Updated: 7:45 a.m.
NEW ORLEANS - Eagles head coach Andy Reid, who says his club is listening to offers, indicated Sunday the Bengals haven't inquired about backup quarterback Kevin Kolb.
Asked at the league meetings if he thought the Bengals would be interested in the man with one year left on his deal backing up Michael Vick, Reid said, "I don't know. We're getting quite a little bit of play on it, so we'll see."
The obvious tie is that the guy that coached the Eagles quarterbacks the past two seasons is the new Bengals receivers coach. And Reid, one of the more respected offensive minds in the league who recommended him to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, thinks James Urban is on the fast track.
Reid had promoted Urban to assistant offensive coordinator to Marty Mornhinweg a few weeks before Lewis called, but he felt it was a step up for Urban to move to Cincinnati. Urban, 37, had been with Reid since 2004, beginning as the offense's quality control coach and then as his assistant before moving to quarterbacks.
"He's very intelligent. He's a good coach. He can really coach any position on the offensive side of the ball. He's a future coordinator in this league. It's great opportunity for him," Reid said. "It's a positive move. Had Marty Mornhinweg got a head coaching job, James would have had a couple of opportunities either with us or with Marty to be a coordinator. So Marty staying put a block on that. He's good with people. He's very intelligent."
Reid laughed when told the Bengals were going to "The Andy Reid Offense." New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden learned under brother Jon, a Reid disciple. Reid knows Jay "a little bit."
"I know Jon better. (Jay) is sharp, too," Reid said. "He's an up and comer."
JAY BACKER: The new Bengals offensive coaches got another endorsement here Sunday when Jay Gruden's boss in Tampa, Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, said Gruden has a background that has been hard-wired for success in the NFL. Allen, the Bucs chief personnel man when Jay was in the booth on Sundays on the headsets with head coach Jon Gruden, thinks Jay's experience as a GM and head coach in the Arena League has uniquely prepared him to call his first NFL play.
"He's called plays for a dozen years," Allen said. "I think it's nice when a coach has a big-picture view of the game when he has a smaller area of responsibility. He has a good feel of the game. One thing that the Arena League helps coaches with is time management. It helps you with formulating in-game strategy. He understands personnel and how to use it. It's not the same kind of talent, but you evaluate it the same way."
Allen, son of Hall of Fame coach George Allen, sees the same kind of family commitment passed on by Jim Gruden, their father who scouted and coached in the NFL in Tampa and San Francisco.
"He's been a head coach and general manager, so he has his own ideas," Allen said. "But he's learned a great deal from Jon. I think it's a blend of two good coaching minds. He's got that same fortunate trait as Jon. Jay's going to do whatever he has to do to win, even if it's a game of H-O-R-S-E in the backyard."
Plus, Allen thinks Gruden's experience as a Division I quarterback at Louisville helps him on the practice field. Allen warns his new peers not to be fooled by Gruden's lack of NFL playcalling.
"I think he's developed a tremendous rapport with players," Allen said. "It doesn't matter if it's a wide receiver, offensive lineman, or quarterback. He's turned down some (NFL) opportunities that haven't been publicized."
