Life after Ben U?

Take a quick read of Ben Utecht's quotes in the Cincinnati Enquirer; he really wants to be there.

It's not too surprising. If the Colts match, the contract would be the same; but the position would be different. In Indianapolis, he was the starting tight end. Utecht started all 13 of the games he played, but he was always second fiddle to faster, more dynamic Dallas Clark. Last season, Clark had 100 passes thrown at him, Utecht had 37. And Clark got to run all the fun, long routes, while Utecht usually only saw the ball on dumpoffs and other emergencies. Some people like blocking play-in and play-out, but Utecht just isn't one of them.

His role would change in Cinci. The incumbent tight ends there are lumbering starting Reggie Kelly, half-talented Daniel Coates and practice squad-type Nate Lawrie. If all goes according to plan, Kelly would be the stay-at-home blocker/shift-to-fullback guy while Utecht would get to play the Clark role. With all the coverage Bengals wideouts Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh draw, it wouldn't be surprising to see Utecht establish himself as a deep threat and, if he stays healthy, catch 50 balls for 700 yards.

While that's all very well and good for Mr. Utecht (and even better for the Bengals), it leaves the Colts bereft. See, Utecht is an extraordinarily talented guy who catches pretty much everything thrown his way and has an uncanny knack for placing the ball just beyond the down marker. He will be missed.

But he won't, I expect, be retained. As talented as he is, Utecht is hardly durable enough for the cap-strapped Colts to make a longterm investment in. In his tenure in Indy, he played just 41 of 80 possible regular-season games and was nicked up in plenty of those. Besides, as much as I like Utecht as a pure talent, he is miscast in Indy. Having Utecht be the blocking tight end is kind of like having Marlin Jackson play safety. Sure he can, but should he?

So if he leaves, where does that leave the Colts. Clark could go back to being the starting tight end, but after his success in the wide/slot/motion/H-back/tight end role, I think the team realizes he's better off not facing defensive ends or blitzing linebackers every play. Nor do I think he'd like it.

Last year's No. 3, Bryan Fletcher, is also a tendered restricted free agent and he has received far less interest on the open market than Utecht has. He'll probably be back, but he's a cut below Utecht as a receiver and a cut-and-a-half or maybe evn two behind him as a blocker.

Of course, they have other options. Gijon Robinson is also more of a receiver than a blocker, but at 6'1 (actually, 6006), he probably won't get many chances to prove it. Behind him is Zac Herold, a small-school prospect who's a big lug with soft hands — but it's hard to get excited about a player who has been with four pro teams in less than one year.

So it looks like the Colts will draft a tight end who can play right away, even if Fletcher returns. Let's take a look at the top tight ends:

Fred Davis (6030, 255, DNR) USC: will probably be drafted before Colts pick
Martellus Bennett (6061, 251, 4.68) Texas A&M: Raw, may not have the heart to be an NFL starter
Dustin Keller (6021. 252, 4.53) Purdue: Not a great blocker, will drop some
John Carlson (6051, 251, 4.88) Notre Dame: Not a great athlete
Brad Cottam (6074, 270, 4.63) Tennessee: Not a natural receiver
Martin Rucker (6044, 243, 4.82) Missouri: Not a great blocker, will drop some
Jermichael Finley (6047, 251, DNR) Texas: Super-raw, not a real blocker
Jacob Tamme (6034, 236, 4.58) Kentucky: Doesn't actually block at all
Craig Stevens (6032, 254, 4.59) Cal: Not a great athlete, lacks mean streak
Darrell Strong (6040, 268, 4.78) Pitt: Just doesn't seem to try all that hard
Kellen Davis (6064, 262, 4.59) Michigan State: Questionable character, instincts
Gary Barnridge (6055, 243, 4.61) Louisville: Thin, lacks real athleticism

If the Colts are looking for a complete block/receive tight end to allow Clark to do his thing all over the field, the best bets would appear to be Carlson or Stevens. The team has reportedly been in touch with Carlson, who could be available when they pick at the end of the third round. But don't be surprised if they grab an H-back pass-catcher like Keller or Tamme, though. It doesn't make that much sense, but when was the last time you saw the Colts pass on a talented receiver?