Laveranues Coles was supposed to replace wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but less than one year and $10 million later the Cincinnati Bengals parted ways with the wide receiver.

He caught 43 passes for 514 yards and five touchdowns as the Bengals' offense struggled. Coles' best game came in the Week 9 win over Baltimore with six receptions for 72 yards, but his inability to get separation and make consistent plays was part of the reason Cincinnati's passing attack was so anemic.

Coles was scheduled to make $4.65 million in base salary this season and would have received a $100,000 bonus if he participated in the team's offseason conditioning program.

Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson suggests the quick release of Coles, coupled with the apparent lack of talent at the position in this past week's combine, smells of the Bengals being interested in some of the potential free agents.

"The Bengals are probably only looking to do a one-year deal, which may take them out of the sweepstakes for 29-year-old Antonio Bryant. And with Owens (36), Josh Reed (30), Chris Chambers (32) and Michael Furrey (33) long in the tooth, the Bengals aren't going to pay top dollar," Hobson wrote.

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