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.