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Georgetown, Ky. — Somebody will replace Chris Henry, who was cut in April, as the Bengals' No. 3 wide receiver behind Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Whom shall it be?

Marcus Maxwell, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Glenn Holt and Antonio Chatman are all in the mix.

"It'll be a big deal because Slim brought a lot to our offense," Houshmandzadeh said.

Don't forget tight end Ben Utecht, whose catches will take away from the others.

"I don't care about having fewer catches," Houshmandzadeh said. "Of course, I want to get as many as I can. But if you win games and I can get to the playoffs, I'm cool with that."

Stamp of approval

Daniel Coats made his bid for the starting fullback job when he hammered middle linebacker Dhani Jones in the Oklahoma Drill.

"It's a fun day, a competitive day, a 'who's tough' kind of day," Coats said. "Every now and then, we've got to see who's on top of the mountain.

"It's always fun to go against the (defensive) guys, a full head-on day, instead of the two-hand touch or the coaches blowing the whistle early."

Buzz cut

Ethan Kilmer, who is making the transition from safety to cornerback, is sporting a burr haircut.

"I have a special barber back home (Wyalusing, Pa.)," Kilmer said. "He ripped it off. It's cool. I figure we're getting back in the swing of things. It's time to get a new 'do. I feel lighter, a little more aerodynamic."

Job opening

Third-year right defensive end Frostee Rucker has been temporarily elevated to first team in the wake of starter Antwan Odom's sprained left foot. Odom is expected to be ready for the Sept. 7 opener at Baltimore, but his injury represents Rucker's opportunity to seize the job.

"With Antwan going down, I need to increase my role a little bit until he gets back," Rucker said. "I'll take on the work, and I'm glad to have it."

Are you SIRIUS?

Former Bengals safety Solomon Wilcots and ex-Bears quarterback Jim Miller will host "The Red Zone" live from training camp today (12 to 3 p.m.) on SIRIUS NFL Radio (channel 124).

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com

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