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Bullock doesn't feel threatened by Bengals keeping kicker
CINCINNATI (AP) Randy Bullock doesn't feel threatened by the Bengals' decision to keep another kicker around.
Bullock won the competition with rookie Jake Elliott during training camp.
The fifth-round pick was waived in final cuts on Saturday and signed to the practice squad after he cleared waivers. It's unusual for a team to have two kickers in the locker room during the season.
Asked if he feels as if the competition is continuing, Bullock said Monday that he's been assured that's not the case.
''I was told I won the job and I was the guy, it was my show, just keep rolling, so that's the mindset I have and we're all on the same page,'' Bullock said.
Keeping Elliott gives the Bengals a handy option if Bullock gets hurt. Another team can sign Elliott to its 53-man roster if it suddenly needs a kicker.
In the meantime, Elliott gets paid and gets to work out with an NFL team instead of having to do it on his own.
''You can't really compare it - being back home and not having facilities to train at,'' Elliott said Monday. ''And getting into a rhythm with the snapper and holder, which you wouldn't be able to do if you were on the streets. I'm thankful for the opportunity.''
Bullock was Houston's fifth-round pick in 2012 and missed his rookie season because of a leg injury. He kicked for the Texans for two years. He has been with the Texans, Jets, Giants, Steelers and Bengals over the past two years.
He filled in while Josh Brown was injured in Pittsburgh, and the Bengals signed him to replace Mike Nugent for the final three games last season.
He got a two-year deal at the end of the season that allowed him to work out with the team in the offseason, a big improvement that helped him develop consistency.
''More than anything, it was beneficial for me to be in camp,'' he said.
Although the Bengals went ahead and got Elliott - the first kicker taken in the draft - Bullock was assured he'd have a chance to win the job.
Coach Marvin Lewis said if the two had been tied in the competition, Elliott's standing as a draft pick would have given him the edge. Instead, Bullock was better, taking advantage of his best chance of the past two years.
''This is the first opportunity I had where I had a legitimate opportunity to stick, and I was told that going into all of this,'' he said.
DRISKEL'S THUMB: Third-string quarterback Jeff Driskel went on injured reserve with a broken thumb on his passing hand, suffered during a preseason game in Indianapolis on Thursday night. Driskel said Monday that surgery won't be needed, and the injury is expected to heal in 6 to 8 weeks. Driskel is eligible to return to practice after six weeks and to games after eight weeks. The Bengals got him off waivers from the 49ers before the start of last season. He didn't get into a game as a rookie.
OTHER MOVES: Cornerback Sojourn Shelton and guard Cole Toner were signed to the practice squad. Both were waived by Arizona in final cuts Saturday.
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