‘Working on a legacy’
Despite skipping OTAs, Dunlap wants to finish career with Bengals.
While his teammates were voluntarily sweating it out during OTA practices and his agentwas trying to negotiate a newcontract, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap spent the past fewweeks surfing the black-sand beaches of Costa Rica, riding four-wheelers in the rain forest, buying a house in Miami, taking the speed train to Milan and touringArmy and Air Force bases in Italy and Germany as part of the NFL-USO tour.
But Dunlap, who forfeited a $300,000 workout bonus by skipping OTAs, also was putting in work in Miami, training with Pete Bommarito with the goal of being in premier shape when reporting for this week’s mandatory minicamp.
Coming off the field Tuesday morning after awalk-through, Dunlap saw a crowd of reporters waiting at his locker and feigned a U-turn before setting in for a 20-minute interview in which he said his contract situation was at the heart of his decision to skip the first eightweeks of OTAs.
“We’re obviously in negotiations, so that’s obvious,” he said. “That’s been stated by both teams, andwe’re making great progress. I justwanted to make sure I was in the best shape for the season, which I feel like I am. And I just wanted to work one-onone with my guys (in Miami) and make sure I was ready for when I need to be there.
“I mean, this is Year 9, and it’s voluntary,” Dunlap added. “There are no hard feelings between any of us. This is the process. Both sides understand it, and me personally, I just wanted to make sure I was in the best shape because obviously that’s going to tell all.”
The 29-year-old is scheduled to make $7 million this season in the final year of the five-year, $39.4 million extension he signed prior to the start of 2013 season. The 2010 second-round draft pick said he feels as though he has at least “a handful” of seasons left in him, and he wants to play all of them with the Bengals.
“Cincinnati gave memy first shot,