Roster

The Bengals added three defenders in the 2011 draft, picking Nevada LB Dontay Moch (Round 3), West Virginia safety Robert Sands (Round 5) and Southern Illinois CB Korey Lindsey (Round 7). Moch should be able to help in third-down situations as he was a solid pass rusher in college. Sands can play either free or strong safety and has some speed to him. Lindsay, a two-time All-America selection, has quick feet but needs work on his awareness in zone coverage.

Notable cuts made by the Bengals on Saturday include: DE Victor Adeyanju, FB Fui Vakapuna, CB Brandon Ghee, QB Dan LeFevour, CB Rico Murray, TE John Nalbone, DT Jason Shirley, FB James Develin, CB David Pender, DE James Ruffin, WR Calvin Russell, DT Cornell Banks, LB DeQuin Evans, RB Jay Finley, RB John Griffin, WR Andrew Hawkins, CB Korey Lindsey and K Thomas Weber.

The Bengals promoted DB Jeromy Miles from their practice squad Wednesday.

It didn't take long for Bengals rookie receiver Mohamed Sanu to establish himself with the team. Following their recent rookie minicamp, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said Sanu did very well. "I thought Sanu was everything we expected him to be," Lewis said according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He's going to be able to come in here and play right away as a rookie. He's going to push to start and for playing time."

Defensive tackle Pat Sims re-signed with the Bengals, who also signed defensive end Jamaal Anderson, per The Sports Xchange. Sims was an unrestricted free agent after playing in 52 games over his first four NFL seasons. He missed the final five games of 2011 with an ankle injury. Anderson was a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2007, but never emerged into the pass-rushing threat Atlanta envisioned opposite John Abraham. He played for the Colts last season, registering 3.0 sacks and 24 tackles. He's considered a good run defender on the edge.

The Bengals have agreed to a four-year deal with safety Reggie Nelson, who was one of their unrestricted free agents. The move bolsters a secondary that was one of their main concerns in the offseason. Nelson started every game for the Bengals last season and led the team with four interceptions and added 85 total tackles and 12 passes defensed, both career-highs.

Cincinnati DL Domata Peko finished with five tackles and a sack during the Bengals' 23-16 victory over Arizona in Week 16. Peko took down Cardinals QB John Skelton as Cincinnati amassed five total sacks on the overmatched signal-caller.

Cincinnati DB Nate Clements tallied seven tackles and a sack during the Bengals 20-13 win over St. Louis in Week 15. Clements took down Rams QB Kellen Clemens for his first sack of the season. "If we finish strong, we'll give ourselves a chance," Clements said. "Guys are going to be focused on the opponent at hand."

Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga pleaded not guilty to an assault charge, through his attorney Friday. Maualuga's attorney submitted the written plea on the misdemeanor charge, which was alleged by the employee of a Cincinnati bar. The linebacker, who pled guilty to a drunken driving charge in northern Kentucky in 2010, could face a suspension by the NFL as a repeat offender, if convicted. Neither Maualuga nor the Bengals have commented on the accusation that he punched the employee in the face on Feb. 5. Maualuga had 88 tackles and an interception last season.

The Bengals made it official, placing LB Roddrick Muckelroy on injured reserve with an ruptured Achilles'. He got hurt early on in training camp.

Achilles' - IR. Out for the season

The Bengals signed LB Tim Knicky to their practice squad Tuesday.

Cincinnati DL Geno Atkins finished with four tackles and a sack during the Bengals' 20-13 victory at St. Louis in Week 15. Atkins took down Rams QB Kellen Clemens -- one of three sacks by Cincinnati during the game -- and now has eight sacks this season.

Cincinnati WR A.J. Green recorded five catches for a team-high 47 yards during the Bengals' 31-10 loss to Houston in the AFC Wild Card round on Saturday. Green was shadowed throughout the game by Texans Pro Bowl DB Johnathan Joseph and posted just 9.4 yards per reception. He was targeted 12 times by QB Andy Dalton, but was held to less than 50 receiving yards for the third consecutive game.

