By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis provided indirect confirmation Tuesday that the team is negotiating in person with the agent for quarterback Carson Palmer.

Asked at a noontime news conference to comment on talks between club officials and agent David Dunn, Lewis said, "We've had very productive discussions."

The comment was significant because Lewis has declined to talk directly about any player not under contract to the team or specific draft prospects for several weeks.

Lewis would not comment more specifically, and Dunn did not return a phone message Tuesday.

Dunn flew to Cincinnati on Monday to begin face-to-face negotiations with Bengals executives Troy and Katie Blackburn.

Lewis said having the deal done before the Bengals pick first Saturday in the NFL draft is important to him and the organization.

"It's something we had the opportunity to do," Lewis said at his pre-draft news conference. "We feel comfortable at where we are in the process."

Is there a deadline?

"We're not going to paint anybody into a corner. We feel good about things."

Two of the past four Bengals first-round draft picks - quarterback Akili Smith (1999) and defensive end Justin Smith (2001) - missed most or all of training camp because of contract holdouts.

The Bengals absorbed nationwide criticism for failing to get their picks signed in time for camp.

Lewis was asked if a pre-draft signing of the top pick would reduce criticism and prevent chiding from the likes of ESPN's Chris Berman.

"Chris is going to have to make jokes about somebody else, I guess," Lewis said. "We will displace another myth.

"Come September, we'll displace some other ones. We're doing things people said we couldn't do. We're displacing myths and some other things that were unfair and getting it done."

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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