By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Jon Kitna refers to them as his safety net.

Tight end Sean Brewer returns this season after missing most of last year with a knee injury.

"You've got to be able to count on that tight end," the Bengals quarterback said. "Even when he's covered, you have to know that when you throw it in there he's going to get it and protect it.

"It's like having that dominant center in basketball."

Cincinnati hasn't had an impact tight end since Tony McGee in the mid-to-late 1990s.

But with six tight ends in camp this year - Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart, Matt Schobel, Sean Brewer, Derek Smith and Brad St. Louis - it appears the Bengals plan to expand the position's responsibility beyond just being a blocker.

"If you have a tight end that other teams respect, they've got to play everyone," tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes said. "Now they're not just playing one receiver or one running back."

Emerging NFL stars such as Jeremy Shockey of the Giants and Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez have shown that a good tight end also can be an effective offensive weapon.

Shockey led all NFL tight ends with 74 receptions for 894 yards last season. Gonzalez caught 63 passes for 773 yards and seven touchdowns.

"I think they're trying to balance it out where, when you see the tight ends in the game, you don't just say, 'OK, those guys are only going to block. Those guys are only going to catch,' " Kelly said of the Bengals.

"You have to be aware of guys that can block and catch. I think that definitely can put a strain on the defense."

The Bengals signed Kelly, who is listed atop the depth chart at tight end, to a four-year, $6.8 million contract in March.

The 26-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Falcons, starting all 16 of their games last season. He caught 14 passes for 162 yards in a run-oriented offense.

"I feel really, really good about what Reggie brings to the table," Hayes said. "His professionalism, his approach to how he works every day, how he prepares - the younger guys see it and it becomes a contagious thing."

Of the 350 receptions by Bengals receivers last season, 28 were caught by two tight ends.

Twenty-seven of those belonged to Schobel, who as a rookie last season caught no more than four passes in a game and had two touchdowns. Stewart caught one pass for 6 yards.

Brewer began the 2002 season as the starting tight end but tore cartilage in his left knee in Week 3 and was lost for the season.

He entered camp this year 30 pounds lighter after going through the Bengals' offseason conditioning program.

"I'm looking for a big year from the tight ends, a lot of passes and a lot of involvement in the run game," Brewer said. "As a tight end, if you're really light you're going to run routes. If you're really heavy, you're going to take pride in blocking.

"All of us are right around the proper weight to do both very well. You don't really emphasize one or the other. You just try to do both well."

While the tight ends say they are seeing more passes headed their way this training camp, Hayes says what is more important is consistently being in the correct position.

And being a safety net.

"Whether the quarterback throws you the ball or not, if he knows you're going to be where you're supposed to be, that's not just big for your own numbers," Hayes said.

"That's big for the football team. Take what the defense gives you. Move the ball. Move the chains. And go on to the next play."