Apparently convinced they will not be able to reach a long-term contract agreement with Takeo Spikes in the next few weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals have designated the standout linebacker as a "transition" free agent, ESPN.com confirmed.

The move still enables Spikes, a five-year veteran and arguably the team's best defensive player, to solicit offers from other teams when the free agency signing period commences next month. But it also affords Cincinnati to match any offer sheet Spikes would sign with another NFL franchise.

In applying the "transition" designation, the Bengals in essence have tendered Spikes a one-year contract offer at the average of the 2002 salary cap values for the 10 highest-paid linebackers in the league. That average is $4.846 million and, even though Spikes is unlikely to accept such a deal, that amount immediately counts against the Cincinnati salary cap for the 2003 season.

Should he sign an offer sheet with another team, and the Bengals opt not to match it, the team would get no compensation for Spikes' departure. Clearly, though, the intent is to reach a long-term agreement with the team's 1998 first-round draft choice.

That the two sides are at disparate financial levels, and not likely to soon resolve what is believed to be a significant gulf, is apparent from the fact the Bengals did not wait until the Feb. 20 deadline for exercising the "transition" designation. Most clubs facing similar negotiations will continue talking up to the deadline.

St. Louis, however, exercised its "franchise" designation on offensive tackle Orlando Pace on Monday, since the two sides are so far apart in negotiations.

No one should expect a speedy resolution to the Spikes negotiations and the use of the "transition" tag might only fuel acrimony between the two sides.

"It's like being in jail," said Spikes, clearly angered by the move. "Now I've got to go and find somebody to bail me out. I don't like it and they know I don't like it."

Spikes, 26, has been outspoken in the past about his frustrations in playing for one of the NFL's worst performing teams. Although he is among the veterans players heartened by the recent hiring of head coach Marvin Lewis, he still wanted to test his value on the open market, and the "transition" designation certainly will limit his options.

"I don't have to persuade him. I can just say it," Lewis said. "It's a very difficult job to be a professional football player. It's a privilege. I'm going to ask a lot of things of him. I don't need to talk him into it."

Lewis initially indicated that he might not want Spikes around if the linebacker was so adamant about moving on, but then said he would keep him, even if it meant using the "franchise" or "transition" label.

After Lewis was hired, Spikes told The Associated Press that he still wanted out.

"I don't want a tag on me," Spikes said at the time. "I feel like my time is done. I did all I can do. I did all that I owed not only to them, but to myself.

"I just want to win. I just want to compete. That's my whole objective. I don't look at the time I spent in Cincinnati as wasted time. I just want to go somewhere to compete and win."

Spikes told the team's Web site that his feelings hadn't changed and he still wanted out of Cincinnati.

"The tag is something they're using to keep me there, even though I'm not happy and I don't understand it," Spikes said.

A former Auburn star, Spikes has led the Bengals in tackles in four of his five seasons.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report