The Cincinnati Bengals waived former University of Utah tight end Jake Murphy on Wednesday, then signed wide receiver Michael Bennett in a corresponding move.
Murphy spent the tail end of last season on the Bengals’ practice squad after signing with the team in November. He also had stints with the Raiders and Dolphins in his first season in the NFL after leaving Utah following his junior year.
In Cincinnati’s 23-10 preseason win over the New York Giants last week, Murphy played five offensive snaps. But he found himself struggling for opportunities with the Bengals behind a handful of other tight ends, including starters Tyler Eifert and Ryan Hewitt.
Prior to joining Cincinnati, Murphy, who prepped at American Fork High, spent nearly a month on Miami's practice squad in 2014. The 6-foot-4 tight end originally signed with Oakland after going undrafted and caught a touchdown pass for the Raiders in preseason play last year.
Other TE news: Former BYU tight end and current Baltimore Raven Dennis Pitta will start the 2015 season on the physically unable to report list, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. This means Pitta will not be eligible to play in a game until at least week seven.
Pitta dislocated and fractured his hip in week three last season, the second straight year he suffered the same injury. He initially injured his hip during training camp in 2013.
Pitta's last full season came in 2012, when he had 61 receptions for 669 yards and seven touchdowns while helping Baltimore win the Super Bowl.
The 6-foot-4 Pitta is guaranteed $4 million from the Ravens this season, regardless if he plays.
“He’s not going to be activated for the beginning of our regular season,” Harbaugh said, according to baltimoreravens.com. “We’d be talking about a midseason type of a thing if we did it, so we’ll just have to see where that goes.”
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