Talks moving with players, no news on DC search

Andy Simms, agent for linebacker Landon Johnson, said the sides have exchanged proposals early in the process. The Bengals have been talking on and off for more than a year with the agent for right tackle Stacy Andrews. On Monday, Rich Moran said, "I have no comment on Stacy," which was his stance when the Jets were interested back in April.

"He wants to be there and they want him back so I think we're going to have some good discussions," Simms said. "It's just very hard to find guys who have come in and had 100 tackles in three out of their first four seasons."

Anderson done in Cincy? Within the next couple of weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals likely face a difficult decision on the future of 12-year veteran right offensive tackle Willie Anderson, a fixture on the blocking unit since the franchise chose him in the first round of the 1996 draft and a four-time Pro Bowl performer who has always exemplified class and leadership. The once-durable Anderson is coming off a season in which he was plagued by heel and knee injuries that limited him to career lows in appearances (seven) and starts (five); at one point, he was sidelined for nine straight games. Before this season, Anderson, 32, had missed only two games and eight starts in 11 years. But age and infirmity may have caught up to Anderson this year, and the Bengals' brass will have to weigh just how much solid football they think the former Auburn star has left in the tank versus the money remaining on the $32 million extension he signed in 2006.

In terms of base salaries, Anderson is owed $3.15 million (for 2008), $2.7 million (2009), $3.2 million (2010) and $3.45 million (2011). But he is also due a $2 million roster bonus on Jan. 15, and the clock is ticking loudly on that money. If Cincinnati opts not to pay the bonus, Anderson becomes an unrestricted free agent and probably will sign elsewhere. If the Bengals pay the bonus, the club is essentially gambling that Anderson will be healthy in '08 and return to his previous form. Anderson does not want to retire and prefers to continue, and mostly likely finish, his career with the only team for which he's ever played.

The man who replaced Anderson for much of this season, four-year veteran Stacy Andrews, is eligible for unrestricted free agency. The younger brother of Philadelphia standout right guard Shawn Andrews, Stacy Andrews' value is tough to gauge because he has started only 13 games in four seasons. But there are a considerable number of teams who view the 26-year-old Andrews, despite his lack of starting experience, as a star-in-the-making with possible Pro Bowl potential. The former University of Mississippi standout, a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft, is big and quick-footed and has played both guard and tackle. It may take more than just a modest investment in the free-agent market to land him. Or for the Bengals to re-sign him. And those factors may enter into Cincinnati management's decision on Anderson's future with the team.