The Cincinnati Bengals will be hitting Training Camp in less than ten days. With 83 players, and at least six more that will be under contract in the way of unsigned draft picks, the Bengals have to trim their roster to 80 in less than ten days.
As of Monday afternoon, the Bengals trimmed that roster to 82 players. The Mothership reports that Cincinnati has released offensive guard Jason Shirley "in the 'waived/non-football injury' category" in a move that was very expected.
If Shirley clears waivers Tuesday, he’ll revert to the Bengals’ Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. That means he can’t play this season for the Bengals, but he could for another team if they signed him and he was healthy.
Shirley was reportedly injured playing a charity basketball game in early April, forced to have surgery to repair a torn Achilles around the same time that Bobbie Williams signed his two-year deal.
Including Shirley's release, and including draft picks that remain unsigned, that leaves the Bengals with five offensive guards: Bobbie Williams, Evan Mathis, Nate Livings, Otis Hudson and Isaac Sowells.