Mark Curnutte

The end of the regular season, Pete Rose and college basketball have done nothing to cool fans' interest in the Bengals.

Question, from Scott in Jeffersonville, Ind.: Because Corey Dillion has demonstrated and stated he does not want to be in Cincinnati next year, why doesn't Marvin Lewis work hard at trading him to Dallas or Tampa Bay? He was one of the best backs in Bengal history, and he still has a couple of good years in him, so why not trade him to a team that would be interested in a top running back?

Q, from Gary in Wilmington: Assuming that Dillon will not be with the team next season, what would be the impact on the team's salary cap if he were traded as opposed to being released?

Answer: Lewis isn't talking any more about Dillon, or the situation at quarterback with Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer.

Lewis and the Bengals might very well be working hard on trying to trade Dillon. Or they might not be. They're not saying.

Trading Dillon, opposed to terminating his contract would at least fetch the Bengals some value in return - whether the trade lands a draft pick or a backup player. The sense in some corners is the Bengals will have a hard time getting anything more than a second-day pick (Rounds 4-7) for Dillon.

Either way, the Bengals have to absorb the remaining $4.2 million of Dillon's $10.5 million signing bonus on their salary cap. If the team trades or cuts him before June 1, they take the whole $4.2 million hit in 2004. If his contract is terminated after June 1, by league rule, the Bengals can split the cap hit between 2004 and 2005.

Q, from Bob in Wapakoneta: What kind of player do you think the Bengals are looking for in the draft?

A: Lewis described his type of player - without getting name or position specific - at his post-season news conference on Dec. 29.

Lewis said the Bengals need "warriors," players who will play with the same intensity whether the team is ahead or behind by 10 points.

Drafting at No. 17, the Bengals have more options than in past years when they picked in the top 5. Any defensive player - a "playmaker" - is a possibility. That could be a defensive tackle, run-stopping middle linebacker or a defensive back that's good against the run with the ability to play the ball in the air.

Later in the draft, the Bengals could be looking at interior offensive linemen or depth at offensive tackle.

They are in solid shape at the offensive skilled positions. If Dillon is traded or released, the Bengals might be looking at a tough-running tailback in the Dillon-Rudi Johnson mold. Of course, free agency is another piece of the offseason puzzle.

Q, from Doug: Kitna played courageously and effectively in 2003 and deserves his award and everyone's respect. He played as well as he is capable of and gave it all he had.

But, as we saw in the last game against the Browns, Kitna's best will not get the Bengals to the playoffs. In 2004 Lewis needs to begin training camp with the plan in mind that he will be starting Palmer.

Another year of idling on the bench and not playing will cause Palmer to lose his edge. Palmer has the talent and winning background to take the Bengals to the next level. The future is now.

A: Again, the principal figures in the Bengals quarterback drama are not talking - and that list includes Lewis, Kitna and Palmer. By not committing to Kitna on Dec. 29, the day after the season, Lewis pretty much left the door open for Palmer to win the job.

A second year of not playing, though, did not hurt a quarterback named Steve McNair. And sitting Palmer as a rookie probably helped more than people can imagine: Look at the sub-par second seasons that 2002 top picks David Carr and Joey Harrington had in Houston and Detroit.

Q, from Gil in Silver Spring, Md.: I have read where the Bengals are considering new uniforms for next year. If this is true, shouldn't they consider changing the entire color scheme to look like a true Bengal tiger rather than the bright orange?

A: Fans sure love to talk about uniforms and propose all sorts of changes. But, yes, you're right, uniform changes are being considered for 2004. The last word was that the helmets were going to remain the same.

Lewis had an interesting take on a question at his Dec. 29 news conference about the black uniform pants. Asked if he were considering burning them after going 0-2 in the black pants, Lewis laughed, admonished the questioner and asked rhetorically if the black pants were indeed responsible for the two losses.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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