Greg Myers, who lost his job as the Bengals free safety last year, is negotiating an injury settlement with the team.

        Myers, a fifth-year pro, tore a tendon in his kneecap Aug. 4 in the preseason opener at Buffalo.

        Jim Lippincott, Bengals director of pro/college personnel, said Myers still could return to the team after the 10th game of the season. That is what punter Brad Costello did after he was hurt in the preseason last year.

        But, Myers also could pursue another team now.

        Myers started 34 of his 58 career Bengals games. He was a fifth-round draftee from Colorado State in 1996, started for all of 1997 and '98, then yielded to Cory Hall after four games of the '99 season.

        Myers has had a steady if unspectacular career, with 212 tackles but only four interceptions in his 58 appearances. He was the Bengals' primary punt returner in 1997, averaging 7.7 per return.

        VAUGHN GONE: Damian Vaughn was named All-World in the offseason, but that was not good enough to make the Bengals.

        Vaughn, a tight end from Miami University, was waived Tuesday. He was behind Tony McGee, Marco Battaglia and Steve Bush. Plus, rookie long snapper Brad St. Louis is also a tight end. Also, Vaughn has battled an Achilles tendon strain.

        Vaughn made the all-NFL Europe League team (also known as the World League) in the offseason, and led that league's tight ends in receptions (40).

        Vaughn, who grew up in Orrville, Ohio, was drafted by the Bengals in the seventh round in 1998 and spent the year on the practice squad. In 1999, he broke his right hand in preseason and again spent the year on the practice squad.

        SHOW OF SUPPORT: The Bengals' four remaining tight ends — McGee, Battaglia, Bush and St. Louis — all wore their jerseys inside out at practices to salute Vaughn, who was waived early Tuesday morning.

        Bengal defensive backs did the same when veteran Roosevelt Blackmon was cut. The idea, the players said, was not to protest but to honor the departed players for their work here.

        The roster now stands at 73 players, and must be down to 53 by the Aug. 27 cutdown date.

        WIDEOUT WATCH: There is talk the Bengals might pursue a veteran wide receiver on the waiver wire, but Lippincott said the team does not plan to chase either Andre Rison or Vincent Brisby.

        Rison, 33, was cut by Kansas City and Brisby, 29, was waived by New England. Their ages and salary-cap considerations work against them. An unspoken NFL belief is that wideouts start losing their legs (read: speed) at about age 28.

        “There's an age consideration there, even though they have been productive players,” Lippincott said.

        The Bengals will stick with the players they have for now, with rookie Peter Warrick the No.1 target. The top veteran receiver, Darnay Scott, is out for the season after breaking his leg two weeks ago.

        INJURY UPDATE: Among those sitting out Tuesday afternoon were starting DEs John Copeland (ankle) and Vaughn Booker (cyst behind left knee), WR Craig Yeast (knee tendinitis) and CB Rodney Heath (shoulder). Heath is questionable, the others probable, for Saturday night's game.

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