Joey Harrington | ZOOM |

        The Bengals are likely to draft a quarterback this weekend. If the club uses its first-round pick at No.10 on a quarterback or trades up, the choice will be Oregon's Joey Harrington. If it's a second-round or lower pick, it could be one of several players.

        After David Carr, who is going to Houston, Harrington is the clear No.2-rated quarterback available.

        Beyond them, the picture clouds.

        The Bengals made two failed bids to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency: Trent Dilfer re-signed with Seattle, and Elvis Grbac, after being released by Baltimore, chose retirement over the Bengals' four-year, $10million offer.

        A possible trade for New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe appears to be on life support, if it's not already dead. Bledsoe reportedly refused the Bengals' overture to take the 60 percent cut in base salary and load a reworked contract with incentives if he were traded to Cincinnati, according to reports out of Boston.

        A look at the quarterback class:

        1. David Carr, Fresno State, 6-2 1/2, 220 pounds. He reportedly has reached agreement on a contract with Houston and will be the first overall pick.

        His only drawback is some mechanical problems with his delivery. He had 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions last season and played in a college offense that made the most of his ability to get rid of the ball quickly. Carr is mature, a natural leader and compares to former Cowboy Troy Aikman and Cleveland's Tim Couch.

        (David Carr draft profiles at ESPN.com | NFL.com)

        2. Joey Harrington, Oregon, 6-3 3/4, 216 pounds. Various mock drafts have Akili Smith's college teammate headed to Detroit, Buffalo, Kansas City or the Bengals.

        He doesn't have Carr's arm strength, but Harrington is accurate and intelligent. He took over the Ducks' starting job from A.J. Feeley (Eagles) in 1999. Harrington threw 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 2001.

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

        3. Kurt Kittner, Illinois, 6-1 3/4, 223 pounds. He is the quarterback the Bengals have talked most openly about drafting. Whether that's a smokescreen, only the team knows.

        Kittner, a four-year starter, threw for 2,994 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior. A drawback was his 13 interceptions. Kittner's stock fell during practices for the January all-star games but has risen since the scouting combine.

        Some scouts compare Kittner to another former Big Ten quarterback, New England Super Bowl hero Tom Brady. Kittner has good field vision, but some people say his arm strength is questionable. He is a second-round pick, at best, and could be there in the third round.

        (Kurt Kittner draft profiles at ESPN.com | NFL.com)

        4. Patrick Ramsey, Tulane, 6-2 1/2, 234 pounds. He threw an average of 450 passes and completed 59 percent in three seasons in the Green Wave's wide-open offense.

        There are questions about his mobility and ability to handle the blitz. But he is a good decision-maker in the pocket and was named a National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete. He's from the same hometown, Ruston, La., as former Colts star Bert Jones.

        Ramsey is a good pick in the third round.

        (Patrick Ramsey draft profiles at ESPN.com | NFL.com)

        5. Rohan Davey, LSU, 6-1 3/4, 247 pounds. He's from the Daunte Culpepper mold: big enough to play linebacker with a great arm and solid mechanics. Davey is a bright man and a natural leader.

        As with Smith three years ago, the question about Davey is his lack of starting experience. Last season was his only one as a starter. He threw 18 TDs and 10 interceptions, but he did have 3,347 yards. His inexperience caused Davey to throw the ball up for grabs too often, and he has to protect the ball better when he runs. He is so strong he is unafraid to take on defenders, which has caused some injury problems.

        In spite of the questions, he's another good third-round pick.

        (Rohan Davey draft profiles at ESPN.com | NFL.com)

April 10 story: QB intrigue engulfs Bengals

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