Jones-Porter fight tape won't be released

The Palm Beach Post reports this morning that the tape of the Levi Jones-Joey Porter fight will not be released.

A videotape showing Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter - and a group of men believed to be with him - attack another NFL player at a casino will not be released until the case is resolved, a Las Vegas police spokesman said.

The tape shows Porter punching Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Levi Jones while he gambled at the Palms hotel on March 18, according to a police report. It states that after Porter punched Jones - an on-field rival from Porter's years with the Pittsburgh Steelers - other men joined in and also punched Jones.

Bengals have seven picks in 2007 draft

PHOENIX -- The Bengals will have seven picks in the 2007 draft, April 28 and 29, according to the official revised draft order released this afternoon by the league.

Bengals picks:

Round 1: 18th overall

Round 2: 49th overall

Round 3: None (exercised in supplemental draft for linebacker Ahmad Brooks)

Round 4: 114th overall

Round 5: 151st overall

Round 6: 187th overall

Round 7: 230th and 253rd overall

Other coaches notice Henry, `Pacman'

PHOENIX -- Off-field legal problems of NFL players are noticed league-wide by other coaches and officials. Count Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren among them.

Holmgren, speaking to reporters this morning at the NFC coaches' breakfast, took note of Henry's latest incident -- his traffic stop last week in Over-the-Rhine that involved failure to use his right turn signal and driving without a safety belt.

"You get the chart. There have been 45 arrests or 45 incidents in the last three years," Holmgren said. "Well, one of those is this seatbelt deal. So you have a seatbelt thing. Then you have Pacman Jones. And that's 43 and 44. You can't just lump them all together."

Henry was arrested four times between December 2005 and June 2006. Jones, Henry's college teammate at West Virginia and a Tennessee Titans cornerback, has had 10 encounters with police since he was drafted in April 2005.

Brown: Eliminate all subsidies

PHOENIX -- The NFL annual meeting for 2007 ended with Bengals president Mike Brown still calling for an elimination of all financial subsidies -- even ones designed to help his small-market team.

Owners, by a vote of 30-2, passed a supplemental revenue sharing plan Monday -- with Brown and Jacksonville owner Wayne Weaver voting no -- to create a $430 million pool of additional shared revenue and a list of three qualifier criteria for recipients.

"The subsidy -- will it help? -- the answer is yes, but we need a system that clears the decks," he said, "where money doesn't go to us or anyone else."

Brown contends that the biggest subsidy is additional unshared revenue created by large-market teams such as Washington, New England, Philadelphia and Dallas that forces up player costs for all teams.

The Bengals, who paid in roughly $2 million in 2005 to a supplemental revenue system, received slightly less in shared revenue. He said he is not sure how much the new system would be worth to his team.

The other big issue of the meeting was player conduct.

In addition to a new personal conduct plan that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to announce in the next few weeks, NFL teams, Brown said, "are going to be charged with stronger support for players in the future."

Still, Brown said, teams should be given back the authority to suspend players without pay for their off-field misbehavior.

League meeting ends with rules changes

PHOENIX -- The annual league meeting ending this morning here with owners adopting several new, minor rules, but tabling the proposal to move the kickoff to the 35-yard line at the start of overtime.

The 35-yard line kickoff was not voted on. Owners want to examine a two-possession rule in overtime that is now used in NFL Europe.

Owners also voted down, by 15-17, a Chicago Bears proposal to expand the number of active players on game day from 45 to 47. There were concerns about each team having the same number of healthy players.

In votes, owners approved proposals to:

--Give the defense the choice of accepting a 10-second runoff for an injured offensive player if the offensive team is out of timeouts;

-- Delete the crowd-noise procedure from playing rules, when the quarterback informs a game official that he cannot hear;

-- Create a 5-yard penalty for spiking or throwing the ball at the end of a play on the field of play;

-- Make permanent replay review of down-by-contact plays, first used in 2006; and

-- Eliminate the penalty when a thrown pass unintentionally hits an offensive lineman, though it does not affect intentional grounding penalties.

Henry in trouble again with law

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/SPT02/303270037

Here are the details as we have them, on the latest legal problems for Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry.

NFL adopts two rules changes

PHOENIX -- The NFL this afternoon voted to extend the instant replay system for the 2009 season and beyond and to purchase -- at a price of $275,000-$300,000 -- new high-definition equipment for every NFL stadium.

The anti-tampering rule was amended to allow an assistant coach whose current team is in the Super Bowl to have a second job interview with another if there is a two-week window between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Owners voted down a proposal from the NFL Competition Committee to allow one defensive player to be fitted with an in-helmet electronic communication device during the game.

Lewis Tougher policy good for league

PHOENIX -- A day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell detailed his stricter personal conduct plan, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was peppered with questions from national media about his team's misbehavior.

Sitting at a table at the annual AFC coaches' breakfast, part of the league annual meeting, Lewis was asked for his thoughts on Goodell's plan.

"Your team is kind of the poster child, right?" a New York writer asked Lewis.

"You mean the '06 team?" Lewis said.

"It's a perception you don't want to have. It's a reaction to one particular player who had a run of bad acts, selfish acts, and I don't think it's a fair image for the entire thing. But anything that goes wrong, any particular breaking of the law, social law, none of it's good. I think, hopefully, we are all looking at the same thing. I think the only thing that affects this is play time. We have to combine a couple of things (play time, fines). You have to know coming in that the action is going to be quick and it's going to get you."

Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was arrested four times between December 2005 and June 2006.

In a wide-ranging hour-long conversation, Lewis also said:

-- Media forecasts of the Bengals picking defensive players in Rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL draft are "fair and accurate."

-- The offseason program, which will begin Monday, was overhauled because "for four years, it has not been good enough. (Players) are excited about it. They were disappointed (with losing the last three games in a row and missing the playoffs.) They were embarrassed with how they finished."

-- That he views the Bengals as the "last team" in the four-team division, looking up at the other three teams ahead of them. Asked at least three times to analyze the landscape of the AFC North, especially with the loss of Bill Cowher as Steelers coach and the arrival of Mike Tomlin, Lewis wouldn't bite, other than to say every team has tried to improve itself in the offseason.

-- The "window" for the Bengals to compete to win the division will not be allowed to close. "We're not going to allow the team to get old," he said.

-- David Pollack continues to make progress and has said he wants to play football again and sees his return most probable as a defensive end instead of a linebacker. Pollack suffered a C6 vertebra fracture and underwent surgery.

Bengals get seventh-round compensatory pick

PHOENIX -- The Bengals this afternoon received an additional draft pick -- in the seventh round -- from the NFL.

The Bengals now have the 43rd pick in the seventh round -- and the 253rd of the draft -- just two from the last.

