Cincinnati Bengals

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.

Bengals RB Cedric Peerman was fined $20,000 by the NFL on Friday for an illegal blindside block on Sunday against Indianapolis. The hit came on a 33-yard punt return where Peerman pealed back and sent Indianapolis LB A.J. Edds parallel to the ground.

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.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that WR Jerome Simpson was indicted Thursday on charges that he was trafficking marijuana over eight ounces and less than five pounds. The charge is a Class D felony that could lead to a punishment of one to five years in prison. Simpson posted career-highs in 2011 with 50 catches for 725 yards and four touchdowns.

Cincinnati DB Reggie Nelson matched the team lead with six tackles and a sack during the Bengals' 31-10 loss to Houston in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Saturday. Nelson took down Texans QB T.J. Yates during the third quarter to finish with one of only two sacks by Cincinnati.

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 LB Rey Maualuga has officially been charged by Cincinnati police with misdemeanor assault stemming from a bar fight last weekend. This report comes from The Associated Press. The Bengals had no comment.

The Bengals placed DB Rico Murray (ankle) on IR and activated FB Chris Pressley from the practice squad. Sunday will be the first time this season a fullback is on the 53-man roster.

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 officially announced the signing of LB Brandon Johnson on Wednesday. Johnson is expected to be a backup once again in 2011.

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.

The Bengals were active on the waiver wire Sunday. Along with KR/WR Brandon Tate, they picked up TE Mickey Shuler, a rookie out of Penn State (Dolphins), and G Mike McGlynn out of Pittsburgh (Eagles). Cincinnati released TE Chase Coffman, WR/PR Quan Cosby and C Reggie Stephens.

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.

Cincinnati RB Bernard Scott notched 11 yards on six carries during the Bengals' 31-10 loss to Houston in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Saturday. Scott and the rest of the Cincinnati running game was held in check by the Texans as he finished with a paltry 1.8 yards per attempt. Bengals RB Brian Leonard paced the team with 34 yards on three carries. Scott also had three catches for 29 yards while being targeted four times.

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.

Ankle - IR. Out for the season

Cincinnati LB Keith Rivers will miss the rest of the season because he hasn’t fully recovered from surgery on his right wrist. The former first-round draft pick had surgery last July and started the season on an injury list. The Bengals got a three-week roster exemption that allowed him to work out with the team. The exemption ended on Tuesday, and Cincinnati decided to leave him on the injury list, ruling out a return this season.

Wrist - 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.

The Bengals placed DE Frostee Rucker on injured reserve Monday. Rucker played in this season’s first nine games, with three starts, but he suffered a knee injury in Week 10 and will now miss the rest of the year.

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

Bengals WR Brandon Tate was not a huge contributor on offense in Week 8 against the Seahawks but he was able to make a difference on special teams. He returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for his first score of the year. He totaled 186 yards on seven returns in the 34-12 win. "For some reason when he kicked it I had the feeling I was going to do something special with it," Tate said. "I didn't know I was going to score, but I put all the trust in my teammates. The other 10 guys did their job, I just went out and did mine."

Bengals WR Andre Caldwell was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday with a groin injury. Caldwell will obviously miss the final game of the regular season.

Groin - IR. Out for the season

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.

Illness - Missed Wild Card game at Houston

Cincinnati K Mike Nugent connected on 1 of 2 field goals and an extra point during the Bengals' 31-10 loss at Houston in the AFC Wild Card round on Saturday. Nugent converted a 37-yard attempt in the second quarter, but also missed a 50-yard kick earlier.

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.

Bengals DB Gibril Wilson left Week 14's game against the Texans with a rib injury. He is questionable to return.

The Bengals placed TE Bo Scaife (neck) on injured reserve Saturday. He will not play this season.

Neck - IR. Out for the season

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.

The Bengals signed free agent WR Armon Binns to the practice squad. Binns was cut by the Jaguars in the preseason.

The Bengals officially placed WR Jordan Shipley (knee) on injured reserve on Monday, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season. Shipley injured his left knee on Sunday against the Broncos after a low tackle by Cassius Vaughn.

Knee - IR. Out for the season

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

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.

Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton completed 27 of his 42 passes for 257 yards during the Bengals’ 31-10 loss to Houston in the AFC Wild Card game on Saturday. Dalton was also picked off three times as he finished with a lowly 51.4 passer rating -- his lowest mark since Week 3 (40.8). It was the second time this season Dalton has thrown three interceptions in an outing. He had 20 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions this year.

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

The Bengals have acquired CB Kelly Jennings from the Seahawks in exchange for DT Clinton McDonald, according to ESPN.

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

Hamstring - Missed Wild Card game at Houston

Cincinnati TE Jermaine Gresham caught five passes for 46 yards during the Bengals' 31-10 loss at Houston in the AFC Wild Card Playoff on Saturday. Gresham, who collected six targets from QB Andy Dalton, posted 9.2 yards per catch as he finished with five receptions for the third straight game. He finished one yard shy of the team lead held by WR A.J. Green despite earning six fewer looks from Dalton.

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.

Cincinnati TE Donald Lee was ruled out for Week 10 against Pittsburgh because of a foot injury. Lee has not practiced throughout the past week and was wearing a walking boot on his left foot Monday. Fellow TE Jermaine Gresham was listed as questionable for Sunday's game.

A torn MCL will end Chris Crocker's season. The Bengals defensive back made a tackle of Fred Jackson in Week 11 when he suffered the injury.

Bengals DB Adam Jones suffered a hamstring injury in Week 8 against the Seahawks on his 63-yard punt return. He was activated from the PUP list Friday after missing the first six games due to a neck injury. He did not return in the 34-12 loss.

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

Cedric Benson admitted that he "wasn't a big fan" of the changes made to the Bengals' offense in 2011. Both Benson and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden spoke to the Cincinnati Enquirer about the Bengals' run game, which finished the season ranked 19th in the league and accounted for 10 touchdowns; only nine teams did worse. Benson did not like splitting reps with Bernard Scott. "I don't know what the future's going to hold. You never know going into being a free agent, things like that," said Benson. " ... I wasn’t a big fan of [the offensive changes]. Granted I don't make those decisions or calls and I have to find a way to make it work. It was something they started soon after the first game. There was a vision where they saw the offense going. I may not like it or agree with it but I’ll make it work if given the opportunity." Gruden had this response to the Benson-Scott balancing act: "From a consistency standpoint you'd like to get Bernard more carries, more touches and Cedric has earned the right to be a feature back. ... The more you give it to Bernard the more you've got Cedric over there scratching his head and not real happy. Really, to me, on a good football team nobody should worry about who's scoring or who's getting the ball so long as the team is moving."

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 Bengals called up LB Vincent Rey from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

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 Saints signed WR Andy Tanner from the practice squad on Wednesday and cut DL Swanson Miller.

The Bengals signed free agent TE Donald Lee on Wednesday and waived DB Rico Murray to make room on the roster.

Cincinnati DL Jonathan Fanene tallied two sacks during the Bengals' 23-16 victory over Arizona in Week 16. Fanene took down Cardinals QB John Skelton to finish with multiple sacks in a game for the second time this season. He now has six total sacks.

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.

Bengals LB Manny Lawson had his most productive game of the season in a Week 10 loss to the Steelers. He registered a season-high 10 tackles and also got half a sack.

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.