By Jack Brennan
Bengals representatives held a day-long negotiation session at Spinney Field on Friday with tackle Willie Anderson and his agent, Terry Bolar. But as Anderson and Bolar left the team offices at approximately 6:30 p.m., the two sides remained apart on the goal of extending Anderson's contract.
"I believe we were responsive to a number of their concerns," said Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn, the team's lead negotiator in the talks. "There was plenty of give-and-take, and I would say our relations remain cordial. But the bottom line is, at the end of a long day, we still do not have an agreement."
Anderson, the Bengals' top draft choice in 1996, has played four seasons in Cincinnati and is presently set in 2000 to play the final year of his original rookie contract.
"Right now, I'm just planning on being back here in June (for voluntary workouts with the coaching staff)," Anderson said as he and Bolar departed Spinney for a flight back to Atlanta, Anderson's off-season home. "I'm disappointed we didn't get it done today, but I appreciate the Bengals trying to work something out before I'd become a free agent. Whether that will happen or not, I just don't know at this point."
