Perry, Rudi back on field

The Bengals are holding another offseason practice at this hour, and tailbacks Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry are participating fully. They had each missed at least one workout last week.

There are still no signs of projected offensive starters Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Willie Anderson and Levi Jones. The sessions are voluntary. The only mandatory event of the offseason is full-squad minicamp June 12-14.

Tailback Kenny Watson is not on the field. Safety Dexter Jackson and tailback Kenny Irons (knee) are working on the sideline with strength and conditioning coaches.

Bengals DT Shirley in court today

Jason Shirley, the Bengals' fifth-round round draft pick from Fresno State, will be in Fresno County Superior Court today for a jury trial, stemming from a series of misdemeanor charges last fall, a court clerk said this morning.

Attempts by Shirley's lawyer to have the case dismissed Thursday were not successful. The lawyer argued that the district attorney did not legally obtain Shirley's medical records and are using them, The Fresno Bee reported.

The defensive tackle was not at the team's offseason practice Wednesday.

He was charged for driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher, hit-and-run driving and driving with a suspended license and expired registration for two separate incidents last fall.

UPDATE: 10:00 p.m.

Shirley is expected to be in Fresno County Superior Court all of next week, when he will miss three more Bengals’ offseason practices, for a jury trial that stems from a series of misdemeanor charges last fall. Jury selection is expected Tuesday, followed by opening arguments Wednesday and possible closing arguments Friday, according to The Fresno Bee.

Blog move

This blog has moved! The new blog can be found at http://news.cincinnati.com/bengalsblog, so be sure to update your bookmarks.

If you subscribe to this blog via an RSS reader, the new RSS feed is located here:

http://sitelife.cincinnati.com/ver1.0/Blog/BlogRss?plckBlogId=Blog:c78cbe8a-2b47-436d-a33e-623f9b65de7c

Shirley DUI case continued Thursday

Defensive tackle Jason Shirley, the Bengals' fifth-round draft pick, was not at the OTA practice today. He was in Fresno County Superior Court, where his lawyer asked for his DUI case to be dismissed on grounds the district attorney did not legally obtain Shirley’s medical records and are using them, The Fresno Bee reported.

A judge will rule Thursday on the motion. If denied, a jury trial could start immediately. Shirley faces misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher, hit-and-run driving and driving with a suspended license and expired registration for two separate incidents last fall, The Bee reported.

Thurman gone, not forgotten

Linebacker Odell Thurman, waived Monday by the Bengals, who waited out his two-season NFL suspension, was recalled today by a couple of his teammates.

"He had the talent and let it go to waste. His mindset just wasn't in the place. I wish him the best, whatever he does. But he had the opportunity to be here and be one of the best, but he didn't capitzlize on the opportunity." -- Safety Dexter Jackson.

"It's tough, it's tough. Odell was a well-liked guy on the team, had possibly more talent than anybody we've seen come through here. So it's tough to lose an athlete like that, a guy like that, and a draft pick. I mean, you only get so many second-round draft picks and when you only get one year out of them, it affects your team tremendously. It's just tough to lose the player that he was, and you really can't replace him." -- Quarterback Carson Palmer.

Walking off the field after today's offseason practice, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis spoke with reporters and was asked several questions about Thurman:

Question: Why did you waive Odell?
Lewis: "We made the statement, and Odell is no longer on this football team."

Q: The agent (Safarrah Lawson) said you told him that Odell had not been around enough. True?
Lewis: "That's not true."

Q: If that is not the truth, what is the truth?
Lewis: "I kind of said in the statement we're going without him. He has not played football in two years. And we have people who will be better for our football team."

Q: His representative (Lawson) told us that he wasn't around enough. Is that correct?
Lewis: "Not true."

Q: Lawson said he was disappointed that the Bengals waived Thurman right after his grandmother died.
Lewis: "His grandmother's been buried for quite a while. Don't get into his whole family structure. We've been patient enough with Odell, and he's no longer here. No big deal."

Bengals hit field for OTA practice

The Bengals are into their second week of organized team activity (OTA) practices. It is their fifth of 12 this spring.

They are on the field now for the one practice of this week open to the outside media.

Notes:

-- Running back Kenny Watson and safety Dexter Jackson are in street clothes, not participating, but they are on the field. Bigger news is tailbacks Chris Perry was watching in street clothes and Rudi Johnson was not here.

Perry said after practice he was just getting a day of rest after having gone for the first four OTAs. Coach Marvin Lewis declined to comment on the whereabouts of his missing players.

-- The rookies have returned, including linebacker Keith Rivers and wide receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell.

-- One rookie not here is defensive tackle Jason Shirley, who has a court date today back in California, stemming from a DUI arrest last fall.

-- Starting wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are not present.

-- Second-year running back Kenny Irons is working on the side with a member of the strength and conditioning staff. He is attempting to come back from an ACL injury.

-- First-year defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is making his presence known. "We got to outwork them," he said while watching defensive linemen run to a blocking sled and linebackers to a tackling dummy.

-- Eric Henderson is working at defensive end, his college position. He is listed on the roster as a linebacker. He could be a swing player.

-- Defensive line coach Jay Hayes is sporting the latest message T-shirt handed out by head coach Marvin Lewis. It is orange with the team logo on the front and the word "NOW" in block, white letters across the back.

-- Florida coach Urban Meyer is at practice with his father. Meyer has ties to the University of Cincinnati.

Vote vindicates Brown

The following is a story written Sunday, March 30, 2008, and published in the March 31 Enquirer. (A reader posted a comment on this blog this morning that the rest of the NFL was indeed coming around to where Bengals president Mike Brown had stood all along.)

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Mike Brown and his daughter, Katie Blackburn, after eating lunch, walked Sunday afternoon through the lobby of the Breakers resort.

Brown didn’t call any attention to himself; it’s not his style. But he couldn’t have been blamed if he’d decided to pump his chest a bit and said to fellow owners, “I told you so.”

Two years after Brown and Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson were ridiculed for being behind the times and casting the only two votes against the league’s labor deal with the players’ union, these members of the NFL’s old guard now appear to have been ahead of the curve.

Though a league-imposed ban remains on team owners not to discuss the labor situation in public – lest they be fined – sentiment has swung among fellow owners toward Brown and Wilson’s position. The six-year extension from 2006 is not good for the league.

