Bengals bring in safety Ahmad Dixon for workout

With the Cincinnati Bengals on their bye week, now is a great time for them to make a roster move or two, both regarding the 53-man roster and the 10-man practice squad.

According to ESPN's Adam Caplan, former Dallas Cowboys safety Ahmad Dixon worked out for the Bengals on Wednesday. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by way of the Baylor Bears from the 2014 NFL Draft, had an eventful rookie season that saw some maturity issues cost him his job. He actually had a good preseason and made the initial 53-man roster, but was waived after he was late to a team meeting following already being suspended for a preseason game for being late to a team walk-through.

Dixon then was signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad before being signed to the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster just four days later. He was released on November 18 after notching three tackles and a fumble recovery in five games. He later went on to sign with the Miami Dolphins' practice squad before being cut and later signing with the Vikings' practice squad. He ended up being called up to the Vikings' 53-man roster, but was never active for the team, who later cut him in May of this year.

During his senior season at Baylor, Dixon was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges, but was later cleared by a grand jury. His maturity and character concerns helped lead to the talented safety falling to the final round of the 2014 draft, and is part of why he's been on four different teams since then. Most draft services had Dixon pegged as a 6th or 7th-round prospect heading into the 2014 draft.

Dixon's game is actually comparable to what Shawn Williams demonstrated coming out of Georgia in the 2013 draft: A hard-hitting box safety with limited coverage skills who worked more like an extra linebacker. Speaking of, Williams got hurt during Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills during a punt return in which he laid a good block, but was shaken up afterward before leaving the field.

It's possible the Bengals are simply looking at some of their options if Williams were to miss time, or this could be them looking for a new addition to the practice squad, which Dixon still has eligibility left to join.