NFL Draft Impact: Bengals Sign Former Cowboys Cornerback Terence Newman

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the most transparent organizations in the league, so when head coach Marvin Lewis said the team was targeting CB Terence Newman in free agency at last month's owners meetings, you had to take him at his word.

Today, his word proved to be true, as the team signed Newman to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This follows the re-signing of veteran corner Adam "Don't call me Pacman" Jones and the free-agent addition of CB Jason Allen last month. With shutdown corner Leon Hall still rehabbing a torn Achilles that could limit him both short and long term, the Bengals needed to create some veteran depth that could be plugged in early in the season if Hall isn't close enough to 100 percent to start.

Newman makes sense for the Bengals, because he last had success when he was under current Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in Dallas.

Now that the team has three veteran corners and the hope that Hall can play well this season, do the Bengals pass on a corner in the first round?

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press answered that question with subtle humor when a Twitter follower asked if the Newman signing increased the chances of Alabama corner Dre Kirkpatrick falling to the Lions:

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No. It's Terence Newman RT @chrisDzak: Does the Bengals signing of Terrance Newman increase the Lions chance that Kirkpatrick falls to 23?

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) April 11, 2012

 

 

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Newman, Jones and Allen are Band-Aids. Starting CB Nate Clements will turn 33 this season. If South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore or Kirkpatrick are there at Nos. 17 and 21, expect the Bengals to pull the trigger.