Before the rookies took the practice field Friday morning on the grass fields outside Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals signed nine college free agents:
DE Rahim Alem, LSU: 6-2, 257: Played in all 12 games with 11 starts at right end in '09 in his first season as starter and had 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for losses and forced two fumbles …Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week against Vandy with seven tackles, one sack, and a pass breakup…He had eight sacks in '08 when he was named all-SEC and to the SEC academic honor roll…Finished with 14.5 sacks in 43 career games to go along with 25.5 tackles for loss.… Runs a 4.76 40…Named District 4-5A Defensive MVP after senior season at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, La…Born 10/9/85/
RB Cordera Eason, Mississippi: 5-11, 226: Started 12 of 46 games, all in 2008 when he had two 100-yard games (Auburn 14-104 and career high 14-106 against Louisiana-Monroe)…Finished '08 with 647 yards on 140 carries for 4.3 average with three touchdowns…Also caught two touchdown passes and had 10 catches for 82 yards…Played in every game in '09 with 36 carries for 133 yards (3.7) and TD and had four catches for 39 yards…Named virtually to every prep All-American team, including Tom Lemming's…Runs a 4.47 40…Named 2005-06 Gatorade Mississippi Football Player of the Year while at Meridian High School...Born 9/7/87.
FS Bryan Evans, Georgia: 5-11, 193: Started 23 of 47 games in four seasons…12 this past season with 46 tackles, half a sack and three pass breakups…One career interception…Career-high eight tackles against South Carolina last year…Moved to free safety before last year's spring drills and earned Coffee County Hustle Award…Received certificate for academic excellence at UGA academic round table…Ran a 4.42 40… Went to Edward White High School in Jacksonville, Fla...Born 12/12/86.
T Gabriel Manns, North Carolina Central: 6-6, 323: Starting left tackle in all 11 games last season for a third-year program playing NCAA Division I-FCS competition. After lining up against Duke, three-time national champion Appalachian State and nationally-ranked Liberty, he was selected to participate in two postseason all-star games…Ninth annual East Coast Bowl and inaugural Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl…Played in all 46 career games…Started 44…Only missed starts in 2006 due to injury and to allow a teammate to start on Senior Day… Named all-conference honorable mention and second-team all-region at East Forsyth High School in Winston Salem, N.C...Born 12/9/86.
S Jeromy Miles, Massachusetts: 6-2, 210: Transfer from Navy, where he was ECAC Rookie of the Year in 2006…Started 47 straight games, the last 36 at UMass…Senior captain finished fourth in tackles and had two picks, two forced fumbles, and five passes defensed to earn first team Walter Camp All-American….Had five 10-tackle games in his career…Had career-high 19 against Maine in '08…Runs a 4.46 40…Physical, smart durable guy with good speed…Ran for track team at Winslow High School that won three New Jersey championships…Born 7/20/87.
RT Andrew Mitchell, Oklahoma State: 6-5, 308: Began the year as starter at right guard and ended at right tackle in final four games of 3-1 finish…Began college career as tight end…First team junior-college All-American while at Snow JC…Transferred from Dixie Community College to Snow after he two-year Mormon mission…Runs a 5.12 40…All-conference and all district at Choctaw High School in Oklahoma…Born 6/12/85.
LB Vincent Rey, Duke: 6-2, 240: Before moving to middle backer to start his senior season last year, he had played in all 36 games with 23 starts, all but one at weak side ..He returned to Duke as its leading tackler and as the second leading active tackler in the ACC…Last year he came up with 90 tackles and had two interceptions…One of only two players in school history with two fumble returns for touchdowns…In '08 he and teammate Michael Tauiliili to formed the top tackling tandem in the country with 249 combined...Look for Bengals to work him at WILL…Had a big-time pro day..Runs 4.58 40…Comes out of Bayside High School and Far Rockaway, NY…Born 9/6/87.
FB Joe Tronzo Louisville 5-10, 242: Didn't miss a game in four seasons with 23 stars with five carries and seven catches, one for a touchdown against Syracuse… Once had three special teams tackles against Kentucky… Runs a 4.64 40…four-time USAPL National Powerlifting champion. and three-time Class AAA Kentucky shot put champion while captaining Louisville St. Xavier state championship football team… Holds state record in shot put with throw of 63'4 1/2...Born 6/10/87.
LS Mike Windt, Cincinnati: 6-1, 251:In his three seasons for the Bearcats never misfired on a long snap for field goals and extra points…Worked with current Bengals punter Kevin Huber, an All-American…Also Jake Rogers, Lou Groza Award semifinalist for kickers…In '07 UC led nation in net punting at 39.6…Runs a 4.9 40…Long snapped for Cincinnati Elder High School's back-to-back state champions…Born 5/29/85.
The Bengals are also hosting about 25 for tryouts and half have ties to the Cincinnati area:
--LB Caleb Bostic played at Miami (Ohio) and is from Galloway, Ohio (Westland HS).
--WR Mike Chambers played at Findlay University.
--DT Todd Denlinger played at Ohio State and is from Troy, Ohio (Troy HS).
--LB Alex Harbin played at Mt. St. Joseph and is from Cincinnati (Elder High School).
--G Christian Johnson played at Kentucky and is from Fort Campbell, Ky.
--LB Sam Maxwell played at Kentucky.
--S Richard Raglin played at Louisville.
--RB Jacob Ramsey played at the University of Cincinnati and is from Columbus, Ohio (Independence HS).
--QB Daniel Raudabaugh played at Miami (Ohio).
--P Jake Richardson played at Miami (Ohio) and is from Oxford, Ohio (Talawanda HS).
--G Chris Rodgers played at Ohio University.
--DE L.T. Walker played at Louisville.
--DE Curtis Young played at the University of Cincinnati.
