An argument could be made for the Bengals to keep four tight ends heading into the regular season. Jermaine Gresham is sort of a lock, wouldn't you agree? Then you have Reggie Kelly, Chase Coffman, Darius Hill and Daniel Coats, all of whom currently sit on the team's roster. And no, we're not talking about guys that simply snap the football, like Clark Harris. Or Brad St. Louis before him. Dating back to the 2006 season, excluding long snappers, the Bengals have taken between two and three tight ends into the regular season.
Season | Count | Tight Ends |
2009 | 3 | Daniel Coats, Chase Coffman, J.P. Foschi |
2008 | 2 | Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht |
2007 | 3 | Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie |
2006 | 2 | Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart |
Would the team go with four tight ends this year? Bengals offensive coordinator, and every Bengals fan's BFF, Bob Bratkowski reportedly said that the team has discussed taking four tight ends, while perhaps only keeping two quarterbacks, come September 4, the date in which all NFL teams are required to be within the maximum 53-man roster. While taking two quarterbacks is admittedly a long-shot, what about the idea of keeping four tight ends not including long-snapper Clark Harris?
With Fui Vakapuna and Brian Leonard hurt, the Bengals have been giving fullback Joe Tronzo many reps in their place. Even Dan Skuta, a linebacker in July, now a possible two-way player in September, has been getting looks. The idea of keeping four tight ends is likely based on the experience that Daniel Coats has at the position, where he played most of his 16 games in 2008 at fullback. Though one could argue that Coats was the fullback during the Bengals 1,520-yard rushing season, which is the lowest since 1995. They could argue that.
Question of the Day: Should the Bengals take four tight ends?