Michael Johnson's agent, Rick Smith, is hoping that the Bengals and his client can come to a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline, ensuring that Johnson will be in Cincinnati for the long haul and not just one more year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy.

Johnson's agent, Rick Smith, said on Friday after news that the Bengals tagged Johnson that he was hopeful both sides could reach an agreement on a multi-year contract before the deadline. Last year, 12 teams agreed to long-term extensions with their players before the deadline

Johnson reportedly stated that he wants to stay in Cincinnati and while money is always an issue, re-signing someone who would rather be somewhere else is never easy. The Bengals don't have a great track record as of late when it comes to signing the players they used the franchise tag on to long-term deals, losing both Justin Smith, Stacy Andrews and Shayne Graham the following year. If they decide not to re-sign Mike Nugent before the upcoming season, it will be four formerly tagged players in a row.

The last time the Bengals did re-sign somebody that they used the franchise tag on, it was Rudi Johnson and the two sides were able to to reach an agreement before the deadline.

Hopefully the Bengals can rework that magic and make sure they keep Johnson around for the long haul.