By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Carson Palmer will be the Bengals' first draft pick Saturday and could be introduced as early as this afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.

Carson Palmer (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Palmer's multiyear contract is 97 percent completed, a source close to the situation told the Enquirer late Wednesday night. A few details needed to be worked out, but Palmer's family members had been told to be ready to fly to Cincinnati this afternoon.

The Bengals, with NFL approval, could hold a news conference today at Paul Brown Stadium to introduce Palmer as their top draft choice.

Terms of the contract were not available, but it is believed to be for six years with a signing bonus of between $14.5 million and $15 million.

The split payment of the signing bonus is believed to have been a sticking point. As much as $11 million could be paid up front, with the remaining amount delivered if Palmer officially makes the roster in March 2004.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

See what the draft gurus are saying about Carson Palmer: • ESPN • CNNSI • NFL

Neither Bengals coach Marvin Lewis nor David Dunn, Palmer's agent, is commenting on negotiations.

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

Lewis wanted the deal to be completed before the draft Saturday. The Bengals have the first overall pick based on their league-worst 2-14 record in 2002.

Palmer is expected to be in New York on Saturday for what could be an anticlimactic announcement by NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Signed or unsigned, Palmer is expected to participate in the Bengals' voluntary full-squad minicamp May 2-4. He made one pre-draft visit, to Cincinnati, on April 13, and watched two minicamp practices.

Palmer won the Heisman Trophy after an impressive final season at Southern California. Against eight ranked teams on the toughest schedule in the nation, Palmer was 198-for-321 passing for 2,517 yards and 23 touchdowns.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com