The great tight end debate has existed with the Bengals for years, do they need a tight end? Marvin Lewis insists the team's system does not demand the need for a receiving tight end. Instead, the team's offense excels on solid blocking from the position. Reggie Kelly has provided great value to the team. His role often goes unnoticed and unappreciated by the casual fan.

I am on the side of the argument that believes that while Kelly (and a player of his type) is critical for the system's execution, the time to evolve the offense a bit has come. Some of the league's top offenses rely greatly on the play of a tight end as a receiver. It keeps the defense from doubling wide every time. Look at what the likes of Jason Witten, Kellen Winslow, Dallas Clark, and Antonio Gates have had on their teams' success.

The Bengals haven't had a receiving tight end that drew the opposing secondary's attention since Tony McGee and haven't had a player excel in that role significantly since Rodney Holman in the late 1980's. The team could look to address the need in the draft, but this year's crop of tight ends appears thin and there are greater needs to address in the portion of the draft where you could find a legitimate threat.

Conversley, free agency seems an easier route to go. Alge Crumpler, who like Kelly a few years before him, was released by the Atlanta Falcons last week as the team begins to go through rebuild mode. The thirty-year old is clearly on the downside of his career and coming off an injury-riddled 2007 campaign. With questions surrounding his conditioning and health, he will come cheap.

Crumpler finished the season with 42 catches for 444 yards and five touchdowns, but he averaged 56 receptions for 810 ReYd per season and 19 total touchdowns in three previous seasons. You have to take in to account the weapons around him. If healthy, Crumpler would pose big problems for teams that are trying to contend with Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Chris Henry. The Panthers have already expressed interest and there will likely be other teams that take a look, I just hope one of them is the Bengals.