Bengals extend Clark Harris; make pair of roster moves including Hardy Nickerson

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a trio of roster moves, including a one-year contract extension for long-snapper Clark Harris, the team announced on Monday. The extension puts Harris under contract through the 2018 season.

The Bengals also signed linebacker Hardy Nickerson off the practice squad to the 53-player roster and added tight end Scott Orndoff to the practice squad. Nickerson fills the vacated roster spot left by Tyler Eifert, who went on injured reserve late last week. Orndoff subsequently fills Nickerson’s vacant spot on the 10-man practice squad.

Harris, a ninth-year player, has played in 131 of a possible 134 Bengals games (including playoffs) since joining the team on Oct. 13, 2009, missing only three games in 2016 due to injury. He has had no botched snaps in his entire Bengals career, with a snap total now standing at 1,192 (630 punts and 562 placekicks).

Also considered to be a solid contributor in kick coverage, Harris has 28 career special teams tackles for the Bengals, including two this season.

Nickerson, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Illinois, originally made the Bengals’ roster after the preseason. He played in the Bengals’ first three games (no statistics) before being waived on Sept. 28. He had signed to the practice squad on September 29 after clearing waivers.

Orndoff (6’5”, 255 pounds), a rookie from the University of Pittsburgh, originally signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a college free agent on May 1. The Steelers waived him on August 4, prior to their first preseason game. He then signed with the Detroit Lions on August 21 and played in the Lions’ final two preseason games, recording one reception for four yards. The Lions waived him during final cuts on September 2.

Orndoff could eventually get called up to the 53-man roster with Eifert now on IR and Ryan Hewitt out with a knee injury. There probably needs to be one more injury to a tight end or h-back for Orndoff to get the call up, but at least the Bengals now have a candidate in the event that happens. Prior to this, the Bengals did not have another tight end or h-back on the practice squad.

Oh, and the Bengals play the Steelers this week. That could be just pure coincidence that Orndoff played for them briefly, as the Bengals needed to add a tight end, and it looks like he was one of the best out there with practice squad eligibility.

Orndoff also played at Pitt while Tyler Boyd was there, so they’re now teammates again in Cincinnati.