According to Rick Smith of All Sports Intel, the Miami Dolphins recently offered the Cincinnati Bengals a conditional third round selection for veteran quarterback Carson Palmer. Based upon reaching certain conditions, that selection could become a second round pick "if certain goals" are reached. One unnamed Bengals official told Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer that there's "zero truth" to the rumor.

According to WLW, who sources the Associated Press, the Bengals are generally seeking a first round pick but would accept a second-rounder "in exchange for Palmer," who would bury Miami's salary cap with an $8.97 million cap figure with only $8 million available for the Dolphins.

It wouldn't be the first time that the Dolphins were somehow linked to a trade for Carson Palmer -- all of which ends with someone pounding their fist on the preverbal table saying "it's not happening" and all of us accepting it because someone shouted it loudly enough. Note: this is all rumored so take it as such.

UPDATE: According to a source, Palmer isn't in Cincinnati, per Pro Football Talk.

ORIGINAL: Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and his agent David Dunn have been seen at Paul Brown Stadium Saturday morning, according to a (protected) tweet from 700 WLW producer James Bedingfield. Reports surfaced over the week that the Bengals and Palmer met in late July, with nothing coming to fruition. Bedingfield is trying to confirm and we're sure that we'll hear updates as they unfold. In other words don't run with this at warp speed and as always, remain suspicious.

Continue reading this post »

The Cincinnati Bengals are talking with safety Donte Whitner, according to The Enquirer's Joe Reedy.

The former Buckeye, a first-round pick in 2006, has spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, where he's amassed 451 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 picks and 3 forced fumbles. Last week, the Buffalo News said that the Bills weren't expected to bring him back.

The Bengals have been needy at safety for a while. Former Cowboy Roy Williams, who arrived in 2009, appeared in just 16 games in two seasons due to injury and is currently a free agent. Nine-year veteran Chris Crocker has been a hard-hitter on the field, but has also struggled with injuries, missing 18 games over the last three seasons. Five-year veteran Chinedum Ndukwe is also a free agent, and so far the Bengals have not shown any inclination they want him back, either. The team did re-sign Gibril Wilson yesterday, but he's coming off an ACL injury.

UPDATE: Fresh tweet from the Cryptkeeper:

There is a good chance safety Donte Whitner gets a deal done with the Bengals. It would be a nice fit.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter.

The Cincinnati Bengals have joined in the bidding for Oakland Raiders guard Robert Gallery, according to Yahoo's Jason Cole.

In March, Gallery told the media that he felt it was time to move on.

"With the end of the league year coming today, and the few conversations I've had with the Raiders and Mr. Davis, we've come to a mutual agreement that it's time for me to move on with my career," Gallery said Thursday from his home in the Oakland area. "I appreciate the start that they and Mr. Davis gave me and I truly have enjoyed my time wearing the silver and black. I wish them well, I thank the fans and I take away great memories of my time in Oakland."

Gallery, the second overall pick in the 2004 draft, was reportedly asking for a new deal in the $8 million per year range. Various sources have the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions in the market for Gallery as well.

Spending $8 million a year on a guard would be a departure for the Bengals, to say the least. The team has never placed great value on interior offensive line positions, preferring to put its o-line coin into the tackle positions. Interest in the pricey Gallery could reflect the impact of the new CBA and the amount of spending required for the team to reach the salary floor.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's career has degraded in each of the past three seasons to the point that fans questioned if the Bengals should just move in another direction.

However, the Bengals quarterback may be thinking the same thing.

During ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Chris Mortensen reports that Carson Palmer is now demanding a trade. Says Mort that Palmer "wants a rebirth with a new franchise and will ask the Bengals to trade him this offseason to the team that he desires to play on to the point where he's willing to play the retirement card. He has enough money in the bank."

Three teams that could interest Palmer are in the NFC West: Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.

Since 2004, Carson Palmer as a starting quarterback has compiled a 46-51-1 overall record, recording 33 interceptions in his previous 32 starts. Additionally, Palmer hasn't recorded a quarterback rating above 86.7 since 2006.

As surprising as Palmer's announcement may be, it's not without a sense of relief either. Bengals fans have been siding towards the team moving in a new direction with a new quarterback in 2010, mostly since Palmer's career seemed to continuously degrade in previous seasons. This includes issues with declining technique, often shorting his throws and failing to check off covered receivers, often throwing into double and triple coverage.

A trade to one of the NFC West teams could give the Bengals as high as a first round draft pick, putting the team in the running for one of this year's quarterbacks such Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, Washington's Jake Locker, Auburn's Cam Newton or Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Or the team could decide to continuing with rebuilding the secondary, the defensive and offensive lines though the draft. The team will not be without options.

