Friday, July 21, 2000
Dillon could sign for a year
Bengals' loss of franchise tag changes talks
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The deal that made Carl Pickens a former Bengal might be the one that makes Corey Dillon a Bengal for at least this year.
Contract talks with the All-Pro running back have stalled again, but Thursday's release of Carl Pickens — and the Bengals' one-year loss of the binding franchise-player designation — now make a one-year deal with Dillon a possibility.
Dillon and agent Marvin Demoff had resisted all talk of a short-term deal because they didn't want the Bengals to designate Dillon as their franchise player. That designation gives the free agent's team exclusive negotiating rights, the ability to match another offer and the right to draft-pick compensation.
“We're talking to them about a one-year contract,” Bengals president and general manager Mike Brown said. “That might be palatable now that we have only the transition tag.”
The transition designation allows the original club to match another team's offer, but the original club has no period of exclusive negotiating rights or compensation.
The Bengals have offered Dillon a six-year, $30 million contract, $4 million of which is tied to incentives. Cincinnati also wanted to split the $5 million signing bonus into six annual payments of $833,000.
The Bengals expect to hear from Demoff early next week, which means Dillon will be absent when training camp opens today.
Also missing will be draft picks Mark Roman, Ron Dugans and Neil Rackers, who remain unsigned. The Bengals continue to negotiate with their agents.
On Thursday, the team did sign seventh-round pick Brad St.Louis, a long snapper.
The Bengals and the agent for Dugans, a receiver from Florida State, have agreed on money but won't sign the team's loyalty clause. Rackers, a kicker from Illinois, and Roman, an LSU cornerback, want more money.
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