Report: Bengals offer Sapp

3/16/2004 - 3-16-04, 7 p.m.

Updated: 3-16-04, 7:30 p.m.

Updated: 3-16-04, 11:20 p.m.

BY GEOFF HOBSON

Imagine Chad Johnson and Warren Sapp jockeying for sound bites in the same locker room.

 

The Bengals raised that possibility Tuesday night when SI.com reported their four-year offer around $4 million per year to Sapp, Tampa Bay?s future Hall of Fame defensive tackle and current Hollywood personality.

 

Before the report surfaced Tuesday, Sapp agent Drew Rosenhaus had no comment when asked if the Bengals had an interest in Sapp since they had just lost a big ticket to Buffalo in cornerback Troy Vincent. Then, Rosenhaus and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis wouldn't comment on the report Tuesday night.

 

The Bengals rocked the NFL with their pursuit of the 31-year-old Sapp, a Pro Bowler that hasn?t stirred much interest around the NFL since his six-year, $36 million contract with the Bucs expired two weeks ago. That is, until Cincinnati?s offer got run up the flagpole for all to see.

 

The Bengals also got back into the derby for Eagles cornerback Bobby Taylor Tuesday, but it?s going to have to be one or the other given the Bengals? squeeze under the salary cap. If they are going to fit Sapp, they are going to have to cut at least one player with at least a $1 million cap count, and maybe two, according to figures from ESPN.com.

 

It seems the Bengals aren?t going to get any room from a contract extension with quarterback Jon Kitna any time soon, with all indications the team didn?t like his proposal enough to sign and use the room in free agency.

 

The Bengals? now very public offer to Sapp may or may not hike bidding among other teams interested in

 

 

** Continued from Homepage **

 

Sapp, such as Kansas City, Baltimore, Oakland, and Chicago. But the SI report speculates that the Bengals? offer is more than many in the league thought he would command, and that Baltimore and Oakland would only pay him $2 million per year.

Sapp is close to one of the newest Bengals, former Bucs backup middle linebacker Nate Webster, a fellow University of Miami Hurricane. But another Hurricane from Sapp?s era, Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis, openly recruited Sapp during last month?s Pro Bowl. But he doesn?t seem to fit Baltimore?s 3-4 schemes.

 

It was the seventh straight Pro Bowl for Sapp, and while he may not be the consistently explosive player he once was, his big-time spurts can only help a Bengals? defense that finished 25th against the run last season. He hasn't had a double-digit sack season since his monster 16.5 in 2000 and his five last season are his fewest since his rookie season of 1995. But an offensive line still has to be wary of him, and he would be the fifth player with a Super Bowl ring Lewis has recruited.

 

One thing is for sure. The Bengals will know soon because Rosenhaus is one of the most decisive and quickest agents in the game, and he has said he wants Sapp?s situation resolved by Friday.

 

Taylor, an eight-year veteran of the Eagles, is the only big-name cornerback left in free agency and he?s also in talks with Seattle as he prepares to leave Thursday for a trip to Washington. Jason Medlock, Taylor?s agent who said Monday talks with the Bengals were all but dead, said they are back on.

 

?We talked again today and it was a positive conversation,? Medlock said. ?We?ll keep at it. I?m also taking to (Seahawks president) Bob Whitsitt and those talks have heated up.?

 

With Vincent off their plate and in Buffalo, it?s believed the Bengals have enough money under the salary cap to sign a relatively big-money guy like Sapp or Taylor, or a couple of other players for smaller deals. Guards Bobbie Williams and Ruben Brown still expressed an interest in Cincinnati, but had not heard from the club Tuesday.

 

The raises for two re-signed starters _ center Rich Braham and kicker Shayne Graham ? as well as deals with Webster and safety Kim Herring have left the Bengals with $5.5 million under the cap, according to ESPN.com.

 

That?s a number that doesn?t include the ?04 draft picks (about $3 million) or quarterback Carson Palmer?s escalators (about $2 million) as the Bengals look to fill spots at right guard, defensive line, safety, and possibly wide receiver.

 

On a conference call with the Buffalo media Tuesday, Vincent indicated one of the reasons he chose the Bills over the Bengals is because he may have felt there would be more around him on the NFL?s No. 2 defense. He recalled the advice he gave to his former Eagles teammate, Jaguars defensive end Hugh Douglas, about not going some place where you have to be the difference.

