Cincinnati Bengals slot receiver Andrew Hawkins is a candidate for the injured reserve-recall list, coach Marvin Lewis acknowledged Saturday.
A week ago, Lewis compared Hawkins' ankle ailment to the injury center Kyle Cook suffered last year, but Hawkins' appears to be worse than originally thought. Hawkins' ankle has been placed in a cast for 10 days, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official website reported Saturday.
Hawkins would be eligible to return for the second half of the season if the Bengals assign him to the injured reserve-recall list after final cuts on Aug. 31.
Although Hawkins was electric after the catch early last season, defenses caught on to his limited repertoire of screens and shovel passes. Hawkins caught 37 passes within five yards of the line scrimmage, but failed to top 11 yards on any of those short receptions after Week 4, according to "Football Outsiders Almanac 2013."
If Hawkins is shelved for the season's first two months, it increases the roster odds of Brandon Tate, Dane Sanzenbacher and Ryan Whalen, behind the top trio of A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. Hawkins' fresh legs would be a welcome addition for the stretch run.
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