Updated: 4:45 p.m.
The Bengals activated center Kyle Cook from the Reserve/Injured-Recall list and made room by waiving wide receiver Armon Binns on Saturday.
The injury to kicker Mike Nugent's right calf has put the Bengals under a roster crunch because they believe he's day-to-day, but still need a space for Josh Brown to kick Sunday against the Cowboys (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 19) at Paul Brown Stadium. And with tight end Jermaine Gresham (hamstring) surfacing on the injury report Thursday, the Bengals may want to go into the game with three tight ends and Binns has been inactive for three of the last four.
Binns could be a candidate to return once the Bengals weather some injuries. A first-year player from the University of Cincinnati, Binns was an Opening Day starter and played in eight games this season with five starts and 18 catches for 210 yards and a touchdown.
Cook suffered an ankle injury in preseason, on Aug. 23 vs. Green Bay, and was placed Sept. 4 on Reserve/Injured, designated as the team's player eligible for possible return. Cook has been practicing with the team since last week on a roster exemption. He opened the 2012 preseason as the team's No. 1 center and made 50 consecutive starts through the end of last season to tie the team's longest active streak.
On Thursday head coach Marvin Lewis said it would be a leap to say Cook would start against the Cowboys. On Saturday, Cook was upgraded to probable after practicing full go all week. Rookie Trevor Robinson has started five straight games, the last three yielding running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis's first 100-yard games of the season.
TRAGIC LOSS FOR COWBOYS: Cowboys rookie practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a car accident early Saturday morning and teammate Josh Brent was arrested for intoxication manslaughter as the NFL spent its second straight Saturday dealing with tragedy.
Brown, 25, who broke into the league undrafted with the Colts, hooked on with the Dallas practice squad right before the season and played in one game against the Jets on Oct. 14 before going back to the practice squad.
Brent, a backup nose tackle, was expected to make his fifth NFL start Sunday against the Bengals in place of injured Jay Ratliff. Last week against the Eagles, Brent had three tackles and a quarterback hurry, and his first career forced fumble turned into cornerback Morris Claiborne's clinching 50-yard touchdown return in a 38-33 victory.
Bengals public relations director Jack Brennan said Saturday evening that the club has "reached out to the Cowboys on several levels." The club plans to hold a pre-game moment of silence for Brown.
The Cowboys signed nose tackle Rob Callaway off the practice squad Saturday. Callaway, a first-year player, hasn't played in a game this season.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement via ESPNDallas.com. "At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."
It was a week ago Saturday that Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher committed suicide after allegedly killing his girlfriend.
