Utecht signed
By GEOFF HOBSON
March 14, 2008
Updated: 4:15 p.m.
The Bengals are finally going to the pass-catching tight end but they may not know for a week if they've got a completion for the Colts' Ben Utecht.
His agent confirmed the club's agreement with the 6-6, 251-pound Utecht Friday,
but as a restricted free agent he has to wait to see if Indianapolis matches the offer in the next seven days.
"We don't know if they're going to match it," Christopher Murray said Friday. "They've already got a big tight end (Dallas Clark) and they're tight against the cap."
The Colts, who just dropped a $40 million deal on Clark, figure to have about $7 million under the salary cap.
Murray wouldn't divulge terms, but it's believed the average in a three-year deal is nearly $3 million per year with about the same cap hit.
Not only would the Bengals get a tight end that has exceeded the numbers of any tight end they've had this decade, but it would mean they don't have to give up a draft pick for compensation or use a draft pick next month to draft one.
Utecht, who turns 27 before the season, caught 31 balls last year and 37 in 2006 and would form a formidable 1-2 combo with Reggie Kelly. Kelly, a blocking ace, has been the starter the last five seasons in which his best receiving years have been the last two with 21 in 2006 and 20 last season.
The Bengals haven't had a 30-catch season from a tight end since Tony McGee had 34 in 1997. While starting 13 games as the Colts' in-line blocking tight end this past season, Utecht also had a touchdown.
Christopher Murray, Utecht's agent, said last week that his client had been drawn to Cincinnati in large measure because of the presence of quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer, no doubt, is going to welcome the big target in Utecht with the hope he'll be able to make hay underneath and force teams to get out of the deep zones that blanket wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmadzadeh.
Since running back Chris Perry's injuries robbed Palmer of his best underneath threat, his 2005 completion percentage of 67.8 percent dipped to 62.3 in 2006 and 64.9 in 2007.
Utecht, a restricted free agent out of Minnesota, has made 30 starts and played in 41 games in the shadow of Colts Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark.
Source:
http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6687