In typical Bengals' fashion, their addition of two potential starters via free agency got overshadowed Tuesday by running back Corey Dillon's claim of police harassment.
The club agreed to a deal with speedy but slight Giants cornerback Thomas Randolph, which he's expected to sign today. On Tuesday, Steeler inside linebacker Jerry Olsavsky signed a two-year, $900,000 contract and eyed a starting spot next to fellow University of Pittsburgh inside backer Tom Tumulty.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Randolph, 27, a second-round pick in 1994, had a tough year in New York. He started four games, and in one of them against Jacksonville got burned for a 41-yard reception by Jimmy Smith and a 43-yarder by Keenan McCardel.
Although Randolph has a tough time against bigger receivers, Bengals General Manager Mike Brown remembered the sub 4.4-second 40-yard dashes he ran at the college scouting combine. He'll go to right corner, where the Bengals struggled with three different players.
''If we were to line up tomorrow, we would consider him a starter, but we'll see how it plays out in the draft and free agency,'' Brown said. ''He's as fast as anyone we have. He's a good cover guy who can play the ball.''
Olsavsky isn't big either, but he's a favorite from Bengals defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's days in Pittsburgh in 1995 and 1996, when Olsavsky had his best seasons.
''Jerry's one of the smartest players I've ever coached,'' LeBeau said. ''He's the type of player I really admire. He's been told all his life he's too small to play.''
But the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder won't be too small to start here. The Bengals aren't pursuing Ricardo McDonald, a free agent who started at right inside linebacker this past season. And LeBeau said if McDonald does return, he could move to the outside.
So the Bengals' starting inside linebackers are probably going to be straight off the University of Pittsburgh Wall of Fame, with the third-year Tumulty teaming with the 10-year vet Olsavsky.
''I'm thrilled. I think he'll help with the leadership they've been talking about,'' Tumulty said. ''He's won games and been to the playoffs. I'm a little bigger than he is, but we're both instinctive players, so-called smart players and we're not going to run a 4.5 40 tomorrow. I know him from seeing him at Pitt and we've hung out. A tough guy. Good guy.''
Olsavsky says he doesn't want to be handed the job, but it will be better than what happened in Pittsburgh. After having a solid 1996, he was surprised the Steelers went with second-year man Earl Holmes.
''That was tough because I thought I played well in '96 and they had said that,'' Olsavsky said. ''Then they put a younger, bigger guy in there and it was a little hard to take. Then I re-did my contract in the middle of the season and I'm thinking, 'I'm doing my best, but I'm not the happiest when I'm not playing as much as I wanted,' and they let me leave.''
Olsavsky shrugged when asked about The Sporting News perception, which is the Bengals are the worst in the NFL at attracting free agents.
''I remember always coming in here and the games were tough,'' Olsavsky said. ''It's a good place to play, the fans are good. . . . They're on the upswing. They've got some talented players.''
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