Andre Smith
Updated: 3-19-13, 1 a.m.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Bengals picked up two compensatory seventh-round picks Monday night here as the first day of the NFL meetings closed, giving them a total of 10 in the April 25-27 draft to go along with an extra second-round pick for Carson Palmer and an extra sixth-round pick for Chad Johnson.
The Bengals gave up their seventh-rounder in the 2011 Taylor Mays trade with San Francisco, the round that may be last but not least in 21st century Bengaldom.
Through a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors, compensatory free agents translate into picks. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula, but the Bengals have five guys from their 2011 playoff team that turned into these picks: Wide receivers Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson, guards Nate Livings and Mike McGlynn, and defensive end Frostee Rucker.
The Bengals were awarded the second extra pick in the seventh round at 240 and the fourth to last pick at 251. In 2007, the Bengals picked up Notre Dame safety Chinedum Ndukwe with pick No. 253 and he started 31 games in four seasons. In 2009 they plucked Memphis defensive tackle Clinton McDonald at No. 249, and he ended up getting traded for Seattle cornerback Kelly Jennings late in the 2011 preseason. Jennings ended up playing 416 snaps for that team.
Also contributing heavily to that playoff run was the 233rd pick in the 2005 draft, Utah defensive lineman Jon Fanene. He had a career-high 6.5 sacks in his last of seven seasons with the club during which he played in 71 games and started 17.
More seventh-rounders? How about some earlier ones? North Carolina State tackle Scott Kooistra, the 215th pick, backed up at guard and tackle for seven seasons. Oregon State wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the 204th pick, caught 507 balls in eight seasons for the third-most in club history.
FITZY TO TITANS: Well, you know the Titans didn't give Ryan Fitzpatrick $5.5 million per year Monday to back up Jake Locker. According to Pro Football Talk, that's what Matt Hasselbeck was supposed to make in 2013 to back up Locker, so on Monday the Titans cut Hasselbeck when they couldn't redo the deal and inked Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal.
The Bengals met with Fitzpatrick here Sunday night in a sitdown that included Bengals president Mike Brown and head coach Marvin Lewis, and where the Bengals made the pitch they were seeking to back up Andy Dalton with an experienced veteran that could mentor him as well as win games.
But apparently it wasn't an economic issue. The sense is that Fitzpatrick may believe he's got a better shot to play sitting behind Locker than Dalton.
Hasselbeck is reportedly headed to the Colts, but the Bengals were apparently not hot on him because he's 37. Cincinnati's quest to replace Bruce Gradkowski continues.
ANDRE UPDATE: Andre Smith agent Ben Dogra arrived here Monday afternoon, but as the meetings broke for dinner there didn't appear to be a scheduled meeting with the Bengals. They were also continuing to talk to cornerback Adam Jones as night fell in the desert.
Cornerback Terence Newman confirmed he's deciding between Cincinnati and Oakland and plans to make a call later in the week.
