Vincent and Coleman coming to Cincinnati

[Kirkendall]

Well, they're just visiting.....

From Bengals.com by Jeff Hobson.

As expected, the Bengals went out into the free-agent market looking for defense and immediately set up visits with a host of starting cornerbacks, at least one starting defensive tackle in Oakland’s Rod Coleman, and maybe a strong safety.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis won’t confirm visits until they have been completed and reported to the NFL, but the agents for Coleman and Eagles’ five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent say their clients are headed to Cincinnati in the next 24 to 48 hours.

And, it’s a good bet strong safety Kim Herring is probably headed to Paul Brown Stadium as well. His agent, Neil Cornrich, wouldn’t confirm a visit, but said he expected both sides to explore the possibility of a reunion given that Lewis coached Herring on the Ravens’ Super Bowl championship team.

Vincent, visiting Buffalo today and expected in Cincinnati Thursday according to agent Linda Bodley, also has strong ties to the Bengals through defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, his position coach in Philadelphia. That could also mean there is interest in the man who played opposite Vincent with the Eagles in Bobby Taylor.

Also headed to PBS possibly at some point are cornerbacks Fernando Bryant of the Jaguars and Reggie Howard of the NFC champion Panthers, a source outside the Bengals said. It can’t be confirmed if the club made contact with the upper-tier corner market in Antoine Winfield, Ahmed

Plummer, and Shawn Springs. It probably did, but indications around the league are Springs and Winfield are going to be gone quickly in mega-money deals that the Bengals may be shying away from in order to sign a group of players.

Plummer, a Cincinnati product from Wyoming High School who expressed interest in playing in Cincinnati last season, is apparently also in the big-money sweepstakes on visits to Detroit and New Orleans, according to sources outside the Bengals.

A survey of agents in the first hours of free agency revealed that the Bengals aren’t looking to drop all their money on one position, but they appear to be trying to break it up across a defense that finished 28th in the NFL last season.

The 6-2, 295-pound Coleman is known as more of a pass rusher, and his 11 sacks in 2002 led all NFL defensive tackles as he helped the Raiders get to the Super Bowl. He had 5.5 this season during a year the Bengals’ John Thornton finished second among AFC tackles with six. The Bengals released backup tackle Oliver Gibson on Monday, but any lineman signed this early figures to play heavily with Thornton and Tony Williams.

The 6-1, 200-pound Vincent turns 33 in June, but there are those who think he has plenty left and he has gone to the last five Pro Bowls. The Bengals may be thinking he’s the perfect mentor for second-year cornerback Dennis Weathersby as a guy with 42 career interceptions.

He’s also a personification of the strong locker room leadership Lewis seeks. For his intense community involvement, Vincent is the only NFL player to ever receive in the same year the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the NFL Players Association’s Byron “Whizzer,” White Humanitarian Award, and the top spot on The Sporting News’ list of 100 Good Guys in Sports during 2002 and 2003.

“He’s looking for a place to become involved in the community and where he can retire,” Bodley said.

Which is, of course, ironic because up until 90 minutes before the 1992 NFL Draft, Vincent was supposed to start his career in Cincinnati. But the Bengals switched gears at the last instant and drafted Houston quarterback David Klingler with the sixth pick. Miami took Vincent with the next choice, but he still almost became a Bengal again four years later when his free-agent decision narrowed Cincinnati as one of his options until he chose Philadelphia.

The 5-10, 174-pound Bryant, who turns 27 later this month, is a first-round pick of the Jags from 1999 and is seen as a solid cover guy who has started 71 games since he came into the league. He had just one interception this year, but he helped the Jags to a No. 6 defensive ranking in the NFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Howard, who turns 27 in May, played well for the league’s No. 8 defense that went to the Super Bowl.

[WHO DEY AGAIN?]

Any chance we sign someone before a visit like some teams are doing right this moment? It would be a nice change of pace to see this happen. It is nice to see some early visits though.

[HoosierCat]

Coleman would be a great addition (tho one might quibble that he isn't quite the monster run-stuffer we really need). But we'll have lots of competition for his services and my bet is someone will pony up more than the Bengals are willing to part with.

Troy Vincent just doesn't interest me much. If a 33-year-old CB whose agent says he's looking for a place to retire is the best we can do at CB in FA, fuggitaboudit. Spend the money elsewhere, then.

[jditty47]

um id take vincent anyday over any corner we've had in the past 10 yrs, mb besides ambrose who did amazing for us while he was here.

And if vincent cant keep up, he can do a woodson and move over to safety and punish some fools.

[chrishcovga]

Doubt that Vincent would be as good a safety as he was as a Corner... people forget that Rod Woodson played both Corner and Safety at Pittsburgh, so his eventual move to Safety was an easy transition for him...

I'm more sold on the big guys in the draft than, these older players....Rod Coleman .???? Bobby Taylor..???? Troy Vincent..???? I'm always leery of taking Al Davis' players...

[AGrizzlyBaer]

i would like that, have him teach weathersby and maybe draft someone else build ourselves a very good young secondary

[BengalszoneBilly]

Well, they're just visiting.....

Damn it Josh!! You made me fall for my own trick!!