Cincinnati Bengals
Notes: Williams to IR, Purify signed
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted November 13, 2009 1:17 PM ET
Bengals safety Roy Williams has been placed on the Reserve/Injured list, ending his first season with the Bengals. The team signed wide receiver Maurice Purify from the practice squad to take his roster spot.
Williams missed most of the 2008 season after suffering a broken forearm with the Cowboys and reinjured the forearm in practice the week after the first Pittsburgh game in September.
"His forearm is not to the level where he can play with it," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "We know he's a hell of kid and he wants in the worst way to play, but he just can't. The pain and trauma on the site of where he had the injury is too much. He took a small blow again the other day. It's a set-back, I think the medical people feel the best way is he's going to have a couple of options and he'll take the best option and go forward for his career and next year."
Lewis said he didn't think this is a career-threatening injury. Williams signed a one-year deal with the Bengals in May and Lewis said he'd like for Williams to return.
"I'd love to have him back," Lewis said. "That's what I just told him. He was good, but we have a ways to go. He's a great player and great person, he's uplifted this building and want all those kind of guys we can have. He's a tough guy to lose, but he's empowered other guys to play better and that's what you want to do. The competition is good for us."
Chinedum Ndukwe has started in Williams' place in four of the last five games.
Oddly enough, the man replacing Williams gained his most notoriety by leveling Williams in an Oklahoma drill in training camp and it was caught on Hard Knocks.
Maurice Purify
"He's been a consistent performer for us," Lewis said. "During the season for two years, he's worked against the defense and every time somebody's ill or sick, he gets thrown into the mix and we don't seem to miss a beat. He's big, he's fast, he's got great speed that he builds and goes, he runs with the ball after he catches it, he blocks. He'll contribute on special teams for us, he gives us a lot of options."
Since Sunday's season-ending injury to Chris Henry, Purify has leapfrogged 2008 second-round pick Jerome Simpson, who has not been active for a game this season. As a rookie, Simpson played in six games, starting one and had one catch for two yards. He also had one kick return for eight yards.
"It's got nothing to do with (Jerome), obviously he's effected by it, but in the big scheme of thing it doesn't," Lewis said. "We found a good prospect last year, he overcame some tough circumstances and did right. This football team is made up of a bunch of guys like him."
Simpson is more athletic than Purify, but Purify is bigger and more physical. He is also a very good blocker.
"He's a real tough kid," Lewis said. "Not many guys are going to pick a fight with Maurice around here."
OCHOCINCO FINED - Chad Ochocinco's dollar will end up costing him $19,999 more.
The NFL announced on Friday that it fined Ochocinco $20,000 for mockingly try to bribe an official during a replay review of a catch in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over the Ravens.
According to the NFL, Ochocinco was in violation of two rules: "Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (b), of the Playing Rules which prohibits use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward game officials. He was also in violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (f) of the Playing Rules which prohibits possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform during the game on the field or sideline."
In the fine letter to Ochocinco, the NFL vice president Ray Anderson wrote, "The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming an NFL Player."
Lewis agreed with the fine.
"I think, as I told Chad when I heard what occurred, you don't fool with the integrity of the game in the NFL, you don't cross that line," Lewis said. "He crossed that line. I told him that. And obviously the league felt so, too. We're not the WWF, this is a serious game for serious people and you can't do that. He realizes he made a very serious error in judgment and hopefully some good will come out of it. The league can't have a copycat deal and I think they made sure there'd be no copycats."
LINEBACKER CART - All seven of the Bengals linebackers loaded on a golf cart from the practice field to the locker room - with two on the hood of the cart.
The cart zipped by Lewis, who stopped his post-practice interview to wordlessly stare at his players in amusement and wonder.
"We didn't know he was there," Maualuga joked afterwards.
Maualuga, the driver, wore a helmet while he drove the cart, and crashed into some water bottles.
"Safety first," Maualuga said of the helmet.
PRACTICE REPORT -- An illness caused several Bengals to miss Friday's practice. Tank Johnson, Andre Caldwell and Jonathan Luigs missed practice due to illness, but all three, along with defensive end Robert Geathers Jr. (hip) are listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Steelers.
Linebacker Keith Rivers (calf) and guard Evan Mathis (ankle) are listed as doubtful, while fullback Jeremi Johnson (chest) and defensive end Frostee Rucker (neck) are questionable.
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, News
Tags: Bengals, Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals, Evan Mathis, Jonathan Luigs, Keith Rivers, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Purify, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rey Maualuga, Roy Williams, Steelers, Tank Johnson
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