Having invested five seasons in unrestricted free agent defensive end Reinard Wilson, and seen him begin to pay handsome dividends in 2001, the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday decided to commit three more years to a player just now coming into his prime as a pass rusher.

	Wilson

The team reached agreement with Wilson, ESPN.com has learned, on a three-year contract that is worth $4.5 million and permits the Bengals to retain their best sack threat. Between signing bonus and base salary, Wilson will earn $2 million for the 2002 season.

Perhaps the best outside rush threat remaining in the unrestricted free agent market, following a surprising spending spree on ends more adept at stopping the run, Wilson was also pursued by the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts in recent weeks. Retaining his services was a priority for a Cincinnati defense that statistically ranked No. 10 in the league in 2001.

Wilson, 28, certainly came into his own in 2001. After four seasons of bouncing back and forth between end and linebacker, and struggling early in his career in a zone-blitz package, Wilson emerged as a real force serving as a third-down pass rusher. He posted a career-best nine sacks and also added 41 tackles.

Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

He began the season as the starter at right end, then moved into the situational role after 2001 first-round draft choice Justin Smith worked his way into the starting lineup. The combination of Smith and Wilson coming off the edges could be even more effective in 2002. The improvement in Wilson's play certainly relates to the team finally deciding on how to best utilize him.

The former Florida State standout was a first-round choice of the Bengals in the 1997 draft. He was an in-between player at the time, and coaches sometimes couldn't figure out whether to use him at linebacker or in the front four. But after signing cornerback Jeff Burris earlier this week to a three-year contract, the Bengals intensified negotiations with Wilson, hoping to keep intact a defensive front that lacks a Pro Bowl caliber player but possesses great depth.

For his career, Wilson has appeared in 77 games and started 24 of them. He has 160 tackles, 24 sacks, seven forced fumbles and six passes defensed.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.