{mosimage} Why the Bengals should send Chad deep...

The Cincinnati Bengals are not willing to trade Chad Johnson. However, I think the Bengals should reconsider.

After all, the last thing this team needs before starting the 2008 season is another distraction like the stretch of nine Bengals players arrested in nine months or more of Johnson's trade-me antics.

The NFL calendar hasn't even reached the Draft and Johnson is already threatening to sit out the season if he's not traded. Still, the Bengals won't budge.

Make no mistake about it; Johnson's whimpering to part with Cincy is all about the money, and not about winning. So, go figure the biggest hurdle for the Bengals in a possible Johnson trade is money.

According to FOX Sports.com, trading Johnson could cost the Bengals' organization an $8 million dollar hit against the team's salary-cap. Of course, that's a lot of dough to swallow, but it sure tops having the four-time All Pro receiver trash mouthing his teammates over the national airwaves during the next six months.

On the other hand, the Washington Redskins have already publicly announced they want Johnson. Interestingly, the Bengals are just a few defensive upgrades away from being an AFC playoff team. And, if done right, trading the talented Johnson could bring back the perfect pieces for Cincinnati's defense.

Besides, Johnson's departure would not devastate a Cincinnati offense that already has a bona-fide No.1 receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh (tied Wes Welker for the league lead in receptions with 112) and the immensely talented Carson Palmer. And more, if the Bengals are merely a .500 team with Johnson, they can at least accomplish mediocre status without him.

As a Bengals fan, I can appreciate all that Chad has done for this franchise. Let's face it; the Bengals were the Bungals before Chad. It was his skills, his mouth and his TD dances that resurrected this franchise and reintroduced Cincinnati to the NFL. Basically, it was mostly Chad who made me feel proud again about being a Bengals fan.

And, two years ago when the Bengals thanked Johnson financially with a six-year, $35.5 million dollar contract, I couldn’t have been happier. Johnson is a hard worker who earned his pay raise but, there are no indications Chad will ever mature as a good teammate.

To highlight, let's start with 85's halftime meltdown during the 2005 home playoff loss against Pittsburgh, followed by his showing-up of Carson on Monday Night Football this October - after Chad himself ran the wrong route - and then the blatant "trade me" campaign during Super Bowl week.

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Ultimately, Chad is paid to put up receiving numbers and there's no questioning he's accomplished that goal handedly. However, football is not a numbers game, that's more for baseball.

Football is about championships. And championships are won by teams like this year's New York Giants: a group that has little, if any, room for the selfishness of a Chad Johnson. This being said, the Bengals could use a little less Chad and a little more team in earning its first ever Super Bowl title.

Furthermore, Johnson has always proclaimed that he wants to accomplish a HOF career. Although, Johnson's early numbers may be on track statistically for such an honor, his sportsmanship is way off. Hall of Fame players are typically great play-makers and great teammates. That's why fans never discuss or even care about how great Jerry Rice ever was at negotiating a new contract.

Sorry Chad, you're hardly a sure lock for the HOF

So, I say if Chad wants out of Cincinnati so badly grant his wish. Go ahead and deal arguable the best player in franchise history to Washington. Let Johnson experience the difference between Jason Campbell - career 57.7 Cmp% - and Carson Palmer, the freedom of not having Houshmandzadeh around as a pressure valve and the football "expertise" of Skins’ owner Dan Snyder.

And, you won't even have to thank the Bengals Chad, they'll again thank you.

Third and short

• Here's Peter King's take on Johnson playing in Cincinnati.

"I think I'll believe Chad Johnson's a Bengal when training camp opens and he's in the stripes. Not before. Step right up and make an offer -- quietly. The Bengals will listen. They won't listen if it leaks, though."

• Here’s Marvin Lewis in response to questions about if the Bengals will trade Johnson.

"No. 1, the guy has a contract through 2011, OK," "No one within the Bengals organization has ever spoken of or ever uttered anything about trading Chad Johnson, nor will he be traded.

There is no such thing as behind-the-door dealings in the NFL. That does not occur because the team in question (the Bengals) is not willing to trade their player nor have they thought about trading their player or discussed trading their player, or will they discuss trading their player. So I think that's pretty clear. Things can move on."

• Chad is beginning to remind me of another troubled Bengals receiver, Carl Pickens.

I was also a fan of Pickens before his mouthy personality eventually drained my support. Although, I will say Pickens sure as hell had more to complain about playing with those dreadful Bengals teams during the mid 1990s.

• And, while were on the subject of players I have fallen out of favor with, look no further than Patriot Rodney Harrison.

During Super Bowl week I heard Harrison remark during a radio interview that the Pro Bowl is a “joke.” Paraphrasing, Harrison continued to say that some players were in Hawaii because of popularity and not because of outstanding play on the field.

Now, if anyone should keep their opinion quite on the Pro Bowl it’s a cheat like Harrison. I don’t care if Harrison has served his four game suspension. The guy’s a cheat and he’s still playing.

Besides, in Harrison’s two Pro Bowl appearances he most likely cheated a deserving player's roster spot while juicing on steroids? Enough Rodney.

Coincidentally, that’s Pickens scoring against Harrison in 1997

• RIP - Best NFL show on television

HBO SACKS "INSIDE THE NFL"

Courtesy Forbes

'Inside the NFL' is ending its 31-year run on HBO.

Wednesday's season finale will be the studio show's last on the network, HBO announced earlier in the day.

'It has been a terrific franchise,' HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said in a release. 'But the television landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years and we have to recognize the realities of the business. I'm not sure we had more than one competitor when the show launched in 1977.'

The decision does not mean the end for the program itself. It's owned by NFL Films, which is looking to continue the show in conjunction with another network in the fall.

• The top ten NFL stories from 2007.

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Lloyds Apple said:

I'm a Chad Johnson fan but there is nothing that pisses me off more than a player wanting to be traded. It instantly de-values a guy and puts his team in a tough spot. I like what LA did with Kobe; nothing. The difference is this is not basketball and the Bengals don't NEED Chad Johnson when they really NEED defensive players. I agree with your assessment but publicly they'd be dumb to say they'll trade him. I'm not sure what all Cincy would get for Ocho Cinco but now would be the time to act. The Bengals need to figure something out because what they've been doing has failed to come close the the potential they once seemed to have.

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February 21, 2008
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wpeery said:

	Good article Brian you make some good points. I think we will see Chad in a Bengals uniform next season, but you never know what can happen these days. I'm really going to miss "Inside the NFL". That show will go down as one of my all-time favorite football shows. The announcer on that show is one of the best in the business and I'll never forget him until the day I die. Good stuff BC!
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February 23, 2008
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