Cincinnati Bengals sign Chris Crocker & release Dennis Roland

Nov 25, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals safeties Reggie Nelson (20) and Chris Crocker (33) tackle Oakland Raiders running back Marcel Reese (45) during the second quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports /

The Bengals bolstered their thinning secondary today by signing free agent strong safety Chris Crocker, a 12th-year veteran who played 59 games with 53 starts for Cincinnati over the 2008-12 seasons.

After being the starting strong safety from 2008-2011, Crocker played in 13 games with nine starts last year before missing the Wild Card Game with an injury.

In order to makes roster space for him, the team released offensive tackle Dennis Roland, one of the team’s best backup o-lineman and often would be used as a blocking tight end before the team drafted TE Tyler Eifert this year.

Crocker can play cornerback well-enough that the team opted to sign him vs. bringing in a true cornerback who doesn’t know the defensive system. Expect Crocker to see significant snaps this Sunday, especially if one or both of Adam Jones and Leon Hall are out.

Hall continues to battle a hamstring injury, while Jones is dealing with more legal trouble that could eventually lead to a suspension for him. Don’t rule-out the Bengals taking matters into their own hands and suspending him themselves.

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