Bengals Banter: Nugent Negotiations, Shipley Close, Cornerbacks Hurting

+ Though previously unknown due to the limit availability that the media has with the team during OTAs, Bengals place-kicker Mike Nugent was believed to have returned to OTAs last Thursday. According to Joe Reedy with the Cincinnati Enquirer, who confirmed Nugent's return on Tuesday after the team's single-season scoring leader returned. Nugent was married on May 19, three days before the first round of OTAs last week.

Nugent, designated as a franchise player, has until July 15 to get a long-term deal done.

Said Nugent: "With the negotiation process, everyone’s trying to get to one common goal. At the end of the day, and I’ve been saying this for awhile, one of your goals is you want your team to want you back. That’s the way I’ve looked at it. I’m in a very fortunate position in that my team wants me to come back for another season. As long as you can keep performing and do the right things and your team is saying that about you, that was my thinking about the whole thing."

+ Five cornerbacks sat during Tuesday's OTA session. We can assume Leon Hall will always be grouped as an injury but Nate Clements and Dre Kirkpatrick continued sitting, a left-over from last week. Added to the infirmary on Tuesday were Adam Jones and Shaun Prater, both sitting for precautionary reasons.

+ When asked who the leading candidates were to become the No. 2 receiver (if the season started today), Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden named Armon Binns and Brandon Tate. Another reminder about all of this: It's May 30th.

+ Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley isn't 100 percent yet, but he's getting closer every day.

+ Dan Herron was seen wearing a boot on Tuesday. No word on the seriousness of the injury or if it's just another precationary measure. Andrew Whitworth departed the lockerroom wearing a boot after Cincinnati's regular season opening win against the Cleveland Browns. He had it off the next day and played the next week.

+ Rookies Mohamed Sanu and Kevin Zeitler visited Children's Hospital following Tuesday's OTA session.

+ The offseason roster as it stands today.

+ Pro Football Focus names Geno Atkins as th prototypical three-technique defensive tackle.

+ ESPN writer Jeffri Chadiha ranked the top-ten best wide receivers in the NFL.