GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Jim Steiner, agent for holdout rookie defensive end Justin Smith, said Thursday the Bengals refused his offer Tuesday that waived the guarantee for a second signing bonus payment, was valued at only 1.5 percent more than the fourth pick in last year's draft and contained incentive clauses that would not backload the fourth, fifth and sixth years of the deal with high salaries.

        The first-year earnings for Smith would have been $8.5 million, Steiner said, $3 million less than those for San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the No.5 overall pick who signed late Tuesday.

        But Bengals official Troy Blackburn said the bonus they'd agreed to was 18 percent higher than what Peter Warrick received as the fourth overall pick in 2000, and Smith's total package was 25 percent greater than Warrick's. Blackburn also said the Bengals agreed to split the bonus to $7.5 million this year and $2.5 million in March but were willing to give Smith $2 million of the $2.5 million at the end of the season if he had 8.5 sacks as a rookie.

        “We don't want to be confrontational,” Blackburn said. “We want to get the kid in.”

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