Report: Bengals sign WR Antonio Bryant

According to Bengals.com, the Bengals have signed WR Antonio Bryant to a 4-year $28 Million dollar contract.

So let me get this straight, we can afford to sign Antonio Bryant (who has had ONE good season) for 4 years and $28 million but we couldn't even consider signing SUPERSTAR WR Brandon Marshall to a 5 year $50 million deal?

Mike Brown...........I HATE YOU!

Antonio Bryant signs

Welcome to Cincinnati Mr. Bryant. We hope your stay here is productive and problem free. We expect you to be more productive than your predecessor. One word of advice, please stay clear of Northern Kentucky authorities. They loooove busting them some Bengals.

Swing and a Miss

Spring Training and free agency coincide and to celebrate the return of baseball the Bengals have struck out in the Anquan Boldin sweepstakes. What makes it sting even more is the only team in the league more depraved of wide receiver depth was the Ravens and now the Bengals will have to see Boldin twice a year.

Oye.

But hey there are still options out there. Namely Antonio Bryant. Bryant has had a bizarre career with the Cowboys, Browns, 49ers and Buccaneers. After seven seasons in the league he has only had two 1,000 yard receiving seasons the more recent of the two coming in 2008 with Tampa Bay. That same season he had seven Touchdowns topping his previous best of six during his rookie season.

The inconsistency is a little suspicious and he has had his share of diva receiver(redundant?) moments. Still I would rather take Bryant over the next option, Terrell Owens. ProFootballTalk.com and practically every other outlet reports the Bengals have an interest in T.O. and have contacted his agent Drew "Next Question" Rosenhaus.

Joy.

Chad Ochocinco has made it no secret that he wants the 37-year-old T.O. in Cincinnati but recently Carson Palmer replied in a text about the situation to Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson:

"His past doesn't bother me at all. If any QB can deal with extravagant WR's it's me."

I hope he is right. Right now it's looking more and more like T.O. and Ochocinco will be getting their wish.

The only other options floating around are former Bill Josh Reed and former Raven Derrick Mason. Mason will probably retire or be back with the Ravens and Reed has never had 600 yards receiving or more than two touchdowns in a season. I suppose you could include Brandon Marshall on the list of available wide outs but who really thinks Mike Brown has the wherewithal to pull that off?

Expecting the Bengals to pull the trigger right at the start of free agency might have been naive considering the Kim Herring's and Ben Utecht's of previous Bengal's free agencies. Mea Culpa. But a splash is needed to improve the passing attack of this team. Matt Jones is not going to cut it.

Pull the Trigger Mikey!

The news out of Arizona is the Cardinals only want a third-round pick for outstanding wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

Do it. Do it. Get this guy to Cincinnati immediately. So what if he's battled injuries for the past two seasons, so what if he's turning thirty, he's still a thousand times better than any options the Bengals have in their system right now and unlike a draft pick, Boldin is a proven receiver in this league.

The Bengals have had more compensatory draft picks than anyone in the league for the past two years so they can afford to let one third-rounder go. Also consider the fact they'll likely pick up a third-round pick for losing TJ and perhaps a late pick for losing Stacy Andrews. This is a low-risk high-reward situation that makes as much and more sense than any Mike Brown has deployed.

Boldin will likely want an extension, and deservedly so, but axing Laveranues Coles should make enough room for that to be a non-issue. There will not be an easier opportunity to upgrade the Bengals pathetic receiving group again. If the Cardinals wanted a second-rounder for him I would still say pull the trigger.

In five out of his seven seasons Boldin has had over 1,000 yards receiving and had more than 80 receptions. He's a big, physical guy who punishes defensive backs and fights for yardage after the catch. There is no other option through the draft, restricted free agency or free agency that has a lower asking price. No excuses.

81 should be in stripes.

Marvin vs. Mike and an Imaginative Stretch

This article by Mr. Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer should have Bengals fans perturbed.

Marvin spoke to the media today about his contract status with the Bengals and delivered a clear message whilst speaking as vaguely as possible.

"There’s a lot of things that go into that. In the direction of things that we’re doing and how we’re doing things that are important to me,” Lewis said. “There were things when I started in this job in 2003 that were important and we can’t change those. They have to stay on track and I have to make sure we’re continuing to progress that way. Those are the things that are more important to me as anything.

“I’m talking about structure, decision and how we do things and how I have the ability to do things that give us an opportunity to win football games.”

I hear you loud and clear Marvin. The contract extensions offered by Mike Brown clearly rescind some of Marvin's control over team decision-making. Kudos to Marvin for making it public knowledge that Mike Brown still wants control of the team despite the most pathetic record and resume of any GM in the history of history.

It's disturbing that the owner of the team wants to take away control from the best coach his franchise has seen since Sam Wyche. In fact, its downright insane to try and break up the formula that has given the best glimmer of hope and success to its franchise in nearly two decades. Or is it?

(Conspiracy Alert)

Recently the Brown family offered Hamilton County a list of financial concessions to help the county through its economic issues. Our friends at WhoDeyRevolution.com break it down beautifully in a four-part diatribe. One of the offers the Bengals made to the county came with the stipulation that the franchise would have the freedom to move out of Cincinnati years before the current lease agreement would allow. Coincidentally there has been increasing buzz by Los Angeles developers that they would make a move to LA by an NFL franchise a very comfortable one.

