Less than 24 hours before the beginning of free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to release Laveranues Coles—exactly one year after he signed with the team. He joined the team last March as a replacement for former wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks after spending his entire seven-year career with the Bengals as arguably one of the top No. 2 wideouts in the NFL.
Cincinnati signed Coles hoping his speed and quickness would make him just as effective—if not better—of a No. 2 wideout as Houshmandzadeh was when he was with the Bengals. While Houshmandzadeh managed to stay consistent taking advantage of defenders focusing on Chad Ochocinco to find open gaps down the field, Coles struggled to do the same a majority of the season.
Instead of using his speed and quickness to be an effective wide receiver, Coles established a reputation amongst Bengals fans as a player who struggled to hold on to passes thrown from Carson Palmer.
Coles finished the 2009 season with 43 catches for 514 yards and five touchdowns after signing a four-year deal last March worth $28 million. Despite starting 16 games, he failed to cross the 100-yard mark this season, with the closest game coming against the Baltimore Ravens in Week Nine in which he finished with six receptions for 72 yards.
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