Aug 30th 2008 2:48PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Bengals, AFC NorthThe Bengals had made it clear that they were looking to trade Rudi Johnson in exchange for a wide receiver. Well, it’s trim-the-roster day across the league and with nobody interested in making a deal, Cincinnati has instead opted to release Johnson. The running back pegged to replace Corey Dillon following an impressive 2003 season will now be out of a job, at least for the time being. Johnson had battled injuries in recent seasons, and it kept him out practice for most of this preseason.

Ironically, the Bengals will start the year with Chris Perry as their No. 1 back, a 2004 first-round pick who has started a whopping three games in four years. Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey fill out the depth chart, although I suspect we’ll see plenty of them, what with Perry’s injury history and Watson’s success in limited playing time.

Meanwhile, Johnson will be anxiously waiting for another chance. “We want to keep this positive,” said Schaffer, who negotiated a five-year deal for Johnson that had two years left. “Obviously we got wind they were moving in a different direction when (ESPN) reported they were trying to trade him. We think Rudi’s got plenty of football left and we’re going to look for the best situation for him.” I’d agree with that last point. Shaun Alexander and Travis Henry are still looking for work, and I’d like to think Johnson is definitely a better option than either of them. That said, there will be plenty of guys looking for work today, so it’ll be a buyer’s market. Which could be bad for Johnson, but maybe it’ll mean the Bengals can finally find a backup receiver that isn’t a disappointment.