Bengals QB Bruce Gradkowski replaced rookie Andy Dalton in the second half of the team's Week 13 loss at Pittsburgh. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 17 yards with an interception.

Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden told the official team website that he hopes to have a running back-by-committee approach in 2012. Such a change would likely involve Bernard Scott to a degree, but Gruden added that he thinks the Bengals will draft a back. "It's not a bad way to go. Keep guys fresh. They play longer, they're involved," Gruden said. "If something happens to one, you know you've got a guy that can come in there and be productive. Where you're not relying heavily on one guy and if something happens to him, you're like, 'Oh God, this guy doesn't have many reps.' I think it's important to have guys touch the ball, I believe, as a committee, but if you do get a big-time guy like Trent (Richardson) then I'm not opposed to giving him the ball 30 times."

Defensive tackle Pat Sims re-signed with the Bengals, who also signed defensive end Jamaal Anderson, per The Sports Xchange. Sims was an unrestricted free agent after playing in 52 games over his first four NFL seasons. He missed the final five games of 2011 with an ankle injury. Anderson was a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2007, but never emerged into the pass-rushing threat Atlanta envisioned opposite John Abraham. He played for the Colts last season, registering 3.0 sacks and 24 tackles. He's considered a good run defender on the edge.

Ankle - IR. Out for the season

The Bengals placed DT Pat Sims on IR on Tuesday. Sims injured his ankle two weeks ago to curtail a season where he provided depth up front that keyed the team's quick start. They signed DT Nick Hayden, a third-year player who spent camp with Carolina.

Cincinnati added DB Brandon Ghee from its practice squad Monday to take the place of injured DB Leon Hall, who was placed on injured reserve. Hall suffered a torn right Achilles during the Bengals' loss to Pittsburgh in Week 10.

Cincinnati added to its already bursting collection of top cornerbacks in the 2012 NFL Draft by taking Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick with the 17th overall pick. Kirkpatrick only had three interceptions in three seasons at Alabama but held down the shutdown corner for the national champions. With three cornerbacks on the Bengals roster entering the final year of their contracts in Cincinnati and Leon Hall coming off an Achilles injury, Kirkpatrick has the talent and fills a long-term need for the Bengals. "He played a lot of bump-and-run, a lot of intricate schemes at Alabama," coach Marvin Lewis said. "So, we really feel good about him."

Notable cuts made by the Bengals on Saturday include: DE Victor Adeyanju, FB Fui Vakapuna, CB Brandon Ghee, QB Dan LeFevour, CB Rico Murray, TE John Nalbone, DT Jason Shirley, FB James Develin, CB David Pender, DE James Ruffin, WR Calvin Russell, DT Cornell Banks, LB DeQuin Evans, RB Jay Finley, RB John Griffin, WR Andrew Hawkins, CB Korey Lindsey and K Thomas Weber.

The Bengals cut first-year players cornerback Marcus Brown and defensive end Victor DeGrate.

Much has been made about Bengals rookie receiver Mohamed Sanu working well in minicamp workouts thus far, but Bengals receiver and kick-return man Brandon Tate is also expected to get a chance to play. Last season, Tate arrived from New England and was only used as a returner. Despite his 24 career receptions, he didn't play a snap on offense. Now, he owns the second-most career receptions on the team and coach Marvin Lewis said Tate is competing to start at No. 2 WR. "I did all [the routes] in practice, but Week 1 with my situation they didn't want to throw me out there," Tate said. "Whatever the coaches need me to do, I'll do. This year they want to get me going out [at wide receiver] and see what happens."

One week after making the first catches of his NFL career, rookie TE Colin Cochart made another contribution to the Bengals passing game in a Week 11 loss to the Steelers. He caught one pass for 25 yards on a play that got the Bengals into the red zone early in the third quarter. Four plays later, QB Andy Dalton connected with TE Jermaine Gresham on a 1-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 17 points apiece.