The Bengals in 2006 lost unrestricted free agents in quarterback Jon Kitna (Lions) and tight end Matt Schobel (Eagles) and signed quarterback Anthony Wright (Ravens) and safety Dexter Jackson (Buccaneers).

The Bengals received the compensatory pick even though they did not suffer a net loss in compensatory free agents. The players lost were ranked higher than the players signed, based on a point differential set upon salary and performance.

Bengals to open on MNF

PHOENIX – The Bengals will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on the first Monday night football game of the 2007 season.

“We’re very happy about that,” Bengals president Mike Brown said of the exposure. “It will be an exciting way to start the season.”

Baltimore is the defending AFC North division winner and a rival the Bengals play twice a season.

The Bengals will be playing a Monday night game at home for just the eighth time since the series started on ABC-TV in 1970. The are 5-2 overall at home, 1-0 at Paul Brown Stadium on Monday night.

The remaining schedule of national TV games for opening weekend is:

Thursday night kickoff game, Sept. 6, 8:30 p.m.: New Orleans at Indianapolis, NBC.

Sunday afternoon, Sept. 9, 4:15 p.m.: Chicago at San Diego, Fox.

Sunday night, Sept. 9, 8:15: New York Giants at Dallas, NBC.

Monday night, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.: Baltimore at Bengals, ESPN.

Monday night, Sept. 10, 10:15 p.m.: Arizona at San Francisco, ESPN.

The NFL also announced its triple-header of national TV games for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22.

Green Bay at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., Fox.

New York Jets at Dallas, 4:15 p.m., CBS.

Indianapolis at Atlanta, 8:15 p.m., NFL Network.

Brown votes against supplemental sharing plan

PHOENIX – NFL owners voted 30-2 this morning – with the Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars voting no – to adopt a four-year supplemental revenue sharing plan and terms of how teams qualify for it.

The plan is intended to help the NFL maintain competitive balance among teams located in big markets and small markets alike.

The amount of money the Bengals will receive and when has not been determined, Bengals president Mike Brown said after a meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.

A list of “qualifiers” will reduce how much teams will receive.

One qualifier is playing in a stadium that is less than 10 years old. Brown said the Bengals are hit with a 44 percent reduction in revenue sharing because Paul Brown Stadium is entering its eighth year of operation.

“The qualifiers are a reduction in the subsidy, and in our case, this program will reduce any subsidy we would receive under the new program by exactly 44 percent,” he said. “Why that number is so exact … I don’t know. But that’s how it works out.”

The plan is retroactive to 2006 and will continue through 2009, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said. The vote last March in Dallas to extend the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union called for additional revenue sharing.

“Nobody is happy,” McNair said. “Some (teams) think they are giving too much. Some (teams) think they are receiving too little. So, I guess, maybe it’s a good deal that way.”

The top 15 revenue-producing teams – almost all of them in the NFL’s largest markets, such as Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Houston and Boston – will pay into the pool. Teams such as the Bengals, Buffalo, Jacksonville and Minnesota – which ranks last in the team revenue – are among the 17 that will receive money.

New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft called the agreement important and said owners must unify after becoming fractured last year during talks to extend the labor agreement.

The issue is complicated, and more details will be available later today when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or one of his spokesmen addresses the media.

Essentially, there is an undeniable growing rift in team revenue between teams in large and small markets in the NFL. The cause is increased unshared revenue streams generated by large-market teams with new stadiums – such as Washington, New England and Philadelphia.

The growing gap in revenue threatens the competitive balance that has helped the NFL grow into the nation’s top spectator sport with revenues around $6 billion.

Shared revenue is the major reason teams in small markets such as Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Buffalo have been able to compete with teams in large cities such as New York. Major League Baseball, by comparison, does not have extensive revenue sharing – and teams in many small markets – including Cincinnati – face a competitive disadvantage because if limited payroll.

Brown said last month that the Bengals might not be able to compete well into the future unless core issues of revenue disparity were addressed.

With his no vote and comments today, he said the measure is a short-term solution.

“I don’t favor it. It’s a stop-gap solution,” Brown said this morning. “We have deeper problems than qualifiers. We have problems with subsidies in the league.”

Brown said teams in the NFL have been subsidized through stadium loans and grants to teams.

AFC North spring roundup

PHOENIX -- The NFL has released the following notes package at the annual meeting.

A quick trip around the AFC North, from the league:

BALTIMORE: Since becoming a full-time starter in 2005, All-Star linebacker BART SCOTT has never missed a game. He also never misses a chance to serve the Baltimore community. Scott regularly speaks to schoolchildren about fulfilling dreams and getting an education. “I have been that kid before, looking up to adults,” says Scott. “Being an NFL player is great, but there is no better feeling than bringing a smile to a child's face.”……Head coach BRIAN BILLICK, who guided the Ravens (13-3) to an AFC North crown in 2006, was recently inked to a four-year contract extension.

CINCINNATI: Promoted to the team’s starting lineup on the offensive line is second-year guard ANDREW WHITWORTH. “Last year (at the scouting combine) was my first opportunity to meet Andrew,” says head coach MARVIN LEWIS. “I walked out of that room saying, ‘Well, he could coach the offensive line.’ What he has added to our football team is a very good young talent, a very mature young talent…and a guy who I think will be a fine player for a long time.”…… Quarterback CARSON PALMER, this past Pro Bowl’s “Player of the Game,” became the first Bengals passer to surpass 4,000 yards (4,035) last season.

CLEVELAND: Among several free agents signed by the club was standout guard ERIC STEINBACH, a four-year pro who started 62 of 63 games-played at Cincinnati, helping the Bengals place in the league’s top half in rushing touchdowns three years in a row……In a coin flip conducted during the NFL Combine to determine who owns the third and fourth overall selections in April’s draft, the Browns came up on top with “tails,” meaning they will draft third. The teams were tied in overall record and strength of schedule.

PITTSBURGH: MIKE TOMLIN was named the third Steelers head coach in the past 39 years. Tomlin, 34, was the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator in 2006 after spending the previous five seasons as Tampa Bay’s defensive backs coach……All-Star safety TROY POLAMALU is the 2007 Downtown Pittsburgh YMCA's Person of the Year. Polamalu was elected for his strength in spirit, mind and body and for his support of the YMCA's core values, which include caring, honesty, respect and responsibility……The 2007 season marks the 75th in Steelers history.

Brown: Bengals not in mix for Spikes

PHOENIX -- Bengals president Mike Brown this afternoon said the team is not one of two or three potential trading partners remaining with Buffalo for linebacker Takeo Spikes.

The Bills are trying actively to trade Spikes to save his $4.6 million salary.

