DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — The mere mention of Daniel Coats causes a smile to crease Reggie Kelly's face.

After all, Kelly is the teacher, and Coats is his prized pupil.

Kelly, the Bengals' incumbent tight end, has taken Coats under his wing. On Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium, the undrafted rookie tight end from Brigham Young University must fly on his own.

"My little man, 86, is doing a great job," said Kelly, referring to Coats' uniform number. "He's come in as a rookie and shown that he's very mature. He's made some really good blocks and really good catches. Every week, you see him getting better and better.

"Every time I think about him, I smile because I know I'm going to be there as a mentor to help him grow. Then, when I move on, I'll leave a great legacy behind with him, and I know he'll do the same thing when he gets older. I'm excited about his future. I see great things in store for him."

Coats finished the preseason with seven catches for 51 yards (a 7.3 average) with a long gain of 13 and a 7-yard touchdown from quarterback Carson Palmer.

He's also had some drops — typical for rookies. Their heads are spinning, thinking about all their responsibilities. Instead of concentrating on looking the ball into their hands, they're eager to make big yardage, and the ball hits the ground.

"Reggie's been great to me," Coats said. "He encourages me and shows me the right way to do things. I owe him a lot. I definitely look at him as a big brother. I'd be lost without him."

And let's not forget Nate Lawrie. Formerly with Tampa Bay and New Orleans, Lawrie signed with the Bengals on Aug. 2, learned the offense quickly and survived final cuts.

"I have to tip my hat to Nate, coming in during training camp and doing a tremendous job," Kelly said. "He's a guy who can block, who can hold the point of attack, who can catch and who's smart. Anything you throw at him, he's going to pick it up fast. The guy's from Yale. What do you expect?"

Said Lawrie: "Reggie is the wily vet of the group. He knows a lot about preparing and being a pro. If you're not learning from people who have been there, you're wasting an opportunity. I look to Reggie to see what he does and see if there's anything I can do to improve my game."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Season opener

Who: Ravens at Bengals

When: 7 p.m. Monday

TV: ESPN

Radio: WTUE-FM (104.7)