Team waives QB Krenzel as rookie camp ends

By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer
The Bengals wrapped up rookie minicamp today and will shift to full-squad Organization Team Activity Days (OTA) on Tuesday.
But they made some roster moves before they will hit the field as a team.
The Bengals waived third-year quarterback Craig Krenzel and rookie tight end Ryan Hamby, both former Ohio State players. Hamby played at Moeller High School.
The Bengals also signed rookie tryout candidates in cornerback DeMarcus Rideaux (Mayville State) and wide receiver Glenn Holt (Kentucky).
Each NFL team is allowed 12 OTA days in the offseason plus a three-day full-squad minicamp. The mandatory minicamp will be June 15-17.
Coach Marvin Lewis will meet with his team – which will include all but four of the rookies who participated
“We’ll set our agenda and our plan for this year, set our direction,” Lewis said of what he will tell his team, which is coming off the franchise’s first division title and playoff berth in 15 years.
“You start from scratch. We have a lot to do. We have a lot to earn. We don’t start with anything. We got nothing in the bank. We’ve got to put the work in, and the effort and the execution to have the opportunity to get back to be close to where we were. Now we’re a long ways away from that.”
Starting quarterback Carson Palmer will not be available for field work because of his continuing rehab from knee surgery Jan. 10. Lewis said the four remaining quarterbacks would split the work but that Doug Johnson would work at first with the starting offense.
The other two quarterbacks, beside Johnson, are Anthony Wright and free agent rookie Erik Meyer, who has to return this week to Eastern Washington University for school commitments, Lewis said.
Lewis also said that fourth-year wide receiver Kelley Washington, who has not attended offseason workouts yet at Paul Brown Stadium, was expected to take part on the OTA sessions.
Lewis was clearly pleased with what he saw through five rookie practices from the eight draft picks and almost two dozen rookie free agent and tryout candidates. The Bengals this afternoon announced the signings of two tryout players: cornerback DeMarcus Rideaux (Mayville State) and
“It’s been a good five practices, three days,” Lewis said. “No. 1, the draft picks have come in and performed, to my eye, what we anticipated if not better. So that’s been very pleasing. For those eight guys, all of them will be with us and will be with us when we start the (on-field work) with the rest of our football team.
“We’ve been pleased as coaches of how they have been able to get a good handle of all the information they’ve been given and go out and execute it without any glaring error.”
Lewis, as could be expected, liked what he saw from first-round pick Johnathan Joseph at cornerback.
“Johnathan Joseph is as fine a guy as I’ve been around out there,” Lewis said. “He played in coverage like we play in the NFL. He comes here, steps right in and understands things the way we are doing it.”
Lewis also was happy with the performance over the weekend of Rashad Jeanty, whom the team signed during the offseason. The former Central Florida defensive end had played three seasons in the Canadian Football League.
“With Rashad, it was his first experience with us,” Lewis said. “He was such an addition for us this offseason. I’m anxious when we start playing real football to allow him to get going.”
The Bengals plan to move Jeanty from defensive end to outside linebacker. He is 6-feet, 2-inches, 235 pounds.
“He’s a big, strong, fast guy,” Lewis said. “We’ve spent a lot of time with him. He’s been meeting with (linebackers coach) Ricky (Hunley) every day since we’ve had him. He’s put in the time and effort. He’s been one of the most explosive guys in the offseason stuff. You do see a guy who has played football. He has played in Canada for three years.”
The Bengals finished 11-5 in 2005 and lost an AFC wildcard playoff game to Pittsburgh. Though free agency is largely done, and the draft complete, Lewis is happy to back on the field. The work of shaping the roster continues.
“As we go along, we have to make some revisions and release some guys we don’t think will be as productive as we’d like in training camp,” he said. “We’ll keep trying to shape and trim the roster.”
E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com