Bengals waive LB Brandon Bell; sign 3 college free agents

The Bengals have waived LB Brandon Bell and WR Charles Holland.

Bell played in nine games for the Bengals over the last two seasons, and recorded seven tackles on defense and seven on special teams. Holland had signed with the Bengals on Friday as a college free agent out of Tiffin.

The team also signed three college free agents — WR Ventell Bryant of Temple, LB Noah Dawkins of The Citadel, and LB Sterling Sheffield of Maine. All three are rookies and participated in this weekend’s rookie minicamp as tryout players.

Bryant led Temple in receiving yards last season with 690 and set the school record with 2,444 yards as well. At Temple’s pro day, he recorded a 34.5” vertical and 4.56 40-yard dash at 6-3 and 209 pounds.

Like Bryant, Dawkins is a true four-year player and led The Citadel in solo tackles (33) and sacks (4) in his final season. Dawkins is slightly undersized as a traditional linebacker (6-1 227 pounds) but has incredible speed and explosion. He blazed a 4.41 40-yard dash at his pro day along with a broad jump of 125”.

Sheffield isn’t quite the athlete Dawkins is at a similar size of 6-0 225 pounds but he brings similar production traits. He’s listed as a linebacker but he often rushed the passer at Maine, recording 8.5 sacks in 2018.