And for Brown and Wilson, it’s a matter of vindication.

Owners have until Nov. 8 to opt out of the six-year extension to their collective bargaining agreement with the players. They need only nine of 32 votes to get out of it. The prevailing wisdom is they will. Then the union will strike or use decertification tactics. The 2009 season would be the last with a salary cap.
Pat Bowlen, owner and chief executive officer of the Denver Broncos, is co-chair of the league’s compensation committee.

“I don’t know at this point because I’m on that particular committee, and we’re going to be talking about it a lot this week,” Bowlen said Sunday when asked if Brown and Wilson could take satisfaction in their votes. “But I have nothing but respect for Ralph and Mike.”

The CBA extension of March 2006 increased the players’ share of league revenue to 60 percent, adding another $850 million to $900 million to their take. It was approved 30-2 in a hurriedly organized vote against a union-imposed deadline.

Brown said “no” and was called cheap by national media. Wilson emerged from the vote at Grapevine, Texas, and said, “I don’t understand it. It is a very complicated issue, and I don’t believe we should be rushing to vote in 45 minutes.” The suggestion was made in the media that Wilson was senile.

“That took some courage,” Falcons president Rich McKay, co-chair of the competition committee, said of the twin no votes. “National media-wise they took some heat for it. I don't think they did internally. I think everyone respected what they said. It didn't mean that they voted that way, but they respected what they said.”

McKay has served on the competition committee with Brown. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis now is on the committee, which proposes rules changes and points of emphasis to owners for possible adoption.

“I don't think any one has more passion about the NFL than the Brown family,” McKay said. “And that passion carries over to every facet of their approach to the game. Mike has always been a guy who has dedicated a tremendous amount of time, not just to his team, but to league matters. He's a pretty well thought-out and bright person.”

The Bengals and Bills are two of the NFL’s smallest-market and lower-revenue teams.

The Bills, with league approval, have since moved eight games over the next five seasons to the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The goal is to create additional revenue for the club. They will play a preseason and a regular-season game in 2008 across the Canadian border.

The rest of the league, even large-market owners such as New England’s Robert Kraft, has come to better understand Brown and Wilson’s wisdom.

“They are well-respected. They don’t seem to hesitate when they have something to say to say it,” said Dan Rooney, chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, another relatively small-market team.

Tom Benson is owner and president of the New Orleans Saints.

“My feeling is there is 100 percent support of everything we’re doing right now, and it includes them, too. This period of time we’re going through right now, it looks to be that we’ve got a great thing going, and everybody (owners) is going to have something they like and something they don’t like.

“I think we’ve got 100 percent across the board, including those two (Brown and Wilson).”

NFL votes not to extend labor deal

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com

NFL owners voted this morning to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

A league meeting is underway today in Atlanta, where 24 of 32 owners would have had to vote to extend the contract. No vote total was yet available.

The Enquirer requested an interview with Bengals president Mike Brown, but the club said that the NFL has sent a directive to all teams that the only league comment on the matter is to come through the office of commissioner Roger Goodell. NFLPA executive director is holding a national conference call at 11:30 this morning.

In a statement released this morning, following the vote, the NFL assured fans that football would be played uninterrupted for at least the next three seasons.

“The 2008 and 2009 seasons will be played with a salary cap,” the league said in its statement. “If there is no new agreement before the 2010 season, that season will be played without a salary cap under rules that also limit the free agency rights of the players. If not extended, the agreement would expire at the end of the 2010 league year.”

In March 2006, Brown and the Buffalo Bills’ Ralph Wilson were the only two team owners of 32 to vote against the union proposal to extend the labor contract through 2011.

Brown and Wilson saw the proposal, which gave players 60 percent of league revenues -- another $850 million of the more than $6 billion NFL – as disastrous for small-market teams.

Now some notable big-market owners – Jerry Jones in Dallas, Robert Kraft of New England and Pat Bowlen in Denver – are saying the deal is not good for the NFL.
They have said teams will struggle because players have too much money.
And though increasing numbers of team owners now think the deal was, in the words of Bowlen to The Rocky Mountain News, “not our smartest move,” they aren’t aligned in their vision for the league’s future.

No statement of reaction is available yet on the NFL Players Association web site, but Upshaw was quoted Monday on the site and said the action was expected for the past six months.

“If they don't do it next week then it will be soon after that," Upshaw said in a statement posted Monday. “They want to opt out and we don't.”

On its site, the NFLPA said measures already were underway to try to reach a new agreement.

“The end of the agreement does not necessarily mean that there will be a work stoppage,” the union wrote.

Upshaw has predicted that owners could lock out the players in 2011.
Upshaw already has have several early discussions with owners, including Bowlen and Carolina’s Jerry Richardson, two people that the union expects to be heavily involved in long-term talks.

The discussions will feature two sides that are both making a lot of money.

“The NFL earns very substantial revenues. But the clubs are obligated by the CBA to spend substantially more than half their revenues – almost $4.5 billion this year alone -- on player costs,” the NFL said in a statement. “In addition, as we have explained to the union, the clubs must spend significant and growing amounts on stadium construction, operations and improvements to respond to the interests and demands of our fans. The current labor agreement does not adequately recognize the costs of generating the revenues of which the players receive the largest share.”

The NFL has enjoyed labor peace for 20 years.

NFL owners opt out of labor deal

UPDATED: 10:41 a.m.

NFL owners voted this morning to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.

A league meeting is underway this morning in Atlanta.

No statement of reaction is available yet on the NFL Players Association web site, but union executive director Gene Upshaw was quoted Monday on the site and said the action was expected for the past six months.

"If they don't do it next week then it will be soon after that," Upshaw said in a statement posted Monday. "They want to opt out and we don't."

At the meetings, 24 of 32 owners had to vote to extend the current CBA.

When the deal was approved in March 2006, only Bengals president Mike Brown and Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson voted against it.

The Enquirer has requested an interview with Brown to explain to Bengals fans what today's news means to them and the region.

Here is the NFL's statement on that decision:

What happened?

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement, initially negotiated in 1993, has been extended on several occasions, most recently in March 2006. The 2006 extension, which could have continued through the 2012 season, gave both the NFL and the NFLPA an option to shorten the deal by one or two years.