Asked about the possibility of Spikes returning to Cincinnati, Brown today said, "We have a high regard for Takeo. But our (salary) cap room does not allow for a deal of the magnitude necessary to trade for him."

The Bengals drafted Spikes with the No. 13 overall pick in 1998. He signed with Buffalo after the 2002 season as an unrestricted free agent.

Brown is attending the NFL annual meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.

Spikes won't go to a `bad team'

PHOENIX -- The Buffalo News reported this morning that the Bills are close to a trade involving former Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes. He has been with the Bills since the 2003 season.

Bills general manager Marv Levy is believed to be pulling the strings on the deal. But sources close to the situation say a list of possible trade partners is not known. Bengals officials here at the NFL annual meeting at the Arizona Biltmore have not been available for comment.

It is not known if the Bengals are in the mix. But it is unlikely, given what they say is tight space on the salary cap.

The Bills are trying to save salary cap space.

Though the Bengals have drafted five linebackers in the past three years, they remain thin at the position because of David Pollack's uncertain future following a neck fracture and the league suspension of Odell Thurman.

Vegas Police: Porter threw first punch

A redacted report on the incident Sunday night in Las Vegas regarding an attack on Bengals left tackle Levi Jones was completed late Friday and sent to the district attorney’s office.

The report said that Jones was gambling at a table at the Palms casino when approached by former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, an on-field rival, Las Vegas Police told The Enquirer.

Video of the incident shows that Porter, now with the Miami Dolphins, struck Jones first above the eye with a closed fist. Several unidentified men then joined in and punched Jones. The incident was witnessed by a friend of Jones’ who was gambling with him. Porter was charged with misdemeanor battery and released.

Nameplates tell a story

A quick pass this morning through the Bengals locker room, following coach Marvin Lewis' news conference, possibly revealed a little about the team's mindset:

-- Retired center Rich Braham's cubicle, unchanged since the stadium opened in 2000, is now occupied by offensive lineman Adam Kieft. Kieft, trying to get back after a serious knee ligament injury in the 2005 (his rookie season) training camp mock game, was getting dressed after a workout. The Bengals like Kieft's skills a great deal, which is why he was kept around.

-- Justin Smith's nameplate, removed either by Smith or equipment personnel after the season, is back up. He will be back, either with the one-year tender contract as the team's franchise player or with a new, long-term deal.

-- The locker of linebacker Brian Simmons, whose contract was terminated Feb. 28, remains empty.

-- Running back Chris Perry, trying to return after ankle surgery, was receiving treatment in the training room. Lewis was in there talking to Perry.

-- Safety/special teams star Ethan Kilmer was alone working out in the weight room.

Bengals honored for blood drive

This item in this morning from Bengals PR:

The Bengals have been named as recipients of a Special Recognition Award by America’s Blood Centers, an organization based in Washington, D.C.

The team earned the award for its work with the annual Bengals Community Blood Drive. Teaming with Cincinnati’s Hoxworth Blood Center, the Bengals have sponsored the drive at Paul Brown Stadium for the last five years. The drive has grown exponentially since its inception, as the 483 total blood units donated last October 4 represent a total of more than seven times the inaugural total of 63 in 2002.

The drive is the largest of its kind in Greater Cincinnati.

"The Bengals deserve this award because they challenged Hoxworth to create an event that is larger than we ever expected," said Michael Anderson, Hoxworth public relations director. "The entire organization takes ownership of the drive. Not only do many coaches, players and employees donate, but the team gives us access to any resource we need to make the drive successful."

Eric Ball, Bengals player development director, will accept the award on the team’s behalf at the ABC’s Awards of Excellence Banquet this Monday (March 26) at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Arlington, Va. The Bengals earned the award specifically for the 2005 drive, as nominations were considered for drives held between September 2005 and September 2006. The 2005 drive collected 401 units.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has been a leader of the drive, making his own donation each year and inviting media coverage that encourages other donors.

"It’s a pleasure and a privilege for us to be asked to lend a hand to something that serves such a vital community need," Lewis said. "Every blood donor is a hero, because we all know there is no substitute for this resource, and no other way to obtain it. We congratulate everyone who stepped up, and we urge others to consider making a donation in the near future."

NFL considers tougher personal conduct policy

NFL Competition Committee co-chair Rich McKay and NFL public relations vice president Greg Aiello held a teleconference this afternoon to discuss upcoming issues next week at the league's annual meeting.

Among the developments could be a more strict personal conduct policy from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that could be bad news for repeat offenders, such as Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, and proposals from the competition committee to move the kickoff to the 35-yard line from the 30 at the start of overtime and to make instant replay permanent.

The full story is at enquirer.com, and the link is at the top of this post.

Punter Larson signs one-year contract

Punter Kyle Larson, one of the Bengals' restricted free agents, signed a one-year contract this afternoon, the team announced.

It is believed that Larson signed a one-year tender worth $1.3 million.

Larson is a fourth-year NFL player in 2007. He broke into the NFL’s top 10 last season in two major categories, ranking fifth in net punting average (38.6) and eighth in gross punting average (44.5). His net average was the best by a Bengal since 1995, and his gross average was the team’s best since 1998.

Larson has handled every Bengals punt for the last three seasons since signing with Cincinnati as a college free agent in 2004. He also has been the team’s holder on place kicks his entire career, aiding club-record streaks by kicking Shayne Graham of 17 consecutive field and 158 extra points.

Larson is the fourth veteran free agent to sign with the Bengals since the league year began on March 2. Previous signees included two of the club’s unrestricted free agents -- tight end Reggie Kelly and running back Kenny Watson -- and free agent Alex Stepanovich (Arizona Cardinals).

Spring dates set for workouts, minicamps

The Bengals’ offseason workout program will begin April 2.

Rookie minicamp is scheduled for May 4-6, and the full-squad mandatory minicamp will be June 1-3, the club announced today.

Porter, Levi Jones duke it out at blackjack table

Imagine what practice would have been like.

Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who signed a contract earlier this month with the Miami Dolphins, was cited for misdemeanor battery after allegedly punching Bengals left tackle Levi Jones in the face in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Before signing with the Dolphins, Porter was said to be negotiating with the Bengals – and Cincinnati was reportedly in the running with Miami.

Jones and Porter have faced each other many times on the field.

Bengals public relations director Jack Brennan did not know about the alleged incident until contacted for possible comment this morning by The Enquirer.

This afternoon, Brennan said that Jones did not suffer any significant injuries in the alleged altercation.

Brennan relayed the report to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who declined comment.

Jones makes his offseason home in Las Vegas and was not immediately available for comment.

"Apparently these two have a history with each other, a history of trash talking on the field,” Las Vegas police Lt. Kevin McMahill told the newspaper.

