NFL

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Pacman Jones worked out for the Bengals on Thursday. The last we heard from Pacman he had sabotaged his chances of playing in the CFL with a rambling, insult-laden diabtribe on UStream in September. The Cincinnati Bengals have proven time and again, however, that they don’t factor “character” into personnel decisions. It’s no coincidence that Pacman worked out on the same day that Cincy offered a contract to troubled receiver Matt Jones.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Tampa Bay: Bucs WLB Geno Hayes will be sidelined 3-4 months after undergoing surgery in late January to repair a torn labrum sustained in Week 17. Hayes will miss all offseason activities, but he’s expected to return by training camp. Hayes had a breakout season on the weakside, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected to make strongside a priority this offseason. The serious injury to Hayes makes outside linebacker a bigger need.

Jacksonville: Jaguars released WR Torry Holt, as expected. Holt, who turns 34 in June, hasn’t been the same player since knee surgery robbed him of his explosiveness three years ago. After not scoring a single touchdown in 2009, he’ll struggled to land a starting job on the open market. Mike Thomas is the favorite to ascend to Holt’s role, though the team could look to free agency or the draft and keep Thomas in the slot.

Houston: Steve Slaton will avoid contact until training camp after undergoing a “discectomy” in mid-January, designed to relieve pressure on the nerve root that caused pressure in his spine. Slaton is calling the procedure a “cervical fusion.” Regardless, it’s a serious operation and a concern for an NFL player running to contact. His recovery is expected to take four-to-six months, though that’s highly optimistic. Arian Foster enters the offseason as the No. 1 back, and the Tennessee Titans are fully expected to target a running back early in the draft. Even if Slaton does fully recover by training camp, he’s a longshot for the starting job.

New York: The Giants have released MLB Antonio Pierce. The move had been expected since the end of the season. Pierce, 31, was due $4.75M in 2010, and there are questions about his health due to a bulging disk in his neck that caused him to miss the final six games of the season. Jonathan Goff, Chase Blackburn and Bryan Kehl are internal options to replace Pierce, but the Giants may look outside the organization for a permanent solution.