DeQuin Evans
Fox Sports is reporting what was feared Thursday night. The Bengals plan to place their best cover linebacker, Emmanuel Lamur, on season-ending injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder Saturday. If they go through with it, the question at linebacker may not be who do they keep, but how many?
The Bengals are expected to scour the waiver wire Saturday for backers, but with injuries on the offensive line and at cornerback they could also decide to go light at backer while going with extra players at those other spots. Beyond the three starting backers (Vontaze Burfict, Rey Maualuga, James Harrison), special teams staple Vinnie Rey (who backs up all three spots), and free-agent rookie Jayson DiManche (who, like Lamur, can play outside) look to have a spot. Where it leaves J.K. Schaffer, primarily an inside player, is anyone's guess.
NFL Network is reporting the Bengals are shopping defensive end Dontay Moch, but could the Lamur injury shift him back to linebacker and put him on the 53? The Bengals tried it before after they drafted him in the third round in 2011 after he broke every NFL scouting combine record imaginable for a man his size. Plauged by injuries and a bout with migraine headaches that seems to be done, Moch has shined back at his college position of pass rusher and led the team in sacks the past two preseasons (3,5 last season, three this year) without playing in a regular-season game.
EVANS SUSPENDED: For the second time in 22 months Bengals defensive end DeQuin Evans on Friday was suspended without pay for the first eight games of the 2013 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Ticketed for the practice squad for the third year, he's eligible to return to the Bengals active roster or the practice squad the day after the Oct. 27 game against the Jets.