The altercation took place at the Palms casino Sunday night, said Officer Martin Wright of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

An incident report would not be available for five working days, Wright said.

Bengals don't match Browns for DT Shaun Smith

The Bengals just announced today that they have declined to match the offer made by the Cleveland Browns to defensive tackle Shaun Smith.

Smith was one of Cincinnati’s restricted free agents. He played in 13 games last season, with 14 tackles and a pass defensed. He was inactive for the final three games.

Cleveland's offer sheet reportedly is a multi-year contract worth about $8 million.

"We wish Shaun well with his new opportunity," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the team's public relations office. "For our offseason and future planning, we have chosen to allocate our cap resources in a different direction."

Since free agency started two weeks ago today, the Bengals have lost safety Kevin Kaesviharn (Saints), wide receiver Kelley Washington (Patriots), tight end Tony Stewart (Raiders), linebacker Marcus Wilkins (Falcons) and guard Eric Steinbach (Browns). They were unrestricted free agents. On Feb. 28, the Bengals terminated the contract of nine-year veteran linebacker Brian Simmons, who signed with New Orleans.

The Bengals have re-signed tailback Kenny Watson and tight end Reggie Kelly, both unrestricted free agents.

Bengals will announce decision Friday on DT Smith

The Bengals will announce Friday whether they will match Cleveland's offer sheet on restricted free agent defensive tackle Shaun Smith. Smith signed what is believed to be an $8 million sheet from the Browns on Friday. Under league rules, the Bengals had a week to decide whether to match. If they choose not to match -- and that is the prevailing wisdom -- the Bengals would not receive any draft pick compensation because Smith entered the NFL as a non-drafted player.

The signing period for restricted free agents ends April 20.

The Bengals tendered RFA linebackers Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller, RFA punter Kyle Larson, RFA offensive lineman Stacy Andrews and RFA cornerback Greg Brooks -- in addition to Smith. Larson and Andrews received one-year tenders worth $1.3 million that would bring the Bengals a second-round pick as compensation. Johnson and Miller (third-round compensation) and Brooks (sixth) were tendered at $850,000, which would bring draft-level compensation should they sign an offer sheet with another team that the Bengals declined to match.

Now that the dust has settled ...

... and safety Kevin Kaesviharn has departed the Bengals' roster:

1. The number of pre-Marvin Lewis players is down to seven. There were 10 at season's end. The Bengals terminated the contract of linebacker Brian Simmons, who, like Kaesviharn, is now a Saint. Backup tight end Tony Stewart signed as an unrestricted free agent with Oakland.

Only end Justin Smith remains on the defense, which finished ninth in overall league rankings in 2001.

The six offensive survivors are tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones, wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, tailback Rudi Johnson and tight end/long snapper Brad St. Louis.

2. The Bengals, especially pre-Lewis, get beat up -- and sometimes deservedly so -- for their drafts. But 2001 turned out to be a huge success with Smith (first round), Chad Johnson (second), Rudi Johnson (fourth) and Houshmandzadeh (seventh). Add Jones in the first round of 2002 and quarterback Carson Palmer in the first round of 2003, and there, pretty much, is the nucleus of the team.

3. Kaesviharn proved to be a valuable player, one of the few who made some big plays on the defense. But $10 million over four years might be a little steep. That money would be much better used to re-sign free safety Madieu Williams to a contract extension before it's too late.

4. The Bengals have six draft picks. The view here is that five of the six had better go to defensive players, with the exception being a tight end in the fourth or fifth round. The Bengals will need draft picks to play and contribute as rookies, and it's time for the likes of end Frostee Rucker and linebacker A.J. Nicholson to behave off the field and play on it. If Nicholson was a fifth-round "steal" -- pun intended -- he should be able to play in the NFL. And the jury is still out -- intended -- on Rucker. Stay healthy. Work hard. Perform.

5. Word around the NFL is that the Bengals should not have too much trouble re-signing No. 2 quarterback Anthony Wright to back-up Palmer.

Kaesviharn agrees on four-year deal with Saints

Bengals unrestricted free agent safety Kevin Kaesviharn has agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $10 million with the New Orleans Saints.

"I just felt like, when you weighed everything, the two teams (Bengals and Saints) are similar in their chances of going to the playoffs," Kaesviharn said tonight in a phone interview.

"You want to play as a player. I knew I would get an opportunity to play in Cincinnati. They couldn't tell me I would start, and nobody can give you that. You have to earn it. New Orleans is going to give me the opportunity to start."

Kaesviharn said he had offers from four teams -- Saints, Bengals, Browns and Cardinals.

"Some of them were more firm than others," he said of the offers.

Kaesviharn becomes the fifth Bengals unrestricted free agent to sign elsewhere, joining wide receiver Kelley Washington (New England), guard Eric Steinbach (Cleveland), tight end Tony Stewart (Oakland) and linebacker Marcus Wilkins (Atlanta).

Kaesviharn said he and his wife are looking to settle in New Orleans, and the quality of life and weather were other concerns -- especially compared to Souix Falls, S.D., where Kaesviharn has lived in the offseason.

"The relationships I made with the coaches, teammates and in the community, I will miss those," he said.

Washington: Bengals first-class organization

Wide receiver Kelley Washington, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Bengals, was introduced today to media that cover the New England Patriots. He signed a five-year deal as an unrestricted free agent. The Bengals made no attempt to re-sign him.

Washtington was asked to describe his time in Cincinnati and whether, under ideal circumstances, would he have liked to stay with the Bengals?

Washington: "I had a great time in Cincinnati. I really learned a lot and I believe that the organization gave me a great opportunity to help my career. It just comes to a point in time in someone's career where if there is a better opportunity out there, you have to move on. That's kind of where I was at, becoming a free agent, and I feel like the New England Patriots are the best team out there for me.

"I'm going to go in and work hard. I believe the Cincinnati Bengals are first-class organization, [they have] a great coach in Marvin Lewis and definitely great players. I learned a lot. I did a lot there in Cincinnati and I'm ready to take my skills and my professionalism to New England."

Patriots agree with WR Washington

Wide receiver Kelley Washington, a Bengals unrestricted free agent, has agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the New England Patriots. The deal is essentially for one year and has a $4 million option bonus in 2008. Washington will receive a $300,000 signing bonus.

Washington, 27, was the Bengals' third-round draft pick in 2003 from Tennessee. He played in 44 games with the Bengals, making six starts. Eight of his 72 receptions went for touchdowns. He was limited to five games in 2006 because of a hamstring injury that landed him on the injured reserve list.

