By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Warren Sapp was ready to sign with the Bengals, and the team "yanked" the offer, the defensive tackle said Monday at his introductory news conference in Oakland.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Warren Sapp addresses the media at the Oakland Raiders' headquarters in Alameda, Calif., on Monday. (AP photo)

Sapp was in Oakland to sign a seven-year, $36.6 million contract with the Raiders. The Raiders swept in and agreed to terms with Sapp on Saturday after the Bengals tried to fudge the deal Friday night, he said.

Asked about the accuracy of reports that had him nearing a deal on a four-year, $16 million contract with the Bengals, Sapp said: "Well, we were real close, real close, and they fidgeted at the end. And when you fidget at the end, it was just one of those deals that we didn't feel good about.

"I woke up the next morning (Saturday) and (Raiders owner) Al Davis was on the line, and that brought a smile to my face. By the end of the day, I was a Raider.

"It was one of those deals where (the Bengals) offered me that contract and then fidgeted on it, (and) I said, 'OK. I've never had that experience before.' So I've had two experiences that I've never had, free agency and getting a deal and then getting it yanked from you."

Then Sapp was asked if the Bengals actually pulled their offer: "Yeah, pretty much, played with it a little bit. Played with this, played with that. Just made it an uncomfortable situation."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had a news conference Monday morning at Paul Brown Stadium, more than an hour before Sapp's news conference in Oakland.

Asked for his reaction to Sapp signing with the Raiders, Lewis said: "We did what we felt was prudent as an organization. It takes two people to agree. There's a little disappointment, but it's not the end of the world. We're going to move forward."

Sapp was all smiles in Oakland. "It's kind of tough to uproot it, but if you're going somewhere, you got to go with the best," he said. "I've always admired them from afar. It's even better inside."

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