Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > March > 22 > Entry
TE Utecht officially a Bengal
‘BIG BEN’ UTECHT IN THE JUNGLE
It’s official. Tight end Ben Utecht is the newest member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Friday night’s midnight deadline came and went without the Indianapolis Colts matching the three-year, $9 million offer sheet Utecht signed with the Cincinnati a week ago.
The week-long vigil ended Saturday morning when the Bengals announced Utecht is coming to the ‘Nati.
Utecht will be catching passes from quarterback Carson Palmer in 2008 after three years of hooking up with the Colts’ Peyton Manning.
I’m looking forward to meeting Utecht on Monday, March 24, when the Bengals begin their offseason workout program at Paul Brown Stadium.
SNEAKY COLTS
Oh, those sneaky Colts. Bill Polian and Tony Dungy are Mavericks who never, ever tip their hands. They were content to take their decision on Utecht right up to midnight and right down to the wire. But the Colts couldn’t afford to keep Utecht after dropping $40 million on tight end Dallas Clark, and the Bengals were able to wrestle Utecht away from Indy.
Indy offered Utecht the lowest possible one-year deal for a restricted free agent at $927,000 —- his draft level status, Had the Colts tendered him at $1.4 million, they would have received a second-round draft choice as compensation.
Instead, no compensation is required on the Bengals’ part because Utecht entered the league as a non-drafted college free agent.
It was a shrewd move by the Bengals, who haven’t attempted to wrestle an RFA away from another club in head coach Marvin Lewis’ five previous seasons.
Utecht, a 6-foot-6, 251-pounder from the University of Minnesota, caught 31 passes for 364 yards and one TD in 14 games with 13 starts in 2007.
His career statistics include 77 catches for 861 yards (an 11.2-yard average) and three TDs in 41 games with 30 starts, including a start in the Colts’ 29-17 victory over Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.
HUGE RAMIFICATIONS
Utecht’s signing is important for four reasons.
He gives the Bengals their first 30-catch tight end since Tony McGee (34) in 1997.
He saves the Bengals from spending a draft pick on a tight end when the NFL draft unfolds April 26-27.
He adds another potent weapon to the Bengals’ already strong passing game.
He will be a pillar of the community.
BIG BEN & RUGGED REGGIE
Yes, Utecht and incumbent starter Reggie Kelly are going to get along just fine as tight ends for the Bengals.
They complement one another perfectly … on and off the field.
Reggie is the bruising blocker; Ben is the raucous receiver.
Reggie is the club’s spiritual leader; Ben is a Christian rock recording artist.
Utecht, who is due to release a record of Christian music, will surely be a community service champion.
Utecht sang the national anthem at a Colts-Bills preseason game in 2004, then hooked up with Christian music star Sandi Patty for a duet in front of a 100,000 spectators in downtown Indianapolis.
For an interview with Utecht, go to StripeHype.com
Contact Chick Ludwig at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@daytondailynews.com
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By Brian
March 22, 2008 11:22 AM | Link to this
Utecht was a good signing. Odom was a good signing. The recently signed Arizona LBs are fine for what they are. To paraphrase Mike Brown, “The oxcart is still in the ditch.” He should know, he drove it there.By Michael
March 22, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
This is a good signing. However, it’s one good step amid a whole bunch of other problems. They still have to deal with Ocho Stinko and the draft. Let’s hope the brain trust can do the right thing there.By Jo Jo is Right
March 22, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
Good signing for all the reasons Chick mentioned. The Bengals have been aggresive not foolish this year. Now if all you whiners would pull up your panties and quit getting upset becasue Ocho is negotiating in the media you might be able to see that the team is poised for a big turnaround if they draft right. I will explain that to all the whiny losers later.