Cincinnati Bengals: When Will The Real Laveranues Coles Show Up?

There was disappointment throughout the city of Cincinnati when WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason. However, it only took two days for the Bengals and their beloved city to find his replacement.

Former New York Jets WR Laveranues Coles signed with the Bengals in March to fill the void left by Houshmandzadeh as a No. 2 WR. The shoes would be tough to fill considering Housh was arguably one of the best WRs at the No. 2 spot in the NFL.

However, the Bengals were confident that Coles would be just as good, if not better, than Houshmandzadeh for QB Carson Palmer to throw to.

Unfortunately, the high expectations surrounding Coles and the Bengals have been nothing but a sheer disappointment through the first four games of the 2009 season.

Despite an impressive 3-1 start, the Bengals have to be disappointed with the way Coles has performed so far this season. They know the type of receiver he's capable of being and he's yet to live up to the four-year $28 million contract he signed in the offseason.

In four games, Coles has caught just 10 receptions for 78 yards and one TD. His 78 yards receiving yards sees him tied for fifth on the team with Chris Henry. They trail Chad Ochocinco (258), Andre Caldwell (148), Daniel Coats (86), and Brian Leonard (80).

Prior to the 2009 season, Coles' averaged just over 59 yards per game in his 137-game career. Other than his rookie season, his lowest average in a season was 52.8 yards per game in 2005.

With his 10 receptions for 78 yards so far this season, Coles is averaging just 19.5 yards per game, which ranks him 149th in the league with Henry. This may not seem like a big deal, but if this trend continues, the Bengals may have to decide on whether or not it's time to hit the panic button for one of their biggest free agent signings from the offseason.

Lucky for Coles; Caldwell's breakout So season is taking the spotlight off him and his disappointing season thus far.

If Coles continues to struggle over the next couple of weeks, he may find himself slipping down the Bengals' depth chart. For his sake, hopefully this is nothing more than a temporary struggle to adapt with a new team.

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