The Bengals' most important move of the offseason is their effort to sign running back Corey Dillon.

        He is an unrestricted free agent, which means the team can match any offer Dillon might sign with another team.

        Cincinnati has exclusive rights to negotiate with Dillon through March 1. On March 2, Dillon and his agents are free to negotiate with any team in the league.

        Dillon rushed for 39 yards Sunday in Philadelphia and ended the season with a team-record 1,435 yards. His 315 attempts also are a Bengals record.

        He averaged 210 yards in the team's first three victories in their 4-12 season.

        The Bengals are trying to reach a deal with Dillon, but if they haven't signed him by Feb.8, the club will put the transition tag on him.

        According to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, teams have between Feb.8 and 22 to tag an unrestricted free agent.

        If the Bengals put the transition tag on Dillon, they are obligated to pay him the average of the top 10 salaries of NFL running backs, estimated at $4 million.

        But if another team reaches an agreement with Dillon — which will be substantially more than $4 million — the Bengals have seven days to match.

        If the Bengals match the offer, they are obligated to pay the yearly salary, the signing bonus and any roster bonus the other team offered.

        Once an unrestricted free agent signs with another team, that contract is binding if the original team does not match.

        The Bengals are trying to avoid the whole scenario.

        They want to sign Dillon to a multiyear deal before free agency begins.

        “We plan on having Corey back here,” Bengals president Mike Brown said. “Is it possible he could be somewhere else; do I understand how that works? Do I tell you that we're planning for that? No. We've got a good, solid runner. We've got a line that blocks effectively for him. We have that part. But we don't have the passing game we need to have. We're still searching for the answers there.”

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