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Bengals rookie RB James Johnson ran five times for 10 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards in a Week 16 win over the Browns.

The Bengals have announced the inactives for their Week 16 game at Cleveland. Not in uniform will be: QB Carson Palmer (third QB), WR Chad Johnson, WR Jerome Simpson, TE Ben Utecht, RB Kenny Watson and CB Simeon Castille.

The Bengals tried to keep linebackers Brandon Johnson and Rashad Jeanty by turning them into restricted free agents on Thursday. The Bengals tendered contract offers to the linebackers that gives them the right to match any offer. If the Bengals decide not to match another team's offer, they get a second-round draft pick as compensation. The team decided not to make tender offers to running back DeDe Dorsey, receiver Glenn Holt, linebacker Corey Mays and safety John Busing, allowing them to become free agents.

Bengals safety Marvin White played most of Cincinnati's latest loss on torn knee ligaments. Tests on White's right knee found that he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in the first half of a 34-3 loss to Baltimore on Sunday. White didn't realize the severity of the injury and stayed in the game. Coach Marvin Lewis said Monday the test results were surprising, given the way White played. White was at a hospital and will miss the rest of the season, but is expected to be recovered from surgery by next season.

The Dayton Daily News reports Bengald WR Jerome Simpson, who was the team's second-round pick in 2008, "has left much to be desired in his development as a wide receiver." Simpson has not played well this offseason and finds himself fifth, at best, on the depth chart behind Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry and Andre Caldwell.

Bengals LB Dhani Jones (seven tackles), DB Chinedum Ndukwe (six tackles, sack), DL Domata Peko (six tackles) and LB Rashad Jeanty (five tackles) did their jobs in a Week 16 shutout of the Browns.

The Bengals have listed the following players as being inactive in Week 14 at Indianapolis: DB David Jones, RB Kenny Watson, DB Chinedum Ndukwe, DL Eric Henderson, TE Ben Utecht and DL Antwan Odom.

The Bengals signed WR Freddie Brown of Utah on Thursday, one of the team's seventh-round selections in the 2009 draft. Brown helped lead Utah to an unbeaten (13-0) season in 2007, with team-best totals of 77 catches and 900 yards, and he scored seven touchdowns.

The Bengals have listed the following players as being inactive in Week 14 at Indianapolis: DB David Jones, RB Kenny Watson, DB Chinedum Ndukwe, DL Eric Henderson, TE Ben Utecht and DL Antwan Odom.

The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to terms with restricted free agent linebacker Brandon Johnson. The fourth-year player from Louisville finished second on the team in tackles last season, getting a chance to start after rookie linebacker Keith Rivers broke his jaw. Johnson was a fifth-round pick by Arizona and played on special teams for two years. The Bengals signed him as a free agent, and he got his chance to play after Rivers got hurt.

The Bengals terminated the contracts of veterans Rudi Johnson and Deltha O'Neal on Saturday in order to get their roster down to 53 players, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer. Two other veterans, LB Jim Maxwell and TE Nate Lawrie also had their contacts terminated.

The Bengals have listed the inactives for their Week 17 game vs. Kansas City. Not in uniform will be: QB Carson Palmer, RB Chris Perry, RB Kenny Watson, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR Chad Johnson and DT Jason Shirley.

At the NFL Rookie Symposium in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Bengals rookie TE Chase Coffman told CBSSports.com in an exclusive interview that his injured foot is getting better and he should be ready for training camp. Coffman recently returned for the final minicamp but wasn't at full strength. "It's still not quite 100 percent, but I should be 100 percent (for training camp)," Coffman said. "I can't wait. It was great to get out there for the mandatory minicamp and do some stuff and get to practice and learn the plays a little more."

Foot - Probable for start of training camp

The Dayton Daily News reports that Bengals rookie RB Bernard Scott looked good during the club's minicamps and might be in line to aid starter Cedric Benson with the rushing workload in 2009. The report states that Scott "was quick, fast, elusive and possesses the ability to take it the distance. Scott made a number of nice cutback runs for big gains and was exciting to watch. He received a lot of reps, which means the team could have high expectations for the rookie."

The Bengals listed the following players as being inactive for Week 5 in Dallas: DL Pat Sims, WR Jerome Simpson, DL Jason Shirley, QB Jordan Palmer (3rd QB), RB Reagan Maui'a, LB Corey Mays, DB Dexter Jackson and WR Andre Caldwell.

According to the team web site, Bengals kicker Shayne Graham said he didn't understand why the club franchised him with a one-year deal of $2.5 million when they "didn't make a serious effort" to sign him. "I appreciate the fact they felt like there was value in franchising me," he said, "but just a little disappointment there wasn't a serious effort to sign a long-term deal."

Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers was scheduled for surgery Monday to set his broken jaw, an injury that will end his season. Rivers was hurt when Steelers receiver Hines Ward leveled him with a straight-up block during Pittsburgh's 38-10 victory on Sunday. The first-round draft pick walked off the field without assistance and went for tests that detected the fracture. After watching a video of the play on Monday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis didn't take issue with the rattling block. "There was not a foul," Lewis said. "There were no flags thrown."

Jaw - Probable for the start of 2009 training camp

Bengals starting cornerback Johnathan Joseph will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. The team on Friday placed Joseph on injured reserve, the third defensive starter lost to injury this season after linebacker Keith Rivers and safety Dexter Jackson. Joseph missed two early games with the injury, but had played in six straight games before aggravating it Sunday against Philadelphia. He didn't play in Thursday night's loss at Pittsburgh. Second-year player David Jones takes over Joseph's starting spot.

The Bengals signed DT Clinton McDonald of Memphis on Monday, one of the team's seventh-round selections in the 2009 draft. McDonald ranked third in Conference USA last season in sacks (seven) and was a starter for the East in the East-West Shrine Game. He played four seasons at Memphis, appearing in 48 games with 33 starts.

The Bengals have listed the inactives for their Week 17 game vs. Kansas City. Not in uniform will be: QB Carson Palmer, RB Chris Perry, RB Kenny Watson, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR Chad Johnson and DT Jason Shirley.

The Bengals put defensive ends Robert Geathers and Frostee Rucker on injured reserve. Geathers suffered a knee injury during a 27-10 loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. He walked through the locker room Monday on crutches. The fifth-year player started all 11 games and led the team with 2 1/2 sacks. Rucker suffered a hamstring injury in the same game. The third-year player started four games this season and had one sack.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed Williams to a one-year contract on Thursday. Williams missed most of last season with Dallas because he broke his right forearm twice, and the Cowboys released him on March 5. Part of the attraction of coming to Cincinnati was the chance to play for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who held the job in Dallas from 2000-06. Williams was the Cowboys' first-round pick in 2002. "I know that Coach (Zimmer) knows what I can do on the football field," Williams said. "I've been criticized for a lot, but I was never criticized when he was my coach. We're going to get back to our old ways and have a great season."

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

The Bengals signed CB Morgan Trent of Michigan on Wednesday, the first of the club's two sixth-round selections in the 2009 draft. Trent was a three-year starter at Michigan, playing 48 games with 41 starts over his career. He logged seven interceptions and an additional 24 pass break-ups, and his 31 total passes defensed ranks fifth in Wolverines history.

The Dayton Daily News reports that Bengals WR Andre Caldwell could be the eventual replacement for T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The report states that Caldwell has seen time with the first unit in the slot and "looked very good as a receiver and was explosive returning kicks" during the recent minicamp. The report also says "Caldwell was exceptional running after the catch and displayed the speed to get deep. He also displayed good route-running ability, sure hands and blocked well."

The Bengals drafted TE Chase Coffman from Missouri in the third round Sunday at pick No. 98 overall. Despite starting just 20 of 50 games for the Tigers, Coffman became the NCAA's all-time leading receiver among tight ends, catching 247 passes for 2,659 yards (10.77 avg) and 30 touchdowns.

The Bengals have signed FB Jeremi Johnson. He missed the 2008 season with a knee injury.

At the NFL Rookie Symposium in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Bengals rookie TE Chase Coffman told CBSSports.com in an exclusive interview that QB Carson Palmer has looked good throwing the ball this offseason after dealing with last year's elbow injury. "He's been throwing some great passes and looks good," Coffman said.

Elbow - Probable for start of 2009 training camp

Bengals LB Dhani Jones (seven tackles), DB Chinedum Ndukwe (six tackles, sack), DL Domata Peko (six tackles) and LB Rashad Jeanty (five tackles) did their jobs in a Week 16 shutout of the Browns.

Tank Johnson, a player with legal troubles in his background, is joining the Bengals, a team that frequently has dealt with such issues. The defensive tackle agreed to a contract with the Bengals on Tuesday. His agent, Jerrold Colton, says the Bengals' defensive scheme is a better fit for Johnson than his previous team, the Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old free agent had 33 tackles and three sacks in two seasons with the Cowboys, who signed him even while Johnson was still serving an eight-game NFL suspension in 2007 for violating the league's conduct policy.

Bengals RB Kenny Watson, TE Brad St. Louis, TE Daniel Coats, TE Nate Lawrie, WR Antonio Chatman, WR Jerome Simpson and QB Jordan Palmer didn't record offensive statistics Week 12 at Pittsburgh.

