By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tennessee's salary-cap problems continue to benefit the Bengals and could pay another dividend soon.

The Bengals on Thursday filled a major need by picking up fullback Mike Green on waivers from the Titans.

Tennessee rescinded its one-year, $605,000 tender to Green on Wednesday, only hours after he participated in a workout in Nashville.

Green, a three-year pro who played in 15 games last season, should jump to the top of the Bengals' depth chart at fullback - ahead of Terry Witherspoon and converted linebacker-tight end Chris Edmonds.

The Bengals lost their top two fullbacks, Lorenzo Neal (Chargers) and Nicolas Luchey (Packers), in free agency.

"It's a good situation for me because of the guys they lost," the 250-pound Green said Thursday. "Cincinnati is a team on the rise. They wore us out when we played them, and they always got after us."

Green, who played college ball at Houston, is 26 and was a seventh-round Titans draft pick in 2000. He started two games in 2002, rushed 21 times for 71 yards and had seven receptions. In 2001, he was the offensive MVP of NFL Europe when he rushed for 1,057 yards on 183 carries for Barcelona.

Green said he would come to Cincinnati on Sunday for his physical and begin working out Monday.

Last month, the Bengals signed free agent defensive lineman John Thornton, a former Titans starter.

And now it appears the Bengals are seriously interested in former Titans starting center Gennaro DiNapoli.

DiNapoli, 27, started all 18 of the Titans' regular-season and playoff games in 2002 but was released. At 6 feet 3, 287 pounds, DiNapoli can play center or guard. He was a fourth-round 1998 draft pick by Oakland from Virginia Tech.

Rich Braham, the Bengals' incumbent starting center, is an unrestricted free agent, though the Bengals hold first-refusal rights. The backup is Brock Gutierrez.

ON HOLD: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Thursday that one piece of the pre-draft puzzle is missing - the pro workout day of former Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich.

"Nothing is going to play out until Byron has his public showing," Lewis said. "The guy warrants an opportunity to be considered as a first-round draft pick."

Leftwich, widely considered a top-five pick, will have his pro day April 7. He is one of four players Lewis said the Bengals would consider drafting first overall. The others are quarterback Carson Palmer (USC), cornerback Terence Newman (Kansas State) and wide receiver Charles Rogers (Michigan State).

Those four players will be among those traveling to Cincinnati for pre-draft visits. The Bengals are allowed 20 such visits by NFL rules.

The Bengals are attracting little if any trade interest for the top pick.

GIBSON UPDATE: Lewis said defensive tackle Oliver Gibson is on schedule in rehabilitating his torn Achilles' tendon.

"He's where he needs to be," Lewis said of Gibson. "He's gone from running in the pool to running on grass."

The durable Gibson started nine games last season before his injury, snapping a streak of 57 consecutive Bengals starts.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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