Bengals will need to release five players by September 1

by Kirkendall on Aug 28, 2009 1:22 PM EDT in Analysis Comment 23 comments

By September 1 (this Tuesday), all teams are mandated to lower their roster to 75 players. That number is dramatically reduced to 53 on September 5 (next Saturday), which is the league-wide cutdown day. With 80 players currently on roster, the Bengals will be forced to cut five by this Tuesday. While I won't name players, I believe they'll address three positions at least. And if Andre Smith decides to join us before Tuesday, the team will need to cut six.

Wide Receiver. With ten wide receivers, the Bengals are not likely to carry all of them into the final preseason game. Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry and Andre Caldwell are locks. Jerome Simpson is likely making the squad and the Bengals will only take six receivers into the regular season. That leaves Quan Cosby, Freddie Brown, Maurice Purify, Greg Orton and Antonio Chatman. Purify and Cosby, I believe, make it to final cutdown day -- especially Cosby who has enough skills on punt return to keep him in the discussion. Freddie Brown and Greg Orton I'm not sure about and Antonio Chatman could be an example of either. Do they want to wait until the last possible second to cut him, or do they figure Chatman is unlikely to make the team anyway based on serious durability issues and make the move now?

Tight Ends. Even if Ben Utecht misses the rest of the season after suffering a nasty concussion early during Training Camp, the Bengals have six Tight Ends on the roster. You figure Chase Coffman and Daniel Coats are locks. Utecht would be the team's third, and likely final, Tight End. This leaves J.P. Foschi, Darius Hill, Matt Sherry and Kolo Kapanui. Between the four, Foschi is the only player to catch a pass -- a 20-yard reception against the Rams. Since signing with the team, Sherry has dealt with constant injuries.

Fullbacks. While it is possible the Bengals take two Tight Ends into the regular season, they're likely only taking one. Furthermore, Jeremi Johnson is making improvements that could see him solidify his spot at the team's starting fullback. However, based on the level of competition, I'm not sure the Bengals make any roster moves by Tuesday. Based on the theory that Johnson resumes his role as starting fullback, the Bengals will want to see which of the two remaining fullbacks they can place on the practice squad, if they decide on taking one into the regular season.

How does the positions breakdown right now?

QB	3	DE	8
RB	5	DT	6
FB	3	LB	9
TE	7	CB	7
WR	10	S	7
C	2
G	5	Special	4
T	4

Total	39	Total	41

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Comments

Cuts

1. Jeremi Johnson (please remember the collapsing pocket while he was in the game in the 1st half last night, and his failure to pick up blocks fast enough in the previous 2 games. Forget his “impressive comeback from repeatedly reporting way overweight to training camp”, and remember that he does this every and he sucks now. Give me a killer like Pressley or Fui V.
2. Corey Lynch: Not seeing it click for him in the secondary, but sufficient on special teams. Nelson offers more.
3. Kyries Hebert: Who? Exactly. He’s been on the team 2 yrs and produced nada.
4. Ben Utecht: If I could I would… but I don’t think they can for contractual reasons or Mike Brown is too damn stubborn to acknowledge a bust that happens to be a good locker room guy/ Christian.
5. Rucker…maybe Odom - see #4.

by Yaccub Fleishcman on Aug 28, 2009 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

RE:

I honestly don’t think the names cut will be that high profile. I think we’re looking at lower guys for Tuesday and then the big-name cuts will come on final cutdown day.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Aug 28, 2009 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree. I think they’ll cut down some of the tight ends and wide receivers, since there’s so many of each.

by whodeyla on Aug 28, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kyries Hebert

I hope they keep him because he is a force on ST. He is like a roy williams on defense, big hitter first but can play coverage. I watched him all the time in the CFL in canada which is a passing league and he was always a leader in INT’s. I would keep Lynch, Hebert, nelson, williams and CN

by BigJungle on Aug 28, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, and cut #6 for the heck of it

ANTONIO CHATMAN. My gosh, what a bust. 3 yrs and the only year he stays healthy for more than 8 games is the year that we suck donkey boogers.

by Yaccub Fleishcman on Aug 28, 2009 1:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

HE ALSO LIKES TO TRIP OVER HIS OWN FEET

by featherman on Aug 28, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think they need two fullbacks

because they are low on viable TE’s. They should keep Jeremy because of experience if nothing else and it’s a toss up with the other two. Fui would be preferable because of running ability-but hampered this camp.

by featherman on Aug 28, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to try and keep Chris Pressley for the PS.

