By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

There was no word Thursday on negotiations with players who could be taken with the first overall draft choice, but the Bengals will get some resolution today on their two remaining restricted free agents.

Wide receivers Ron Dugans and Danny Farmer - who both were tendered one-year, $605,000 offers by the Bengals - have until midnight to receive offer sheets from another club.

If they receive no offers, their rights belong exclusively to the Bengals.

Dugans was a third-round draft pick by the Bengals in 2000, and a team would have had to give Cincinnati a third-round pick as compensation to have signed him to an offer sheet. Farmer was a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his compensation would be a fourth-rounder.

Both are expected to sign the Bengals' offers today.

They were two of five restricted free agents with the Bengals this offseason. The others have been retained by the Bengals: linebacker Armegis Spearman, kicker Neil Rackers and long snapper/tight end Brad St. Louis.

Spearman, an undrafted free agent in 2000, received a three-year offer sheet from the Green Bay Packers that the Bengals chose to match.

The Bengals have the first overall draft pick April 26 and started negotiating potential contracts with three players this week: quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Byron Leftwich and cornerback Terence Newman. Palmer and Newman are the top two priorities.

Agents for Palmer and Leftwich did not return phone messages Thursday. Newman's agent, David Ware, said he had yet to hear from Bengals officials at the end of the business day.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com