Bengals sign Antonio Bryant

The Cincinnati Bengals have a legit No. 2 wide receiver. Or maybe more like a second No. 1. The team signed former Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Bryant to a four-year, $28 million deal on Wednesday. With incentives, Bryant could earn as much as $29 million. Bryant had a breakout season in 2008 with more than 1,200 receiving yards, 83 catches and seven touchdowns. Lingering pain from offseason knee surgery and a rookie quarterback dragged down his 2009 numbers, but he was still seen as the top unrestricted free agent wideout this year. Miami and Washington were also rumored to be vying for Bryant.

Fantasy Analysis:
That's quite a lot of money for someone who has only had two 1,000-yard seasons during an seven-year career. At least Terrell Owens isn't coming to Cincy. It's not as if Bryant is a choir boy, but I don't think Carson Palmer would have been able to make it through a 16-game season with Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Now, Ochocinco may still be the team's top target, but Bryant is more of a deep threat, down-the-field receiver. It wouldn't surprise me to see an opponent's top cornerback on Bryant instead of Chad next season. If all parties can stay healthy, this should mean good things for Palmer (who hasn't had a duo this good since T.J. Houshmandzadeh left town). More than anyone involved, this news positively affects his fantasy value the most.