Money certainly talks, but geography appeared to speak louder to Corey Harris and Todd Collins as they and the Bengals got acquainted Tuesday.
Both unrestricted free agents, who live in Tennessee, cited the prospect of playing closer to home as a source of their interest in the Bengals.
''The first thing that comes to mind is location,'' said Harris, sounding more like a realtor than a cornerback. Having spent his last two seasons with Seattle, which is nearly 3,000 miles from his Nashville, Tenn., home, Harris said he liked the idea of being closer to his 8-year-old daughter, Lauren.
Collins resides near Knoxville, Tenn., which is about a four-hour drive from Cincinnati. As a Bengal, he'd probably see more of his parents, who, he said, saw him play only twice in four seasons with the New England Patriots.
''They just never got to (visit), unless (they used) frequent-flier miles, and I got tired of that,'' the linebacker said. ''I don't want to overdo that (factor), but that goes a long way with me. I'm a family guy.''
Defensive tackle Tony Siragusa, the third free agent scheduled to visit, declined to fly to Cincinnati. Bengals officials would not confirm a report that the
6-foot-3, 320-pound Siragusa was unhappy with his flight accommodations.
Coach Bruce Coslet downplayed Siragusa's absence. ''I'm not reading too much into it, because I talked to him last week on the phone,'' Coslet said. '' Š He'll come and visit. I don't see him signing with somebody tomorrow.'' Siragusa's agent, Gus Sunseri, did not immediately return phone calls.
Referring to Siragusa's salary demands, said to approach $2 million, and his history of knee problems, Coslet said he told the ex-Indianapolis Colt last week, ''I know we have to come up with the money and you have to pass our physical (examination), so it's a two-way street.''
Besides undergoing their physicals, Harris and Collins lunched with coaches and toured the Spinney Field practice facility.
Collins, 26, almost sounded ready to sign with the Bengals immediately. Cincinnati was the only scheduled visit so far for Collins, 26, who earned $385,000 last year.
Asked if he hoped to end his search soon, Collins said, ''With me, the sooner the better. That way you can become focused on where you're going and learning the defense.''
Harris, 27, has attracted more suitors than Collins, having visited Atlanta, Detroit and Miami. The Indianapolis native plans on touring St. Louis and is also considering Houston.
Harris earned $785,000 last year and just saw his ex-teammate and fellow cornerback, Carlton Gray, receive a four-year, $9.7 million deal from the Colts. The Bengals have claimed they cannot afford to make similar offers to free agents; in Harris' case, they might not have to.
''I wouldn't be here if there wasn't a possibility that I could be playing here,'' said Harris, who happened to be wearing an orange silk shirt and a black suit - Bengals colors. ''It's a little subliminal,'' he joked.
Both players noticed Cincinnati's 7-2 finish last season under Coslet. ''I think it tells you what kind of enthusiasm and charisma he brings to the players, whether it's something he did or whether they responded to him,'' Harris said. ''I got a good feeling from him.''
Notes
The Bengals are expected to unveil their new uniforms Thursday. The helmets won't change, but the striped pattern on the jerseys and pants will be altered, and a tiger logo will appear somewhere on the uniform, possibly on the sleeve or shoulder Š The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to name former Bengals special-teams coach Joe Wessel to the same position on their staff.
FORTUNE SMILED ON BENGALS' NEW VOICE
Previous stories
3 FREE AGENTS VISIT TODAY March 4, 1997
CB HARRIS SETS FREE-AGENT VISIT Feb. 27, 1997
BENGALS MAKING HEADWAY WITH FREE AGENTS Feb. 25, 1997
BENGALS HAVE CAP ROOM FOR FREE AGENTS Feb. 15, 1997
BENGALS WON'T CHASE TOP FREE AGENTS Feb. 14, 1997
