Joe Reedy reported today that the Bengals waived college free agent signings Marlon Lucky, a former Cornhusker tailback, and San Jose State wide receiver David Richmond. Neither of these guys were particularly likely to make the team, as the Bengals are fairly stocked at both wide receiver and running back. Lucky had two carries for 15 yards on Thursday night in New England, and Richmond did not manage to get any playing time in the preseason. That tells us that these guys were simply long shots to make the roster.
There are now 77 guys on the roster, which the Bengals have to trim down to 75 by September 1. I'd expect the next two cuts to be on the defensive side of the ball, where the Bengals are carrying 7 safeties and cornerbacks, 9 linebackers, and 6 defensive ends.
The Bengals are still carrying 5 running backs. Cedrick Benson and Brian Leonard are essentially locks to make the team. I'd venture to guess that Bernard Scott is probably going to make it as well, but for the sake of discussion, the three guys on the bubble are Scott, DeDe Dorsey, and James Johnson. Of those three, Scott has by far the most upside, and is the most likely to stick around. Here's a look at their numbers through the preseason so far.
| Player | ATT | YDS | YDS/ATT | TD |
| DeDe Dorsey | 7 | 65 | 9.3 | 0 |
| James Johnson | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 |
| Bernard Scott | 11 | 36 | 3.3 | 0 |
Scott has clearly gotten the most extended look of these three guys, splitting carries with Brian Leonard (who has 13) with the second team. I think the "ATT" number is indicative of who the coaches plan on keeping around. Dorsey's big yardage total and average is due, of course, to that big 45 yard run against the Patriots on Thursday.
As for the WR position, I think the top five guys are pretty obvious at this point. Guys battling for a roster spot will be Freddie Brown, Greg Orton, Maurice Purify, and Quan Cosby. Cosby has gotten an extended look at Punt Returner this summer with Antoine Chatman sidelined with his latest, newest, and most improved injury.
Cosby is currently listed as second on the depth chart behind Chatman. He has not been particularly impressive, but we haven't seen many punt returns. I think that is a big value booster for Cosby, though. To date, he's returned 3 punts for 12 yards. No one else has returned a punt for the Bengals. Cosby has been the best kickoff return man in a small sample size, buoyed by a 34 yard return. Andre Caldwell will likely be the kickoff guy this year.
As for Brown, Orton, and Purify, only Purify has any catches so far this preseason, hauling in two passes for 19 yards. I see all of these guys as long shots to make the roster unless they show that they can really contribute on kick or punt coverage. We might see some of these names on the practice squad.