The Sacramento Bee reported over the weekend that the Raiders finalized a two-year contract with former Bengals tight end Tony Stewart on Saturday. Oakland also signed former Arizona Cardinals tight end Fred Wakefield to give it more size at the tight end position, the Bee reported.

Bengals UFA James visits Packers

The Packers had Tory James in for a visit Friday. They're looking for a veteran to be their nickel back. Still, they're not showing an urgency to sign him.

James played four seasons for the Bengals.

Browns confirm offer sheet for DT Smith

The Cleveland Browns have confirmed that they have signed Bengals restricted free agent defensive tackle Shaun Smith to an offer sheet. Terms were not disclosed.

Smith was tendered a one-year, $850,000 contract by the Bengals, who will have one week to match of disregard the offer sheet. The Bengals would get not compensation if they declined to match the sheet because Smith was not drafted.

The Browns see Smith as their nose tackle of the future in their 3-4 defense. Starter Ted Washington will be 39 when the season starts. Backups Ethan Kelley and Baba Oshinowo are not regarded as potential starters.

Smith, who played college ball at South Carolina, is 325 pounds. He played in 13 games and had 14 tackles in 2006.

Bengals UFA wide receiver Kelley Washington is visiting the New England Patriots today.

Kaesviharn visits Browns; TE Stewart to Raiders

The Cleveland Browns, who a week ago signed Bengals unrestricted free agent guard Eric Steinbach to a seven-year contract, entertained Bengals UFA safety Kevin Kaesviharn for a visit on Thursday, the office of agent Bruce Tollner confirmed this afternoon.

Backup tight end Tony Stewart, another Bengals unrestricted free agent, has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Oakland Raiders, said agent Jerrold Colton. Details are still being finalized, Colton said this afternoon.

The Raiders made an offer to Bengals starting tight end Reggie Kelly, who signed a three-year contract Thursday to stay with the Bengals.

Besides Kelly, the Bengals have five tight ends on their offseason roster, as of Feb. 20. None of the tight ends have much, if any, NFL experience: Tim Day, Ronnie Ghent, Gregg Guenther, Sean Mulcahy and long-snapper Brad St. Louis.

Kelly officially signs contract

The Bengals this afternoon announced that tight end Reggie Kelly, an unrestricted free agent, has signed his three-year contract to remain with the team. Last season, Kelly posted highs for his four-year Bengals career in catches (21) and receiving yards (254) with one touchdown.

Saints trying to get deal done with Kaesviharn

Bengals free agent safety Kevin Kaesviharn and agent Bruce Tollner have not returned repeated phone calls this week, but word out of New Orleans -- both inside and outside of the Saints office -- is that the Saints are trying to close a deal to bring Kaesviharn into their fold.

The Saints have two young safeties, Josh Bullocks and Bryan Scott, and would like to add Kaesviharn's experience and teaching and playmaking ability into the mix.

Kaesviharn had six interceptions last season, including one in the end zone at New Orleans in the Bengals' 31-16 victory. Kaesviharn had nine total tackles, including 1.5 sacks that day. It was quite a showcase.

On their season-ending depth chart, the Bengals had six safeties listed, including Kaesviharn. The others are starters Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson, as well as backups Herana-Daze Jones, John Busing and Ethan Kilmer. None of the three backups have any significant NFL defensive experience and have been used primarily on special teams.

Looking ahead to the draft April 28 and 29, when the Bengals pick 18th and 49th in Rounds 1 and 2 -- the do not have a third-round pick -- put safety in the mix for one of those picks in Kaesviharn does leave.

Also, as expected, the Bengals are hoping to restructure the contract of defensive tackle John Thornton in order to gain some salary cap space. With two years remaining on his contract, Thornton is scheduled to make a base of $3.25 million, with another $500,000 reporting bonus, in 2007. With his signing bonus proration, Thornton's salary cap number this year now stands at $4.375 million.

Reports are that Thornton is agreeable to a restructed deal.

Kelly expected to sign contract today

Free agent tight end Reggie Kelly, who agreed to terms on a three-year contract Tuesday night to return to the Bengals, is expected to drive to the team's Paul Brown Stadium office this afternoon to sign the deal.

I have to admit that I was in the camp of criticizing, or at least noting, that Bengals tight ends didn't catch the ball. Then Kelly and backup Tony Stewart stepped up that part of their games last season and made some fine runs after the catch.

My admiration for Kelly as a player grew immensely when the Bengals started using the no-huddle offense after the 2005 bye. Remember that magnificent, street-ball game against the Colts?

I saw how Kelly moved almost effortlessly from down tight end to standing H-back, primarily on Carson Palmer's left (back) side. If someone got through the line, Kelly was there to keep Palmer off the ground. No wonder the quarterback lobbied so hard for the Bengals to re-sign him. Next to Palmer, Kelly appeared to know the offense better than any player on the field.

Kelly also is a top-flight human being. He is an evangelical Christian who lives his life eloquently. He is one of those type of people, in spite of being more than 10 years younger than me, I feel like I am talking to someone my own age with the same depth of life experiences that normally only time can produce.

When you look around the Bengals offense, which is filled with stat-driven playmakers, you have to have a player like Kelly. He only cares about one stat -- victories. Correction: He cares about the stats of his famous teammates, such as Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Kelly brings an offensive lineman's mentality to the job. The offensive linemen, in fact, have a great amount of respect for Kelly.

Selfishly, as someone who works that locker room every day during the season, I'm glad Reggie's coming back. He is a pleasure to deal with. I actually went up to him last season and apologized for not fully understanding his role in the offense and asked him to explain it more fully to me. He was his typical gracious self in telling me not to worry about it and admitted he'd like to get more passes thrown to him, too, but that the needs of the offense came before his personal goals. Then we talked in detail for about 15 minutes.

I'll miss Eric Steinbach, though. We were always able to talk about home (the Chicago area) and the building he owned near Wrigley Field. I'll have to call him now that the dust has settled on his free agency search and ask if he's been asked to buy a share of the Cubs with his new Browns contract.

I've made this comment on the radio many times, but for all of the players who've made mistakes with the law in the past couple years, the Bengals locker room is filled with men you'd like to have as a next-door neighbor.

But, again, and I almost have to include this disclaimer, the players who've run afoul of the law have to be held accountable. Not more. Not less. The same as everybody else.

Lewis: Willie, Levi, Bobbie part of 2007 free agency

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis discusses the free agency period and discusses where else the team is looking in a story posted at enquirer.com.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/SPT02/303070033

Reggie Kelly will stay with Bengals for three more years

Tight end Reggie Kelly said a late-afternoon phone call from quarterback Carson Palmer convinced him to take less money to stay with the Bengals.

Kelly said he would be staying in Cincinnati for three more years and that he left "a lot of money on the table" in Atlanta, Arizona and Oakland to remain a Bengal.

