Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has said for days that he hoped to get Andre Smith under contract in time for the 2013 NFL Draft.
Close enough.
The right tackle signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Bengals just before the team's second-round pick selection, a source told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Friday. The Bengals used their No. 37 overall pick to grab North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard.
The Bengals later confirmed Smith's re-signing.
"What changed for me is I felt like it was time to get back to work," Smith told The Cincinnati Enquirer on Friday.
Smith didn't attract much attention in free agency, but the four-year veteran and former first-round pick was miffed with Cincy's contract offerings out of the gate. Getting Smith under lock and key wipes away a major headache for the Bengals and allows them to spend the rest of the draft focusing on their primary needs -- just in time.
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