NFL clubs today voted unanimously to exercise that option and to continue negotiating a new agreement for the 2011 season and beyond that will work better for both the clubs and the players.

What does this mean to fans and games on the field?

Even without another agreement, NFL football will be played without threat of interruption for at least the next three seasons. The 2008 and 2009 seasons will be played with a salary cap. If there is no new agreement before the 2010 season, that season will be played without a salary cap under rules that also limit the free agency rights of the players. If not extended, the agreement would expire at the end of the 2010 league year.

We are resolved to do our best to achieve a fair agreement that will allow labor peace to continue through and beyond the 2011 season.

What are the issues?

A collective bargaining agreement has to work for both sides. If the agreement provides inadequate incentives to invest in the future, it will not work for management or labor. And, in the context of a professional sports league, if the agreement does not afford all clubs an opportunity to be competitive, the league can lose its appeal.

The NFL earns very substantial revenues. But the clubs are obligated by the CBA to spend substantially more than half their revenues – almost $4.5 billion this year alone -- on player costs. In addition, as we have explained to the union, the clubs must spend significant and growing amounts on stadium construction, operations and improvements to respond to the interests and demands of our fans. The current labor agreement does not adequately recognize the costs of generating the revenues of which the players receive the largest share; nor does the agreement recognize that those costs have increased substantially -- and at an ever increasing rate -- in recent years during a difficult economic climate in our country. As a result, under the terms of the current agreement, the clubs’ incentive to invest in the game is threatened.

There are substantial other elements of the deal that simply are not working. For example, as interpreted by the courts, the current CBA effectively prohibits the clubs from recouping bonuses paid to players who subsequently breach their player contacts or refuse to perform. That is simply irrational and unfair to both fans and players who honor their contracts. Also irrational is that in the current system some rookies are able to secure contracts that pay them more than top proven veterans.

Our objective is to fix these problems in a new CBA, one that will provide adequate incentives to grow the game, ensure the unparalleled competitive balance that has sustained our fans’ interest, and afford the players fair and increasing compensation and benefits.

Blog changes

Starting later this week, this blog will be published in a new blog tool on our new Cincinnati.Com Web site. The blog focus isn't changing, but it will have a lot of improvements.

When we move to the new blog, this one won't go away just yet, but it will have a link to the home of the new blog. Eventually, any bookmarks and links to this blog will take you to the new one.

Once reporters start posting to the new blog, you'll get a sneak peek at the new Web site before anyone else. A link will be posted here when that happens.

We’ll also be launching a couple of new sports blogs on the new Web site. One will be dedicated to sports in Kentucky – with University of Kentucky athletics and Kentucky Speedway as the focus - and the other will be a general sports blog written by the entire Sports staff that will offer off-beat news that doesn’t fit anywhere else and links from around the Internet to give a glimpse at what the rest of the world is saying about our local sports and athletes. We’ll provide links to those new blogs when they’re started.

One big change: On the new blogs, you’ll need to sign up for an account (it’s free) in order to post comments. Anonymous comments will no longer be permitted.

Rep: No plans for Thurman grievance

The Bengals cleaned out Odell Thurman's locker Tuesday, the day he did not report for voluntary on-field practice, Safarrah Lawson, one of the linebacker's Atlanta-based representatives told the Enquirer this afternoon.

The Bengals announced late this morning that they had waived the second-year linebacker from Georgia.

Thurman attended the funeral for his grandmother, Betty Thurman, 80, on Monday in his hometown of Monticello, Ga. She had brought up Thurman after the death of his mother and death a few years later of his father.

"He was overcome by grief once he was down there," Lawson said. "The kid had a lot to deal with. She was the only family he had left."

The Bengals had three practices on field last week.

Thurman's representatives have no immediate plans to file a grievance over Thurman's release, Lawson said. At the same time, at least two teams already have been in contact with representives to express their interest in possibly signing Thurman.

"We just want to move on and get him back on the field," Lawson said. "He's disappointed. He wanted to reclaim his career in Cincinnati and help them get back to the playoffs."

Bengals release Thurman

UPDATED:

After sticking with Odell Thurman through a two-year NFL suspension, the Bengals will announce by the end of business today that they are waiving the second-year linebacker from Georgia.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called Safarrah Lawson, one of Thurman’s Atlanta-based representatives, and told him that the team has cut ties with Thurman, Lawson told The Enquirer this morning.

The Bengals later confirmed the transaction.

Thurman was in his native Monticello, Ga., last week to attend his grandmother’s funeral and take care of family matters, Lawson said. Thurman’s parents are dead, and the woman that brought up Thurman had died, Lawson said.

“The NFL provided Odell the opportunity to earn his way back onto our team, but we have not seen the right steps taken by him,” Lewis said this morning in a statement released by the Bengals.

“With our offseason work in progress and new talent added at our linebacker position, we’ve determined it’s best to keep moving in a direction that does not include Odell.”

Thurman missed three voluntary on-field practices. Lawson said Lewis told him that the Bengals needed Thurman in the building, that he wasn’t in the building and that they were going in a different direction.

“The support he got from the fans, from the people of Cincinnati, from Marvin Lewis and (team president) Mike Brown, this comes as a surprise,” Lawson told The Enquirer in a phone interview.

Thurman missed the past two seasons because of a league suspension for repeated violations of its substance abuse policy. He was suspended for all of the 2006 seasons following a September DUI arrest in the East End. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell then extended Thurman’s sentence to an entire season. The league then denied his application for reinstatement last July and said he could re-apply following the 2007 season. Thurman was allowed to begin working out with the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in January and reinstated April 21.

The Bengals earlier this spring, on April 3, released wide receiver Chris Henry following his fifth arrest in 28 months.

Thurman led the Bengals with 148 total tackles as a rookie in 2005 and tied a franchise rookie record with five interceptions. He started 15 of 16 regular season games and the team's wildcard playoff loss to the Steelers -- which would be the last game he would play in a Bengals uniform.

The Bengals used their first-round pick April 26 in the NFL draft on Southern Cal linebacker Keith Rivers.

The Bengals now have none of their first-day draft picks from 2005 remaining on the team. Linebacker David Pollack, taken in the first round, has retired, Lewis said, because of a fractured C6 vertebra. Thurman was the second-round pick and Henry the third.

