NFL NOTEBOOK

Published 11:53 pm Tuesday, September 30, 2008

BENGALS: Running back Cedric Benson signed with Cincinnati, which was undeterred by two alcohol-related arrests in Texas that prompted the Chicago Bears to let him go. Benson will take the spot of running back DeDe Dorsey, who was placed on injured reserve after hurting his hamstring in a 20-12 loss to Cleveland. Chris Perry is Cincinnati’s starting running back.

BRONCOS: Denver placed wide receiver Clifford Russell on injured reserve and signed free-agent wide receiver Glenn Martinez. Russell sprained his neck on kickoff coverage in the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 33-19 loss at Kansas City on Sunday.

DOLPHINS: Ricky Williams says he was briefly tempted to smoke marijuana during the Miami Dolphins’ bye weekend, an act that could have ended his roller-coaster NFL career. Williams has been in the league’s substance-abuse program since 2002 and has tested positive for marijuana. Williams told The Miami Herald for Tuesday’s editions that when players were given Friday off, “automatically your mind, which is so constrained since training camp began … says, ‘I’m free, what can I do?’”

“So there was definitely an urge,” he said. “But I just thought about what I have to lose, and it was easy. The urge didn’t last very long.”

Since 2004, the Dolphins running back has played only 16 NFL games, including three this year. If Williams were to smoke marijuana again, he would likely be out of the NFL for good because he has already violated the league drug policy four times.

RAMS: Marc Bulger is St. Louis’ starting quarterback again in one of Jim Haslett’s first moves as their new coach. Backup Trent Green started Sunday’s 31-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Scott Linehan’s final game as coach. Bulger was back with the starters in practice Tuesday. He is the highest paid player in franchise history.

RAVENS: Baltimore running back Willis McGahee has a rib injury and his status for the Ravens game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday is unclear. McGahee suffered the injury during Baltimore’s 23-20 overtime loss Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was limited to just one yard on his only second-half carry after injuring his ribs in the final minutes of the first half.

Associated Press