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March 2010
Bengals re-sign key role players
Five players who may not be stars, but were valuable role players in 2010 are returning this season.
Well, at least four of them were valuable.
Linebacker Abdul Hodge re-signed as a restricted free agent. Hodge (6-0, 240; Iowa). He is a fifth-year NFL player in 2010. He played in every game last season and finished fourth on the special teams with 11 tackles. He had eight tackles on defense.
Also signing were four players whose exclusive rights the Bengals held for 2010 — safety Kyries Hebert, offensive guard Nate Livings, QB Jordan Palmer and offensive tackle Dennis Roland. All four are third-year NFL players in 2010.
I’m not so sure Jordan Palmer should still be on the roster. Although I believe Carson Palmer has several great years left, it might be time to bring in a mid-round pick and start to groom him for the future.
Jordan Palmer seems like a waste of a roster spot.
Here are details on the signees:
Hebert (6-3, 220; Louisiana-Lafayette) played in 15 games plus the Wild Card playoff last season. He was the special teams captain and tied for second in special teams tackles (12).
Livings (6-5, 330; LSU) played in 14 games, with nine starts at left guard, helping lead a team-record total of eight 100-yard rushing games by individual backs.
Palmer (6-5, 235; Texas-El Paso) did not play in ’09, but was in uniform for every game as the designated third QB.
Roland (6-9, 325; Georgia) played in every game with 12 starts. He was the team’s starting ROT for the final 11 games as well as the Wild Card playoff.
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TweetBengals re-sign Jeanty, but no word on Williams
Valuable special teams player and backup linebacker Rashad Jeanty has re-signed with the Bengals, according to a press release from the team Thursday.
Jeanty (6-2, 247; Central Florida), who had become a restricted free agent on March 5, is entering his fifth season. He played in 15 games with one start for Cincinnati in 2009. He had 14 special teams tackles and also had 16 tackles on defense.
Jeanty had a career-high 97 tackles on defense in 2008, ranking fourth on the team. He has played his entire NFL career with Cincinnati since signing as a free agent in 2006. He played from 2003-05 with Edmonton of the Canadian Football League.
This, though, was not the signing I’ve been waiting for.
Veteran offensive lineman Bobbie Williams remains unsigned, although many media outlets report that talks are ongoing. With the draft less than a month away, it’s time for the team to get Williams locked up so needs are crystal clear during draft week.
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TweetBengals re-sign one Williams, but not the most important one
One Williams has re-signed with the Bengals, but not the most important one.
The Bengals have re-signed safety Roy Williams to a one-year deal, but the team’s most important unsigned player — guard Bobbie Williams — is still twisting in the wind.
I’m all for bringing back Roy. Hopefully he’ll get that forearm taken care of and be able to get back to form. Regardless of his health, I think the Bengals are eyeing USC safety Taylor Mays in the draft, so having a veteran like Roy around can do nothing but help the team.
Top priority now, however, should be getting Bobbie Williams signed. He’s the emotional leader of the offensive line along with Andrew Whitworth. He’s not someone the Bengals can afford to let get away.
Here’s the official word from the Bengals on Roy:
The Bengals have re-signed S Roy Williams, who had become an unrestricted free agent on March 5.
Williams (6-0, 222; Oklahoma) is a ninth-year NFL player, and a five-time Pro Bowl selection with Dallas. He joined the Bengals as a free agent on May 7 of last year. He opened last season as the starting SS and was tied for the team lead in tackles through three games.
But he suffered a forearm injury while playing a key role in Game 3, Sept. 27 vs. Pittsburgh, and due to the injury he played in only one more game. He was placed Nov. 13 on the Reserve/Injured list, ending his season with 30 tackles and three passes defensed.
He has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to participate in all 2010 team activities. He has played in 102 NFL games, and his next start will be the 100th of his career.
“We’re looking for Roy to take up where he left off before the injury,” said Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. “He brings a physical presence. When he hits people, they go down. And he’s a good person, a good veteran presence in our locker room.”
Dallas made Williams the eighth overall selection in the 2002 draft, and Williams earned Pro Bowl berths with the Cowboys every season from 2003-07. He was credited in three seasons with more than 100 tackles. He has 20 career interceptions, including one in postseason play.
Williams is the third unrestricted free agent signed by Cincinnati this year. The Bengals previously re-signed DT Tank Johnson and have signed WR Antonio Bryant from Tampa Bay.
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TweetBengals coaches: Bryant top receiving prospect, clutch playmaker
Bengals coaches are singing the praises of their newest wide receiver, Antonio Bryant.
The team made the signing official today.
Bryant, an eighth-year NFL player who spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay, was designated for 2009 as Tampa Bay’s franchise player, following an outstanding 2008 season. He became an unrestricted free agent for 2010 when his latest Bucs contract expired, according to a press release from the Bengals.
Though he turned 29 years old only this week, Bryant (6-1, 205; University of Pittsburgh) has 106 games NFL experience, with 82 starts. He has 372 career receptions for 5,685 yards, a 15.3-yard average, and he has scored 30 touchdowns.
He entered the NFL in 2002 as a second-round draft choice of Dallas, and he played for the Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers before joining Tampa Bay in 2008.
“We believe Antonio was the top receiving prospect among this year’s unrestricted free agents, and we are excited to have him with us,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “We accomplished our first goal last year, winning the division championship, but that was not enough, and we are moving forward to get better offensively, particularly in the passing game.
“As I’ve said, we need to keep putting key pieces around our very fine quarterback (Carson Palmer) to utilize his skills as much as we can.”