See what I am driving at?

Hamilton County is in such rough shape right now they may have no choice but to take the Bengals offer just to free up some of the ridiculous money tied into Paul Brown Stadium. If that happens the Bengals have an opportunity to jet and what better excuse to leave than lack of fan support? Hence blowing up a quazi-functioning arrangement with Marvin Lewis and sinking back into the middle ages.

Convoluted? Yes. Needless Speculation? Yes. Alcohol-induced? Pfft its 5 o'clock somewhere and that somewhere is here! But I digress. This could be nothing more than Mike Brown being a pain-in-the-ass negotiator which is his calling card, but I have always been suspicious of the Brown family's loyalty to Cincinnati. And with LA waving the flag the second largest media market in the country it wouldn't be a stretch to see Mike Brown rubbing SPF 50 on his glossy dome.

In Marvin We Trust

It's Official....the Bengals sign WR Matt Jones

Well....it's official, at 12:05 today the Cincinnati Bengals sign troubled wide receiver Matt Jones to a 1-year contract worth roughly $700,000.

Matt isn't the only "Jones" to be courted by the Bengals this week, the team also had Pacman Jones in for a visit as well.

Personally, I'm not thrilled with this signing because I'm not sure Matt brings a lot to this organization other than a couple run-ins with the law to add to our already sterling reputation around the league. At least Pacman and T.O. bring SOMETHING to the organization....a little TALENT. If we are going to take a chance on a player with a troubled past, shouldn't we make sure they can contribute on the field? I'm not sure Matt can, or is willing to put in the effort, to fill a void in our offense.

If there is one positive to come from this signing, it's that Bob and I have found yet another possible poster child of "OneManCrimeWave." There is certainly no shortage of possible candidates.

When is enough enough?

The Bengals have reportedly offered a contract to criminal Matt Jones formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars and are interested in criminal Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns according to Profootballtalk.com

Even though both players did not play in 2009 and they deserve to claw for a job like the rest of America currently is, the Bengals are seemingly interested in both. I am fed up. Playoff appearance or not I do not want to be cheering on guys like this. Mike Brown might think he is repeatedly presenting himself as a redeemer, but all I see is a bargain-seeking cheapskate looking to get a deal at the expense of a city's reputation and pride.

I'd rather Betty White play wide receiver for the Bengals than either of these rejects.

Censoring what I have to say about Mike Brown right now is killing me a little each curse at a time.

UPDATE: ProFootballTalk.com is also reporting the Bengals have given Pacman Jones a work out. Brilliant. Let the punchlines continue.

Retrospect

The Saints are going to the Superbowl. Tell any Saints fan during the Aaron Brooks era that their team would be in the Superbowl by the end of the decade and they would probably be skeptical. That should give Bengals fans some hope that maybe our next Superbowl appearance isn't too far away.

Ten wins and a playoff birth should also supply some hope as well. Looking back on this season the one word I can use to describe it is bizarre. How often does a Bengals season start with the spotlight, supplied by Hard Knocks, on the Bengals? How often does tragedy strike the same team twice? How often does a Bengals team own its division and keep the Steelers out of the playoffs? It's not the norm as we know it but there are certain things about this bizarre season we could all get used to.

A couple moments defined this season and will stick out in my memory as the key points of the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals.

- Brandon Stokley catching the dream-smashing tip and running 80 yards started the season on a sour note. That type of play would presumably have a devastating affect on Bengals teams of the past but the team rallied the next week to beat a playoff team in the Packers.

- Both victories over the Steelers let the Superbowl Champions know they weren't going to Miami. For once Steelers fans have absolutely nothing to say after this season because the Bengals were undeniably the better team. However, the Bengals did do the Steelers a favor by giving James Harrison more time this off season to read his first non-picture book.

- The passing of Vicki Zimmer and Chris Henry gave us perspective and appreciation of those individuals in a way only tragedy can provide. The bonds between teammates, coaches, families and fans were made more tangible than any of us thought possible when we were robbed of two good people.

- The hard-fought victory of Kansas City sealed the ownership of the division and just the second playoff appearance in 19 years for the Bengals. I know I celebrated that win like fans of the Colts or Patriots celebrate conference championships.

Who can't wait until the draft?

Wild Card

Well there they are. The Bengals are in the playoffs. This happens about as often as me talking the pants off a super model. So do what I am doing Bengals fans and bask in the fact that we are nationally relevant if only for three hours of a cold January day.

I hope the players and coaches are looking back to see what got them to this point and are realizing what a rare and special this chance is for this franchise. Tomorrow is a opportunity to make an impact on the lives of a group of fans that has been through the lowest of lows by giving them a victory and a reason to feel warm inside when the weather is hellbent on doing the opposite.

This match up is the classic small market versus big market clash. New York has the spotlight constantly burning their collective retina, while Cincinnati is a name you only recognize from the back of your Proctor and Gamble shampoo bottle. Jets fans have their gripes, some justified, but no group of fans has waited longer and endured more mediocrity and idiocy than those wearing orange and black.

This could be the start of a Superbowl run. This could be a quick exit. This could be the start of a dynasty. This could be a fluke in a sad history. This could make our year. This could make us sick.

Cincinnati Bengals,
That's the team we're gonna cheer to victory.



Who Dey!