 

?Because if the team doesn't have success _ which they didn't last year in Jacksonville _ you become the fall guy,? Vincent said. ?When I made this decision, I looked at London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements, Drew Bledsoe, Eric Moulds, Sam Adams. I looked at the roster. I know there's talent here. I know we can win. I believe I can be one of the components bringing things together. I have experience. I?ve made plays in the past. I expect to make plays in the future to help this organization get back to where they once were.?

 

Vincent said he got lobbied pretty hard by some players, and he was impressed with new Bills coach Mike Mularkey.

 

?I must say Takeo Spikes reached out to me. Fletcher reached out to me to see if there was any questions they could answer. I greatly appreciate that,? Vincent said. ?But at this point in time, management, head coach, organization was very important to me. The head coach would tell it all.?

 

The structure of the front-loaded contact and the fact the Bills sent him to Buffalo on a private jet on the first day of free agency also probably had as much to do with it. The Trenton Times reported that $11.3 million of the six-year, $21 million deal comes in the first three years, with $6 million in the first year and $8.5 million in the second.

 

On other fronts, the agent for Bengals running back Corey Dillon continued to have no comment on his client?s status. But Steve Feldman did say he planned to attend the NFL?s annual league meeting later this month. That would be in case a trade that was once thought to be imminent hasn?t been completed by the time the meetings start in two weeks.

 

The decision to send wide receiver Terrell Owens from the 49ers and Ravens to the Eagles for a fifth-round pick and defensive end Brandon Whiting probably won?t help the Bengals in their bid to get a second-round pick for Dillon.

 

Credit to Bengals.com

 

All I have to say in response is... Make it happen Marvin!

Not a bad signee but you better hope they dont give him to big of a signing bonus.

 

A 31 year old DT who has lost his explosivnes and never was really a good run stopper really aint worth that much.

Sapp= Overrated

Sapp= Overrated

Only reason he is known so much is because of his mouth which is constantly flowing full of crap.

He won't get a big signing bonus because we don't have the cap room to give him one.

 

He's overrated, yes, but he's also considered the best DT in the NFL, which he's not, but he's still good and well worth the money we've offered him. He's better than anyone we have at DT, he'd immediately become a leader on defense, and he'd sell tickets/merchandise. We'll see what happens.

It's amazing what 1 championship ring will do to him.

Yay, I said last year the Bucs need to lose keyshawn and sapp to get rid of all the trash talking crap, looks like i'll get my wish

Also interesting how all these so-called stars act, you know, considering they're the best at what they do in a competitive field (see: Warren Sapp, Keyshawn Johnson, Ray Lewis, Chad Johnson, etc., etc.) . I don't think Sapp's great, but he's a presence. Are there other ways to do things? Probably.

 

But I'm a fan of the pagentry, that's why I like sports. Because it's competitive. When Chad Johnson went into the Chiefs game last year saying, "We will win... We WILL win." and the reporter asked, "So, you're gauranteeing victory?" And replied with, "Yeah, man, what you think, I'm playin'!?" (easily the best part of that quote) He upped the ante for that game ten fold.

 

Ray Lewis, the second time the Bengals were to play the Ravens (when both where in the playoff hunt), said that the Bengals hadn't showed him a thing and that they weren't an improved team from the year before I knew it was on and it hurt two times as much when we lost.

 

What I'm saying is, on some level, it wouldn't be as fun without this crap. Plus, Sapp's endzone dance RULEZ!

Play the game like it was meant to be played.

 

Lombardi didn't care how good you were, if you showed off or had poor on field or press character, you were gone.

 

And I wish that were the case today.

 

Football is football, a game, you want to laugh go watch Comedy Central or rent a movie.

Play the game like it was meant to be played.

 

Lombardi didn't care how good you were, if you showed off or had poor on field or press character, you were gone.

 

And I wish that were the case today.

 

Football is football, a game, you want to laugh go watch Comedy Central or rent a movie.

yet i bet you love the Lambeau Leap

Thats actually something that has fan interaction. But it gets under my skin when they stay up in the stands forever.

