Rookie running back Brian Hill arrived in the fold Tuesday.

The Bengals replaced running back Jeremy Hill on the roster Tuesday with another power back when they plucked rookie Brian Hill from the Falcons practice squad. In order to make room for the newest Hill they released rookie middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson and with a spot open on the practice squad that figures to be the next move.

The 6-1, 219-pound Brian Hill, the second of Atlanta's three fifth-round selections, made Atlanta's Opening Day roster. He didn't play until the fourth game and that was on special teams, he was waived Oct. 14, and he had been on the practice squad since Oct. 17.

Hill fits the Bengals' profile of being attracted to productive college players and they rated him in the fourth-round range. During his three seasons for Wyoming, Hill set school career records for rushing yards with 4,287 and 32 rushing touchdowns when no player on campus had ever hit 3,000 yards. They like the speed that goes with his size and production. He logged 4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.

Also Tuesday the Bengals signed rookie cornerback Sojourn Shelton to the practice squad for the second time. Shelton, out of the University of Wisconsin, signed Sept. 4 and was released Oct. 27.

Nickerson, undrafted out of Illinois, has already been on the practice squad for two of the ten weeks. He's played in seven games primarily on special teams, where he's taken 140 snaps. He's had 10 plays from scrimmage, mostly in the goal-line package, and he was in on two plays last Sunday.