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The Bengals today signed TE Alex Smith as an unrestricted free agent.

Smith (6-4, 258; Stanford) is a ninth-year NFL player in 2013. He spent the last three seasons with Cleveland. He played in 12 games for the Browns in 2012, with two starts, and had 13 receptions for 47 yards. He had three receptions for 30 yards against the Bengals on Sept. 16 at Paul Brown Stadium. He saw most of his action in the second half of the season as an H-back. Three of his four missed games with Cleveland last year were due to a concussion.

Smith began his NFL career with Tampa Bay in 2005, as a third-round draft choice. He played for the Bucs through 2008 and was with Philadelphia in 2009. He has 103 career NFL games, with 55 starts, and has career receiving totals of 160 catches for 1461 yards (9.1) with 12 TDs. He also has seen action in three postseason games, with two starts, and has had seven catches for 48 yards and one TD.

James Harrison’s unemployment may be coming to an end.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Bengals will try to complete a deal this week with Harrison, the 34-year-old outside linebacker who has spent his entire career with the Steelers.

Harrison met with the Bengals last week, and Cincinnati appears to be the team that has the most interest in him. Harrison hasn’t generated a lot of attention in free agency since turning down a pay cut with the Steelers and getting cut as a result.

The Bengals have been trying to add a veteran linebacker and were also interested in Karlos Dansby, but according to Schefter, Harrison looks like he’s going to be easier (which presumably means cheaper) to sign. Harrison is coming off a 2012 season in which he had 6.0 sacks, his fewest since becoming a starter in 2007.

The Bengals and right tackle Andre Smith haven’t been able to reach agreement on a deal that will keep Smith in Cincinnati, but the team has been able to land a different free agent offensive lineman.

Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports that the Bengals have signed guard/center Mike Pollak to a contract for the 2013 season. Pollak played just one game with the Panthers in 2012 because of a shoulder injury, but he was a regular starter during his first four years in the NFL.

Pollak played for the Colts in all of those years and started 41 games at guard after the team made him a second-round pick in 2008. Pollak is likely ticketed to a reserve role thanks to his injury and the Bengals’ holdovers at both guard and center, but his experience makes him a nice insurance policy for Cincinnati to have all the same.

The Bengals have spent most of the offseason signing their own free agents, leaving Pollak to join quarterback Josh Johnson and linebacker Aaron Maybin as the rare veteran addition to the roster.