Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis took a chance on rookie linebacker Vontaze Burfict when nobody else wanted him. That decision paid off Friday.

Vontaze Burfict's spotty past cost him a chance at being drafted, as every team passed on him. After the Cincinnati Bengals took a chance on the linebacker, it's now up to Burfict to prove his worth.

Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Manny Lawson, the 22nd pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, has agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, a league source said Tuesday.