“It was good news to hear, especially coming off an ACL injury last year,” Bennett said, referring to the injury he suffered in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 30.
“I had another job lined up and everything,” Bennett added. “I thought football might be over for me, or at least wait until next year.”
What type of job?
“Financial manager or financial planner, some crap like that,” he said. “I was not excited about it.”
But the 6-foot-3, 202-pound receiver is excited about his opportunity with a Bengals team that has an open competition for the final two or three spots at the position behind A.J. Green, Bennett’s teammate for one season at Georgia, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu.
“My goal is just make the team, really,” Bennett said. “I think I have the talent to do that, to make the 53. It’s my first day, so I’ve got to make an impression somehow, learn the playbook as soon as possible and show what I can do in the preseason games.”
Bennett led Georgia with 37 catches as a senior, and his 404 yards and four touchdowns were second on the team. He finished his college career with 134 receptions for 1,607 yards and 17 TDs.
Prior to tearing his left ACL in the bowl game, he tore his right ACL in practice his sophomore year. He said he’s been a quick healer both times.
“Actually it’s the perception that it takes nine to 12 months, but really at six months the graft is totally healed and you’re good to go,” Bennett said. “It’s really up to the athlete at that point. I have some good genes and really felt my knee was back to normal pretty quick.
“I feel good, feel 100 percent and showed it (Tuesday),” he added.
To make room for Bennett, the Bengals waived undrafted rookie free agent tight end Jake Murphy.
Extra official: The NFL is experimenting with an eighth official on the field in 13 games this weekend, including the Bengals-Buccaneers contest Monday night.
The league has used seven-man crews since adding the side judge in 1978, but it wants to see if adding an eighth set of eyes will help reduce the number of times an official is responsible for multiple areas on the field that may not be close to each other.
“Because we’ve moved the umpire (behind the line of scrimmage), I think we’re going to gain some advantage with the eighth official being in the back end,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We can gain some advantage on defensive holding and some things that occur now that are being missed since the ump has been moved. It’s a fast game with a lot of big, fast people. Balls down the field will gain a bit of an advantage with another set of eyes.”
Roll call: Backup quarterback AJ McCarron returned to action and took the second-team snaps.
Cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard (groin), Brandon Ghee (hamstring), tackle Jake Fisher and guard Trey Hopkins have not practiced since Friday’s preseason opener, although Dennard, Ghee and Hopkins were working on the side rehab field along with the regular cast of injury-list players — tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (knee) and linebackers Vontaze Burfict (knee) and Sean Porter (knee).
Defensive end Michael Johnson (knee) and wide receivers Onterio McCalebb (leg) and Tevin Reese (undisclosed) did not work.
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