So Gresham, So Clean

The first round for the NFL draft is done and the Bengals did something uncharacteristic for the organization and drafted tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gresham has been the consensus best tight end in the draft and by far the most well rounded of the class. When Gresham plays, he has been a stud excelling as one of Sam Bradford's primary targets. He's an athletic beast at 6'6 250 lbs and runs a 4.7. He is a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties alike. What he represents is another weapon for Carson Palmer and should provide that big red zone threat the team only had in Chris Henry. Basically, Carson is out of excuses and needs to put up or shut up but that's material for another article.

Looking at the draft, the Bengals made the right pick here. I personally was hoping that safety terror Earl Thomas would fall but he was gone and the Mike Brown refrained from his ever ending quest to save lost souls by avoiding Dez Bryant. Gresham needs to come in and start right away.

While it is clear that he was the right pick at the right time, that does not mean it comes without any question marks. He has not played a snap in essentially a year and a half and has been rehabbing a torn ACL. Fortunately, all the medical experts have cleared him and he appears to have not lost any speed after the procedure. That being said, medical questions aren't the only ones that surround Gresham.

The Hobgoblin and Bratkowski will have you believe that he played in a pro style offense. I think that's because he hails from Oklahoma which is a big school they think runs traditional plays. They failed to realize that the Sooners run a spread that featured Bradford typically in the gun locking on to a primary receiver and delivering it. Sure, he had his hand on the ground more than Chase Coffman but he was standing up more than they'd lead on.

In fact, the Hobgoblin actually says that the staff is hoping that Gresham/Coffman is a younger version of Kelly/Utecht. You have got to be kidding me! That is quite frankly laughable. Kelly's best year was 31 catches and Utecht was never the pass catcher he was billed as. Utecht recorded more albums than he caught balls.

If Brat can develop a decent scheme, Gresham should open the passing game considerably. What we can all hope for is that he abuses linebackers and safeties opening Chad up for some single coverage and the production of red zone touchdowns rather than field goals.