Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. Bengals’ management rarely makes sense when it comes to player personnel. Resigning Chris Henry is like sticking your finger in the mousetrap for the fifth or sixth time. From a distance, it doesn’t look like either side in this continuing saga has learned anything from their previous mistakes. Some might argue that the Bengals have little to lose in all of this. If, or rather when, Chris Henry takes the law into his own hands again, management can say that nobody can help the talented receiver get his life together and that he’s a lost cause. That would be okay if we didn’t already take that approach earlier in the summer when they cut him. By bringing him back, the Bengals have basically given up on trying to “change the image” of the team and have given the bird to any PR concerns they’ve had to deal with for the past three seasons. Winning is apparently more important the public’s perception of the Bengals.
No one can argue that the guy doesn’t immediately boost our injured and inexperienced receiving corps. On the field, the man can stretch defenses. Off it…well, mistakes are often made. Inside sources report that Chad’s shoulder is badly torn and he very well could miss the entire season. Housh is treating a strained hamstring very cautiously after missing the year in 2003 by trying to return too fast from the same injury. Rookie wide outs Caldwell and Simpson both appear to be projects and the team isn’t counting on them to contribute much in the short term.
I don’t think Marv wanted Henry back, but the decision came from the office of one desperate and confused Mike Brown. Marv was pretty adamant about Henry blowing his opportunity to be an NFL player. He, on the surface looked to have been fed up with unpredictable head cases like Henry and Odell Thurman. But Marv doesn’t write the checks, and every decision made ultimately makes its way to Mike Brown before anything is finalized.
Regardless, Henry won’t be a factor until week 5 thanks to a four game suspension dropped by big boss man Roger Goodell. If Henry can be ready to line up against Pacman Jones and score touchdowns, all will be temporarily forgiven and forgotten. If Henry decides to rob a convenient store with a stolen Gatling gun and go out in a blaze of gunfire with local police, will the Bengals and Mike Brown ever be forgiven or forgotten? The risk runs deeper than winning football games. At some point, team management, coaches, teammates and even fans will have to ask themselves if winning really is all that matters.
Mojokong – This just in: Bengals have hired Kevlar as their new equipment outfitter.
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5 comments:
For the record, I am in favor of re-signing Slim15, despite the baggage that comes with him. He knows the offense, and can provide much of the firepower that is lost with Chad being out. The locker room leaders, Carson, TJ, and John Thornton, have all endorsed him. We have Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Mario Urrutia, Marcus Maxwell, and my sleeper, Maurice Purify, to develop for the future. So its not like we are relying much on Henry or counting him in our long term plans.
Much like Chris Perry, the Bengals will take Slim week by week, starting at week 5. If he's good, he stays and rewards the Bengals for their faith and support. If he slips, he's gone. Low risk, high reward. What's wrong with that?
Regarding public perception, I couldn't care less. On several occasions this offseason and preseason, I've heard Mike and Mike, John Clayton, and Peter King all take shots for the Bengals not having a locker room full of good characters. That was before any rumors of bringing Slim back even began to float. Never mind the fact that the Jaguars, Vikings, and Colts have had a higher number and more serious legal incidents than the Bengals and do not have a similarly tainted national perception. I can't even think of the last time a Bengals player was found guilty of anything, but still we can't shake that rep. So if this is how people see us whether its true or not, why even acknowledge it? Why not just give ESPN and the league a big "EFF YOU" and carry on with the goal of winning? I believe that this is what the Bengals have done, and I am more optimistic for it.
As an aside, I have a weird feeling that Chad's likely season-ending shoulder injury will be a blessing in disguise. I suspect it may alleviate some of the pressure on Carson and allow him to continue (or resume) his development, without having to force the ball to Chad.
Noon
perhaps the dismantling of our vertically challenged defensive secondary by the Detroit tallouts gave Cap'n Mikey pause... what if the Browns(Winslow 6'3, Braylon 6'4) or the Steelers(Sweed 6'4, Heath 6'3) picked up Henry instead of us? YIKES1
Noon - good points on the Henry signing. Low risk-high reward may work out in the end.
My concern is for Mr. Henry? Who are the people advising this guy? Wouldn't they tell Henry that returning to Cincy may not be the best place for him to stay out of trouble? Or, at least tell him that moving to a locale where he has no criminal record/arrests might be a smarter move? I suppose he may not have had as many suitors as I think. Maybe Cincy was his only option?
-Aaron
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