CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals Monday waived sevenplayers and placed two others on injured reserve to get down to the 49-player limit for Sunday's regular-season opener at Denver.
Waived were veteran offensive linemen Blake Moore and Jim Hannula, tight end Andy Gibler, nose tackle Emanuel Weaver, running back Rodney Tate and rookie free agents Clay Pickering, a wide receiver, and Brian Pillman, a linebacker.
Placed on injured reserve were free safety Bryan Hicks, who has a fractured right forearm, and wide receiver Gary Williams, who has a pulled hamstring.
'It was a very hard decision on each and every one of them,' said Coach Sam Wyche, whose team was 3-1 in the exhibition season. 'We had to let a lot of good people go, and I hope it is their desire to remain in football and that they will be able to do so.'
The release of Pillman will prove particularly disappointing for Bengals fans. He hails from Norwood, a Cincinnati suburb, and was a leading player for nearby Miami (Ohio) University. In addition, he chronicled his weeks of training camp for a Cincinnati newspaper.
