Chase Coffman impressing in Bengals camp

Go Slow on Coffman

Third-rounder Chase Coffman had his first team work as a pro over the weekend and looks to be as advertised. A big, rangy tight end that can catch. If the Bengals are looking to solve the third-down problem left by T.J. Houshmandzadeh's vacancy, the tandem of Coffman and slot receiver Andre Caldwell could be the antidote.

But not on Sept. 13.

After all, Coffman is still getting acclimated after missing most of the spring workouts with a broken foot on the last snap of his Missouri career. And he has to adjust to putting his hand on the ground, something he hasn’t done in spread offenses in high school and college. If he's going to be a threat, he has to pick up some blocking.

But after watching him this weekend, the club is convinced Coffman be a big-time factor sooner or later. Some club insiders believe he has the ability to catch a Danny Ross-like 70 balls in the coming seasons.