In another move later Friday, the Bengals waived guard Lamont Gaillard from the reserve/injured list with an injury settlement.
Allen and Thomas had been released by the Bengals on Wednesday, as vested veterans, and Williams was waived, to make room for three players acquired on waivers, but after making the initial 53-man roster Tuesday, it was expected they would be brought back. Teams often have to do these sort of roster manipulations to avoid losing players on waiver claims.
Cincinnati had some room on the roster again with Khalid Kareem (hamstring) and Cam Taylor-Britt (abdomen) going on the reserve/injured list Wednesday.
Gaillard, a third-year player out of the University of Georgia, was waived/injured on Tuesday and reverted to the team’s Reserve/Injured list on Wednesday after clearing waivers. He originally was a sixth-round pick of Arizona in 2019 and spent his first two seasons with the Cardinals, before being acquired on waivers by the Bengals prior to the 2021 season.
The Bengals got a first look Thursday at their new additions from waiver claims, as tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping and defensive tackle Jay Tufele arrived and participated in the team’s last practice of the week.
Tufele, a claim from Jacksonville, is in his second year and originally was a fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2021 out of the University of Southern California. He played in four games for the Jaguars last season and had two tackles.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Thursday it was too early to know what Tufele can add to the group. The Bengals were just looking to build depth with their waiver claims.
Asiasi, from New England, was a necessary add because of some question marks at the tight end position with Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox both returning from injury. The third-year player out of UCLA originally was a third-round pick of the Patriots in 2020. He played in 10 games for the Patriots over the past two seasons, catching two passes for 39 yards and one touchdown.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said the staff doesn’t know much about Asiasi except what he’s put on tape but he showed enough to make him someone they believed could help.
“He’s got some skills that we like,” Callahan said. “We need guys at the tight end position that can fulfill some roles for blocking, catching all those things. Depth wise, we needed it. And so what he did on tape, and what he’s done over his career was appealing to us. How we use him and how he fits remains to be seen.”
Scharping, a fourth-year player out of Northern Illinois University, originally was a second-round pick of Houston in 2019. He has played in 48 games with 33 starts for the Texans over the past three seasons.
“You’re putting him in the depth spots and that interior swing spot,” Callahan said. “And you just kind of see what you have and how quickly they learn. … It’s gonna be some things that they’re unfamiliar with. So that’s always gonna be a little bit of an adjustment period. But yeah, they’re gonna come in and compete.”
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