Maurice

Purify

Purify was taken into custody following a skirmish at Jefferson Hall, a bar in Newport (KY). The former Nebraska Cornhusker went undrafted in 2008 after multiple college arrests, including one for DWI and another for assault, trespassing, and resisting. The character-unconscious Bengals still gave him a deal. Purify’s already long odds of making the team should decrease.

The Bengals want their fifth receiver to be active on special teams, where Purify has a major edge on Simpson. Antonio Chatman’s lower leg injury does give Simpson a chance, but he has to start showing more consistency.

Bengals also released CB Rico Murray, TE Kolomona Kapanui, G Andrew Crummey, DT Ventrell Jenkins, OT Augustus Parrish, LB Dan Skuta, DE Chris Harrington, DT Langston Moore, FB Chris Pressley, S Corey Lynch, LB Jim Maxwell, LB Darryl Blackstock, DT Clinton McDonald and OG Jason Shirley.

With Chris Henry (shattered forearm) out for the season, the Bengals are looking for a receiver to step up as a situational deep threat. Purify is on the practice squad and won’t have any value even if he gets the call.

Purify was expected to have a role when Chris Henry went down for the season, but he never caught a pass. He’ll likely land back on the practice squad.

Simpson, a 2008 second-round pick, has been inactive for every game this season. When asked why, Lewis said “some guys come here and they have a little better knowledge of how coverages unfold and things work.” Carson Palmer already said he thinks Purify is closer to making an impact. No matter who gets the call, don’t expect either to make an impact in fantasy.

“Everybody takes their own time or their own process to get to where they need to get on the field and he’s found a way to do it faster and done a better job,” said Palmer of Purify. It doesn’t speak well to Simpson’s Dynasty value that his quarterback prefers an undrafted practice squad player.

The Nebraska product will likely immediately move ahead of disappointing 2008 second-round pick Jerome Simpson to be the Bengals’ No. 4 receiver. Purify has terrific size at 6'4/210, and showed some power on HBO’s Hard Knocks in training camp, bulldozing S Roy Williams in Oklahoma Drills.

Purify was ahead of Jerome Simpson on the camp depth chart, but Simpson made the roster instead because he was a 2008 second-round pick. Shirley is a former defensive tackle. Brown and McDonald were drafted in 2009.

Purify, who’s had off-field issues dating back to Nebraska, was arrested in May for disorderly conduct. He doesn’t have a catch in four preseason games.