The Bengals took a meeting with free agent safety Kurt Coleman at the combine earlier tonight, reports Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Cincinnati becomes the known club to have visited with Coleman, joining New Orleans on the list of teams with interest in the veteran defensive back.
Coleman could join the Bengals as a third safety (the club has used player such as Chris Crocker or Josh Shaw in that role in recent seasons), but it’s not out of the question Cincinnati could install Coleman as a starter and cut one its incumbent safeties. George Iloka and Shawn Williams each offered league-average production in the Bengals’ defensive backfield in 2017, and the team could create cap space — $4.4MM for Iloka, $2.872MM for Willams — by cutting either.
More likely though, Coleman would offer depth for Cincinnati, as his performance last season wasn’t indicative of a starting caliber performer. Coleman was productive for the Panthers in 2015-16, so much through that Carolina gave him an extension that was to lock him up 2019. But Coleman struggled in 2017, and the Panthers opted to open up $2.65MM in cap room by parting ways with the 29-year-old.
nice
Just one of them guys the Bengals bring in so they can act like they’re interested in signing free agents.