Catching up with Reggie Williams

The New York Times featured former Bengals linebacker Reggie Williams recently in a story detailing his post-football medical problems. The link is above.

Tenable job fair for Bengals games

Tenable Event Services, the company that provides assorted services for Bengals home games at Paul Brown Stadium, will hold a job fair the first weekend of June.

The times and dates are Friday, June 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, June 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tenable is looking for suite attendants, security personnel, ushers, wheelchair escorts, elevator operators and gate staff. Call 455-8728.

Participants should enter Gate C, on the north end of the stadium near the Bengals Pro Shop.

Henry: Pacman like a brother

Wednesday on "The SIRIUS Blitz": on SIRIUS NFL Radio, hosts Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots spoke with former Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. Henry discussed, among other topics, his current legal situation, departure from the Bengals and his former college teammate at West Virginia, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.

Wilcots: Where are you right now with the legal process and where are you right now with seeking another team to call home?

Henry: Well, right now with the legal thing I’m pretty much waiting for my last court date which is next month. And other team wise, I’m just sitting back waiting to hear something from somebody.

Schein: If I’m a general manager why do I believe, if I sign Chris Henry, that Chris Henry will stay out of trouble?

Henry: Because, I mean, I would have to sit down and talk to him and explain what type of a guy I am and just let them know what I bring to the table as far as playing ball and hopefully he can believe in me and give me a chance.

Schein: How are you doing mentally?

Henry: I’m fine, you know? Only I know that I really ain’t in the wrong for anything. I’m fine. I’m kind of hurt being released from the Bengals because I really did think I was going to be here for a long time. Like I said, just trying to stay positive and trying to see where I’m going to be at in here the future. Hopefully I’ll be still living my dream, playing ball.

Wilcots: Are you able to leave the house to go work out? Are you able to go run routes? What football related things are you able to do at this point in time?

Henry: Actually I’ve been totally locked down in my home. Only working out I’ve been doing is push-ups every day.

Schein: Have you had any contact with your former college teammate, Pacman Jones?

Henry: Yeah, me and Pacman talk all the time. He’s like my brother and we’re always talking.

Schein: Are you convinced that his demons are a thing of the past?

Henry: Yeah. We were young and got caught up in making some mistakes and, you know, people mature and learn from their mistakes. I think we’re both going to be fine.

Bengals add long-snapper

The Bengals today signed rookie long-snapper Tim Bugg of Indiana to a two-year contract. A college free agent, Bugg, who is 6 feet, 257 pounds, participated in the team's rookie minicamp May 2-4 on a tryout basis.

Team not signing WR Brazell

Former Bengals wide receiver Bennie Brazell, who made a surprise appearance in the locker room around 1 p.m. today, will not be re-signed. He was here for other business, possibly worker's compensation.

Post-OTA notes

Some observations from practice, which went from 11 a.m.-12:20 p.m.:

-- Head coach Marvin Lewis said the team is installing a new defense.

-- Linebacker Ahmad Brooks said he has been moved to strong-side linebacker, a shift that suggests the Bengals are counting on Odell Thurman to regain his spot at middle linebacker Thurman missed the first OTA practice today because he was in his native Georgia, where his grandmother's funeral was held Monday.

Brooks said he was limited to five repetitions in practice because he still is struggling with the aftereffects of surgery to repair a groin injury last season.

-- Several offensive linemen worked out with position coach Paul Alexander on the sideline. Other than centers Dan Santucci, Eric Ghiaciuc and Kyle Cook, who took turns snapping the ball during the seven-on-seven drills, the linemen did not participate. Working out with Alexander, in addition to the centers, were guard Bobbie Williams, guard-tackle Andrew Whitworth, tackle-guard Scott Kooistra, Nate Livings, tackle Dane Uperesa and tackle-guard Stacy Andrews. Tackles Levi Jones and Willie Anderson were not here.

-- Tailback Rudi Johnson, 100 percent after missing five games in 2007 because of a hamstring injury, said he is now in the area of 225 pounds, up from the 212 pound he played at last season. Johnson is carrying most of that added weight in his chest and shoulders, where, he said, "You've got to have it."

-- Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, in his first year with the Bengals, spent a great deal of practice time personally coaching cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

-- Tailback Chris Perry, on a football field for the first time since fracturing his ankle in November 2006, looked smooth and quick and showed his great hands in passing drills with a couple of one-handed catches. Perry said afterward that he has been humbled, is more appreciative of his chance to play football and thinks he can help the team again.

-- Safety Ethan Kilmer, a key special teams player coming back from knee surgery in August, said his feet felt heavy while covering wide receivers live for the first time and received extra coaching from Darrin Simmons, special teams coach.

-- Safety Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted Carson Palmer but was chewed out by coaches for running across the field as opposed to staying on the sideline for his return.

-- Wide receiver Bennie Brazell walked into the locker room at about 1 p.m. He had not been re-signed to the 80-man roster. His practice squad contract ran out. There was no word from Bengals PR whether Brazell had re-signed. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Bengals in 2006 from LSU.

T.J., Chad not at first OTA

The practice now underway for the Bengals, the first of 12 organized team activity (OTA) days, is described as a passing camp. No offensive linemen are present on the practice fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium.

Neither are the team's top two wide receivers, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson. Johnson is threatening to holdout, and Houshmandzadeh -- as he did in 2007 -- prefers to work out in the offseason at home in California.

The wide receivers on the field are Marcus Maxwell, Doug Gabriel, Glenn Holt and Antonio Chatman. Rookie draft pick wide receivers Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Mario Urrutia aren't able to be here until next week because of league rule.

Tight ends Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht, Daniel Coats and Nate Lawrie are on the field, too, with long-snapper/tight end Brad St. Louis.

The four top running backs are on the field: Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry, Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey. Kenny Irons is working on the sideline with a trainer.

Perry is on the field for the first time since fracturing his ankle in a November 2006 game at Cleveland, and his return bodes well for the offense, if he can stay healthy, and probably means the Bengals won't offer a contract to former Seahawks great Shaun Alexander.

Also cleared is safety Ethan Kilmer, who underwent knee surgery in August and missed all of the 2007 season on the injured reserve list.

All four quarterbacks are on the field: Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe and Jordan Palmer.

