Despite numerous indications that a deal would go down, the Cincinnati Bengals once again have failed to trade for a new defensive tackle.

FOXSports.com has learned that Dewayne Robertson of the New York Jets, who met with Bengals officials at team headquarters on Monday, will not be traded to Cincinnati.

While they lost out on Robertson, Bengals upgraded their defensive line today by signing free-agent end Antwan Odom to a five-year, $29.5 million contract.

The deal includes $11.5 million in guaranteed money, a source told FOXSports.com.

The 26-year-old Odom is coming off his best NFL season, having recorded eight sacks last season with Tennessee. The Bengals were in the market for a new end after losing Justin Smith in free agency to San Francisco.

Robertson has two years remaining on the rookie deal he signed as the No. 4 pick of the 2003 draft. He is set to earn $1.5 million in base salary this season.

Robertson, who spoke Sunday night to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, has been a poor fit in the 3-4 defensive scheme New York installed when Eric Mangini became head coach in 2006. Robertson, 26, would likely be better suited to play in a 4-3 system as a penetrating-style defensive tackle.

The Bengals thought they had an agreement Friday with Detroit to acquire defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. But a contractual issue nullified the deal, leading to the Lions instead agreeing to send Rogers to Cleveland for a third-round draft pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden.

Robertson became expendable in New York when the Jets acquired defensive tackle Kris Jenkins in a Friday trade with Carolina. A source said the new Jets contract Jenkins signed includes $9.5 million in guaranteed money and a $4.5 million roster bonus due in March. The total value of the five-year contract is $30.25 million with $18 million coming in the first three seasons, the source said.

Media reports have stated Jenkins was set to earn $20 million in guaranteed money from the Jets. 

If the Cincinnati Bengals want to start working some 3-4 formations into their defensive scheme, the franchise may have the prototype nose tackle to man it.

The Bengals are trying to finalize a trade with Detroit for nose tackle Shaun Rogers. FOXSports.com has learned that the deal – which was originally believed completed earlier today – is still being negotiated.

Media reports say the Bengals were offering third- and fifth-round draft picks. That is the same compensation the New York Jets gave Carolina in today’s trade for defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.

Rogers has experienced a rollercoaster seven years in Detroit. Rogers’ stay is remembered as much for weight issues and clashes with coaches as his two Pro Bowl seasons.

The 2007 campaign was reflective of much of his NFL career. Rogers was a dominating player at times but he didn’t consistently perform at a high level. Having lost patience, Detroit began shopping Rogers shortly after the season ended.

The Bengals are in need of defensive line help to shore the NFL’s 21st-ranked run defense (118.3 yards).

Expected to take a plunge into free agency, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t disappointing.

FOXSports.com has confirmed reports that Chicago wide receiver Bernard Berrian and Cincinnati defensive end Justin Smith are drawing strong interest. The Vikings hope to visit with both players today.

Signing Berrian and Smith would address two Vikings needs. Minnesota is lacking a veteran wideout to pair with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, while Smith would fill the void created when starting end Kenechi Udeze was recently diagnosed with leukemia. 

FOXSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez weighs in with NFL news and notes  every Monday

* Know why Joey Porter hasn’t made an impact with Miami?

He needs help from three others to beat a left tackle.

Porter’s disastrous 2007 season reached a new low Sunday. He was exposed as a thug by my FOX Sports colleague Jay Glazer, who unveiled a videotape showing Porter and his buddies jumping Cincinnati left tackle Levi Jones at a Las Vegas casino in March. Porter then floundered in a 41-31 loss to Cleveland, tallying a meager four tackles.

Porter ran his mouth beforehand by again picking on Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, who he slurred with a homosexual innuendo last season while playing for Pittsburgh. Winslow finished with five catches for 90 yards and asked reporters afterward, “Did he play today? I didn't see him.”

Before games against Dallas and Oakland, Porter called Cowboys running back Marion Barber “cocky” and guaranteed a win against the Raiders. Barber rushed for two touchdowns in a Cowboys rout, while Oakland cruised to a 35-17 victory. Porter made no impact plays in those games and hasn’t registered a sack in Miami’s 0-6 season.

Still, nothing was as humiliating as Glazer’s expose. Details of the Porter-Jones altercation were fuzzy because of a shoddy police investigation, as the two were reported to have fought in a valet parking area. Porter was fined $1,000 in May after pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery.

The NFL then fined Porter three game checks, which is the equivalent of roughly $141,000. But the punishment would probably have been more severe had the video footage surfaced earlier.

Having landed a five-year, $32 million contract with $20 million guaranteed, Porter is this season’s biggest free-agent bust (although Denver running back Travis Henry is a contender if suspended because of drug issues). Compounding the problem, Miami offered an Adalius Thomas-sized deal even though no other suitors were going to offer the same cash for a fading eight-year veteran.

The only positive from this: The season-finale between Miami and Cincinnati (1-4) now has additional meaning besides being a potential duel for the 2008 draft’s No. 1 pick.

* Another suspect Dolphins free-agent decision was allowing punter Donnie Jones to join St. Louis as a restricted free agent. Jones and San Francisco’s Andy Lee are tied for the NFL lead in gross average at 50.1 yards. Jones also has an impressive net average of 42.0.