 

But the Cell Phones, the Markers, Signs, all of that stuff, the pom poms, these show offs that want their names out there.

 

Thats gotta stop.

 

Giving the ball to the fans or high fiving them or jumping in with them is a bit of a different scenario.

 

But the Lambeau Leap does bug me a bit.

I wish I could take games so seriously. That'd be fun.

 

Then that picture of the Packer and Bear talking trash would make me mad, since there's no place for that in games.

boo-ya

Your right that picture does piss me off.

 

I can't stand those Damn Bears!

 

But Michael Hawthorne (the idiot as normal) couldn't help but talk back to Charles Tillman (the rookie Bear) who couldn't help but open his mouth up and talk smack while getting his a$$ whupped.

Baseball is on the rise. Football, Basketball and Hockey are on the decline.

Baseball is on the rise. Football, Basketball and Hockey are on the decline.

Yeah, television sets around the country are turning off the NFL on fall Sundays at an amazing rate.

Your right that picture does piss me off.

 

I can't stand those Damn Bears!

 

But Michael Hawthorne (the idiot as normal) couldn't help but talk back to Charles Tillman (the rookie Bear) who couldn't help but open his mouth up and talk smack while getting his a$$ whupped.

What a hypocrite. And I mean that in the kindest sense.

 

Next time Chad pulls some shenanigans I'll say it's because "I hate those damn (insert random NFL team hur)!" Some celebrations are out of hand, but on the whole I don't mind them.

I think Sapp needs to come to Oakland playing next to Ted Washington on the Raiders d-line will be huge for him.

I've come to the conclusion that Sapp is using the Bengals to drive those offers from other teams up. Which kind of makes me mad, but that's business.

 

We'll see how this turns out.

I think that Sapp should just quit, I can't stand him.

 

He's overrated, and is like Chris Hovan, all MOUTH and NO STATS.

I think that Sapp should just quit, I can't stand him.

 

He's overrated, and is like Chris Hovan, all MOUTH and NO STATS.

yawn

 

stats aint everything

Well the results really showed for both Sapp and Hovan as they both missed the playoffs.

I've come to the conclusion that Sapp is using the Bengals to drive those offers from other teams up. Which kind of makes me mad, but that's business.

 

We'll see how this turns out.

I've come to the conclusion that Mr. Sapp will be a Bengal on Saturday and I'm not alone.

 

Arguably the best and also best-known player remaining in the unrestricted free agent pool, Tampa Bay Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp likely won't be unemployed much longer, ESPN.com has learned.

 

League sources told ESPN.com that Sapp on Friday night moved very close to agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals on a four-year contract. Some issues remain to be resolved but, barring a setback in the negotiations, the sources said, a deal could be struck on Friday or Saturday.

 

"If everything goes right," said one source with knowledge of the contract discussions, "something could happen in a matter of hours. There are still some other teams involved but it's moving pretty quickly now with (the Bengals)."

 

On his Web site, Sapp had listed six franchises with which he would consider continuing his career. It has been clear for the past week that Cincinnati, which reportedly has made a four-year, $16 million offer, has been more aggressive than other suitors.

 

Early in free agency, coach Marvin Lewis said that landing a veteran defensive tackle was his top offseason priority. The Bengals lost out on other free agents, most notably former Oakland tackle Rod Coleman, who signed with Atlanta.

 

Landing a player of Sapp's profile, even if his game has declined some, would be huge for the Bengals on and off the field. Sapp has not visited with the Cincinnati officials or coaches but has said he won't need a meeting for something to be completed.

 

Just as the Bengals' ardor for Sapp has been obvious, so has the lack of interest on the part of Tampa Bay officials in retaining the nine-year veteran. There have been no substantive discussions between Bucs officials and representatives for Sapp, and it now appears both sides are prepared to move on.

 

A seven-time Pro Bowl player, Sapp is coming off a season in which he totaled 58 tackles and five sacks. The sacks were the fewest since his rookie season in 1995.

ESPN.com

 

:thumbup

Baseball is on the rise. Football, Basketball and Hockey are on the decline.

Thanks for your comment on Warren Sapp to the Bengals....

Someone told me Sapp is signed with the Raiders on ESPNews.