Bengals LB Dontay Moch broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. It typically has a two-month recovery. Moch was injured in Friday's preseason game against the Lions.

The Bengals have signed free agent cornerback Jason Allen from Houston. The move bolsters a secondary that was one of their main concerns in the offseason. Allen played in all 18 games for the Texans and their first-round playoff victory over Cincinnati, getting four interceptions overall last season. He was a Dolphins first-round pick in 2006 and joined the Texans last season.

Bengals kicker Mike Nugent signed his franchise tender Wednesday, which is worth $2.654 million. Nugent had a base salary of $685,000 last season. Both sides are hoping to get a long-term deal done.

The Bengals spent a pick in the fifth round on wide receiver Marvin Jones from California. Jones had 62 catches for 846 yards and three touchdowns last season. Jones said many coaches were telling him he'd go as high as a mid-second pick. If he can replicate a career that saw him post 2,260 yards and 156 receptions at Cal, the Bengals may have added needed depth.

Bengals DL Robert Geathers finished with six tackles (one solo) and one sack in Week 12 vs. Cleveland. He now has 2 1/2 sacks in his last three games.

Bengals WR Andrew Hawkins made just one catch in a Week 14 loss to the Texans, but it helped his team to build its first-half lead. Hawkins' 22-yard reception brought the Bengals into Texans' territory and helped to get K Mike Nugent into range to kick a field in the final seconds of the first half. The Bengals went into the locker room with a 16-3 lead. Hawkins also ran the ball once for 4 yards.

In addition to the selection of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals added Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, Clemson defensive tackles Brandon Thompson, Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater and Boise State safety George Iloka. Still and Thompson are both big guys who can clog the line of scrimmage while Prater is a keen ballhawk and Iloka is a raw project who played corner in college and could be a solid safety eventually.

The Chiefs made the final cuts necessary to get down the the final 53 players on Saturday. Among the released were WRs Jeremy Horne, Zeke Markshausen, and Verran Tucker; DL Harold Ayodele, FB Shane Bannon, LB Justin Cole, FB MIke Cox, DL Dion Gales, TE Charlie Gantt, LB Micah Johnson, LB Amara Kamara, S Reshard Langford, DB Quinten Lawrence, Ricky Price, TE Cody Slate, DT Anthony Toribio, LB Pierre Walters and DB Demond Washington. The team also placed LB Gabe Miller (undisclosed) on injured reserve.

Notable players cut by the Packers on Saturday include: WR Diondre Borel, S Anthony Bratton, NT Chris Donaldson, LB Ricky Elmore, CB Josh Gordy, WR Tori Gurley, QB Graham Harrell, FB Jon Hoese, LB Cardia Jackson, DE Eli Joseph, LB Elijah Joseph, S Anthony Levine, RB Dimitri Nance, CB Brandian Ross, NT Jay Ross, RB Brandon Saine, WR Kerry Taylor, S/CB Brandon Underwood and WR Chastin West.

In addition to the selection of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals added Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, Clemson defensive tackles Brandon Thompson, Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater and Boise State safety George Iloka. Still and Thompson are both big guys who can clog the line of scrimmage while Prater is a keen ballhawk and Iloka is a raw project who played corner in college and could be a solid safety eventually.

The Bengals stashed wide receiver Armon Binns on their practice squad in 2011, and there might be a plan to elevate him to the roster full-time in 2012. Though Binns did get elevated for two games last season (he was inactive), head coach Marvin Lewis raved about his potential and said that the coaching staff tried to get him up to the active roster even earlier than when they did. A local product from the University of Cincinnati, Binns caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns for the top-ranked Bearcats in 2010 including six games with at least 100 yards receiving. He had 21 total touchdowns in his last two years at Cincy.

In addition to the selection of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals added Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, Clemson defensive tackles Brandon Thompson, Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater and Boise State safety George Iloka. Still and Thompson are both big guys who can clog the line of scrimmage while Prater is a keen ballhawk and Iloka is a raw project who played corner in college and could be a solid safety eventually.

