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Bengals release leading punt returner Brandon Tate in cut to 75 players

The Cincinnati Bengals cut 13 total players on Monday and Tuesday and sent one player to injured reserve and another to the physically unable to perform list.

The decision to release wide receiver Brandon Tate, the team's all-time leading punt returner, couldn't have been easy. But with Tate's punt return average dwindling to 6.3 yards per return and rookie Alex Erickson on his tail in the preseason, there really was no choice. The team will move forward with Erickson, who had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the preseason and could potentially crack the receiver rotation too, something Tate was unable to do last year (only two catches for 59 yards).