Thurman still in Georgia

Linebacker Odell Thurman remains in Georgia today to tend to family business. His grandmother's funeral was Monday.

The Bengals' first organized team activity (OTA) practice will begin at 11 this morning. I'll have updates here.

Bengals power down to 25th

The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but they can't beat them out for the top spot in USA TODAY's NFL power rankings.

(Power rankings reflect votes by 12 staffers after the NFL draft, with 32 points awarded for a first-place vote, 31 for a second ...)

QUESTIONS: Bengals fans, where do you rank your favorite team, 1 to 32, why, and who are your top five and bottom five at this point of the offseason?

1 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Last rank: 2 Total points: 376
Notes: Surprising that 18-1 team receives NFL's easiest schedule. (Four first-place votes)

2 N.Y. GIANTS Last rank: 1 Total points: 362
Notes: Really no superstars, but burgeoning depth is impressive. (Five first-place votes.)

3 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Last rank: 5 Total points: 357
Notes: Marvin Harrison's health could be least of his worries now. (One first-place vote.)

4 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Last rank: 3 (tie) Total points: 353
Notes: Title hopes probably hinge on Philip Rivers' knee. (Two first-place votes.)

5 DALLAS COWBOYS Last rank: 7 Total points: 346
Notes: With Jerry, Felix, Pacman and in tow, Dallas loves Joneses. (Sorry, Julius.)

6 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Last rank: 6 Total points: 325
Notes: Hey, Peyton, they're coming after you on the field and in the standings.

7 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Last rank: 9 Total points: 288
Notes: Mike Holmgren could return to Super Bowl in his swan song.

8 CLEVELAND BROWNS Last rank: 11 (tie) Total points: 286
Notes: The Browns look primed to make a run at first division title since NFL return.

9 GREEN BAY PACKERS Last rank: 3 (tie) Total points: 271
Notes: Over/under: Is Brett Favre back under center by Week 6?

10 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Last rank: 14 Total points: 270
Notes: Donovan McNabb reverted to Pro Bowl form at end of '07. Will it continue in '08?

11 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Last rank: 8 Total points: 263
Notes: If patchwork line can block, offense (with Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall in backfield) could be really scary.

12 MINNESOTA VIKINGS Last rank: 17 Total points: 224
Notes: QB questions persist, but with that defense, 13 points a game might net 11 wins.

13 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Last rank: 16 Total points: 215
Notes: Sedrick Ellis will stop the run. But will the Saints be able to run themselves?

14 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Last rank: 13 Total points: 207
Notes: Jon Gurden is quietly building the best young offensive line in the league.

15 HOUSTON TEXANS Last rank: 15 Total points: 199
Notes: They must overcome the division. Despite the injuries, they were 7-3 outside AFC South.

16 TIE ARIZONA CARDINALS Last rank: 18 Total points: 198
Notes: Issue No. 1: Can Matt Leinart reclaim (and thrive in) his starting role?

16 TIE TENNESSEE TITANS Last rank: 10 Total points: 198
Notes:Are they going to run the Wing-T or the wishbone this year?

18 WASHINGTON REDSKINS Last rank: 11 (tie) Total points: 193
Notes: Jason Campbell must now learn his third NFL offense since 2005.

19 CAROLINA PANTHERS Last rank: 23 Total points: 170
Notes: The draft showed that this regime is clearly in a win-now mode.

20 DENVER BRONCOS Last rank: 21 Total points: 168
Notes: It's been awhile since Mike Shanahan's had this many question marks.

21 BUFFALO BILLS Last rank: 20 Total points: 152
Notes: If Trent Edwards progresses, the Bills could reach the playoffs ... as a wild card.

22 CHICAGO BEARS Last rank: 19 Total points: 133
Notes: The defense had better rebound as the offense could be non-existent.

23 ST. LOUIS RAMS Last rank: 27 (tie) Total points: 127
Notes: Avoiding the injuries is key. But the Rams have the tools to be a major factor.

24 N.Y. JETS Last rank: 26 Total points: 115
Notes: They addressed plenty of needs in the offseason ... just not quarterback.

25 TIE CINCINNATI BENGALS Last rank: 22 Total points: 111
Notes: Even if Chad Johnson returns, the damage may be irreparable.

25 TIE DETROIT LIONS Last rank: 24 Total points: 95
Notes: Jon Kitna has set 10 wins as the goal again, but can they maintain progress despite the offensive overhaul?

27 BALTIMORE RAVENS Last rank: 25 Total points: 86
Notes: Ray Lewis might be in a nursing home before Joe Flacco's ready.

28 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Last rank: 27 (tie) Total points: 82
Notes: And you thought Mike Nolan was tough. Alex Smith, meet Mr. Martz.

29 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Last rank: 29 Total points: 50
Notes: Will Herm Edwards still be around to reap this excellent draft's rewards?

30 OAKLAND RAIDERS Last rank: 30 Total points: 49
Notes: The Raiders have skill players aplenty, but what about the trenches?

31 MIAMI DOLPHINS Last rank: 32 Total points: 27
Notes: Next up on Bill Parcells' agenda: What to do with Jason Taylor?

32 ATLANTA FALCONS Last rank: 31 Total points: 24
Notes: Matt Ryan will need lots of time and seasoning before this team takes flight.

Bengals sign WR Purify

The Bengals this afternoon signed rookie wide receiver Maurice Purify of Nebraska to a two-year contract. A college free agent, Purify -- who is 6 feet, 3 inches and 224 pounds -- participated in the team's rookie minicamp last weekend on a tryout basis.

Alexander agent will talk to Bengals

Shaun Alexander has returned home to Seattle following two free-agent visits this week, first to Cincinnati on Sunday and Monday and then New Orleans on Wednesday.

"Will be talking to Shaun today and in touch with Bengals today or tomorrow," agent Jim Steiner said in a noon-hour e-mail today to The Enquirer.

Alexander, who grew up in Florence and the league MVP in 2005, was released April 22 after eight seasons with the Seahawks.

The Bengals have a glut of running backs but are believed to be interested in Alexander as a possible backup to starter Rudi Johnson. Coach Marvin Lewis also said Chris Perry, the Bengals' first-round draft pick in 2004, is ready for on-field work beginning May 13.

Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey are other members of the Bengals backfield at tailback. Jeremi Johnson is the starting fullback.

