New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Bengals, 'Pacman' working on multiyear contract

Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones received a second look from the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, and his signing with the team is imminent after an impressive workout, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.

Jones' representative, Ray Savage, had several conversations with the Bengals during the cornerback's visit, the source said, and the sides have the nucleus of a multiyear deal in place.

Savage and the Bengals expect to put the contract to paper this week, La Canfora reported, and Jones should join the team's offseason program Monday. Savage declined to comment, but did confirm the sides were in negotiations.

The Bengals, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers reportedly showed the most interest in Jones, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2008 season and didn't play last year. All three attended a private workout in March held by Jones, 26, who has seen his NFL career bottom out because of his repeated arrests and off-the-field trouble.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season and for six games with the Cowboys in 2008 for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy.

Jones went to the University of West Virginia, along with late Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. The two of them got into so much trouble with their NFL teams that Goodell toughened the league's disciplinary policies.

The Bengals released Henry in 2008 following his fifth arrest. Team owner Mike Brown then referred to himself as a "redeemer" and did an about-face, bringing Henry back against the wishes of coach Marvin Lewis. Henry died in a fall from a pickup truck driven by his fiancee last year.

The Bengals became more cautious about signing troubled players after they had 10 arrested during a 14-month span. Henry and linebacker Odell Thurman were the main offenders, drawing repeated suspensions beginning in 2005.

The team has softened its stance in the last two years, bringing in players on low-risk deals. Running back Cedric Benson was released by the Chicago Bears after two alcohol-related arrests -- the cases were dropped after grand juries declined to indict -- and the Bengals signed him to a minimal financial deal during the 2008 season. The Bengals took the same approach last year with running back Larry Johnson, who received a minimal contract before eventually leaving to sign with the Washington Redskins as a free agent after the season.

In February, the Bengals signed wide receiver Matt Jones, who didn't play in the NFL last season, to a minimal one-year deal. Jones was charged with cocaine possession and with violating a plea agreement, prompting the Jacksonville Jaguars to release the former first-round draft pick after the 2008 season.

Jones, though, has the longest history of off-the-field problems.

The Titans drafted Jones sixth overall in 2005, expecting him to be a cornerstone of their defense for years. Instead, he was arrested six times and involved in 12 instances requiring police intervention. The Cowboys traded for Jones in 2008, but he got into trouble again, drawing the six-game suspension for an alcohol-related scuffle with a team-provided bodyguard.

Jones appeared in nine games with the Cowboys, starting six, but failed to record an interception. He also returned punts and averaged just 4.5 yards, prompting the Cowboys to release him after the season.

The Bengals have one of the NFL's best cornerback tandems in Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall, who had six interceptions apiece last season. The defense finished fourth in the league, one of the main reasons that Cincinnati won the AFC North with a 10-6 record.

The Bengals also drafted Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee in the third round last month, looking for depth at the position.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that former Miami Dolphins safety Gibril Wilson also was in town Tuesday to work out for the Bengals. Wilson, a six-year NFL veteran, has played for the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders.