GEORGETOWN, Ky. — A day after the Bengals and agent Jim Steiner rejected each other's contract offers Wednesday for defensive end Justin Smith, the Bengals invited Steiner for face-to-face discussions.

        Smith's holdout reached 28 days Thursday.

        “We spoke a little bit,” Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said. “We'll speak a little more sometime. I'd like to have him (Steiner) come to town.”

        The Bengals' base offer is worth $18million, which is less than the $18.2million Gerard Warren received from Cleveland as the third overall draft pick and the $14million New England gave Richard Seymour as the sixth pick. Smith was picked fourth.

        Steiner didn't return a message left by phone Thursday.

        Bengals president Mike Brown is beginning to show his frustration.

        “I can't tell you that we've gotten all the good-faith negotiations out of their side that we're due,” Brown said Thursday at practice. “We're arguing over whether it should be a $10million signing bonus or a $10.1million signing bonus. That's a little silly in my mind.”

Training camp menu super-sized Bengals cash in on free time Smith's agent invited for visit, talks Third-round pick may need surgery

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