"That will be seven years with my hall-of-fame quarterback," Kelly told The Enquirer this evening.

Kelly and Palmer's locker-room cubicles are side by side. Palmer has called Kelly the best teammate he has ever had in football. Less than an hour after the Bengals lost in overtime to the Steelers on Dec. 31 to end the season, Palmer lobbied in his post-game news conference for the team to re-sign Kelly and third-down back Kenny Watson. Watson signed a three-year deal Friday night to return to the Bengals. They are the team's only two free-agent signings since free agency started Friday.

"To be honest, the deciding factor was our quarterback," Kelly said. "He gave me a call and told me how much he wanted me to come back."

Asked what Palmer told him, Kelly said, "He explained how important I was to his offense. He told me I was a large ingredient to our success. He said he wanted me back for football but also for leadership. (Palmer) is a great quarterback and a great teammate and he has a future as a lawyer."

Agent Jimmy Sexton told a Bengals employee that the deal is worth a total of $9 million. The salary information was posted tonight on the team-owned and controlled Web site.

QB Wright arrives tonight in Denver

Bengals UFA quarterback Anthony Wright will arrive tonight in Denver and will meet Wednesday with the Broncos. Two other teams, besides the Bengals and Broncos, are expressing significant interest.

The Bengals remain in contact with Wright's representatives and would like to re-sign the quarterback to back-up Carson Palmer for a second year in a row.

The Broncos are looking for a backup for starter Jay Cutler.

Even more Bengals news, but not about free agency

The Associated Press reports from Tallahassee, Fla., that Bengals linebacker A.J. Nicholson was sentenced to 60 days in a sheriff's work program and two years' probation for breaking into the apartment of a former college teammate with an accomplice and stealing items worth $1,700.

Circuit Judge Kathleen Dekker sentenced the former Florida State player Monday. He pleaded no contest to burglary and grand theft charges last month.

He and the accomplice took electronic equipment and other items from the apartment of former Seminoles teammate Lorenzo Booker and his two roommates last May, according to authorities.

Bengals public relations director Jack Brennan issued this statement minutes ago:

“We are glad the case has been resolved," Brennan said. "The club will monitor A.J.’s progress in fully complying with the court’s directives, and we will work with him to ensure he has learned from this experience and respects the opportunity he has to continue his NFL career.”

Making news, but not a free agent

The Bengals PR department just released this note:

The Cincinnati Bengals and the National Football League Youth Football Fund are teaming up to contribute $250,000 to the Oak Hills Boosters, topping off a fundraising effort that now has raised nearly $800,000. The grant announced by the Bengals and the NFL Youth Football Fund will help to install a new synthetic playing surface and scoreboard at Dennis Betz Stadium, located on the campus at Oak Hills High School.

(There is a ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. at the high school that features Bengals kicker Shayne Graham.)

"We are excited to be a part of such a wonderful project,” said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice president. “Our ability to give back to the community and support youth football in this area will bring great results both for the student athletes at Oak Hills and the entire Green Township area.”

TV report: Dolphins win Porter sweepstakes

This item was just posted on the Web site of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

WPXI-Channel 11 is reporting this morning that former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter will sign today with the Miami Dolphins.

Porter will sign a multiyear deal for about $24 million, WPXI reports. He will get a signing bonus of about $12 million.

UPDATED at 9:10 a.m. The Times-Picayne is reporting that former Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons has signed a three-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

LB Porter considering Bengals, Dolphins

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting this morning that linebacker Joey Porter is considering signing with the Dolphins or Bengals.

The paper's story begins:

Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has narrowed his wish list to the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals and is nearing a decision, agent Jeff Sperbeck said Monday night.

"I think we'll have it wrapped up soon, probably within the next 24 hours,'' Sperbeck said.

Porter, who played eight seasons with the Steelers and is fourth in franchise history with 60 sacks, was released Thursday in a cost-cutting move.

He has been in contact with several teams, including Cleveland, Baltimore and Dallas.

(The link follows.)

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_496324.html

All quiet on the Bengal front

Bengals PR has nothing to report today in terms of any outside visits from other team's free agents.

Tight end Reggie Kelly in Oakland. Safety Kevin Kaesviharn in Arizona today.

Kelly told Enquirer he will weigh all offers and pray about them with his wife before making his decision.

Kelly and Kaesviharn are not spectacular players, but like tailback Kenny Watson, form the muscle tissue of a solid NFL team. They do their jobs and never complain. Watson re-re-signed for three years on Friday night.

Kelly is a great blocker and improving as a receiver and learning how to get yards after the catch.

And for a defense almost devoid of playmakers, Kaesviharn has a nose for the ball. He had a team best six interceptions and four sacks, third on the team behind Robert Geathers and Justin Smith, defensive ends.

Kaesviharn also broke up 11 passes, fourth on the team, and forced one fumble.

The Bengals should not have let Kelly or Kaesviharn get on the market. Other teams have seen their value.

Former Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons is expected to get an offer from the New Orleans Saints, according to published reports.

Web site: Kaesviharn visits Saints

The NFL links Web site theredzone.org reports that Bengals unrestricted free agent safety Kevin Kaesviharn visited the New Orleans Saints on Saturday.

Kaesviharn will be in Arizona to visit with the Cardinals on Monday.

Breakdown of Bengals' salary cap situation

(This item was the lead on my NFL insider column this morning in The Enquirer and on our Web site. It's apparent some people who read this blog don't see the paper or the Web site. I wanted to make sure you saw it, too, because there have been a lot of questions and comments here in the past week about the Bengals' salary cap situation.)

The Bengals' inactivity in veteran free agency is largely by design, though it frustrates some of their fans.

But the team's 2007 salary cap budget shows that the club has less than $87,000 of space - not counting the estimated $3.4 million it saved by terminating linebacker Brian Simmons' contract last week.

The NFL salary cap is $109 million.

Not counting Simmons, the Bengals had $87.2 million committed to players for 2007. The Bengals did spend $900,000 more than originally budgeted to offer second-round compensation tenders to punter Kyle Larson and offensive lineman Stacy Andrews, $1.3 million each.

The Bengals also are committed to a salary of $8.644 million to defensive end Justin Smith, designated as their franchise players, unless they can reach a long-term deal with agent Jim Steiner.

Here's where the rest of the money is budgeted, even though some of it is not yet spent:

Dead money (players released in 2006) - $100,000

College free agents in 2007 - $35,000

Draft picks in 2007 - $3.885 million

Practice squad players during the season - $629,200

Offseason workouts ($120 a day for players not already receiving workout bonuses in their contracts) - $275,000

Projected injuries and player grievances - $1.5 million

Projected incentives and other compensation - $1.5 million

Sunday morning housecleaning

Item 1: Joey Porter

This note was in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this morning. ...

