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The Cincinnati Bengals have announced that they have signed Indianapolis Colts tight end Ben Utecht to an offer sheet.
Utecht is a restricted free agent, tendered at the lowest level. Because he was not drafted, the Colts will receive no compensation if they choose not to match the terms of the long-term deal that he has negotiated with the Bengals.
The former University of Minnesota product has been a solid contributor in Indy, but the Colts might have trouble matching the deal, given the amount of money they invested in the position when they made starter Dallas Clark the highest paid tight end in the NFL with a long-term deal negotiated last month.
The Colts have seven days to decide whether to match the offer.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
THIS IS A GREAT MOVE ON THE BENGALS PART IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME WAITING ON A TIGHT END THAT CAN CATCH AND AT 3 MIL A YEAR THE COLTS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MATCH THE OFFER.
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March 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Was there a poison pill? I wonder…
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March 14th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
The Colts aren’t going to match the offer. They have about 7.5 million in cap room, but 3 million is too much for a guy that was going to be phased out anyway. The Colts have a good healthy #3 receiver for the first time since 2004, so the switch from 2TE to 3WR as the base offense was coming. Utecht is an underrated player, he caught an amazing % of the balls thrown to him and is an great blocker. I would have liked the Colts to bring him back, but 3mil a year is too much for the Colts to pay.
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March 16th, 2008 at 1:11 am
If you listen very closly you can hear Mucho Stinko’s quiet sobs as the contemplates losing more touches.
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