Reader request: Brooks update

The Bengals have had no comment about linebacker Ahmad Brooks, accused of punching a Florence, Ky., woman in the left eye. Brooks, who lives in Union, Ky., has been summoned to appear June 6 in Boone District Court to answer to the charge of misdemeanor assault, punishable by up to a year in the jail.

The original Enquirer report from May 1 is linked above.

Alexander visits Saints

Free agent running back Shaun Alexander visited the New Orleans Saints but returned home to Seattle without a contract offer, the Times-Picayune reports.

The link is above.

Teams might be accountable

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says teams might be fined or otherwise penalized for off-field behavior of their players.

The story is linked above.

My questions to you, especially fans of the Bengals, a team that has been willing to take risks on players with character questions -- including fifth-round defensive tackle Jason Shirley this year -- are should teams be held accountable financially for the negative behavior of players off the field? Why or why not?

Bengals sign rookie WR Brown

The Bengals today acquired rookie wide receiver Travis Brown of New Mexico on waivers from Seattle. Brown was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection as a junior and a senior. His 182 career receptions rank third in New Mexico school history, and his 2196 receiving yards rank fifth. He was signed by Seattle on April 29 and was waived Monday.

UPDATED: Henry allowed to tryout

A judge has granted Chris Henry's request that will allow the former Bengals wide receiver to travel to other cities to tryout for other NFL teams, The Enquirer reports this morning.

In an interview with ESPN.com, Henry said he would like to play for his hometown New Orleans Saints or the Cowboys. Of course, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Henry in April 2007 -- when he suspended the then-Bengals wide receiver for the first eight games of the 2007 season -- that another violation of the league's personal conduct policy could result in additional punishment up to banishment from the NFL.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3385733

Alexander's possible role

From what I'm hearing, the Bengals' interest in Shaun Alexander is for Alexander to be a backup to Rudi Johnson and an insurance policy if Chris Perry can't play. This did not come from the team.

Perry, who missed all of 2007 rehabbing from ankle and shin injuries sustained in a late-season game in 2006, is expected to be on the field May 13 for OTA (organized team activity) practices, coach Marvin Lewis said Sunday.

Johnson and Lewis say Johnson has recovered from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss five games in 2007.

My hunch is Alexander will receive the prospects of a larger role and a corresponding contract offer from another team.

Alexander visit ongoing

Bengals coaches and executives are wrapping up a two-day visit this afternoon with former league MVP Shaun Alexander.

Alexander, a Boone County High School graduate from Florence, was released April 22 after eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

He began a visit with the Bengals on Sunday and had dinner downtown that night with coaches, the team’s official Web site said. Today the team gave him a tour of Paul Brown Stadium, and Alexander underwent a physical. Alexander did pass a physical in Seattle before he was released, according to the Associated Press.

Discussions are very preliminary, and no real direction has been set by either side. More information might be available later today, though both sides are keeping quiet.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had declined comment on the Alexander visit on Friday, the first day of rookie minicamp. No additional comment was available today from the club.

Agent Jim Steiner has not returned e-mail seeking comment, as well.

In 2005, when he was voted league MVP, Alexander set a league record with 28 touchdowns and a franchise record with 1,880 rushing yards. The Seahawks won the NFC title but lost in the Super Bowl to the Steelers.

After the MVP season, the Seahawks signed Alexander to an eight-year, $62 million contract, which included $15.1 million in guaranteed money. He would only see two years of the contract and was supposed to make a base salary of $4.475 million in 2008.

Alexander played in 13 games with 11 starts last season, missing three games with a sprained left knee. He played through a left wrist fractured in Week 1. In 2006, he missed six games because of a severely bruised left foot that eventually resulted in a fracture.

He will be 31 Aug. 30.

Clarifying rookie minicamp

These were the players signed as rookie free agents by the Bengals, as announced Friday morning by the team:

NAME / POSITION / HEIGHT, WEIGHT / COLLEGE / HOMETOWN

James Blair / G / 6-3, 323 / Western Michigan / Detroit, Mich.

Justin Britt / G-C / 6-4, 302 / Alabama / Cullman, Ala.

Simeon Castille / CB / 6-0, 195 / Alabama / Birmingham, Ala.

Bradley Glatthaar / RB / 5-11, 245 / Cincinnati / Cincinnati

Anthony Hoke / LB / 6-0, 238 / Cincinnati / Warren, Ohio

James Johnson / RB / 5-11, 202 / Kansas State / Port Arthur, Texas

Michael Marquardt / DT / 6-3, 292 / Arizona State / Vista, Calif.

Tyler Whaley / FB / 5-11, 252 / Ohio State / Ironton, Ohio

The Bengals then signed three of its tryout candidates Sunday to contracts following camp: Defensive tackle Antwon Burton signed a one-year deal; he is a third-year NFL player from Temple. And rookie linebacker Dan Howell from Washington and rookie wide receiver Clyde Logan of Idaho State each signed two-year contracts with the Bengals following minicamp.

Of the 46 players participating in rookie minicamp for the Bengals, five played college ball at the University of Cincinnati. Defensive end Angelo Craig was drafted. Fullback Bradley Glatthaar and linebacker Anthony Hoke are rookie free agents. Running back Greg Moore and safety Anthony Williams are in camp on a try-out basis, but niether Moore nor Williams received a contract offer Sunday.

Rookie minicamp a wrap

Marvin Lewis closed the three-day, five-practice rookie minicamp Sunday in positive terms.

Coaches now know even more than they did about the team’s 10 draft picks, and new defensive coaches – coordinator Mike Zimmer and linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald – had time on the field to work with actual players after four-months of scouting and office work.

“When you can get as much football in as we did, it helps the rookies coming back,” Lewis said Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.

Most of the rookies, both draft picks and free agents, will be back to participate
May 20 in organized team activities (OTA) that will start May 13 for whole team.

Those activities are voluntary.

Lewis said that veteran running back Chris Perry (ankle, shin) and safety Ethan Kilmer (knee) – both of whom missed all of the 2007 season – “should be ready to go May 13” for on-field work.

Second-year running back Kenny Irons (knee) will not be available, Lewis said.
Asked what he took personally from the three days of work, Lewis said he often was left saying “wow.”

“But,” he added, “that’s why we drafted them.”