The Dallas Cowboys have joined a growing number of teams interested in signing former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter.

Dallas and the Baltimore Ravens are the latest teams to contact Porter, agent Jeff Sperbeck said Saturday. Other teams inquiring about Porter's availability include the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.

"There's all kinds of levels of interest," Sperbeck said.

My take: The Bengals are not going to spend the money it would take to sign Porter. Adalius Thomas would have been a better fit, but he's gone to New England.

Item 2: The blog police

I appreciate the passion of Bengals fans and Enquirer readers. You help me to stay employed. I thank you. My children and ex-wife (alimony) thank you, too.

For the most part, I am impressed and appreciative of the tone of the comments posted on this blog.

But, please, refrain from calling each other names when you post comments. You're free to use another reader's comments as a starting point for discussions.

Don't call somebody "stupid" or an "idiot" for simply expressing their opinion, and please stick to the subject matter. I'm not holier than thou, but let's not allow this forum to degenerate like many on the Web. Thank you.

I do, however, remain fair game. Let me have it. Don't hold back.

Item 3: Lyric of the day

Lucinda Williams is simply one of the best songwriters going these days. Her body of work, despite her previous habit of taking too long between releases, is building to the level of the greats. Her timeless music and stories are some that will last for generations. There's a beautiful, welcome-to-humanity ache to her work. (Lucinda keeps me company a lot when I write.)

It's Sunday, and here's Lucinda Williams' "Sunday."

I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Monday through Saturday I get by just fine
Every other day of the week I feel alright
But I don't know why
I don't know whyI can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Sunday's supposed to be the day for kicking off your shoes
But how come that's the day I always get the blues
And I don't know why I don't know why

I can't seem to make it through Sunday
I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Ever since you had to go I just carry on
But deep down inside I know there's something wrong
And I don't know whyI don't know why

I can't seem to make it through Sunday

Reggie Kelly: Falcons made offer

Bengals UFA tight end Reggie Kelly just took a call on his cell phone.

He was back from Atlanta, where he received a contract offer from the Falcons. He was leaving his Tristate home for the airport for a flight to Arizona to meet with the Cardinals. Then he was going from Phoenix to Oakland to meet with the Raiders.

"I'm just trying to take it easy (and) soak in everything," he said.

Agent Jimmy Sexton has been difficult to reach to get confirmation about Kelly's whereabouts.

"Jimmy gave me some good advice," Kelly said. "He said just take everything in and then make a decision."

Kelly is an excellent blocker and has played a vital part in the Bengals' no-huddle offense. He plays H-back. Quarterback Carson Palmer lobbied for the team to re-sign Kelly.

Kelly also said the Bengals have been talking to Sexton. The Bengals have said they would like to re-sign the tight end.

"I like being a Bengal," Kelly said. "I'm not sure I'm going to sign right back. This is an important decision for me and my family."

Watson re-signs for three years

Bengals third-down back Kenny Watson said tonight that he has signed a three-year contract to stay with the team.

"It feels good. I am excited to be coming back," Watson told The Enquirer. "I think I made more plays (in 2006) than in 2004. I think I earned their respect and made a difference in bigger games."

Watson filled in for Chris Perry, who missed most of last season with ankle and knee injuries.

Watson also plays special teams and is one of the most selfless players on the roster.

And this release just in from the Bengals:

The Bengals today signed HB Kenny Watson to a three-year contract.

Watson (6-0, 218; Penn State) is a sixth-year NFL player in 2007. He has played for the Bengals for the last three seasons, and had become an unrestricted free agent.

Watson played in every game last season as the team’s “third-down” back. He averaged 5.5 yards per rush (25-138) with one touchdown, and he led the team’s running backs in receiving yards (213) while tying for the RBs lead in receptions (23).

He had key receiving gains in wins last season vs. Baltimore and vs. Oakland, and he also had 10 special teams tackles plus 10 kickoff returns for a 19.8-yard average.

He began his NFL career with Washington in 2001 and originally signed by the Bengals as a free agent on Sept. 30, 2003.

Browns bust bank for Steinbach

The Cleveland Browns wanted Eric Steinbach badly and paid for him.

The fifth-year guard signed a seven-year deal for $49.5 million with the Browns today. He receives $17 million in guaranteed money and $23 million over the first three years.

All of Steinbach's numbers better those paid by Minnesota to former Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson a year ago.

Hutchinson, like Steinbach, is a left guard.

The Browns liked Steinbach coming out of the 2003 draft but selected center Jeff Faine instead.

Four years later, the Browns finally got Steinbach.

Wilkins signs with Falcons for three years

The Bengals have lost one of their top special teams players. Linebacker Marcus Wilkins signed a three-year contract worth $3 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus, with the Atlanta Falcons. Agent Mark Mersel said Wilkins had other visits set up but that the Falcons' offer was too good to pass up.

"They consider him a star special teams player, and they want to give him the opportunity to play a lot of defense," Mersel said.

QB Wright to visit Denver

Anthony Wright, who spent 2006 as the Bengals No. 2 quarterback, will visit the Denver Broncos next week and has two other teams interested. The Bengals continue to talk with Wright's representation about a contract, but no agreement has been reached.

He missed three games in 2006 after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. He was 3-for-3 passing for 31 yards, with a long of 22.

Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said this afternoon that the club had no outside free agent visits to confirm.

Agent: Bengals express interest in LB Porter

The Bengals, Browns, Dolphins and other teams have expressed interest in free agent linebacker Joey Porter, agent Jeff Sperbeck said this afternoon. Porter was released Thursday by the Steelers to create space in their salary cap.

Porter, 29, was in the final year of his contract and had been Pittsburgh's starting right outside linebacker since 2000.

Wilkins, Kelly visit Falcons

Updating a previous report, the Enquirer has learned that Bengals UFA linebacker Marcus Wilkins is visiting the Atlanta Falcons.

Various reports also have Bengals UFA tight end Reggie Kelly visiting Atlanta, too. Kelly agent Jimmy Sexton has not returned a phone message seeking confirmation.

The Bengals report no updates on visits or possible signings.

WR Washington visits Dolphins

The Bengals have no interest in re-signing unrestricted free agent Kelley Washington, but the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Washington is taking a free agent visit to the Dolphins today.

Coaches in Cincinnati were unhappy with Washington's aloofness and inability to put forth effort to get along with teammates.

Steinbach to visit Bucs, Browns, Seahawks

Former Bengals guard Eric Steinbach is scheduled to visit One Buccaneer Place on Saturday, PewterReport.com reports, and is scheduled to meet with Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden and other executives. Steinbach, 26, is scheduled to visit Cleveland today and Seattle after his trip to Tampa Bay.

