Bengals roster 2017: Cole Toner and Sojourn Shelton added to practice squad

The Cincinnati Bengals have finalized their 10-man practice squad heading into Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season.

The team announced on Monday offensive lineman Cole Toner and cornerback Sojourn Shelton were signed to the practice squad. The addition of Shelton was reported on Sunday, but Toner is a new name. Interestingly, both players spent the summer with the Arizona Cardinals.

Toner, who measures in at 6’7” and 300 pounds, is a second-year player out of Harvard who was a fifth-round draft choice of the Cardinals in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played in two games as a rookie last season, and he played in all four of the Cardinals’ preseason games this year, with one start. He made a name for himself with a great preseason display, which earned him a spot on the final roster, where he remained all season.

Toner was a surprise cut when the Cardinals finalized their 53-man roster on Saturday, especially when he didn’t join their practice squad. However, players are free to pick which team’s practice squad they sign with (assuming that team wants them), so perhaps he saw a better opportunity with the Bengals. This is a great pickup for the Bengals, especially after losing fifth-round guard J.J. Dielman on waivers to the Los Angeles Rams.

As for Shelton, who measures in at 5’9” and 168 pounds, he is a rookie out of Wisconsin. He signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on May 12 and played in three preseason games for Arizona, recording five tackles on defense. He was unable to win a spot on the 53-man roster and now joins the Bengals’ practice squad as the only cornerback there.

In addition to Toner and Shelton, the Bengals’ practice squad includes offensive tackle Kent Perkins, linebacker Brandon Bell, running back Jarveon Williams, defensive tackle Josh Tupou, safety Brandon Wilson, defensive tackle DeShawn Williams, wide receiver Kermit Whitfield and kicker Jake Elliott.