Bengals cut Antonio Bryant

[xXTheSteelKingsXx]

Bengals cut ties with injury-plagued, veteran WR Bryant

NFL.com Wire Reports

The Cincinnati Bengals have released wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who got a four-year, $28 million deal in March but has been sidelined by a bad knee during training camp.

The Bengals chose Bryant over Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens in March, thinking he was a better complement to receiver Chad Ochocinco. Bryant had surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee last year, and it began bothering him over the summer.

The team's reliance on Bryant diminished when the Bengals finally reached a one-year contract agreement with Owens in July.

Bryant comes off a season in which he complained about a diminished role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense. After recovering from surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee last year, Bryant had 39 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns.

The previous year, Bryant revived his career after being out of football in 2007, finishing with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bucs placed their franchise tag on Bryant, assuring him a salary of $9.88 million last season. He became a free agent after 2009, and the Bengals signed him one week into free agency for about $28 million over four years.

Also on Sunday, the Bengals put safety Gibril Wilson on injured reserve with damaged ligaments in his left knee and they waived rookie long snapper Mike Windt.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...e=HP_headlines

[tony hipchest]

thats $17 mil guaranteed last year and with this years signing bonus. dude has barely played since the beginning of last season and now he can retire comfortably.

i guess the bengals dont pay doctors to give and properly pass physicals.

good job bungles!

[chacha]

that's a sheetload of money to just give away

[ricardisimo]

I am glad I am not a Bungles fan. I suppose this means they won't having the signing bonus money for Muchostinko when they need it... Not sure if that helps us or not.

[tony hipchest]

i wonder how TO feels watching antonio bryant walk away with HIS money.

this has "dissent brewing over money" written all over it.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

i wonder how TO feels watching antonio bryant walk away with HIS money.

this has "dissent brewing over money" written all over it.

not only that, but TO's contract is HEAVILY based on incentives . you don't reach those incentives unless you get the ball ....


T.O. brings the possibility of game changing playmaker to the Bengals at a minimum price. The contract is only for $2 million but has matching $2 million in incentives. Owens’ contract has six incentives each equally about $330,000:

1. Catch 60 receptions
2. Catch 100 receptions
3. Have 900 yards
4. Have 1300 yards
5. Have 10 touchdowns
6. Have 14 touchdowns

It will be hard for T.O. to reach all these incentives when he is sharing Palmer’s passes with Ochocinco. He has only had 100 receptions once in his career – 2002 while with San Francisco. He also has only had 1300 yard and 14 touchdowns four times each during his 14 year career.

It will be interested to see if these bonuses incentivize Owens to be the best receiver he can for the team or to be the selfish player everyone knows him to be. Regardless, it will be an interesting season in Cincinnati.