Free agent DE Derrick Harvey joins Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals made their first move to re-stock their defensive line rotation this offseason by signing former first-round selection Derrick Harvey.

Harvey, who was selected one spot before Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers in the 2008 NFL Draft, had a disappointing three-year run in Jacksonville before spending last season in Denver. He will join a defensive line rotation that has lost Frostee Rucker (Browns) and Jonathan Fanene (Patriots) in the last week.

After a collegiate career that saw Harvey rack up 20 sacks and 51.5 tackles for loss in three seasons at Florida, he has posted just eight sacks and 92 tackles in four NFL seasons. A very talented player that hasn’t lived up to his potential yet in the NFL, Harvey fits the mold of Bengals defensive reclamation projects like Reggie Nelson, Taylor Mays and Adam Jones.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Harvey won’t be asked to do a lot for the Bengals and will likely play a similar role to the ones Fanene and Rucker left behind — about 45 percent of the defensive snaps. At 25-years-old, Harvey will fit in nicely with the Bengals Fisher Price package that features Michael Johnson (25) and Geno Atkins (23).