Bengals' pitch to Utecht was music to his ears

Ben Utecht emerged from the Cincinnati Bengals' recent passing camp convinced he made the right decision.

Sure, that $9 million, three-year offer sheet the former Gophers tight end signed with the Bengals in free agency was reason enough to leave Indianapolis after four seasons, but Utecht's motives went beyond the financial. The move also presents him with the first real opportunity to be a primary option in the passing game.

"I had the chance to get in the offense for the first time, and it was great," said Utecht, a Hastings native, who caught 68 passes over the past two seasons. "They had told me, 'We know you can block. So that's going to allow us to get into two-tight-end sets, spread the field and let you do what you do best.'

"That was exciting for me to hear. Even playing with the Gophers ... the last eight years I've been forced to be in a situation where I had to be the blocker. That's OK because it made me better as a blocker. But this is the first time I've been on a team that says, 'We know your strength is receiving and we're going to use you that way.' "

These are exciting times for the 26-year-old Utecht. He and his wife, 2005 Miss Minnesota Karyn Stordahl-Utecht, recently found a house in the Cincinnati area after selling their place in Indianapolis -- no small feat in the current housing market.

Ben Utecht, an accomplished Christian artist who sang the national anthem before a Gophers game in 2001 and a Colts preseason game in 2004, also is putting the finishing touches on his first album. The process has taken a year and a half and called for Utecht to record in Nashville.

Although the CD could be released in the next couple of months, Utecht said it probably won't hit stores until September. "We are going to wait until we get a few weeks into the season because we want to make sure we take advantage of the platform of the NFL, and I think that would be better timing," he said.

While Cincinnati will be the Utechts' home for now, the couple's long-range plans include returning to Minnesota on a full-time basis. Meanwhile, there are plenty of reasons to make visits.

The Utechts recently hosted an event on the University of Minnesota campus and will be back again this weekend. Utecht's agent, Chris Murray, is involved in the new GolfTEC store in Eden Prairie, and the tight end will be part of the grand opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, along with former Gophers Logan Payne and Rhys Lloyd. Karyn, a former Gophers golfer, also will be present.

An undrafted free agent out of college, Utecht was signed by Indianapolis and was part of the Colts' Super Bowl championship in the 2006 season. He started in all four of Indianapolis' postseason victories after recording a career-high 37 catches in 15 regular-season games. Utecht had 31 receptions in 14 games this past season, but the restricted free agent was given the lowest possible offer (one-year, $927,000) by the Colts.

Because he wasn't drafted, the Colts weren't entitled to compensation if Utecht signed elsewhere. The Bengals and New York Jets showed the most interest. The fact the Colts had signed tight end Dallas Clark to a $41 million, six-year contract extension in February meant the odds of Utecht sticking around were slim.

"After the money they put into Bob Sanders [the safety signed a five-year, $37.5 million extension in December 2007] and Clark I didn't see any chance they could match and have enough salary-cap room for the draft," Utecht said. "It's one of those situations where you have so many good players and just can't keep everybody."

Asked if the Vikings had expressed interest, Utecht said Murray placed a call but it was clear that a year after signing Visanthe Shiancoe to a big free-agent deal that tight end was not a priority.

"I don't think it had anything to do with them not being interested in me," Utecht said. "They put a lot of money into Shiancoe and put themselves in a position where they couldn't afford to do that again. But as a hometown kid that would have been a dream come true. Hopefully I can play a long time and by the time I'm down to my last couple of years ... I'd do anything to come back to Minnesota and play in front of my home crowd."