Bengals deal Dillon to Pats for second-rounder

Corey Dillon is one of only four NFL players to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. Donald Miralle/Getty Images

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Corey Dillon wanted out. He got his wish, and a lot more.

The moody running back who set records but never made the playoffs in Cincinnati is joining a locker room where players collect Super Bowl rings.

The New England Patriots filled one of their biggest holes Monday by trading a second-round draft pick for Dillon, who hopes to extend the Patriots' run of two championships in three years.

He wanted to go to a winner, but never expected to go all the way to the top.

"They were winning Super Bowls without me," Dillon said. "There's no pressure on me to come in and have the weight of trying to carry the load."

He carried that burden in Cincinnati, where for seven years he was the focus of a lost franchise. The Bengals built around him, but all of Dillon's stiff-arms and rushing records couldn't turn them into a winner.

"It could get tiresome," said Dillon, who holds most Bengals' rushing records. "It kind of wore on me."

It pained him when the Bengals started winning without him last season. Dillon, 29, strained his groin, and backup Rudi Johnson won fans' hearts and a share of the job.

The Bengals got into playoff contention for the first time since 1990, finishing 8-8 and missing out by one game. Dillon was the only one in the locker room who didn't enjoy the ride.

He bristled when first-year head coach Marvin Lewis tried to make him more of a team leader. He complained about his lack of carries even as the team was starting to win.

Finally, he forced Lewis' hand by making himself a reminder of the Bengals' sorry past. He threw his helmet, shoulder pads and spikes into the stands at Paul Brown Stadium after the final game, then cleaned out his locker.

As recently as last month, he was still lobbying for a trade. He appeared on a sports talk show wearing a Raiders jersey and lashed out at a teammate.

"I wasn't a cancer," Dillon said. "It was just a point of having a deep passion for winning, and people viewed that in a different manner or whatnot. That's in the past."

His future is in New England, which needs a dependable back to balance its offense.

The Patriots had the league's 27th-ranked rushing attack behind Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk, forcing them to rely on Tom Brady's short, high-percentage completions to get points.

Brady led the Patriots to 15 consecutive wins, culminating in a 32-29 victory against Carolina in the Super Bowl. A week later, the Patriots decided not to exercise their contract option on Smith, who was their leading rusher for the last three seasons.

Dillon's grind-it-out style fits with the Patriots.

"Corey joins Kevin Faulk and our other very good backs to deepen an already competitive running back position," head coach Bill Belichick said.

Dillon agreed to restructure the last two years on his contract, softening the Patriots' salary cap hit for 2004, in order to make the deal. The Patriots gave up the 56th overall pick for Dillon, who was a second-round selection -- the 43rd overall -- in 1997.

He emerged by breaking Jim Brown's rookie record with 246 yards against Tennessee. He set the NFL's single-game record with 278 yards against Denver in 2000, a mark eclipsed last season when Baltimore's Jamal Lewis had 295 yards against Cleveland.

Dillon was one of only four players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. The streak ended when a groin injury sidelined him early last season, the first major injury of his career.

Dillon returned and wound up splitting the job with Johnson, finishing with 541 yards in 11 starts. He has run for 8,061 yards and 45 touchdowns in his seven seasons, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

Johnson will take over in Cincinnati, which is looking to throw the ball deep with quarterback Carson Palmer. Dillon moves to a place where he hopes to win a championship and end his career.

"I truly believe this is the place I want to be, and I look forward to retiring as a Patriot," he said.