Jon Kitna's first day with the Bengals was a busy one Monday. He met with quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson, and under Anderson's direction, threw to wide receivers on practice fields next to Paul Brown Stadium.

        Kitna, who signed as a free agent quarterback last month, also found some time to play basketball with his new teammates and a guy he hopes is his teammate when the season opens, free agent running back Corey Dillon.

        Kitna and third-string quarterback Scott Covington threw to wide receivers Peter Warrick, Ron Dugans, LaVell Boyd and Chad Plummer.

        “I'm excited they're here working voluntarily. It's nice to have guys here working and running full speed and not complaining about it,” Kitna said. “We ran (deep) routes at the end today. You would have heard a lot of tripping going on in Seattle.”

        Kitna played for the Seahawks the past four seasons, two with his Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.

        “His system was no joke in Seattle,” Kitna said of Bratkowski's offense, which is being installed in Cincinnati. “The system works. I didn't expect it to change much. He tweaked it a little with things he learned in Pittsburgh.”

        Bratkowski was the Steelers' wide receivers coach the past two seasons.

        It's Anderson who Kitna is working with now. The two met early Monday to discuss the passing game and offensive scheme. Then they were out on the field.

        “Anybody who's a fan knows about Ken Anderson,” Kitna said of the former Bengals quarterback. “He went to the Super Bowl, been to Pro Bowls. He was one of the top quarterbacks of his time. It's really easy to respect somebody like that.”

        On the field, Kitna threw several hard out patterns and deep balls. Warrick, the team's No.1 draft choice in 2000, made a sharp one-handed catch on one of Kitna's passes. Kitna will compete with 1999's No.1 draft pick, Akili Smith, for the starting job.

        Kitna's arm felt good Monday. And he appears determined to prove critics wrong who say he can't throw deep or hard.

        “That's what the rap seems to be. Bill Walsh came out with that,” Kitna said of the hall-of-fame coach and San Francisco 49ers' general manager. “He said that after my first game ever against the Raiders. It seems to have stuck with me. We'll see.”

        Kitna and his wife, Jennifer, are house hunting in Cincinnati. His real estate in the locker room is Scott Mitchell's old spot. Kitna will wear No.3 in Cincinnati, not the No.7 he wore in Seattle.

        “I'm totally at peace. This is where God wanted me to be,” he said. “I'm more excited today. A young team. I'm next to guys like this (Takeo Spikes) in my locker. I'm excited about it.”

        Kitna, who will spend the week in Cincinnati and will return for the entire month of May, also took time to greet Dillon.

        The two players hugged and then discussed their youth camps in their native Washington state. Dillon will appear at Kitna's camp, and Kitna will make a guest appearance for Dillon.

New Bengals QB gets to work

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