In a move that might eventually determine the fate of Darnay Scott in Cincinnati, free agent wide receiver Michael Westbrook will meet with Bengals officials Monday and is also expected to work out for coaches.

One of the surprises of the offseason is that Westbrook, a seven-year veteran who spent his entire NFL career with the Washington Redskins before becoming an unrestricted free agent this spring, has not generated more interest in the market.

The Monday meeting is believed to be the first substantive one Westbrook has had during the signing period.

Bengals officials have termed the visit "exploratory," but they are believed to be serious about pursuing Westbrook if his audition goes well, and that could lead to the departure of wide receiver Scott, who has been absent from the club's recent workouts.

Scott has a salary cap value of $3.9 million for 2002, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.55 million, can earn a $150,000 workout bonus and is due a $500,000 roster bonus on Sept. 1 if he is still with the Bengals then.

Miffed that he has not attend recent workouts, and seemingly confident some of their young wide receivers are poised to emerge in '02, the Bengals have discussed the possible release of Scott internally. There are also some off-field issues to which Scott must attend.

Cincinnati on Friday also contacted the representatives for free agent wideout Antonio Freeman, released by Green Bay earlier this week.

It appears now Scott will be retained only if he agrees to restructure his contract, likely reducing the base salary in this final season of his deal. The three-year, $5.1 million deal that free agent Derrick Alexander signed with Minnesota on Friday afternoon certainly will not help Scott's leverage with Bengals management.

If anything, the Alexander contract probably reinforces the Bengals' notion that Scott should play for less than his current contract with the club.

Scott, 29, has 386 receptions for 5,975 yards and 36 touchdowns in his tenure with the Bengals, and 11 of his scores have come on catches of 50 yards or more. None of the other wide receivers on the Bengals roster has a reception, for a touchdown or otherwise, of more than 46 yards.

The Bengals would like to get a bigger receiver, like Westbrook (6-feet-3, 221 pounds), with deep speed. And in a slow market, Westbrook might be prepared to sign for far less than he anticipated at the beginning of the free agency period, and for less than Scott is scheduled to earn in 2002.

Westbrook had 277 receptions for 4,260 yards and 29 touchdowns with the Redskins, but his career has been slowed at times by injuries. He had career bests of 65 receptions for 1,191 yards and nine touchdowns in 1999 and led the NFL that year with an average of 18.3 yards per catch. But the following season the former University of Colorado star sustained a serious knee injury and played in just three games.