Jordan Shipley posted on Twitter that he's been cleared by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews to resume full team activities without any restrictions. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Shipley still needs to be cleared by the Bengals' doctors before hitting the field in late May. Shipley suffered an ACL tear in the season opener last year.

Knee - Questionable for start of training camp

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the Chargers released wide receivers Travon Patterson, Vidal Hazelton and Cameron Kenney.

The Bengals took Ohio State running back Dan "Boom" Herron with a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft. Despite missing half of his senior season because of the school's tattoo-parlor scandal, the 5-foot-10, 213-pound Herron had 1,155 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns as a junior.

The Bengals signed defensive end Derrick Harvey (Broncos) on Friday. Harvey spent his first three seasons with Jacksonville and had eight sacks in 47 games. He spent last season with the Broncos but only played in five games, and he had zero sacks. Harvey was the eighth overall pick in the 2008 draft.

The Bengals took Georgia tight end Orson Charles in the fourth round of the NFL draft. As a junior in 2011, Charles started all 14 games and caught 45 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns.

Cincinnati LB Thomas Howard netted six tackles and a pass defended during the Bengals' 23-16 win over Arizona in Week 16. Howard's total was the first time in his past three games he has not finished with double-digits in tackles.

Notable cuts made by the Bengals on Saturday include: DE Victor Adeyanju, FB Fui Vakapuna, CB Brandon Ghee, QB Dan LeFevour, CB Rico Murray, TE John Nalbone, DT Jason Shirley, FB James Develin, CB David Pender, DE James Ruffin, WR Calvin Russell, DT Cornell Banks, LB DeQuin Evans, RB Jay Finley, RB John Griffin, WR Andrew Hawkins, CB Korey Lindsey and K Thomas Weber.

After NFL Films producer Greg Cosell offered criticism in a recent Yahoo! Sports podcast claiming some in the Bengals organization questioned quarterback Andy Dalton's arm strength, the team has come out in full force to say that they're happy with Dalton. The second-year quarterback said none of the coaches addressed the comments with him directly, nor did they need to. "Everybody has an opinion, (Cosell) can say whatever he wants. It's not going to affect me," Dalton said. " ... I don't think it held me back last year and I don't think it's going to hold me back in my career here. Arm strength is one thing, a lot of throwing the ball is timing, consistency and keeping everybody on the same page. I don't think arm strength is an issue."

Bengals DL Michael Johnson (shoulder) has been cleared to play Week 12 vs. Cleveland after showing up as probable on the injury report.

ESPN.com reports the Bengals acquired safety Taylor Mays from the 49ers for an undisclosed draft pick.

The Bengals official team website reports that offensive coordinator Jay Gruden has been watching film of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski with the hope he can help his own tight end, Jermaine Gresham, improve in 2012. The report says Gruden believes the Bengals have a guy that can become one of the NFL's best tight ends. "This is all new to him," Gruden says of Gresham. "He's got to be able to see coverages as he's running downfield and get more comfortable in the offense because he's got a chance to be a great one. He's got all the tools. Gronkowski is a great, great, great football player as far as instinctive route running. How to set up receivers. Knowing if it's a safety, or corner, or a linebacker, getting into the holes. It's just not about being 6-5 and running fast. It's setting up guys, sticking them, getting them on their toes. Crossing face, reading coverages. Jermaine has unique abilities. He's a very good run blocker. He's a very good pass catcher. And he can run. He's got all the tools to be one of the great tight ends in football. He just has to get used to different looks and get a better feel for the passing game. And he's shown flashes."

The Lions released the following players Saturday: WR Dominique Barnes, DT Robert Callaway, LB Caleb Campbell, RB Matt Clapp, DE Keyunta Dawson, TE Joe Jon Finley, DB Aaron Francisco, WR Nate Hughes, RB Ian Johnson, DB Anthony Madison, DB Prince Miller, LB Cobrani Mixon DT Quinn Pitcock, DB Paul Pratt, TE Gijon Robinson, QB Zac Robinson, DB Ricardo Silva, WR Tim Toone, DB Nathan Vasher, WR Derrick Williams and DE Narada Williams.

