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.
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.
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.
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.
The Bengals have been selected along with the Dallas Cowboys as the teams for the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The game will kick off the 2010 NFL preseason at 8 p.m. on Sun., Aug. 8 from Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, with national television coverage on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
For the first time in 28 years, the game will pit two defending NFL division champions. The Bengals won the AFC North last season with a 10-6 record, and Dallas won the NFC East at 11-5. The last time two defending division champs played in the game was 1981, when defending AFC Central champion Cleveland played defending NFC West champ Atlanta.
The game will also mark the Bengals’ first-ever preseason meeting against Dallas.
“We’re excited to get an early start on the 2010 season against a fellow playoff team from last season,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “It’s a showcase our fans will enjoy, and we’re proud to be a part of the Hall of Fame weekend, honoring some of the league’s greatest players. And any time we think of the Hall of Fame, we think of the fact that our franchise was founded by Paul Brown, one of the greatest Hall of Famers ever.”
Playing in the Hall of Fame game means that the Bengals and Cowboys will each play five preseason games in 2010. The preseason opens the following week for the other 30 teams. The remainder of the preseason schedule is yet to be announced.
The Bengals have played twice previously in the Hall of Fame Game, and in both instances it was the start to what proved to be a successful season. In 1988, Cincinnati opened in Canton with a 14-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams and went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Bengals made their first Hall of Fame Game appearance in 1975, and though they lost 17-9 to Washington, they finished the regular season with an 11-3 record and the AFC Central Division championship. Cincinnati’s .786 winning percentage in 1975 still stands as the highest in franchise history.
The Hall of Fame Game will follow an induction of the Hall’s Class of 2010 on Saturday, August 7. The 2010 Hall of Fame Class includes Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice.
The Ben-Gals cheerleading squad, official cheerleaders of the Cincinnati Bengals, is accepting applications for tryouts for the 2010 season.
The tryouts begin with a series of prep classes on “How to be an NFL Cheerleader,” starting March 20. The process will conclude on May 16, with a final tryout open to the public at The Syndicate in Newport, Ky.
Applicants should be ladies in Greater Cincinnati who love to dance and want to be a part of a full NFL cheerleading program. Candidates must be 21 years old by Sept 1, 2010, must be able to practice up to three times a week, attend all home games and be active in the BenGals’ support of community events.
Potential applicants can get more information by linking to “cheerleader auditions” on www.bengals.com, or by calling BenGals coordinator Charlotte Jacobs at 513-236-1643.
Disclaimer: This is straight from the Bengals’ PR office, folks. I want to know what an “offensive quality control coach” does too, so stay tuned ….
The Bengals have made two additions to the coaching staff, hiring Kyle Caskey as offensive quality control coach and Jeff Friday as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Caskey comes to Cincinnati from the University of Mississippi, where he served in 2009 as a defensive assistant working with safeties and quality control. In addition to his on-field work, he handled all opponent offensive breakdowns and scouting report materials.
Caskey entered college coaching in 2004 at Louisiana-Monroe as a graduate assistant, and from 2006-08, he was at Indiana State. In 2008, he coached tight ends and running backs while also serving as recruiting coordinator. He played tight end at Texas A&M in 1997-98 and was a four-year letterman in track and field from 1998-2002, including 2000 All-Big XII honors in the discus. His hometown is Daingerfield, Texas.
Friday was head strength and conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2007, including an NFL Championship season in 2000. He left Baltimore in conjunction with Brian Billick’s 2007 release as head coach. He started his own strength training business in 2008, and for 2009 he was a consultant to the United Football League, supervising the league’s strength and conditioning programs and assisting in the hiring of team coaches.
Chip Morton, Bengals head strength and conditioning coach since 2003, worked in Baltimore as an assistant under Friday from 1999-2001. Marvin Lewis, Bengals head coach, was defensive coordinator in Baltimore during Friday’s first three seasons with the Ravens. Friday earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1989 and a master’s degree from Illinois State in 1992. He is a Milwaukee native.
The complete Bengals coaching staff, as set for 2010, is as follows:
President Obama in Ohio
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2010 Rock & Roll Hall induction
Ball to benefit humane center
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Jeff, You’re nuts! Bobbie is still a beast and the reason Ced had such a good year. Sign him