| | By John Clayton
ESPN.com
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Cincinnati Bengals fans have heard this tune so much they put it on "CD" this summer.
Corey Dillon, known to his teammates as CD, pulled a Carl Pickens, holding out for big money while, at times, blasting the organization.
|  | | Corey Dillon has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three different seasons for Cincinnati |
Dillon scoffed at their latest offer (six years, $26 million, including a $5 million signing bonus). He pulled back his long-term considerations (five years, $24.5 million, including a $10 million payout this season) and wants $3.5 million for one season and plenty of incentive. More and more, it looks like Dillon, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher, will spend the summer debating how many weeks or months into the season he wants to end his holdout, sign a one-year contract and leave after the season after the team applies the transition tag.
"All I know is that we've offered him a heck of a contract," Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said. "That's what we think of him. People want to lump Corey Dillon with Carl Pickens, but that's an entirely different situation. It just happened at the same time frame. With Corey, I still think it's a negotiation."
With Pickens, it became personal. After a bigger holdout in which the former Pro Bowl wide receiver blasted the franchise for its losing ways, Pickens held out for a trade, but stunned everyone by taking $8 million last season to return. When team president Mike Brown announced that Coslet would return as coach late in the season, Pickens said publicly that Coslet never won anywhere and that his return sent a bad message to the team.
Last week, Coslet got his wish when management cut Pickens.
Now, some might ask why the Bengals would want to pay maybe up to $4 million a year to someone who doesn't want to be there. Coslet said he believes Dillon wants to be a Bengal.
"Corey's got a good relationship with his running back coach (Jim Anderson)," Coslet said. " I don't know if this is a factor or not, but he (Anderson) lives on the West Coast (as does Dillon). That may have something to do with it. The thing about Pickens is that he was real happy when we give him the big contract. We gave him that contract at basically my recommendation. Then he turns around at the end of the season and basically attacks me."
Bengals teammates believe Dillon's position is more monetary than disdain for the organization. Quarterback Akili Smith says that he'd walk into rooms of teammates and hear Dillon's voice on the phone calling to ask "What's up?"
"Corey just wants to be paid for what he's done," Smith said. "Over the years, he's rushed for at least 1,000 yards a season. He wants to be accommodated for that. It's going to be tough without him. He's one of the top five backs in the league."
Fortunately, the start of a new training camp has the Bengals unusually optimist. For the first time in Coslet's nine-year head coaching career with the Bengals and New York Jets, the entire starting offensive line returns. Rookie Peter Warrick, playing split end, hopes to fulfill his billing as the Barry Sanders of receivers. Deep threat Darney Scott reported in great shape and is angling with Smith to have a Pro Bowl season.
"We still can be good without him, but we are better with him," Scott said of Dillon. "If we get him back, we are going to have a powerful offense."
At least the players care, which is a major step forward for the Bengals. Smith says he is having trouble sleeping at nights because he's up late studying reads and keys and plays.
"I'm up all night tossing and turning, trying to know every detail," Smith said. "I'm not getting adequate rest became I'm worried about my key and 'check-by-me." '
Even Warrick goes as far as to say the Bengals could be the "surprise team of the new millennium."
"We're going to be good," Warrick said. "A lot of people doubt us, but a lot of people doubted the Rams the year after they were 4-12. The following year they won the Super Bowl. People were telling me about Cincinnati. I told them to let me be the judge."
Saturday, Warrick took an end-around to his right. The defense had it read. He stopped, turned left and caught the entire defense flatfooted. The next few seconds was an open field show as Warrick left defenders reaching and missing.
But when Warrick blew a short route Sunday afternoon, Smith gave him a lecture on the importance of running each route correctly.
All those around the Bengals camp have judged Smith to be a much improved quarterback.
"Akili is light years from where he was last year," Coslet said. "He has it all. He's big. He's strong. He's probably the most accurate quarterback I've coached for a while, and that includes Boomer Esiason."
But Dillon is their best back, and the Bengals need him back.
John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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