CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports there's already a "chasm" in long-term talks between the Bengals and DT Geno Atkins.
The sides haven't done much negotiating heading into the final year of Atkins' rookie contract, but sound like they're miles apart in the early going. It's not exactly a surprise, as Atkins is one of the top defensive linemen in the league, while the Bengals remain its thriftiest club. Atkins would almost certainly be franchise tagged next offseason absent a new deal.

The Cincinnati Enquirer expects the Bengals to prioritize a contract extension with DT Geno Atkins before the start of the season.
Atkins is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is a candidate for a long-term deal now that almost all of the Bengals' draft picks have signed. A two-time All Pro, Atkins is likely to command top-five defensive tackle money. The Bengals have also held extension talks with contract-year DE Carlos Dunlap.

Bengals.com says the team has been frugal in free agency because they will try to sign DT Geno Atkins to an extension next season.
Yes, Atkins is the best defensive tackle in the game and is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Re-signing him is going to be extremely expensive. And the Bengals should also be trying to work out an extension with LE Carlos Dunlap. But we'd have an easier time buying this as a plan if owner Mike Brown didn't annually sit on a pile of bills and count his cash instead of pushing up against the cap like his peers.

Bengals DT Geno Atkins' salary jumped from $575,000 to $1.423 million based on rookie-deal incentives.
Atkins is entering the final year of his contract, and the Bengals have already dabbled in "brief, casual" extension talks with his agent. Turning 25 in March, Atkins is already a two-time Pro Bowler and was selected as a first-team All-Pro this past season. Atkins set career-best marks with 53 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 2012. His next contract will be monstrous.

The Bengals and DT Geno Atkins' agent had a "brief, casual" encounter at the Senior Bowl in an effort to begin contract extension talks.
"We had some dialogue down here," Atkins' agent Pat Dye said. "Both sides would like to get something sooner rather than later. It's just a matter of sitting down and getting it done in a way that that satisfies both sides." Atkins, 25 in March, is in Hawaii taking in his second-straight Pro Bowl while coming off an All-Pro first team selection. He's set to enter the final year of his rookie deal and should command upwards of $6 million per season on his next contract. The Bengals would be wise to lock him up as quickly as possible.

Bengals DT Geno Atkins was named to the 2012 Associated Press All-Pro first team.
Atkins received 42-of-50 votes, which was third on defense behind J.J. Watt's unanimous selection and Von Miller's 48 votes. Atkins, 24, set a single-season Bengals franchise record for sacks by an interior lineman with 12.5 and forced four fumbles. Pro Football Focus gave him a 79.9 overall rating that put him almost 50 points ahead of the second-best rating among the league's defensive tackles. Atkins has one year left on his rookie contract. Cincinnati needs to lock him up immediately.