But is a trade even likely?

Palmer is due to make $50 million in base salary from 2011-2014, when his contract finally expires. Teams will have to consider not only giving up a first round draft pick, but they'll have to take on Palmer's salary. And for a quarterback that's declined so much, would teams even be willing to take on Palmer's salary while giving up a high draft pick? The question should be answered with an "unlikely". Teams could pick up Palmer's salary, but dispensing with a high draft pick seems very unlikely.

And considering that they remained steadfast in Chad Ochocinco's demand for a trade several offseasons ago, we don't see the team outright releasing Palmer either.

On the bright side, if the Bengals are able to unload Palmer's salary, it makes re-signing free agents such as cornerback Johnathan Joseph, running back Cedric Benson, defensive end Jonathan Fanene and linebacker Brandon Johnson much easier.

This will be fun.

UPDATE: According to Mortensen, "sources said he has grown frustrated with the team's inconsistencies."

Remember to follow us on Twitter.

When Pittsburgh's head coach Dave Wannstedt was let go after six years, many in the area quickly made the connection to Marvin Lewis as a viable candidate. Or usual suspects candidate at the very least. A Pittsburgh native, Lewis spent two years at the University of Pittsburgh as the team's linebacker coach just before joining the Steelers from 1992-1995 as the linebacker coach for the pro team.

So there's connections there. Then again, there's connections between Urban Meyer, the University of Cincinnati -- he was a Bearcats defensive back -- and the Ohio State Buckeyes. That doesn't mean he's going to be returning to the Buckeye State now that he's resigning from Florida.

Asked if he would be interested in the job during the Steelers teleconference on Wednesday, Lewis simply said, "Let's move on."

Lewis is largely expected to leave Cincinnati after a disappointing season, winning only two of the team's first 12 games on the season. Whether or not it's his choice is unknown. Lewis' contract is expiring after the season and Mike Brown could look for a change. Lewis, on the other hand, is known to have made some demands that ownership may not want to fulfill -- such as an indoor practice facility. In the end, it could just be a situation where everyone is happy going their separate ways.

In an interview on NFL Total Access, NFL Network's Insider Jason La Canfora suspects that the end of the era in Cincinnati is quickly arriving. Along with saying the painfully obvious that Marvin Lewis is "very, very unlikely" to return next season, La Canfora believes that Carson Palmer could also be released if the Bengals draft a quarterback with a new regime change in Cincinnati.

Could be the end of an era there. Coach Marvin Lewis, very, very unlikely he's back in 2011. Quarterback Carson Palmer could be gone as well, if there's a regime change and they draft a quarterback. Ochocinco, T.O., Cedric Benson also among those that could be entering the final month with the team.

Even if there is a regime change, the fact remains that the regime will be headed by the same egomaniacal front office that stubbornly refuses to upgrade (read, actually build) their scouting department that's answerable to a new front office executive that judges and signs talent without the overbearing backseat driving from the Brown family.

While I'd hate to see any of those players go (I believe Carson Palmer is the least likely to leave), the fact is that Cincinnati needs fresh blood at any number of places within the organization. The culture of losing has returned and that culture quickly turns into a disease that's only cured when the team starts from scratch and those players are given the chance to start over elsewhere.

Yet, like a never-ending headache, the Bengals front office making that many changes in one season can be painfully disastrous, much like transitioning out of the Sam Wyche era in the early 90s.

In other news, my 2011 team credentials have been denied.

Several weeks ago, Bengals place kicker Aaron Pettrey was working part-time at a store, selling Buckeyes gear "stocking merchandise and ringing up sales while waiting for some team to give him a chance." After Mike Nugent tore an ACL in his knee, the Bengals called Pettrey to give him that chance and he played in his first NFL game against the Buffalo Bills last week.

Making a 19-yard chip shot and missing a 43-yard field goal wide left because "he didn’t play the wind correctly", Pettrey missed a 27-yard chip shot that would have tied the game with over six minutes left in the third quarter.

Having a 50% conversion rate isn't what you'd call, ideal. In fact, it might be a good idea for Pettrey to call his former employer several several weeks ago to see there's still an opening.

According to Geoff Hobson, the Bengals could make an inquiry on former Chargers place kicker Kris Brown.

Don’t be surprised if they at least make an inquiry about veteran kicker Kris Brown, cut by the Chargers on Saturday.

There's also the possibility that the Bengals could make a run for a drunk kicker The Situation former Steelers place kicker Jeff Reed, who was of some interest before he declined to sign with anyone just before the Bengals signed Pettrey.