It was assumed that the Cincinnati Bengals were prepared to get their veteran linebacker after the team was reportedly in contract negotiations with former-Pittsburgh Steeler, James Harrison. After being on the free agent market, signing with the Bengals seemed like a natural fit for the defensive star. However, according to USA Today, talks between the two parties are not going well and not a lot of progress has been made towards reaching a contract.
Harrison was released by the Steelers due to cap space room. The linebacker refused to take a pay cut for the cash-strapped team, leaving them no choice but to drop him. The market for a defensive veteran has not proven to be very strong as multiple players like Dwight Freeney and Karlos Dansby remain without a team.
Harrison is a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and has helped the Steelers' defensive unit finish in the top 10 three of the last four years. He would be a strong addition to the Bengals' soft defense, but at 34, Harrison is not getting any younger. He is reportedly demanding a larger deal, something Cincinnati is not willing to give him.
The team was also in negotiations with Dansby before switching their focus to Harrison. They have the upper hand in this negotiation and could use their interest in Dansby to forced Harrison into a deal that works best for the team. It is unknown whether or not they would consider signing Dansby instead of Harrison.
If the Harrison deal is not complete by the draft, the Bengals are targeting linebacker Alec Ogletree out of Georgia. Ogletree is considered one of the top three linebackers in this year's draft, but might be off the board by the time the Bengals draft at No. 21. He is being looked at by multiple teams as a fitting option. He can play both a 3-4 or 4-3 defense and function well in all linebacker spots.
All signs still point to a deal getting done with Harrison prior to the draft. It was originally reported that a deal was 95 percent complete and considering the market, Harrison would be smart to take any contract offered his way.
