Although veteran defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson posted a message on Instragram yesterday saying he was joining the Bengals, he later deleted that message and has been silent since. And the Bengals haven’t said anything about signing Vickerson.
So what happened?
According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Vickerson -- who played the last four years for the Broncos -- may sign with the Bengals next week, but not this week. Vickerson is a vested veteran, which means his salary would be guaranteed if he’s on the Bengals’ roster in Week One. And the Bengals are apparently not sold enough on Vickerson to guarantee his salary. So by waiting a week, the Bengals can minimize their risk.
Of course, the flip side is that by waiting, the Bengals also risk some other team signing Vickerson. If the Broncos were to suffer an injury on the defensive line in Week One, Vickerson is probably the first person they’d call. For that matter, any other team that suffers a Week One injury to a defensive tackle might want to call Vickerson, too.
Vickerson will most likely be a Bengal a week from now. But that’s not a sure thing until a contract is signed, and that hasn’t happened yet.
