Thursday, December 16, 1999Brown keeping Coslet in loop
Recent decisions hint coach will be back in 2000
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerIf you're looking for signs that coach Bruce Coslet is coming back next season for the final year of his contract, Bengals president Mike Brown might have given a couple this week.
The club extended tight end Tony McGee's contract for three years, at least partly on Coslet's recommendation. And Brown consulted with Coslet before picking up cornerback Tom Carter on waivers.
Brown was gung-ho on the move, but before he made it, he assured the coaches he wouldn't stop the team's search for a veteran cornerback even with Carter in the fold.
Coslet, who preaches continuity, is delighted McGee is back.
“I'm encouraged by Tony,” Coslet said. “He's a good football player ... He's durable, he does more things than catch the ball ... We need all those guys we can get. And he knows the system. If we let him go, the first thing is, will (his replacement) be as good as Tony? And he won't know the system as well. So you get two or three mistakes early in the year that may or may not cost you a game, but hinders your chances.”
NO STAMPEDE: After McGee negotiated his $5.4 million extension on his own, Brown invited other potential Bengals free agents to deal without an agent. But don't look for a stampede to the general manager's office.
Many players have already paid their agents for the year and are looking to get some return.
As expected, some agents said on Wednesday that McGee short-changed himself with his $1.8 million-per-year deal that included a $2 million bonus. One said McGee may have cost himself as much as $1.5 million.
They pointed to the bigger average of Pittsburgh's Mark Bruener and the $4-million signing bonus of Jacksonville's Kyle Brady. McGee, who has 25 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns, is one of the rare tight ends who can run and block. Bruener is primarily a blocker who has 17 catches with no touchdowns and Brady has 26 catches for 282 yards and a touchdown. But some Bengals thought McGee got a good deal. Left tackle Rod Jones, one of the soon-to-be free agents the Bengals want back, said it made him feel good about the team.
“I've got a good agent and I'll stick with him,” said Jones of Mark Bartelstein. “But it was nice to hear Tony come out of it and say Mike Brown isn't an unreasonable man and he treated him fairly.”
THIS AND THAT: Lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen, who got the defensive game ball in the win over the Browns, is “iffy,” for the Dec. 26 game in Baltimore with a swollen ankle. Von Oelhoffen, one of the free agents the Bengals want back, had 1.5 sacks, five pressures, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Right tackle Willie Anderson got his wish when the entire offensive line got the offensive game ball by paving the way for 279 rushing yards. He was a big reason, grading 100 percent when he made 72 of 72 blocks ... Rookie receiver Craig Yeast got the special teams ball with his punt return for a touchdown.
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