The Bengals went with youth Saturday when they released Taylor Mays.
After taking a look at their young safeties and linebackers in the spring workouts, the Bengals ended the Taylor Mays Re-Boot Saturday when they released the seven-year veteran.
That cuts the roster to 88 players, two below the limit of 90, but there doesn't appear to be an imminent veteran signing to fill those spots. The Bengals are expected to sign former University of Calgary wide receiver Rashaun Simonise if he passes his physical when the rookies report.
Mays, who played four niche seasons with the Bengals from 2011-2014 as a special teams player, backup safety, and fill-in nickel linebacker, left the club for a year after playing just 61 scrimmage snaps in 2014. They re-signed him for a season back in the spring even amid media reports he has to begin the season suspended for the first four games because of violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
But with the emergence of Josh Shaw and rookie Clayton Fejedelem at safety and Marquis Flowers and rookie Nick Vigil at linebacker, the Bengals are rapidly running out of room for backups and special teamers.
Training camp is set to open Friday in a 3 p.m. practice on the fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium, where guys like Flowers and Fejedelem are trying to nail down roster spots. Now they'll get more reps in their efforts.
The Bengals host head coach Mike Zimmer's Vikings for the Aug. 10-11 practices before playing Minnesota in the Aug. 12 pre-season opener at PBS.
