It's official. The Bengals tagged Stacy Andrews. This means that Andrews will be paid $7.5 million for 2008 which, when signed, will be fully guaranteed. Andrews has started only 17 games in his career and played in 47.
The tag, non-exclusive, means that Andrews can still negotiate with other teams. If he signs with someone else, the Bengals would receive two-first round picks as compensation.
Marvin Lewis said: "Stacy has been a productive young player for us. He has shown the flexibility to start and play well at a number of different positions on our line. This move helps us keep our core players together, and it gives us an opportunity to continue negotiating for a longer-term contract with Stacy."
The Bengals have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with Andrews.