Bengals cut Johnson; Perry to start

What a difference a year makes.

ESPN.com is reporting that Chris Perry will start at running back for the Cincinnati Bengals after the team terminated the contract of Rudi Johnson.

The move puts the exclamation point on a fast and dramatic fall for Johnson who, prior to 2007, had three seasons in a row with more than 1,300 yards rushing.

Hamstring injuries hampered Johnson last season and he was held to 497 yards. He came to camp, according to ESPN.com, in great shape this season. Perry is more of a receiving threat, but the move confuses me a little bit because Perry has been injury prone during his three-year career. Anyone owning Perry should grab some depth with Kenny Watson.

Meanwhile I’m not fully convinced that Johnson is done. A team like Seattle might find a guy like Johnson, playing rejuvenated and with a chip on his shoulder, a worthwhile risk.

ADD: Wow. The Bengals not only lopped Rudi Johnson but Willie Anderson, a starting tackle for a dozen years, as well. Anderson suffered through an injury-plagued season last year and lost his job to Stacy Andrews during camp. He declined, according to CNNSI.com and other media reports, to take a pay cut on Saturday to remain with the Bengals.