Lewis and his coaches had 15-minute interviews at the NFL scouting combine in February in Indianapolis with prospects. Some of the prospects visited Cincinnati. Coaches and scouts visited their campuses for pro day workouts.

“You don’t see if they can handle install,” Lewis said in reference to the process of learning plays and schemes.

“You also get to see them playing at the speed of football in 11-on-11 drills. That matters.”

In addition, Lewis and his coaches could see the functional strength of linemen they selected – such as offensive tackle Anthony Collins and defensive tackles Pat Sims and Jason Shjrley.

First-round draft pick Keith Rivers, the Southern Cal linebacker, worked on the weak-side position, where he had in college, and impressed coaches with his fluid play and work ethic.

Coaches were impressed, too, with Rivers’ natural leadership and ability to call his position players together.

“He showed things that are innate,” Lewis said of Rivers. “Every time he was not in a meeting he was upstairs watching tape on his own.

“He already gets it.”

Forty-six players participated in the minicamp.

In addition to the 10 draft picks, there were eight college free agents. The rest were either rookie or veteran players participating on a try-out basis.

The Bengals signed three of the try-out players from rookie minicamp: defensive tackle Antwon Burton signed a one-year deal; he is a third-year NFL player from Temple.

Rookie linebacker Dan Howell from Washington and rookie wide receiver Clyde Logan of Idaho State each signed two-year contracts with the Bengals following minicamp.

Beyond OTA practices on the field, starting May 13, the Bengals’ next major team event is the mandatory full-squad minicamp scheduled for June 12-14.

Defensive tackles must perform

Defensive tackle remains a position of uncertainty for the Bengals behind projected starters Domata Peko and John Thornton.

The Bengals took Pat Sims in the third round and fellow defensive tackle Jason Shirley in the fifth.

“Yeah, I think Pat for sure should have an impact right away,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said during rookie minicamp.

“I think Jason has a lot to learn. But he will be a willing learner. He’s a big, big strong man, so we’ll get him … into the correct stances and be faster and quicker with his hands and allow him to use all that big man that he’s got there because right now he’s wasting about two-thirds of it.”

Sims, of the team’s 10 draft picks, might be the most important because of the need at the position.

“I know they expect a lot out of me,” Sims said today between minicamp practices. “I'm going to work hard to give them that. As a rookie, I'm just going to try to contribute as early as I can, helping stop the run and putting some pressure on the quarterback.”

Defensive line coach Jay Hayes has encouraged Sims, “to work on my technique, work on my footwork.”

Saturday morning at stadium

Rookie minicamp practice continues this morning in the rain inside Paul Brown Stadium.

Some quick observations:

-- Offensive lineman Anthony Collins, a former basketball player, has great feet.

-- Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell have excellent size for wide receivers and are catching most everything thrown their way, even in heavy rain.

-- A lot will be expected of third-round defensive tackle Pat Sims. He might be the single-most important player drafted simply because of the need at his position.

-- If all things are equal between Jordan Palmer and Jeff Rowe for the third quarterback spot on the roster, which player has the built-in edge?

Vets make presence known

Quarterback Carson Palmer and cornerbacks Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph came out to watch the morning practice today at rookie minicamp. Tight end Ben Utecht was out on the field, too. Safety Dexter Jackson addressed rookie camp participants Thursday night.

“We tried to surround them with the guys here, a group that – in the worst way – wants to win some football games,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “They know … a few of them (rookies) are going to help contribute to that this year early on, and hopefully the rest of them later as we go.”

Rivers flows on weak side

First-round linebacker Keith Rivers played weak-side linebacker, opposite the tight end, throughout Friday.

“I think any time you can take a guy like we did in the first round and continue to do the things he's been doing for the last three, four years on his college campus, it makes that transition so much easier because he's natural at it,” head coach Marvin Lewis said.

Alumni watch; remembering PB

The Bengals will hold their annual player alumni dinner tonight.

Wide receiver Isaac Curtis, safety Robert Jackson and cornerback Ray Griffin were among the former Bengals players at rookie minicamp practice this afternoon. It was moved inside Paul Brown Stadium on the artificial turf because of steady rain.

Former Bengals offensive lineman Dave Lapham, who watched from the cover of the stadium tunnel, was there, too.

Minicamp reminded Lapham of training camp, which reminded him of what former coach Paul Brown would say to players in the first team meeting.

"Training camp is not a hardship. We feed you. We exercise you. You sleep well at night. It is not a hardship."

Simpson in bind

Wide receiver Jerome Simpson struggled early this afternoon with a tape-cutter while sitting at his locker. The second-round pick was having trouble getting the ankle tape off his big toes.

"I know, I can't get it off," Simpson said.

The idea that Simpson, who played college ball at I-AA, small-school Coastal Carolina, was a draft reach will stick to him until he proves otherwise.

“There are a lot of fans back (in North Carolina) who don’t think I was a reach. They think I got drafted right where I was supposed to," said Simpson, who is wearing No. 89.

“You go out there and work hard. Even if you go out to a small school, if you work hard they will find you.”

Quarterback Carson Palmer called Simpson after he was drafted. This morning, Jordan Palmer threw to Simpson.

"He called me Sunday or Monday," Simpson said of Carson Palmer, who watched film of Simpson before the draft. "I told him I was ready to go to work with him and let him help me learn. He said he would be willing to help. He seems like a really nice guy. His brother is real nice, too. His brother is great throwing to you, too, and he communicates very well with you. I’m expecting even better from his big brother."

Carson: `Reload' at receiver

Carson Palmer watched practice this morning at rookie minicamp. He kept an eye on the quarterback wearing No. 5, younger brother Jordan Palmer, but Carson was most interested in receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell -- selected in the second and third rounds.

“Got to reload; Chad (Johnson) and T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) are both getting older, and it’s part of the deal. When a certain position gets older you’ve got to restock for the years to come. I don’t think it’s anything more than that. People talk about Chad and all the other stuff going on, but it’s just restocking a position, just like every other team does."

Lewis mum on Brooks, Alexander

After rookie minicamp practice early this afternoon, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis declined comment when asked about the visit by free agent running back Shaun Alexander and the criminal complaint filed against linebacker Ahmad Brooks for allegedly hitting a woman in the face.

