Joey Harrington | ZOOM |

        The Bengals' search for a quarterback might not be over. Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington is being mentioned by some prominent experts as the player the Bengals will take with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft April 20.

        And even though the Buffalo Bills are most aggressively and openly seeking a trade for New England's Drew Bledsoe, Cincinnati remains a remote possibility. But the situation is different and more complicated than it was three weeks ago.

        The Bengals have committed much of their remaining salary cap space for 2002 to free agents Artrell Hawkins, Jeff Burris and Reinard Wilson. The Bengals are an estimated $4.5 million under the cap for 2002, but $3.5 million is set aside for the rookie pool.

        And even if a trade could be workout out — the Bengals are still unwilling to give the Patriots their first-round pick for Bledsoe — the Bengals would have to persuade Bledsoe to renegotiate his contract to fit into the club's remaining cap space. Or the Bengals would have to terminate the contracts of some of their higher-priced and expendable veterans, such as tight end Tony McGee and wide receiver Darnay Scott, which is unlikely.

        Bills general manager Tom Donahoe said Monday night that he is talking to the Patriots about acquiring Bledsoe.

        But the Bengals, after attempts to sign free agents Trent Dilfer and Elvis Grbac failed, can't get untangled from the Bledsoe speculation.

        Enter Harrington, a former college teammate of Bengals quarterback Akili Smith's and the second-rated quarterback in the draft, behind David Carr, who is going to be the first overall pick by the expansion Houston Texans.

        Pro Football Weekly's Joel Buchsbaum is among the draft forecasters who predicts a Smith-Harrington reunion in Cincinnati.

        Bengals officials think Harrington will be gone by the time they pick, but if he's still available, he'll be tough to skip.

        “He's got a lot of the qualities you look for,” Bengals player personnel director Jim Lippincott said of Harrington. “He's bright. He has the ability to make snap decisions. He doesn't have the strongest arm in the world, but it's strong enough.”

        Harrington, who's almost 6 feet 4 and 216 pounds, could go as high as No.3 overall, to the Detroit Lions. But in a draft deep with defensive linemen and defensive backs, he could be there at No.10.

        “There is going to be a stockpile of people there,” Lippincott said. “There are going to be some very attractive players.”

        Harrington is considered by draft experts to be the best clutch quarterback available. Six times in his last 16 Oregon starts, he led the Ducks back from fourth-quarter deficits.

        “It starts with the offseason and the unity our team built off the field,” Harrington said at last month's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “Secondly, I hate to lose. I don't lose. I hate losing in football, pickup basketball, chess, backgammon.”

        Smith was a junior at Oregon when Harrington was a redshirt freshman. Harrington was a backup when Smith threw for 32 touchdowns and 3,763 yards as a senior.

        “He's a great dude, all the leadership qualities you look for,” Smith said. “Smart. High-intensity. True competitor. It would be real ironic. I would be in my fourth year here. He would be a rookie. It was the same situation at Oregon. It may happen again. If Joey is the luck that I need, please draft him.”

        Harrington has learned by watching Smith's struggles in his first three NFL seasons.

        “Not only his experience, but you look at the success versus failure of quarterbacks who have played early and how they have handled it,” Harrington said. “Biggest thing is if I have to come in and play early, I need to know I am going to take some lumps. At the same time, I have to keep that confidence. You see a lot of young quarterbacks who take that beating early and lose that confidence and don't get it back for five years.”

        Harrington also said Smith appears to have lost some of his confidence.

        If drafted by the Bengals, Harrington would come in as a backup. Incumbent starter Jon Kitna would come to training camp at No.1, and if Smith continues to heal from offseason hamstring surgery, he probably would be No.2.

        Scott Covington is the third and final quarterback under contract with the Bengals.

Joey Harrington draft profiles at ESPN.com | NFL.com

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