I like what I’ve seen out of the guy so far.

by A Pragmatic Bengals Fan on Aug 28, 2009 3:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My 5 Cuts

Matt Sherry – Has not been able to do anything since being brought back
Antonio Chatman – Has not been able to do anything for three years
Greg Orton – Just is not going to make this roster
Kolo Kapanui – Not sure if he has even played
Ben Utecht – I think he needs to make a decision, and I think it would be smart for him to step aside. Health is too fragile to risk another concussion.

by DCBengalFan on Aug 28, 2009 3:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt Sherry kills me. The guy spends the entire ’08 season on IR, gets cut in the spring, catches a break with the dire TE situation, is resigned and…and…gets hurt right away! It is not his fault, I know. It just seems that an NFL career is not in the cards for Mr. Sherry. He and one of the other new TEs, Gus Parrish, Rico Murray, Antonio Chatman,Ventrell Jenkins and James Johnson could all be gone Tuesday. Utecht looks like IR or P.U.P. Orton or Freddie Brown for practice squad; my money is on Brown, and Orton might very well go Tuesday also. My sleeper pick for a Tuesday cut is Marvin White.

by virginiastripes on Aug 28, 2009 4:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

marvin white.. youre crazy

by 80%OFTHETIMEIMRIGHTEVERYTIME on Aug 28, 2009 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

marvin white is in for the long haul

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on Aug 28, 2009 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cuts

Orton
Chris Harrington
Matt SHerry
Either Lynch or Hebert
Hodge

This would be my guess, Parrish, Pressley, Stuka, Purify, and BRown will stick for the final cuts so that they can go on the PS

by jim0ijk on Aug 28, 2009 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m reasonably certain that they could cut somebody Tuesday and still bring him back for the PS if they wanted.

by FriarBob on Aug 28, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yea

They could. However. The released player has to clear waivers first. Then he can’t sign until after the 53 man roster is set.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Aug 28, 2009 7:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

They should also want to get that player more practices than someone they are sending to the street

by jim0ijk on Aug 28, 2009 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hodge? Are you crazy? That dude can hit.

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on Aug 28, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could be Maxwell instead,

But I think they will only keep 6 LBs this year, and they have to keep Jones, Jeanty, RIvers, Maualuga, and Brandon Johnson. Blackstock could also go, Michael Johnson fills the same role better.

by jim0ijk on Aug 29, 2009 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i don’t know who they’ll cut, but if it were up to me, it’d be:
jim maxwell
dan skuda
chris harrington
greg orton
kapanui or sherry

by Raging Clue on Aug 28, 2009 8:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Skuta is a keeper

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on Aug 28, 2009 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WR's

I have to assume based on what i’ve seen, our top WR’s are:
Chad Eight Five
Chris Henry
Andre Caldwell

L Coles is playing like he is our#4. But at $7 mill, why not cut him and keep Cosby AND Simpson?

Maybe they could use some of that $7 mill to pay big Andre so we can finally get some run blocking for Cedric, and maybe some actual protection for Carson before we have to watch JTO fumble away the season, wasting any improvements they have made on the defensive side of the ball in the off-season.

by ephram on Aug 28, 2009 10:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

if it were that easy....but good idea

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on Aug 28, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Need to be ready to cut 6-7 guys. You need to see if other teams’ cuts may fill Bengals requirements. I would be ready to cut 5 offensive and 2 defensive players. 3 receivers and 2 tight ends have to go plus may be 2 in the defensive secondary. Then see if we can pick up one or two good rejects from other teams.

by Richard L on Aug 29, 2009 8:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs