CHASE COFFMAN (Tight end, Missouri)
Q: What do you think about being a Bengal?CC: I think it's great. I'm excited, and I can't wait to get up there. They're going to get 100 percent of what I've got.
Q: Bengals tight end coach Jonathan Hayes says he's known you since you were a baby:CC: Yes he has. He and my dad our good friends, so I've known him for a while.
Q: How much did you talk to him between the end of the season and the draft?CC: We talked quite a bit at the combine, and he called me a couple of times after that. I wouldn't have guessed I'd be going to Cincinnati but I'm very excited.
Q: How much do you know about things here?CC: I know you've got a great quarterback in Carson Palmer, a great team, and I'm just ready to get up there and get going.
Q: A lot of people are talking about the job the Bengals have done in this draft overall. Do you follow that kind of thing?CC: I think the Bengals are having a really good draft. Like I said, I'm just excited to come to Cincinnati.
Q: You have the reputation for being a pass-catching tight end. What do you think the transition will be like in terms of blocking in the NFL?CC: I don't think it will be that big of a transition. It's just one of those things I wasn't asked to do much in the spread offense. Once I have the chance to practice it a little bit more, I think things will come along. I'm just going to work as hard as I can to be the best all-around tight end I can be.
Q: Will blocking be the thing you'll have to work on the most when you get here?CC: Yes, I think that's one thing I really need to work on. You want to get better in every aspect of your game, and I'm going to do everything I can to help our team win.
Q: How much do you expect to be able to at the rookie minicamp later this week, based on your foot injury from last season?CC: I'm not really sure how that will go, but I think I'll be able to do pretty much everything.
Q: When did the foot injury actually occur last season?CC: I had a turf toe injury that led to the broken bone in the foot, and that was the very last play of our bowl game, the Alamo Bowl.
Q: What advice did your dad give you as a former NFL tight end about playing the position?CC: He taught me to concentrate, focus on catching the ball, and be nasty when you're blocking. He said to work hard and keep doing the things that got me where I am.
Q: Did you ever play any position other than tight end?CC: I played receiver and linebacker in high school, but it was mostly receiver and tight end.
Q: Based on your background, it's almost your destiny to be an NFL tight end:CC: Yes ... that's what I know, and I'm willing to do anything they ask, but tight end is probably what I'm best at.
Q: Do you have any memories of watching your dad play?CC: I don't remember watching him play, but he'll bring the highlight tapes every once in a while. Those are fun to watch.
Q: How similar or different are you and your dad as players?CC: We're very similar. I'm a little bit bigger and heavier, but we're both very hard workers that get the job done.
Q: Who has better hands?CC: We'll find out after my career is over. He had a pretty good career, so hopefully mine will be even better.
