Bengals close to deal with DT Myers

The Bengals canceled their scheduled visit from Bears free agent defensive tackle Ian Scott because they are close on a one-year contract with Broncos free agent Michael Myers.

The deal is believed to be a minimum salary of $720,000 for Myers, a nine-year veteran from Alabama. He would receive $40,000 to sign.

Myers started all 16 games for Denver last season, collecting 80 total tackles, 51 unassisted, and two sacks and two fumbles recovered.

A fourth-round pick by Dallas in the 1998 draft, Myers has played in 123 NFL games with 64 starts. He has 14.5 sacks.

He was part of the transplanted Cleveland defensive line in Denver. He played for the Browns in seven games in 2003 after he release by the Cowboys. He was acquired by the Broncos before the 2005 season in a trade from the Browns.

Myers is 6-2, 300 pounds.

The Bengals had four defensive tackles listed on their Dec. 31 depth chart. Shaun Smith since signed as a restricted free agent with the Browns.

The others are Sam Adams, John Thornton and Domata Peko. Bryan Robinson is listed as a defensive end but said Wednesday that he would play tackle again if needed.

At least two defensive tackles are believed to be of interest to the Bengals in the upcoming draft, Michigan's Alan Branch and Louisville's Amobi Okoye. Draft boards, however, are fluid.

Okoye is expected to be gone by the time the Bengals draft at No. 18, but Branch might be available.

On Wednesday, Thornton bristled over reports that the Bengals are definitely going to draft defensive players in the first two rounds and that the defense was solely responsible for the Bengals missing the playoffs. They lost the final three games in a row to finish 8-8, when one victory in the three would have earned them a postseason spot.

Last season, after now-retired center Rich Braham was injured in Game 2, Thornton said many fans and the media made excuses for the offense when such a key player was lost for the season.

“Everybody goes to throw a life jacket to the offense, and says, `Oh, no, you're fine, that's the reason you're not doing well. Rich is out,’” Thornton said. “When we had our problems (at middle linebacker), we didn't get those same kinds of words."