Rookie camp practice

Early observations from rookie minicamp:

First-round linebacker Keith Rivers reminds me a lot of Brian Simmons in the way he moves and runs.

On consecutive plays, draft pick tight end Matt Sherry and wide receiver Jerome Simpson dropped passes. Sherry did 10 pushups.

Quarterback Jordan Palmer has a strong arm, like his older brother, Carson.

Carson Palmer, Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph came out to watch practice.

The former Astroturf practice field is being torn up and is being replaced by a Bermuda grass field that will hold up better in hot weather.

Local flavor to college free agents

The Bengals today announced the signing of eight college free agents.

The list includes three players with local/regional connections. Half back Bradley Glatthaar is from Cincinnati (Elder High School) and played at the University of Cincinnati. Linebacker Anthony Hoke played at the University of Cincinnati, and fullback Tyler Whaley is from Ironton, Ohio (Ironton HS) and played at Ohio State.

The complete list of today’s signings:

NAME / POSITION / HEIGHT, WEIGHT / COLLEGE / HOMETOWN

James Blair / G / 6-3, 323 / Western Michigan / Detroit, Mich.

Justin Britt / G-C / 6-4, 302 / Alabama / Cullman, Ala.

Simeon Castille / CB / 6-0, 195 / Alabama / Birmingham, Ala.

Bradley Glatthaar / RB / 5-11, 245 / Cincinnati / Cincinnati

Anthony Hoke / LB / 6-0, 238 / Cincinnati / Warren, Ohio

James Johnson / RB / 5-11, 202 / Kansas State / Port Arthur, Texas

Michael Marquardt / DT / 6-3, 292 / Arizona State / Vista, Calif.

Tyler Whaley / FB / 5-11, 252 / Ohio State / Ironton, Ohio

Each of the eight players signed a two-year contract.

The CFA signees are having their first work with the team during this weekend’s minicamp for rookies and eligible first-year players at Paul Brown Stadium. The first practice is at 10:30 this morning.

TRYOUT PLAYERS

The Bengals also have arranged for a number of unsigned players to work with the team during the minicamp on a tryout basis.

Seven of the tryout players have local/regional connections: Offensive lineman Tom Anevski of Boston College is from Cincinnati (Elder HS). Cornerback Clay Hamblen is from Georgetown (Ky.) College. Running back Greg Moore is from the University of Cincinnati, and his hometown is Dayton, Ohio (Trotwood Madison HS). Running back Jay Peck of Alabama State is from Columbus, Ohio (Brookhaven HS). Wide receiver Brian Piper is from Georgetown (Ky.) College, and his hometown is Villa Hills, Ky. (Covington Catholic HS). Quarterback Jeff Smith is from Georgetown (Ky.) College, and his hometown is Fort Thomas, Ky. (Newport Catholic HS). Safety Anthony Williams is from the University of Cincinnati.

Heart-warming comment from reader

A reader identified as ladybeatriceV left a comment on a post about Odell Thurman that ran back in January. As moderator, I just put it up with the post, but it might be lost because of the date. I want to make sure other readers see it.

It's a gentle reminder that these are people inside the helmets and beneath the shoulder pads.

Her comment:

I pray every day for Odell and for his healing, and his return to the Bengals. Odell always been a good person- with a contagious grin and a good heart. I know he's had some "bumps in the road," but I've always believed that he can straighten things out. Whether he was a 'Cane, a Dawg, or a Bengal, he has always been a fighter- and I know he can fight the good fight for himself this time! We love you, Odell!

Alexander visit Sunday and Monday

Running back Shaun Alexander, released April 22 by the Seahawks, will visit the Bengals on Sunday and Monday, agent Jim Steiner confirmed to The Enquirer.

Alexander grew up in Florence and played at Boone County High School before going on to the University of Alabama. He is an eight-year NFL veteran and 2005 league MVP.

Brooks in trouble

BURLINGTON – Bengals linebacker Ahmad Brooks has been accused of punching a Florence woman in the left eye. Brooks, who lives in Union, has been summoned to appear June 6in Boone District Court to answer to the charge of misdemeanor assault, punishable by up to a year in the jail.

For more details, please hit the above link.

Then there were nine

The Bengals this afternoon waived two of their 11 linebackers, letting go of Anthony Schlegel and Roy Manning.

Manning is a fourth-year NFL player from Michigan. He played in five games for Cincinnati last season and had seven special teams tackles.

Schlegel is a third-year NFL player from Ohio State. He played in 13 games for the Bengals last season, with five starts, and had 34 tackles on defense with four special teams tackles.

The Bengals still have nine linebackers under contract, not counting first-round draft pick Keith Rivers of Southern Cal.

Next question: Linebackers

Not counting first-round draft pick Keith Rivers, the Bengals have nine linebackers under contract as of today.

UPDATED: They had 11 this morning, until they announced early this afternoon that they've wavied Anthony Schlegel and Roy Manning.

Assuming Rivers signs on time, which he says he will, the Bengals might take 10 linebackers to training camp.

They are: Darryl Blackstock, Ahmad Brooks, Eric Henderson, Rashad Jeanty, Brandon Jones, Dhani Jones, Corey Mays, Rivers and Odell Thurman.

Question: Who are the six of seven who open the season on the roster? And give me your two-deep, for example -- MLB: Odell Thurman / Ahmad Brooks

Remember, special teams plays a part in the decision of which players will earn backup jobs.

(And thanks again for all of the thoughtful input.)

SLB:

MLB:

WLB:

Best of Alexander debate

To the minute, 39 readers have posted comments on the question of whether the Bengals should try to sign tailback Shaun Alexander, released April 22 by Seattle.

Here are some of the best comments from readers: (Thanks for the input.)

-- The affirmative.
Offer him a short term deal. Make it insentive based. That way he gets paid well if he earns it. It would be nice, but I don't want us having an anchor around our neck if he doesn't have any game left. -- ewad

-- The neutral.
Would he be the next Ken Griffey Jr. Really good in Seattle and average in Cincy? -- Bengal43

-- The negative.
Signing Alexander would be ridiculous. He's done. These running backs just lose a step and we shouldn't be the ones to overpay him to linger a few more years in the NFL. Great guy...but he shouldn't be in our backfield. We already have a guy on the decline (Rudi J). -- WhoDeyNYC