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Turns out that the number issue is no longer an issue. Antonio Bryant, who took #81 when he was chosen over Terrell Owens back in March, will relinquish the jersey number to Owens...but not for free.

Bryant said after morning practice that he had already talked to Owens about the jersey number. "I'm a realist," Bryant said. "I said, 'Hey, man, I'm not going to make no big spectacle about it. You've got a bigger legacy and a number than I do. I've been on several teams like you, but I've changed my number several times. You've had the same number. I don't need your money. At the end of the day, all I want you to do is take care of one of my little league programs in Miami. Send them a small donation and we'll go from there."

Bryant was a big focus during the morning practice. Not for his jersey number, but for his knee.

Bryant tentatively went through Thursday morning drills, never running full speed. He said he would sit out of the evening practices to work on leg strengthening.

"The only thing I'm struggling with right now is just being comfortable and mentally just putting (the left foot) down and doing what I want to do without thinking, 'Oh, I might feel pain,'" Bryant said. "That's my biggest hurdle right now."

Marvin Lewis insisted that signing T.O. had nothing to do with Bryant's knee issue, but Bryant himself isn't so sure.

"Maybe so," he said. "But it's a business and there's a purpose behind being here and that's winning championships, and right now we look pretty good on paper, I'll tell you that much.

"I'm a team player. It's all about having the best team. If I owned the team, I would definitely go after the best players if possible, especially with the situation they acquired him. I definitely would have went after the guy."

It will be later than expected for T.O. to get to Cincinnati and claim his jersey number officially with signing his autograph on the contract. Owens missed his overnight flight from the west coast and had to take a later one this morning. The contract signing and press conference have been rescheduled for later today. Marvin Lewis wasn't sure if Owens will make it in time for the evening practice.