Clark Judge: Giants WR Mario Manningham Expected To Join The Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Cincinnati Bengals have a primary receiver and a bunch of slot receivers heading into the 2012 season. What they don't have is a wide receiver opposite of A.J. Green, helping tame coverages and allowing Andy Dalton a decent outlet in case Green, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham are covered. One wide receiver that fans have identified is New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham.

Unfortuately it doesn't appear that that is an option anymore.

Clark Judge with CBSSports.com writes that there is "virtually no chance that" Mario Manningham will return to the Giants this offseason. Instead he's expected to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, following former New York assistant Mike Sullivan.

But there are other reasons Manningham won't be back, sources said. First, they said, he would know Sullivan's offense, so there is no learning curve. Second, people close to Manningham indicate that he wants to go to a warm-weather club, and last time I checked Tampa Bay qualified on that score. Third, sources said the Giants probably wouldn't make him a contract offer, not only because they believe his price may be too high but because they're more interested in a wide receiver who can line up at more than one or two spots at the position, which, they said, Manningham cannot.

Bengals don't have Sullivan, are a cooler-city NFL club (would have said cold, but have you been in this city this winter?) and if the cost is high, then the Bengals would likely pass on him anyway with Green already on the team's roster.