Bryant was a solid performer last season for a Tampa Bay club that struggled to a 3-13 record with a 28th-ranked offense. He played 13 games with 11 starts and caught 39 passes for 600 yards (15.4) and four touchdowns. In 2008, with a Bucs team that was a defending division champion, he posted career highs of 83 receptions, 1248 yards and seven TDs.
“Antonio plays wide receiver like a tailback,” said Palmer, Cincinnati’s eighth-year QB. “By that I mean he is fast, physical and aggressive, and in the AFC North, you want guys with that kind of toughness. He can do a lot for the Bengals, and I think the Bengals can do a lot for him.”
In his rookie season with Dallas, Bryant joined Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as only the second Cowboys rookie to open a season in a starting WR role. He led all rookies for the season in receiving yards (733). He led Cleveland in 2005 in receptions (69) and receiving yards (1009), and in 2007 with San Francisco, he became the first WR in 49ers history to record 100-yard receiving totals in each of his first two games with the team.
“Antonio has impressed me as a clutch playmaker, a tough guy who really just loves to play the game,” said Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. “He’s got a passion that’s going to make us better.”
BENGALS SIGN ANOTHER WR
The Bengals today signed free agent wide receiver Chris Davis, a third-year NFL player from Florida State, according to a press release from the team.
Davis (5-10, 181) was a fourth-round Tennessee draft choice in 2007, and in two seasons (2007-08) with the Titans, he played in 17 games plus two postseason games as a receiver and kick returner. He averaged 9.1 yards on 33 punt returns, 26.0 yards on six kickoff returns and had seven receptions for 69 yards. He also had two special teams fumble recoveries.
Davis was waived by Tennessee, with an injury settlement, on Aug. 28 of last year, and he was not with an NFL team during the 2009 regular season.
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TweetBengals sign wide receiver, reports say
UPDATE: BENGALS SIGN BRYANT
It looks like the suspense is over. The Bengals have a reached a deal with wide receiver Antonio Bryant, multiple media outlets are reporting. ESPN is reporting that the deal is for four years and $28 million. Bryant had 122 receptions during the last two seasons with Tampa Bay.
EARLIER: BENGALS SIGN COATS, WHY NOT MARSHALL?
The only Bengals move of the day so far is a befuddling one.
The Bengals have re-signed tight end Dan Coats, who has been with Cincinnati since signing as a college free agent in 2007. Coats (6-3, 264; Brigham Young) is a fourth-year player in 2010. His former contract expired after the 2009 season, and he had become a free agent as of March 5, according to a press release from the team.
The release failed to mention his inability to catch the ball. But, hey, who can’t use another tight end who can’t catch?
The intriguing move should come this week when the Bengals make a decision on which wide receiver to sign.
With aging but interesting Terrell Owens finishing his visit and Antonio Bryant having come and gone, you would think a move is pending.
While either one would be a nice addition, I don’t see why getting Brandon Marshall from Denver isn’t the top priority.
Yes, Marshall would cost a first-round pick. But exactly which wide receiver in the draft do you think is going to have more of an impact than Marshall? He’s 26 and proven to be one of best receivers in the NFL.
So, drop a ton of money on an unproven college wideout in the first round or sign Marshall? It’s a no-brainer.
Locking him into a long-term deal would also start the transition as the Bengals reach 2011 and have to decide what to do with Chad Ochocinco in his option year.
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TweetBengals cut Coles; restrict 6 others with offers
The Bengals today terminated the contract of WR Laveranues Coles, releasing him to free agency, according to a press release from the team.
In 2009, Coles played his 10th NFL season and his first with the Bengals, catching 43 passes for 514 yards and five touchdowns.
The Bengals also announced that the team has extended tender offers to six players, making them restricted free agents (RFAs) as of tomorrow (Friday).
The six are LB Abdul Hodge, LB Rashad Jeanty, LB Brandon Johnson, CB David Jones, G Evan Mathis and DE Frostee Rucker. Their eligibility for RFA status is based upon their accrued years of experience toward free agency in a 2010 season with no salary cap.
By making the tenders, the Bengals gain the right to retain the players by matching any offer sheet any would sign from another team. If an RFA does not sign an offer from another team, he can remain with his original team by signing the one-year tender, or by negotiating a longer-term contract with his club.
Brandon Johnson was tendered at a dollar amount which stipulates that if the Bengals decline to match a competing offer, the team signing him must compensate Cincinnati with its second-round choice in the 2010 draft. The other five players were tendered at “draft status level,” which means that if they entered the NFL through the draft, any team signing one of them must compensate the Bengals with a 2010 draft pick in the same round in which they were selected.
The deadline for a restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet from another team is April 15. Any RFA who has not signed an offer sheet by that date will have his 2010 NFL rights revert exclusively to his 2009 club.
The Bengals are not sending tender offers to three other potential RFAs who were with Cincinnati in 2009. The three are TE Daniel Coats, TE J.P. Foschi and DT Shaun Smith. Those players are scheduled to become free agents tomorrow, at which point they may negotiate with the Bengals or any other NFL team, without compensation or signing deadline issues.
BENGALS TENDER FIVE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS PLAYERS
The Bengals today announced that the team has made tender offers to five players who are classified as third-year players for 2010. The five are C Kyle Cook, S Kyries Hebert, G Nate Livings, QB Jordan Palmer and OT Dennis Roland.
All five were with the Bengals in 2009. Their contracts have expired, and by making the tender offers, the Bengals retain their exclusive NFL rights for 2010.
The players each have the option of signing the tender offer or negotiating a longer-term contract with Cincinnati.
The Bengals are not sending a tender offer to third-year TE Matt Sherry, who spent last season on Cincinnati’s Reserve/Injured list. Sherry will be eligible to negotiate with any NFL team as of tomorrow, when the NFL’s veteran free agency signing period begins.
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