By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals probably will pick one of four players - quarterbacks Carson Palmer or Byron Leftwich, cornerback Terence Newman or wide receiver Charles Rogers - first overall and plan to have him signed before the April 26 draft.

THE NEXT BENGAL?

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is talking specifically about four players as the team's potential first overall draft pick April 26: • Carson Palmer, QB: Southern Cal; 6 feet 5; 235 pounds; 32 TD passes in '02. • Byron Leftwich, QB: Marshall; 6-6; 255; tough, great arm. • Terence Newman, CB: Kansas State; 5-101/2; 181; potential shut-down corner, exciting return man. • Charles Rogers, WR: Michigan State; 6-3; 205; 19.9 yards-per-catch average.

"Those are the top four guys," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told the Enquirer on Tuesday night from Phoenix, where he is attending the NFL meetings.

Lewis, speaking earlier Tuesday at the AFC coaches' breakfast, said the Bengals were getting no serious calls from teams wanting to trade for the first pick, and would like to have at least two weeks to negotiate with and sign their top draft choice.

"It's something the organization has decided to do," he said. "That's not earth-shaking news."

The strategy is not uncommon in the NFL. In recent years, Houston (David Carr) and Cleveland (Tim Couch) have negotiated with the No. 1 overall pick before the draft.

The Bengals twice have had the first overall pick. In 1994, they took defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson from Ohio State, and a year later they traded the Nos. 5 and 36 overall picks to Carolina to get the rights to draft tailback Ki-Jana Carter. Neither deal was completed in advance.

Lewis said he has spent significant time already with Palmer, Leftwich, Newman and Rogers and plans to have them - and other players - visit Cincinnati before the draft.

"I don't think there will be that much drama," Lewis told reporters at the breakfast when asked about the team's draft plans. "As quickly as we can, we want to come to a consensus. In the next two or three weeks, we'd like to move the process along.

"We're committed to keeping (the No. 1 draft position) as long as the value of the pick is more than the value of what we could get for it."

The Bengals had a private workout Friday with Palmer, the Heisman Trophy winner for Southern California who is favored to go No. 1.

"He's a big guy in stature, (and) it doesn't seem like the game will be too big for him," Lewis said. "He wants to learn. He's been coached by a couple of different people. He's taken the responsibility of leadership; a quarterback needs to take it on his shoulders."

Leftwich, who played at Marshall, has a personal workout in Huntington, W. Va., on April 7.

Neither Palmer nor Leftwich would help the Bengals significantly as rookies in 2003.

But Lewis said the first pick does not necessarily have to play extensively this coming season. In that regard, Newman (Kansas State) or Rogers (Michigan State) would make more immediate contributions and could start.

"We don't need to put pressure on him," Lewis said of the pick. "We have the opportunity to get a fine player and a fine person who will get an opportunity. No matter what the guy plays, he doesn't have to come in and play right now."

At quarterback, Lewis already has said incumbent Jon Kitna will come into training camp as the starter. So Palmer or Leftwich would be a backup.

"In Baltimore, we won with a quarterback who was efficient and managed the game very well," Lewis said of Trent Dilfer. "That's important. If he does that, you'll be all right."

Lewis said the choice is not his alone. Team president Mike Brown and others will be heard.

"We'll make a decision we all feel good about," Lewis said. "We're never going to be a club where we say, `Mike wanted this guy, Marvin liked the other guy.' We'll decide if it's the best player for us."

What's becoming increasingly clear is that no other team will trade up with the Bengals to get the No. 1 overall pick.

"The phone is not exactly ringing off the hook (from other clubs)," Lewis said. "If we go to them, we won't get a very good deal."