One constant refrain throughout this offseason has been the desire to surround QB Andy Dalton with more play-makers. The more toys he has, the greater his chance to succeed, so the reasoning goes.
One such play-maker would be a change-of-pace running back to take some of the load off of current work horse BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Since being drafted in 2009, Bernard Scott was thought to be that guy, but a constant stream of injuries have forced him out of his speedster role and into the unemployment line as a free agent. The Bengals will likely look to the draft to replace him.
If his medical concerns check out, however, Scott may not be out of work for long. According to a report from Mike Garafolo of USA Today, Scott is currently in Oakland visiting the Raiders. An unnamed source confirmed the visit, adding that Scott was going through drills "to reveal how his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last year has progressed."
The Raiders are in desperate need of a backup behind oft-injured starter Darren McFadden, after losing Mike Goodson to the Jets earlier in free agency. If healthy, Scott could fill that role in Oakland, but it's a big "if." Scott has only played in the full 16-game stretch twice in his four years, and only managed to participate in two games in 2012 before landing on the IR.
Despite his visit to the Raiders, Garafolo also reveals that the Bengals are still in play for Scott. After his time in Oakland, he will be making a similar visit with the Bengals "later this week." The Bengals are equally thin at running back and having Scott back as an insurance policy would make a lot of sense.