In comparison, Miami rookie punter Brandon Fields has averages of 43.0 and 36.3.

“I just think it’s getting a fresh start and having some extra motivation being in a new place with a new staff,” said Jones, who clashed this off-season with Miami’s new kicking coach. “It’s a very good work environment and our special teams coach Al Roberts is a tremendous guy. He lets me go out and do my thing.”

* Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones waited outside the locker room to congratulate New England owner Bob Kraft following the Patriots’ 48-27 victory.

“Y’all taught us a lesson,” Jones said.

A much less classy move came from another Jones. During a Sunday night pay-per-view wrestling match, suspended Tennessee cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones threw money into the ring to distract his team’s opponent. The move was meant to spoof Jones “making it rain” earlier this year at a Las Vegas strip club.

Considering a club manager was shot and paralyzed later that night after a blow-up with Jones’ entourage, how can anyone think this would be funny?

After Sunday’s 37-20 loss to Dallas, linebacker Joey Porter should know it was easier to back his words when playing for Pittsburgh rather than the downtrodden Miami Dolphins.

Porter talked some trash about Marion Barber to FOXSports.com before the game, calling him “cocky” and saying the Cowboys running back “thinks he’s a tough guy sometimes.” Porter also said he was “going to be looking for” Barber.

It didn’t take long for Porter to find him, as the two exchanged words on the field before the game. Porter also was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct on Barber’s first carry when ripping off his helmet on a tackle.

Barber was unfazed and proceeded to rush for 89 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. Porter finished with a measly two tackles, which isn’t what the Dolphins expected when signing him to a five-year, $32 million contract this off-season.

Barber said afterward that he was unaware of Porter’s pre-game comments and had nothing further to add. But such a plea of ignorance sounds su####ious, especially when wide receiver Terrell Owens said he knew about Porter’s barbs.

“I think Marion handled that situation very nicely getting into the end zone twice,” Owens said. “Marion, by no means, is going to shy from anyone. His name should be ‘Marion the Barbarian’ because he has a nose and a knack for the goal line. If there is contact to be made, he's going to make it."

As for Porter, he was short with Dolphins media after a second consecutive loss.

“We are a better defense than we showed the last two weeks,” Porter said. “To have it happen like it did (against Dallas) … it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Questionable decisions

The list of suspect personnel moves made by Cam Cameron since he became Dolphins head coach in January continues to grow.

With a rebuilding team, Cameron should be trying to groom youngsters in backup roles. While rookies like starting center Samson Satele and returner/backup wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. are playing, Cameron declared three promising draft picks and first-year players -- defensive tackle Paul Soliai, defensive end Rodrique Wright and running back Lorenzo Booker -- inactive against Dallas. Cameron instead used journeymen lacking the same potential to make a significant future impact.

Case in point: Receiving snaps ahead of Soliai was Steve Fifita, whose high-energy play is tempered by his diminutive size (he’s generously listed at 6-feet tall and 312 pounds on the Dolphins roster). Fifita doesn’t have the dimensions to man the nose tackle position in case 38-year-old Keith Traylor gets injured  --- which has happened each of the past two seasons -- and was enveloped by massive Cowboys right guard Leonard Davis during one unsuccessful Dolphins goal-line stand. At 6-foot-4 and 344 pounds, Soliai could physically handle the spot with more experience, but the opportunity to gain some was wasted Sunday.

Cameron may soon face a more crucial decision at quarterback if Trent Green doesn’t rebound from a sluggish start. Green matched his career high for interceptions Sunday with four and was high with too many throws, which is a bad sign from a 37-year-old quarterback already struggling to complete deep passes.

Cameron’s two other quarterback options are four-year veteran Cleo Lemon, a career reserve set to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, and rookie John Beck. Miami made Beck its “quarterback of the future” when selecting him in the second round after passing on Brady Quinn.

There would be additional bumps for Miami’s already struggling offense if Beck were given snaps now. But when the Dolphins are out of playoff contention – which could be as early as midseason judging by the team’s early performance and New England’s hot start – Cameron needs to get Beck on the field with an eye toward 2008.

There’s just no guarantee Cameron will do it.

Turning of the tide

Don’t underestimate the impact a 23-20 victory against Seattle could make on the Arizona Cardinals. Talent isn’t lacking in the desert so much as confidence, which Cardinals cornerback Eric Green confirmed after Arizona squandered yet another late-game lead in last Monday’s 20-17 loss to San Francisco.

“We just never finish,” Green lamented.

The Cardinals finally did thanks to Neil Rackers’ 42-yard field goal with one second remaining.

Lack of maturity

Having closely followed Cincinnati since my days as a Bengals beat writer in the mid-1990s, I’ve come to this conclusion: The franchise will generally play up or down to the level of competition being faced. The reasoning stems from an overall lack of maturity on a roster that annually fails to grasp consistency is key to ongoing success.

A 51-45 loss to Cleveland after forcing six turnovers in a season-opening victory over Baltimore further confirms my su####ion.

Feeling the heat

After Joey Harrington was sacked 13 times in Atlanta’s first two games, I can understand Michael Vick wanting to avoid this type of punishment.