By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PALM BEACH, Fla. - The NFL on Monday awarded the Bengals another third-round draft choice. The Bengals, in addition to having the 80th overall pick, now have the 96th overall pick.

The league awards compensatory draft picks, under terms of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, for "losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in a year."

The league released a list of compensatory picks at its annual meetings at the Breakers Resort.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

The Bengals largely have linebacker Takeo Spikes to thank for getting the last pick of the draft's first day.

Spikes, who left the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in 2003, started all 16 games for Buffalo and was voted onto the AFC Pro Bowl team. In the first three rounds, the Bengals have the 17th, 49th, 80th and 96th overall picks. They will come back on Day 2 and have the 113th, 144th, 177th and 208th overall picks.

UNAWARE: NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said during a news conference that he doesn't "know enough about the issue to comment" on Hamilton County commissioners joining a citizen's anti-trust lawsuit against the Bengals and the league.

Tagliabue was asked by the Enquirer if he were concerned that governments in other NFL cities would file suit on stadium issues based on events in Hamilton County.

DILLON TALKS? Raiders owner Al Davis said Monday that he has yet to talk to Bengals president Mike Brown "on this trip."

Davis and Brown are expected to discuss a possible trade of disgruntled Bengals running back Corey Dillon. Oakland, sources say, has expressed interest in a trade.

NEW DEAL: Steelers owner Dan Rooney announced that the league would like to extend Tagliabue's contract by three years.

His four-year contract will expire in May 2005.

Tagliabue, 63, has been commissioner since 1989 and earns about $8 million a year.

"The vote was unanimous among all 32 teams," Rooney said.

LIGHTS, CAMERA: A rematch of the AFC Championship Game will be the first of four national television games on opening weekend, Tagliabue announced.

Indianapolis will play at New England on Thursday night, Sept. 9, on ABC-TV. On Sept. 12, the national Fox game will be Dallas at Minnesota.

The first Monday night game, Sept. 13, will have Green Bay at NFC champion Carolina.

PROPOSALS: The league's competition committee has recommended the following rule changes: Coaches would be allowed to call timeout from the sideline.

A kickoff or punt returner would not be allowed to advance a ball on a bounce after making a fair catch.

And punts would be whistled dead once they went into the end zone instead of waiting for the ball to come to a complete stop.

Owners will vote today to either make instant replay permanent or extend it by five years.

---

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

Return to Bengals front page...