Bengals Xtra is a weekly column from beat writers Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski, looking behind the scenes of Bengals football.

Over the next week, a sea of players is going to overload the NFL transaction system as 32 teams cut their rosters from 90 (or just a few less than) down to 53 by 4 p.m. on Sept. 2. Some will happen right after the preseason games this week, the bulk after the exhibition schedule is complete later in the week.

For the most part, the players who will cycle through waivers are there for a reason. But it doesn’t mean the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t going to be keeping a close eye. They’ve scouted. They see roster inequities across the league. Overloads at a position. Maybe a young player they remember having a high draft grade but who has struggled early for one reason or another. Other times teams call offering a player to trade, tipping their hand that he might be expendable.

“If we think it’s an upgrade and we think long-term, if we think having different guys in the 53rd, 52nd, 51st, 50th role is better long-term and they won’t be dressing, or whoever is actively in that role won’t be dressing, it doesn’t affect our 46 so there are times – we look to upgrade those spots,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said.

But there’s a caveat, especially with first-year players that hit the wire.

“Normally the guys that have shown good in the preseason aren’t the ones getting released,” Tobin said. “And so, it’s what you choose to believe. Do you choose to believe you were correct on him in your evaluation of him only a few months ago? Or, do you choose to believe you were wrong and what you see in the short timeframe that he’s been in the NFL is correct? There’s no ideal answer for that.”

No greater example of this was 12 months ago.

On Sept. 4, 2016, they picked up quarterback Jeff Driskel off waivers from San Francisco.

Eleven days later, and after the season had already begun, they scooped up cornerback KeiVarae Russell off waivers from Kansas City – and cut Trey Hopkins to make room for him (The team re-signed Hopkins to the practice squad the next day).

The Bengals had to weigh the reasons for them being available. Was it scheme? Injury? Too much depth to crack on their former team? But, what helped those players land in Cincinnati was where they played, too.

“(Driskel and Russell) both play a very valuable position in the NFL,” Tobin said. “Those two positions are harder to find. And when you have guys that you have a good opinion on that are available, you try and find them that way. Had they played some other positions, it may not have been as valuable to us to try and find a guy here early. But those positions we felt like it was worth the chance at development.”

These were somewhat tricky moves for the Bengals in that in order to keep Driskel and Russell after claiming them, the team felt it had to carry the pair on the 53-man roster. Driskel was active once, essentially as an emergency wide receiver. Russell played in five games and had an interception and a pass defensed.

“It was a rare year that two guys that we had very high opinion of got released,” Tobin said. “We had to make it work and we were able to make it work and I think we were glad that we did. I think the payoff is now, second year, third year.”

After the season, the club picked off a couple more players through a variety of mechanisms. First, it was signing linebacker Bryson Albright away from Buffalo to the reserve/future list. Then, they claimed wide receiver Chris Brown off waivers from Dallas.

Then on April 11, perhaps the most surprising move occurred – they swung a trade for fourth-year defensive end Chis Smith from Jacksonville.

The trade, though it won’t cost the Bengals more than a conditional seventh round pick, was a head turner not because of who was acquired and for what, but rather that it happened at all. Under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals simply haven’t made moves to acquire established talent.

But in Smith’s case, the team had an eye on him for years. They couldn’t quite determine why he never cracked the rotation in Jacksonville, but it didn’t matter much. Tobin had an open line to Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, tried to get him before the 2016 season, and finally was able to strike a deal when it was time to get their guy.

Different factors get weighed into a trade than a waiver claim, of course. Current contract status. His progress in the NFL, age and how he is projected. And, what has to be given up. It wasn’t ideal that Smith is in a contract year, but the other positives outweighed that fact.

“He’s been there for three years and hasn’t really done a lot. Is that his fault? Is it their fault? I don’t know,” Tobin said. “It’s not for us to judge. What we see on tape, we see flashes that we want to take a look. Will he ultimately do better for us? Time will tell. He’ll have this year and we’ll see. To this point he’s come in and done well for us. He’s proven worthy of the trade.”

Chris Smith makes final rush for Bengals roster

There are threads in those acquisitions, however, that can be looped into the moves over the past 16 months.

Premier positions (cornerback, quarterback).



Young player that club had a high opinion on (Nelson was a first-round pick in 2007, Mays was a second-round pick in 2010).

Hello, Jeff Driskel, KeiVarae Russell and Smith. And, perhaps, the club will be saying hello to a few newer faces in the next couple of weeks.

“You try to use those other areas as areas of opportunity – there’s a guy, let’s jump on him. There’s a guy on waivers, let’s jump on him,” Tobin said. “There’s a guy that wasn’t employed at the end of the year, let’s jump on him. There are these opportunities and you try to attack them when they come up.”

Ross getting healthy, getting paid

There wasn’t much doubt wide receiver John Ross was going to pass all of his physicals for the Bengals after he had surgery on his labrum after the NFL Scouting Combine in February, but the team did protect itself in a way when he signed his rookie deal.

Per a league source, of Ross’ $10.5M signing bonus he received $2.6M up front and then $5.3M of it after passing his physical. He’ll get the remaining $2.6M of it no later than Dec. 1.

The dollars behind Bullock v. Elliott

Hey – remember when Randy Bullock signed a two-year, $1.5M deal? He did. But, according to overthecap.com, the Bengals were smart as they would not have any dead money should rookie Jake Elliott beat him out in the next week. Elliott signed a 4-year, $2.6M rookie deal, but should he be cut, the team would only take a $277K hit in dead money over the length of that contract.

Cap update

According to the NFL Players Association, the Bengals have just over $19.4 million left in cap room as of Friday (factoring in the top 51 contracts of the 87 players currently on the roster). That total ranks 11th most in the NFL.

San Francisco - $64M Cleveland - $56M Jacksonville - $43.7M Houston - $36.8M Tennessee - $35.9M Tampa Bay - $23.4M Indianapolis - $22.4M New York Jets - $21.9M Green Bay - $21.4M Oakland - $19.8M Cincinnati - $19.4M Chicago - $16.8M



The team with the least amount of cap room as of Friday is Atlanta, with $5.99M available.

Previously, in BX

The Bengals approach endorsement opportunities differently.

(On a somewhat related note, as of Aug. 1, A.J. Green has the 35th best-selling player jersey in the NFL. He is the only Bengal in the top 50. University of Cincinnati product and current Kansas City Chief TE Travis Kelce is 40th. Cincinnati native and current Carolina Panther LB Luke Kuechly ranks 29th. Patriots QB Tom Brady was No. 1.)

With Jay Gruden and Washington on the docket, we took a look at who’s nexton the Marvin Lewis coaching tree.

Follow Enquirer Bengals beat writers Jim Owczarski and Paul Dehner, Jr. on Twitter @JimOwczarski and @PaulDehnerJr and send email to jowczarski@enquirer.com and pdehnerjr@enquirer.com