Legal tampering officially turned over to free agency at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The Cincinnati Bengals were still one of three teams not to sign anybody from another team.

It's not the outside free agents that have the Bengals in focus.

Their most prominent player on the market, cornerback Darqueze Dennard, remains unsigned. Meanwhile, Cincinnati made the contract with Preston Brown official along with Bobby Hart. C.J. Uzomah arrives on Wednesday night to sign his deal. A portion of the pie has already gone in three different directions.

Dennard, a first-round pick in 2014, hangs in limbo along with a number of cornerbacks still waiting to find a home. He hit the open market looking for an opportunity to play -- and consequently, be paid like -- an outside corner.

The Bengals have stood by their view of him as a versatile slot specialist and previously been willing to offer him multiple years at what he made in 2018 on his fifth-year option of $8.5 million. While positions like linebacker, safety and right tackle have seen explosions in salary over the last three days, cornerback stayed stagnant.

Could that bring Dennard and the Bengals back together on the original figure? Or could they find a like replacement from another team?

It's the most important decision left in free agency. Otherwise, they would have to turn to inexperienced players like 2018 fifth-round pick Darius Phillips and former undrafted free agent Tony McRae to fill the void. Regardless of opinion on the potential of each going forward, they would be significant drop-offs from Dennard who developed productive instincts at the spot in recent years.

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Taking a look at the contracts signed thus far, the market shouldn't be outlandish for the 27-year-old from Michigan State.

Justin Coleman, went from Seattle to Detroit as one of the top slot corners on the market, inking for $36 million over four years.

That's in line with the deal inked by slot corner Tavon Young with Baltimore earlier this month as a three year, $26.5 million extension.

Buster Skrine, a lesser regarded slot corner, only managed three years at $16.6 million in moving from the Jets to the Bears.

Pierre Desir, a 28-year-old breakout performer for the Colts last year, re-upped for three years and $25 million with $12 million guaranteed.

The largest average per year signed by any corner this offseason came from the player picked one spot behind Dennard in the 2014 draft in former Bronco Bradley Roby. Rather than sign for the long term, he opted for a one-year, "prove-it deal" with Houston worth $10 million.

To think Dennard would top any of those figures at this point seems unlikely. So, the question becomes where will he land and did the bridge between the Bengals and Dennard get burnt through the negotiation process?

We know the recent history of Cincinnati devoting itself to first-round cornerbacks. They've drafted five in the first round since 2006. Dre Kirkpatrick received a second contract at five years and $52.5 million two years ago and William Jackson III figures to land a large payday at some point in the next two years.

In a year where the Bengals didn't have many significant pieces hitting the free agent market, Dennard would be the most prominent.

Chicago's Bryce Callahan, Philadelphia's Ronald Darby, Los Angeles' Jason Verrett and Dallas' Morris Claiborne all remain unsigned along with Dennard, leaving much to still be sorted out at the position.

As the new league year began many of the top corners began making visits. Dennard was not reported to be visiting at the time of this story.