The Bengals are prepared to let go of Steinbach, their second-round and 33rd overall pick in the 2003 draft from Iowa. The Bengals invested in long-term contract extensions for tackles Levi Jones and Willie Anderson. Andrew Whitworth and Stacy Andrews will compete for the starting job at left guard.

10 odds and ends on March 1

Item 1: Brian Simmons' release.

It makes sense from a financial sense. No one will say, but knowing how club vice president Katie Blackburn likes to manage the salary cap, I'd guess the Bengals already have absorbed the entire hit for Simmons' $4.9 million signing bonus from 2002. So the move is more than likely worth the full $3.4 million savings.

But he's a lot to lose. Even though he was hurt with the neck strain and missed five games last season, he was around. Coach Marvin Lewis said Simmons added a "sense of calm." That assessment is accurate. Brian always was even. He competed hard, and the fire to win burned inside him. He was an honest man when talking through reporters to the team's fans. He was thoughtful, and what he might have lacked in Takeo Spikes' soundbite ability, Brian always made up for with substance. He was not always easy to quote because he answers were long. But you walked away from his locker having learned something.

Since coming back from a serious right knee injury suffered in the 2000 opener, Simmons played a lot of football for the Bengals. He played in 79 of a possible 80 games with 78 starts. There's something valuable about a guy who's always there and has the ability to play every Sunday. That attribute is why the Bengals can't really be criticized for trying to bring back defensive end Justin Smith. Just always plays and plays hard on every down.

I know Simmons will be picked up somewhere else. I always was struck, too, by his sense of the passing years. He always knew his time was coming, and he accepted it. He didn't fight it, as much as he simply made the most of the time he had to play.

He'll land somewhere else. Here's hoping he gets another chance to make a playoff run.

Item 2: Free agency.

The Bengals will not be big spenders outside of their own locker room. Look for them to use the salary cap space, as I wrote in the Enquirer this morning, to try to re-sign their own unrestricted free agents -- primarily steady veterans the likes of tight end Reggie Kelly, safety Kevin Kaesviharn and third-down back Kenny Watson, whom is invaluable because of Chris Perry's iffy status.

Item 3: The draft.

Coming through combine leftovers, and with Simmons' release, push linebacker higher on the list of needs. The first two Cincinnati picks, Nos. 18 and 49, could be anywhere on defense, with the possible exception of end, where it tagged Smith and extended Robert Geathers for six years.

Item 4: Odell Thurman.

I'm sure the Bengals are doing everything they can to help the linebacker, who is in alcohol rehab. Odell is a personable young guy, not to make excuses for his poor choices. He has a spark in his personality that translates to the field. He makes big plays. He has a big personality.

Lewis spoke eloquently at the combine about the need and priority to help Thurman the man, not the football player.

But if Lewis and the Bengals can help Odell the man, wow, they could get back one excellent football player.

Item 5: The blog.

The blog is a brave new world for an old-timer like me, who has worked in daily newspapers, well, every day since I was graduated from Miami University in 1984.

Readers won't find everything in this blog that they do on the rest of the Enquirer's Web site. For example, one reader wanted a Simmons' entry/comment. OK, it's up there. But I had a full story this morning in the newspaper, and we posted the news as soon as it was announced Wednesday afternoon, with additional information (salary, contract years remaining, perspective) not provided by the Bengals.

Item 6: Silence is golden rule and Marvin Lewis.

I want my readers to know how much I respect my job. In criticizing Lewis for shutting down his assistants at the combine, I understand that move is his choice. At the same time, then, he criticizes responsible media for trying to read tea leaves and figure it out ourselves.

I like Lewis. I respect his talent. He's extremely bright. But I've told him I won't kiss his butt. I enjoy our professional relationship, which, by definition, is awkward. I like studying his methods and trying to anticipate his next move. A friend from the Baltimore Sun told me, when Lewis was a candidate for the job here, to sharpen my extrapolation skills. My buddy said Lewis likes to work in riddles. I've found that to be true.

He's competitive, and like many other NFL coaches, he views the release of information as hurting his competitive edge. OK. My point in writing that his assistants weren't talking is to let readers know why they weren't being quoted in the newspaper. And, yes, it's frustrating from my perspective.

Item 7: It's not the Cold War, but ...

The job of covering an NFL team is complicated by competing against team employees on team-owned Web sites that are increasingly fed information by the teams themselves. The league controls its own popular Web site and has its own television network. It's banking, I'd say, on viewers/readers not giving a damn or even being aware of the value of getting information from independent sources.

I don't have a journalism degree (English and geography), but in the five journalism classes I took at Miami, I do remember hearing that a "journalist" could not cover his or her employer. That's PR. Or, as a professor once said -- making a Cold War reference later echoed by one of my former Enquirer deputy sports editors -- "it's Tass." (Humor me: Here's an example of fun you can have by writing with a dictionary close by. Tass is an acronym, in Russian, for Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union. It was the government agency charged with gathering and distributing (read: controlling) news.

Item 8: So riddle me this.

Lewis' tighter-than-normal secrecy this offseason suggests, too me, that though he could go 8-8 or 9-7 every year and make his boss, Mike Brown, happy, the coach is pushing himself and applying additional pressure internally to get his team back into the playoffs. To his credit, Lewis is not pleased with 8-8 or 9-7. He wants to win 10 games every year.

This team is his. Simmons' release leaves just nine players left from the 2002 team Lewis inherited. There are just two on defense, Smith and Kaesviharn. On offense, the holdovers are Willie Anderson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, Levi Jones, Brad St. Louis and Tony Stewart.

Item 9: Linebackers

The cupboard is bare. Lewis and his regime have not done well in drafting linebackers. You can't help injuries, and we all wish David Pollack well in his possible return to football and, more important, in his quest to have a full and healthy life. But there were questions that he was a reach. Thurman's problems have been well documents. Khalid Abdullah in playing in Canada. Caleb Miller has struggled with injuries and has proven to not be an every-down linebacker. Landon Johnson is steady and productive but not a big playmaker. Ahmad Brooks might have been forced upon Lewis by Mike Brown.

Lewis can't swing and miss this year when picking a linebacker.

Item 10: Lyric of the day

The song "Simple Twist of Fate" from Bob Dylan's great "Blood on the Tracks" record is going through my head these days. Maybe it's leftover from the nerve endings-exposed experience of seeing my parents' headstones side by side for the first time.

"People tell me it's a sin
To know and feel too much within."

My apologies: To write great as an adjective modifying "Blood on the Tracks" is a redundancy.