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Bengals to sign CB Bene' Benwikere to a one-year deal

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals will sign cornerback Bene' Benwikere to a one-year deal, according to his agent, Bardia Ghahremani.

Benwikere chose the Bengals over several other potential teams after visiting on Monday.

Benwikere began the 2016 season as one of the starting cornerbacks for the Panthers, but was released midseason after the team gave up 300 yards to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

Benwikere, 25, was a fifth-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2014 and started 14 games for them, including 10 during his first two seasons, before a broken leg late in the 2015 season kept him out of the playoffs.

He was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins after being released by the Panthers and finished the season on the Green Bay Packers' practice squad.

Benwikere has played both outside and inside and could be a potential option at either position for the Bengals, who face an uncertain cornerback situation. Dre Kirkpatrick is a pending free agent, while Adam Jones could face potential punishment by the NFL for violating the league's conduct policy after his arrest in January.

If Jones and Kirkpatrick aren't the starting cornerbacks to begin 2017, Benwikere would be the most experienced cornerback in terms of games started on the roster. The Bengals' 2016 first-round pick, William Jackson III, spent the season on IR and has yet to play.

USA Today first reported the news concerning Benwikere.