The Dayton Daily News reports that there's a backup QB battle brewing between veteran J.T. O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer, the younger brother of starter Carson Palmer. According to the paper, Palmer has looked better than the newcomer O'Sullivan and has shown a strong arm and has connected for deep touchdowns. O'Sullivan seemingly still has the edge because he has game experience.

The Bucs released FB J.D. Runnels on Wednesday. Runnels signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in August.

The Bengals have re-signed safety Chris Crocker and halfback DeDe Dorsey. Crocker, who joined the Bengals at midseason in 2008, had become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired. In the final eight games, he had 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble. Dorsey played in the first four games before a season-ending hamstring injury. He had two receptions for 49 yards.

The Bengals put defensive ends Robert Geathers and Frostee Rucker on injured reserve. Geathers suffered a knee injury during a 27-10 loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. He walked through the locker room Monday on crutches. The fifth-year player started all 11 games and led the team with 2 1/2 sacks. Rucker suffered a hamstring injury in the same game. The third-year player started four games this season and had one sack.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco is ready for a rebound year. Last year, with QB Carson Palmer out with an elbow injury, Ochocinco -- then just plain old Chad Johnson -- groused. He caught only 53 passes for 540 yards last season, after failing to force a trade. He skipped most of the voluntary workouts in the offseason, but showed up last week with a smile and an upbeat demeanor. "I'm back," Ochocinco said. "I can't explain it any other way. Before last year, this is how I was. I was good. I was happy. I'm good. It's going to be a great year. We're going to the playoffs. We're going, man." Palmer doesn't mind the excess enthusiasm. "I hope it lasts all the way through Super Bowl weekend," Palmer said. "And I think he is sincere. He's excited to be here. He's excited to be back playing football at a high level, at the level he used to play at when he was leading the AFC in yards. He's in way better shape than I've seen him in a couple of years."

The Bengals signed a few players to the practice squad, reports the team's official website. The players are as follows: LB Dan Howell, RB James Johnson and WRs Maurice Purify and Mario Urrutia.

Veteran linebackers Brandon Moore, Matt Stewart, and Joe Tafoya were among the 22 players released by the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, as the team pared its roster to the 53-player maximum. Also cut on Saturday were cornerback Michael Adams, cornerback Travarous Bain, defensive end Jason Banks, running back Steve Baylark, offensive lineman Kelly Butler, offensive lineman Peter Clifford, defensive tackle Keilen Dykes, linebacker Chris Harrington, offensive lineman Jasper Harvey, safety Dennis Keyes, wide receiver Lance Long, offensive lineman Carlton Medder, tight end Brent Miller, cornerback DeMario Minter, quarterback Anthony Morelli, wide receiver Jamaica Rector, center Pat Ross, tight end Alex Shor and running back Chris Vincent.

Cincinnati linebacker Darryl Blackstock agreed Monday to stay with the Bengals. Blackstock, an unrestricted free agent, started four games last season and appeared in eight others, getting 17 tackles. He was suspended for four games by the NFL for using a performance-enhancing substance. The Bengals also re-signed defensive lineman Orien Harris, a second-year player who appeared in 14 games last season.

The Cincinnati Bengals have re-signed TE Dan Coats, who is entering his third season in the NFL. Coats has played in 31 of 32 Bengals games during the past two seasons, with 10 receptions for 141 yards. The terms and length of his contract were not released.

Bengals QB Jordan Palmer, DB Chinedum Ndukwe, DB Corey Lynch, WR Andre Caldwell, DL Pat Sims, RB Reagan Mauia and DL Jason Shirley are all inactive for Week 1 at Baltimore.

Bengals LB Dhani Jones led the team in tackles in Week 14's loss to the Colts with nine. Defensive back Leon Hall had seven in the game to finish second tied with Rashad Jeanty and Kyries Hebert.

The Dayton Daily News reports that there's a backup QB battle brewing between veteran J.T. O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer, the younger brother of starter Carson Palmer. According to the paper, Palmer has looked better than the newcomer O'Sullivan and has shown a strong arm and has connected for deep touchdowns. O'Sullivan seemingly still has the edge because he has game experience.

Bengals DL Eric Henderson (neck), LB Abdul Hodge (elbow), DB Chinedum Ndukwe (foot) and DL Antwan Odom (shoulder) have all been ruled out for Week 12 at Pittsburgh.

Bengals LB Darryl Blackstock was added to the roster, having served a four-game suspension for using a nutritional supplement that contained a substance banned by the NFL. Blackstock played in the first five games this season, starting one, and had four tackles on defense. To open a roster spot, the Bengals waived cornerback Geoffrey Pope, a first-year player from Howard. Pope played in three games and was on the practice squad for five games.

Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, TE Reggie Kelly, TE Nate Lawrie, WR Glenn Holt, TE Brad St. Louis, FB/TE Daniel Coats, RB Chris Perry and QB Jordan Palmer all dressed for Cincinnati's Week 16 win over the Browns, but failed to record an offensive statistic.

The Indianapolis Star reports the Colts have finalized their roster down to 53 players Saturday. Among the cuts were RB Chad Simpson, WRs Devin Aromashodu, Onrea Jones and Sam Giguere, DLs Joe Bradley, Jeff Charleston, Dan Davis, Colin Ferrell and Ben Ishola, DBs Brannon Condren and Brandon Foster, TE Tyrice Thompson and LBs Victor Worsley and Kyle Shotwell.

The Bengals have re-signed safety Chris Crocker and halfback DeDe Dorsey. Crocker, who joined the Bengals at midseason in 2008, had become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired. In the final eight games, he had 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble. Dorsey played in the first four games before a season-ending hamstring injury. He had two receptions for 49 yards.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Bengals WR Chris Henry sees the chance to make plays this year now that T.J. Houshmandzadeh is gone. He promises to stay out of trouble and be more dedicated to his craft on the field. "This is a great opportunity for me that I'm going to make work," Henry said. "I just got tired of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had to do it for me and my family. I love to play football and I don't want to blow it. It's totally different. I'm not worried about anything negative going on in my life. I'm out here practicing with my teammates and go home to my family."

Bengals cornerback Leon Hall has pleaded to a reduced charge in his drunken driving case, allowing him to avoid jail time. Hall pleaded guilty on Monday to a misdemeanor charge of reckless operation of a vehicle. A Clermont County Municipal Court judge sentenced him to attend a three-day program that deals with how alcohol and drugs affect driving. The rest of his 30-day sentence was suspended. Hall also must perform 64 hours of community service. Hall was arrested on April 5. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.149; the state's legal limit is 0.08.

The Dayton Daily News reports Bengals RB Cedric Benson is looking to build off last season's success. Benson played in 12 games, starting 10. He rushed for 747 yards and two touchdowns and finished the season on a high note — 282 yards rushing and a touchdown in the final two games of the season. "No doubt, I'm ready to carry this team on my back," Benson said. "I'm due, hungry for it, miss it, and excited. It's good to be on a team that wants you. It's a great opportunity for me, and I am definitely going to seize every moment. I plan to take full advantage of those opportunities and see where it takes us. I'm about whatever it takes to get the job done. I think I am in the best situation that I can be in and it has to happen for me here."

Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, TE Reggie Kelly, TE Nate Lawrie, WR Glenn Holt, TE Brad St. Louis, FB/TE Daniel Coats, RB Chris Perry and QB Jordan Palmer all dressed for Cincinnati's Week 16 win over the Browns, but failed to record an offensive statistic.

Bengals LB Dhani Jones (seven tackles), DB Chinedum Ndukwe (six tackles, sack), DL Domata Peko (six tackles) and LB Rashad Jeanty (five tackles) did their jobs in a Week 16 shutout of the Browns.

The Bengals have obtained running back Brian Leonard in a trade with St. Louis. The Rams got reserve defensive tackle Orien Harris in the deal Thursday. Leonard was the Rams' second-round draft pick in 2007. He played in 16 games with seven starts as rookie, rushing for 303 yards and catching 30 passes for 183 yards. Last season, Leonard played in only two of the Rams' first five games due to a shoulder injury, then spent the rest of the season on injured reserve. The Bengals want to make him into a third-down back. "I still have a lot of skills and can catch the ball out of the backfield," Leonard told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

According to the team web site, Bengals WR Laveranues Coles is getting used to playing with his new team. "Of course, I'm a little bit out of what I'm used to doing but this is what they brought me in to play so I'm just trying to learn my way around and try to do exactly what they're asking me at this point," Coles says. "It's a new deal. I'm dealing with new coaches, a new system. I just go with the flow."

In addition to WRs T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Ocho Cinco and QB Carson Palmer among those listed on the Bengals' injury report, the club also designated the following players: S Chinedum Ndukwe (knee) and DT Pat Sims (toe) are out; WR Andre Caldwell (toe) is doubtful; DE Jonathan Fanene (illness), LB Brandon Johnson (hamstring), DE Antwan Odom (foot) and DT John Thornton (knee) are probable.

The Cowboys signed the following players to their practice squad: WR Skyler Green, QB Matt Baker, DE Stephen Bowen, OG D'Anthony Batiste, CB Quincy Butler, RB Keylon Kincade, LB Carl-Johan Bjork (NFL Europe exemption) and TEs Tony Curtis and Jerome Collins.

The official team web site reports that RB Kenny Irons has been waived off of Injured Reserve. He never took a regular-season snap with the club.