Ryan Fitzpatrick met with Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix on Sunday, according to the Bengals' website.
The former Buffalo Bills' signal-caller is the top free-agent quarterback on the market, but there are few places where he would have a chance to start.
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As Around The League's Gregg Rosenthal opined, a return to the Bengals might be the best fit.
Fitzpatrick spent two seasons with Lewis before leaving in 2009 for the Bills and a chance to become a starting quarterback.
The Bengals are in need of a veteran to back up Andy Dalton after Bruce Gradkowski signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fitzpatrick had a chance to prove he was a starting quarterback in Buffalo, and he crashed and burned.
Lewis and the Bengals' organization know what he brings to the table, and according to the team's website, team president Mike Brown -- who like Fitzpatrick is a former Ivy League quarterback -- has "high regard" for Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick couldn't be a difference-maker in Buffalo, but if he has to play a series or even a game as a backup, he won't lose games either. That stability is exactly what a team with playoff aspirations like the Bengals needs.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.
