Bengals Sign DE Odom to 5-Year $30 Million Deal, With $11 Million Guaranteed

After 'losing' defensive end Justin Smith via free agency earlier in the week, the Cincinatti Bengals quickly to sign unrestricted defensive end Antwan Odom to a 5-year $30 million contract, including $11 million in guarantees. In his first season as a starter with the Tennessee Titans last year, Odom rang up 21 tackles, 8 sacks, and a team high 29 quarterback pressures. He will be looked upon to help a lousy Cincinatti defense that generated a paltry 22 sacks, good for last in the League.

Odom was a 2nd round draft pick out of Alabama in 2004, and He had the benefit of constantly seeing single blocks, as opposite Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch was often drawing double teams, as was Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. For his 4 year career, Odom has appeared in 52 games, including 32 starts, and has totaled only 82 tackles and 12.5 sacks.

To fill the void left by Odom's departure, the Titans will probably draft another defensive end or two in the upcoming NFL Draft in April, and will rely more on third year man Sean Conover. Based on the size of the contract and assumed playing time for Odom, the Titans are probably at looking at receiving a 4th or 5th round pick (in the 2009 Draft) from the NFL when they award compensatory draft picks later this year.