FanHouse P.K. Sam

Earlier this week, Ryan Wilson passed along the information that former New York Giants head coach, Jim Fassel, was in such dire need to get back into coaching that he would be willing to take on the task of leading the Oakland Raiders. He even, reportedly, wrote Al Davis a hand-written letter expressing his desire to coach the silver and black.

Frankly, if there's any truth to that report, Davis should probably strike while the iron is hot and hire somebody, anybody, that is willing to work for him. If he doesn't, Fassel has another potential option, one that's familiar to guys who can't find work in the National Football League.

Canada.

22 roster moves were made today, and there were some surprising names involved (although not as surprising as a few other teams moves - still amazed at the Detroit fiasco with Charles Rogers). From Mark Curnutte, the full list:

WAIVED: wide receivers Glenn Holt, P.K. Sam and McNeal, offensive linemen Nate Livings, Kyle Takavitz, Pete Lougheed and Wilkerson, tight ends Darnell Sanders, David Jones and Ghent, running backs DeDe Dorsey, Naufahu Tahi and Chris Manderino, defensive lineman Eric Henderson and safety John Busing.

PUP: tailback Chris Perry, defensive end Jonathan Fanene and offensive lineman Adam Kieft.

IR: wide receiver Bennie Brazell, cornerback Patrick Body and defensive tackle Marcus Lewis.

SUSPENDED: Linebacker Odell Thurman was officially placed on the "Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner" list for his second violation of the league substance abuse policy.

The names that surprise me the most here are Reggie McNeal, the Bengals sixth rounder from this past draft. McNeal was Texas A&M's quarterback, but the Bengals drafted him as a wide receiver / special teams player. The pick confused me then, and I guess it confuses me even more now. As deep as this team is at wide receiver I just don't understand why they wasted a draft pick on the position.

I'm also surprised to see center Ben Wilkerson cut. I'd always assumed he'd one day be the heir to Rich Braham, but I guess that won't be happening now. Eric Ghiaciuc kind of made him redundant. The Bengals also cut a couple of players who had impressive preseasons in Tahi and Dorsey, which is to be expected with how deep this team is.

I'm glad to see Bennie Brazell kept, I think he has a future in the NFL in some capacity. The guy's crazy fast and speed is always worth something.
The most gratifying part of cut day has to be seeing so many quality players getting waived, players who could easily play for plenty of NFL teams. It's impressive that the Bengals have enough talent to waive guys like McNeal and Wilkerson.

More: Team makes 22 roster moves - Mark Curnutte's Blog
Roster Cut Thoughts - Cincy Jungle

Let's face it, tonight's game is going to be something of a snoozefest if you're only interested in watching the first string, but there are a few interesting storylines of note. Here are a few:

1. Will DeDe Dorsey see time against the first string? Dorsey has had an outstanding preseason, perhaps more so when it's remembered that he's stepping up from the NAIA to the NFL. Kenny Watson on the other hand hasn't looked good at all. It's possible that Dorsey would falter playing against starters, but I think he deserves a shot to prove himself and possibly earn a spot on the roster. If he's really as athletic as he's looked then I have to think he'd at least be a good special teamer.
2. Who's the odd man out at wide receiver? The Bengals have loads of talent at the wide receiver position, and it's obvious that Cincinnati can't keep all of these guys. Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh are obviously staying, and Antonio Chatman is safe since he's the new punt returner. Chris Henry is also a lock, if they haven't cut him by now then I have to think he's staying with the team. That leaves Bennie Brazell (who's injured), Reggie McNeal, Tab Perry, P.K. Sam, and Kelley Washington for the last spots. I think at least two of those five are going to be cut tomorrow, and if I had to guess I'd say it'll be Brazell and Sam getting sent out. Marvin hasn't typically been patient with marginal players who've been unable to perform due to injury, so I think that'll be it for Brazell. Perhaps they'll be able to put him on the physically unable to perform list. The last cut I think comes down to Sam vs. McNeal, and I'm personally more impressed with McNeal's versatility and athleticism than I am with Sam. But those are the guys to watch tonight, the marginal players fighting for a job.
3. Can the Bengals go undefeated? The Bengals destroyed the Colts in the final game of the preseason last year, mostly because Indianapolis barely played any of their first string. I think it's entirely possible that something similar will happen tonight, because the Colts really just don't care about the preseason. I shouldn't, but I'd be lying if I said that a perfect preseason wouldn't provide a little thrill. The Bengals haven't done such a thing since 1971, so I'm sure you can understand why I feel that way.

More: Pre-game I-74 Battle Notes - Cincy Jungle