Cincinnati Bengals Get Terence Newman, Consider Trading Keith Rivers

The Cincinnati Bengals have added ex-Cowboy Terence Newman to their secondary and are thinking of dropping a player from their linebacker corps.

According to league sources, the Bengals agreed Wednesday to a one-year deal with cornerback Terence Newman, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys. Newman played for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in Dallas. In addition to the trade-in, the team is also apparently considering a trade-out, contemplating sending linebacker Keith Rivers to the New York Giants.

The 34-year-old Newman was drafted fifth overall in the 2003 draft, but was cut by the Cowboys earlier in the offseason in a salary cap move. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback was supposed to count more than $8 million against the salary cap in 2012. Newman went to the pro-bowl in 2007 and 2009, started 131 of this 133 games with the Cowboys, and boasts 558 career tackles and 32 interceptions. Newman appeared in all 16 games six times for Dallas. He missed the first two games of the season last year due to a groin injury and missed six in 2008 due to a similar injury. Newman had 53 tackles with four tackles in the last season, but became a target for opposing teams very late in the season. In 2010, he had a career-high of 79 tackles.

As for Rivers, he was the 9th overall pick in 2008, but missed the 2011 season because he hadn’t fully recovered from surgery on his right wrist back in July. The linebacker turns 26 in May, boasts 186 career tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in just 35 career games. How Rivers would fit into the Giants is left to speculation and rumor for now, with discussion on the topic found here.

Do you think the Cincinnati Bengals will be a good fit for Terence Newman?