Should the Bengals Try and Sign Donte Whitner, Again?

Remember two years when Bengals fans were pumped that we had signed then free agent Donte Whitner to a 2 year deal? The story broke by Whitner himself with a two word tweet:

Who Dey!!!!

— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) August 4, 2011

A few minuter later Joe Reedy followed with confirmation that Whitner had signed a deal and would be a Bengal. Then apparently, Whitner changed his mind and went on to become the hard hitting safety for the 49ers.

Well, guess who looks like they are going back on the market. Once again Whitner will be testing the waters in free agency. At 28 years old there is still some trade on the tires for a guy that is known for big hits. However, his coverage has come under question lately.

Whitner may be the type of free agent the Bengals would consider bringing in. He is not the premiere name at the position this offseason. Guys like Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward will command the top spots as far as cash to sign with a new team. That leaves Whitner in the "second tier" of the available safeties. Seems like the kind of guy that the Bengals would consider making a run at if they feel safety is a position they should attack.

That being said, Whitner is still a very good player with a good career. He is not going to be a "cheap" option so could still get a contract that the Bengals will not be willing to offer. It wouldn't necessarily be a free agency splash, but could potentially upgrade the position.

I decided to follow him on Twitter, just to see if the two words pop up once again when free agency opens.