season. Coats will only be a restricted free agent in 2010, so it's very likely the Bengals hold onto him next year.

Poll

Should the Cincinnati Bengals sign Reggie Kelly in 2010?

Yes - He's a valuble part of the team

157 votes

Maybe - It's not critical, but I don't see the downside

182 votes

No - There's really no point in having him around

30 votes

369 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

voted maybe

This may sound a bit cold…as I like Reggie Kelly, but I think he should have every chance to make the team assuming he recovers from his injury. He is a good locker room presence and veteran leader. I do see the Bengals drafting or possibly signing a journeyman TE at some point given the situation. I hopeful but not sold on Coats and Coffman is a work in progress and probably not an every down TE anyway.

by goffchile on Sep 30, 2009 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

Brad St. Louis

needs to be shown the door. the sooner the better.

bring kelly back at his current salary, if he wants more, let him try free agency.

by palewook on Sep 30, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions

A resounding yes

I think leadership is the intangible that can’t be made up for, he’ll be relatively cheap, is a team player, and I don’t see utecht playing ever again.

by brandone on Sep 30, 2009 1:21 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

If Utecht is done for his carrer than yes

but if Utecht comes back next year I think our 3 TE’s are Coats, Coffman, and Utecht

by CincyMike56 on Sep 30, 2009 3:08 PM EDT reply actions

Are you kidding? Heck No!

If you want a TE to be a blocker, simply keep an extra OT and have hime report tackle eligible. The Bengals need a true threat at TE. Someone fast enough that the Ravens and Steelers have to use a DB to cover.

They usually feast on the Bengals because they can cover slow TEs with a LB. Freeing up Polamalu and Ed Reed to pad their stats.

"A lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes".....Mark Twain

by a_madmule on Sep 30, 2009 8:17 PM EDT reply actions

i dunno about that.

i think double tight end sets can be great, and it’s not like kelly can’t catch a pass. can you imagine him blocking and coffman owning some linebackers? and vice versa. you need to keep him.

by brandone on Sep 30, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Might as well keep him, I'm sure he would be better than Foschi

Coats, Kelly and Coffman would be a good group next year. Hopefully Coffman will be a factor someday, but he just seems so weak and sloppy. Maybe he gets to dress at Cleveland and get in if it’s a blowout, that would be a good idea.

by St. Esiason on Oct 1, 2009 7:52 AM EDT reply actions

They aren't missing Kelly..

They had 6 or 7 TE catches against the Browns. They’ve been going unbalanced using #74 Dennis Roland as the TE.

I just heard Rodney Harrison talking on one of the post game shows. He said the biggest fear a cover 2 defense has is a threat at TE. As I said a hundred times, you must make a cover 2 defense use a DB to cover the TE. A cover 2 defense works best if they can cover a TE with a LB.

By the way, Foschi can catch the ball.

"A lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes".....Mark Twain

by a_madmule on Oct 4, 2009 7:46 PM EDT reply actions