By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Corey Dillon's long good-bye with the Bengals came to an end Monday when the disgruntled running back was traded to New England for a second-round draft choice.

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The Bengals received the 56th overall pick in a deal that was completed Saturday when Dillon and his agent, Steven Feldman, met with Patriots coach Bill Belichick and player personnel vice president Scott Pioli.

"We had long discussions. They just wanted to get to know me and reassure themselves and they concluded that I am a good guy and everything went smooth," Dillon said Monday in a teleconference with reporters who cover the Patriots.

The Bengals now have 10 picks in this weekend's NFL draft, including two in each of the second, third and fourth rounds - where coach Marvin Lewis had success in the 2003 draft.

"We are excited to obtain another early selection in what looks to be a talent-rich draft," Lewis said Monday in a statement. "Our organization has obtained many excellent players in the second round through the years. And with a total of seven picks now in the first four rounds, we're in a position to improve ourselves significantly.

The Dillon file

• Acquired: Drafted in second round, with 43rd overall pick in 1997. • Rushed for then-NFL single-game record of 278 yards on 22 carries (12.6) on Oct. 22, 2000 against Denver. • One of only four players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of their first six seasons. The others: Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders and Curtis Martin. • 2003: Rushed for career-low 541 yards and two touchdowns. He was inactive for three games.

"Corey has been a very productive back for the Bengals for a number of years. But you don't get a second-round pick without giving something up, and we believe this clearly is the move that's in our team's best interest."

Dillon's exit started taking shape in October when he repeated his desire to be traded or released. It continued in the final week of the season and last month with comments critical of the Bengals on national television. He made it clear that he would not return, even though he had two years remaining on his Bengals contract.

With the Bengals, Dillon was considered to be part of a line of players who were considered locker room "cancer."

Asked Monday how difficult it will be to shed his negative reputation, Dillon said, "I don't think it is going to be hard because I wasn't a cancer. It was just a point of my having a deep passion for winning. People view that in a different manner. That is in the past and, as you get to know me, you will see that I am good person. I am just happy and excited to be part of a winning organization and I am looking forward to the season."

The Patriots have won two of the past three Super Bowls under Belichick.

"We are very excited about Corey Dillon becoming a Patriot," Belichick said. "Corey joins Kevin Faulk and our other very good backs to deepen an already competitive running back position. We acquired multiple draft choices with the intention of strengthening the team."

Dillon said he and the Patriots restructured the 2004 season of the contract to make it salary-cap friendly. His base salary was originally to be $3.3 million. The final year of the contract has a $3.85 million base salary.

The relationship between Dillon and the Bengals was frayed at best, and the recent outbursts were just reruns from earlier in his NFL career.

Dillon, 29, is the leading rusher in Bengals history with 8,061 yards. But the team had a composite 34-78 record during his tenure and never made the playoffs.

The seven-year veteran made it clear he would not return to the Bengals and cleaned out his locker the day after the regular season.

He had been rumored to go to the Oakland Raiders in a trade.

Dillon, who broke Walter Payton's single-game rushing record in 2000 with a 278-yard performance (since eclipsed by Jamal Lewis in 2003), owns two of the top nine single-game rushing performances in NFL history. In 2002, when the Bengals finished with a 2-14 record, Dillon joined Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders and Curtis Martin as the four players to rush for 1,000 yards in their first six NFL seasons.

On some terrible Bengals squads, Dillon was bigger than the team, and though Dillon seemed to like the attention, he didn't always embrace the leadership role that came with it.

The situation is different in New England.

"Being [the focal point], it can get tiresome and it kind of wore on me," he said. "Coming to the New England Patriots, there are so many talented guys on this team. I am not going to be the focus point of the offense. You have Tom Brady. He is the best quarterback in the game right now. He has a great offensive line. He has a great receiver core.

Bengals record holder

• Single-season rushing total of 1,435 yards in 2000. • Career rushing leader with 8,061 yards. • Yards from scrimmage for a career, 9,543. • Most 100-yard rushing games, 28. • Most yards rushing in a game as a rookie, 246.

"I don't have to worry about carrying the load . . . All I have to worry about is coming in and playing football."

As the Bengals' fortunes changed in 2003 in Lewis' first year, Dillon's role diminished. He suffered the first relatively serious injury of his career, a pulled groin muscle in Game 3 when he slipped on the loose sod at Paul Brown Stadium. He made a career low 11 starts and gained just 541 yards. Though he started when healthy, Johnson emerged as the Bengals' primary back and rushed for a team-high 957 yards.

Asked what he would remember about the Bengals, Dillon said, "Believe it or not, I still have love for Cincinnati and the fans."

He thanked Bengals president Mike Brown, Brown's family and Lewis for not exiling him to a losing team.

"I had some great times there," Dillon said. "I set a couple of records in Cincinnati. I'm always going to have love for Cincinnati and that fan base. But, today is a new day. I'm happy to be a Patriot and I'm just going to finish what I started in Cincinnati in New England."

Feldman said Dillon would be in New England early next month.

Dillon will make a quick return trip to Cincinnati. The Patriots will play a preseason game Aug. 21 at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals will visit the Patriots on Dec. 12 for a regular season game.

Corey Dillon's career rushing statistics

Year	Team	G	GS	Att	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD
1997	Bengals	16	6	233	1129	4.8	71	10
1998	Bengals	15	15	262	1130	4.3	66	4
1999	Bengals	15	15	263	1200	4.6	50	5
2000	Bengals	16	16	315	1435	4.6	80	7
2001	Bengals	16	16	340	1315	3.9	96	10
2002	Bengals	16	16	314	1311	4.2	67	7
2003	Bengals	13	11	138	541	3.9	39	2
TOTAL		107	95	1865	8061	4.3	96	45

Source: NFL.com

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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