OT Willie Anderson
HB Rudi Johnson
TE Nate Lawrie
LB Jim Maxwell
CB Deltha O’Neal
LB Ahmad Brooks
DE Antwon Burton
S John Busing
DE Eric Henderson
QB Jeff Rowe
G Nate Livings
OT Dane Uperesa
G James Blair
LB Angelo Craig
LB Anthony Hoke
HB James Johnson
WR Clyde Logan
WR Maurice Purify
WR Mario Urrutia
Also, TE Matt Sherry has been placed on IR.
Update: My thoughts on the roster moves:
The marvel of ineptitude that has been the Bengals’ recent drafts continued to reveal itself in today’s cuts. To get to the mostly final 53, Cincinnati kicked yet another premium draft selection, third-round linebacker Ahmad Brooks, to the curb. So four of the nine rookies chosen by the Bengals in 2006 are now gone. But wait, there’s more! With the expulsion of Jeff Rowe, we can already add the 2007 draft to the “ineptitude watch” list. Of the team’s seven 2007 selections, three are history: Rowe, second-round RB Kenny Irons (knee) and sixth-rounder DT Matt Toeina, who was signed off the Bengals’ practice squad by the Bears late last season.
From 2003, when Marvin Lewis was hired as head coach, through the April 2007 draft, the Bengals exercised 43 draft choices. Of those, only 18 are still on the roster. That number includes 17 premium picks — first, second and third round picks — of which fewer than half (seven) are still here. Granted, not all of that can be laid at the feet of Bengals coaching and management. They didn’t break David Pollack’s neck or Irons’ knee. But there are plenty of WTF? moves in there, too.
Among those 17 premium picks no longer here is guard Eric Steinbach. Steinbach, the 33rd overall pick in 2003, was allowed to leave in free agency in 2007. Instead, the Bengals chose to reward aging RT Willie Anderson with a $32 million extension. A year later, Steinbach is a key piece in Cleveland’s offensive line, while Willie is now free to devote his full attention to his Fatburger franchise.
Another great call by the Bengals’ front office.
That Rudi Johnson couldn’t make it back is disappointing, but the fact that the team has worked RB Chris Perry pretty hard all through camp and preseason, and he hasn’t broken, is encouraging. So long, Rudi, and thanks for all the yards. I expect that RB James Johnson will land on the practice squad, as will WRs Mario Urrutia and Maurice Purify, and LB Angelo Craig.
Memo to Bengals’ coaching staff: was Deltha O’Neal really that bad? You did see David Jones suck all preseason like the rest of us, right?