By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Brad St. Louis, who has solidified a former Bengals problem with long snaps, signed a one-year tender offer estimated at $605,000 with the team Monday.

St. Louis, a fourth-year tight end from Southwest Missouri State, played all 16 games last season with no errant snaps in 123 tries. He also had eight special teams tackles.

VISITORS: The Bengals confirmed the free agent visits of linebacker Brad Jackson (Panthers) and guard Richard Mercier.

Both players have connections to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis from Lewis' tenure as Baltimore defensive coordinator. Jackson played three seasons for Lewis as a linebacker and special teams performer.

Mercier, 27, was a fifth-round draft choice of the Ravens in 2000. He has had NFL stops in Baltimore, Denver, Green Bay and Cleveland.

Mercier is 6-foot-2, 295 pounds. He was a captain of the Miami Hurricanes football team as a college player and started 47 games. He has not played a down in the NFL.

QUARTERBACK HUNT: The Bengals are expected to send a large contingent later this week for their private workout with Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese attended the quarterback's pro day workout last week.

"He's kind of like a gym rat," Bratkowski said of the former Southern Cal quarterback. "He loves to work out, he loves to throw the ball. Talent-wise, he has quite a bit of talent. It's interesting, as we finalize all of our plans, obviously he is going to be someone we're going to talk about quite a bit."

The Bengals also attended the pro workout day last week of former California quarterback Kyle Boller, an intelligent player with a strong arm whose stock has improved in the draft.

The X-factor appears to be Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, who was prevented from playing in the Senior Bowl and working out at the scouting combine last month by a leg injury.

"It puts things on hold," Bratkowski said of Leftwich's status. Leftwich's pro workout day is April 7 at Marshall.

WELCOME: Tight end Reggie Kelly, the Bengals' latest free agent acquisition, met the local media Monday. Lewis presented him with the No. 82 jersey.

"You're going to see a combination," Bratkowski said when asked how he planned to use Kelly and returning starter Matt Schobel. "We're going to utilize more two-tight end sets, maybe even three tight ends, depending on Tony Stewart and Sean Brewer and the makeup of our squad offensively. Maybe instead of carrying two fullbacks we carry three tight ends. Those are decisions to be made down the road."

Brewer, the team's 2001 third-round draft choice, is rehabbing a knee injury that landed him on the Injured Reserve list Nov. 5. He played in just three games in 2002.

"He is in here working out and seems to be doing fine," Bratkowski said of Brewer. "It's going to be highly competitive at the position. Competition just makes everybody better. The position has become competitive not just for playing time but roster spots."

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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