CINCINNATI, July 9 (UPI) -- A week after signing Michael Westbrook, the Cincinnati Bengals Tuesday, in a bit of a surprise, waived wide receiver Darnay Scott, who has spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Bengals.
Scott ranks fourth in club history with 386 receptions and fifth in yards with 5,975. He missed minicamp with a sore left leg and 14 on-field voluntary workouts, and when the team signed Westbrook, who played the last seven years with the Washington Redskins, his fate was essentially sealed.
By waiving Scott, the Bengals will save $3.2 million in salary cap space. That creates more room for the team to negotiate with linebackers Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons, whose contracts expire after the 2002 season.
The release of Scott comes two days after his 30th birthday, but he will now have the opportunity to shop his services to any team. He had 57 catches for 819 yards and two touchdowns last season after spending the 2000 campaign on injured reserve with a broken leg.
The 1994 second-round pick set career highs with 68 receptions for 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns in 1999.
Westbrook, who also recently turned 30, was released by the 'Skins after seven mostly unfulfilling seasons in Washington. He caught 57 passes for 664 yards and four touchdowns last season, making a complete comeback from a torn left ACL that sidelined him for most of the
2000 campaign.