The Bengals added backup tight end Donald Lee on Friday. Lee played well backing up Jermaine Gresham last season with 11 receptions for 115 yards. The 31-year-old veteran was looked upon as one of the rocks of the locker room, including his mentoring of budding star Gresham.

New Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis immediately showed why the team doesn't expect any problems running in a rotation with teammate Bernard Scott. Asked if he expects to be "the guy," or to carry 20 times a game, Green-Ellis deflected any selfishness. "I just want to contribute and go out there and play," he said Monday from the team's offseason minicamp. "That's it. I don't care about 'the guy' and all that stuff. (Wins), that's all I care about."

In addition to the selection of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals added Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, Clemson defensive tackles Brandon Thompson, Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater and Boise State safety George Iloka. Still and Thompson are both big guys who can clog the line of scrimmage while Prater is a keen ballhawk and Iloka is a raw project who played corner in college and could be a solid safety eventually.

Cornerback Adam Jones agreed to terms on Thursday to return to the Bengals. Jones, who started seven games at cornerback, wasn't a surprise signing. He will fall into the rotation behind Leon Hall, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, and 31-year-old Nate Clements. Along with recently acquired cornerback Jason Allen, the Bengals now own veteran, reliable depth on the edges, which is necessary because of concerns with Clements' age and Hall's injury.

Cincinnati DB Leon Hall will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve with a torn left Achilles tendon. Hall suffered the injury during the second quarter of Week 10 against Pittsburgh and was on crutches following the game. "I was kind of by myself," Hall said about the play he hurt himself on. "I just kind of planted and drove. It felt like somebody kicked me."

Achilles - IR. Out for the season

Cincinnati DL Carlos Dunlap had one tackle in his return to the lineup during the Bengals’ 20-13 victory over St. Louis in Week 15. Dunlap missed four of Cincinnati's past five games with a hamstring injury, but his return Sunday helped bolster the team's defensive line.

The Bengals took WR Ryan Whalen from Stanford in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Whalen started 10 games last season and caught 41 passes, two of them for touchdowns.

The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to terms with cornerback Terence Newman, who will be reunited with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, according to The Sports Xchange. Zimmer was with the Cowboys when Newman was drafted fifth overall out of Kansas State in 2003 and said last month that the Bengals believed Newman could benefit from a change of scenery.

The Bengals signed free agent running back Aaron Brown on Friday. Brown, a sixth-round draft choice by the Lions in 2009, played in 22 games with two starts for the Lions in his career.

Cincinnati RB Brian Leonard finished with 70 total yards from scrimmage during the Bengals' 31-10 loss to Houston in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Saturday. Leonard registered a team-high 34 rushing yards on three carries -- his first rushing attempts since Nov. 27 against Cleveland. He also paced the team with six receptions for 36 yards while being targeted seven times by Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton.

The Bengals waived special teams player and defensive back Rico Murray. He's been on and off the 53-man roster and practice squad numerous times in the past two years and a good chance exists he'll reappear should injuries strike the team again next season.

Clark Harris, Quan Cosby, Darius Hill and Jerome Simpson all failed to record a stat in the team's Week 17 loss at the Jets.

Linebacker Manny Lawson has re-signed with the Bengals. Lawson held down the starting strong-side spot all last season, finishing fifth on the team in tackles (78) during his first year in Cincinnati. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer thinks Lawson can improve. "He was very good against the run and in coverage, and this year I think we can take better advantage of him as a pass rusher," he said. Lawson only managed 1.5 sacks last season.

Bengals LB Rey Maualuga will not play Week 6 against the Colts, according to coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals' middle linebacker sprained his ankle in practice this week. Lewis didn't give a timetable on his return other than the fact he won't play against Indianapolis. LB Dan Skuta will earn his first career start in his place.