All I hear from Pittsburgh is crickets

Isn't it funny how the most boisterous and obnoxious fans have been silenced for the last few months? I mean it's really quite amazing. Compound a season where the Bengals smoked them like a couple of Cuban cigars with two sexual assault accusations upon their quarterback and it's like the entire city of Pittsburgh swore off speaking for Lent.

But what's this now? Santonio Holmes is now being accused of assault on a female? Well, well, well. Holmes' believed that because he is a football player he "can't get in trouble". If the Steelers fans are as remotely as classy as we Bengals fans, they should come down on their players, as we do, to stifle this burgeoning sense of entitlement that Steelers players clearly feel is their birthright. But hey, in Holmes' case at least it's his first problem right?

Wrong.

Remember the marijuana possession charges? Remember this retina scorcher? Remember the assault charges in Ohio? Remember he already had three kids before leaving school?

I personally didn't find it to be a stretch that he would take his douchery to the next level by slinging a glass at a woman for sitting on a couch. Indeed I could tell you a dozen stories about his misgivings while at Ohio State that were swept under the rug by the Columbus media contingent of which I was once a part.

So the time for Steelers fans to yuk it up because another Bengal got busted are over. Like it or not, their franchise is taking a big PR hit. The difference between the Bengals' legal problems and the Steelers' is that Mike Brown pursues players with pasts as to get a bargain. The Steelers, on the other hand, place a high value on character and weed out players who prove to be morons(i.e. Plaxico Burress and Joey Porter).

So my question is, are they going to stick by their moral standard and cut Holmes and Roethlisberger loose should these accusations be proven true? Or will that prove to be a double standard in the case of their two superstar douche bags?

It's not like the precedent hasn't been set either. Cedric Wilson may not have been as high-profile as Holmes and Roethlisberger, but he was cut the day after his domestic violence arrest.

Looks like the shoe is on the other foot.

Free Agency Update

The Bengals have retained the services of safety Roy Williams. Frankly I don't understand why. The guy moves like the line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and has forearms made of balsa wood. I suppose if nothing else he could give the Bengals depth at safety presuming they finally invest a high draft pick in that position.

They also agreed on a deal with Tank Johnson who played really well despite having a foot injury for most of the season. It will be interesting to see if he can bring a better pass rush next season on two healthy wheels.

Also the flirtations with free agent guard Richie Incognito have ended now that he's in a monogamous relationship with Bill Parcells. Frankly, I would have liked him at right guard if the Bengals are unable to keep Bobbie Williams. He brings a nasty, some say dirty, style of play that I would have liked to hear Pittsburgh fans whine about.

The remaining needs for this team, in my estimation are guard, blocking tight end, safety, receiving tight end, nickel corner, and running back/full back.

Bengals sign WR Chris Davis

The Bengals made a minor pick up today signing former Titans wide receiver Chris Davis. Who is Chris Davis? No one.

He's had six more receptions in his NFL career than he's had DUI's. That is to say seven career receptions for 69 yards. He has returned kicks for the Titans so perhaps this was more of a special teams move.

The Bengals should shift their focus to the left guard position. Bobbie Williams' agent recently told Geoff Hobson that the team has yet to make a legitimate offer to his client. While Bobbie Williams is 34 it seems there is no heir-apparent on the roster. Evan Mathis is probably the best option on the roster but the draft does have some appealing prospects.

Mike Iupati, Idaho
Mike Johnson, Alabama
John Jerry(Bobbie Williams Clone), Ole Miss
Sergio Render, Virginia Tech
Jeff Byars, USC

Weighing in on Bryant

After the acquisition of Antonio Bryant all the clamoring for Chad's compliment can cease. I've allowed some time to elapse and I'm prepared to make my final judgment on the Bengals courtship of Bryant, T.O. and Brandon Marshall.

I like the end result.

Bryant might not have the consistent stats Marshall and T.O. possess, but there is one thing Bryant has consistently not had, a decent quarterback. As Geoff Hobson points out on his article at Bengals.com, Bryant's breakout season with the Buccaneers came with Jeff Garcia chucking the ball around. And unfortunately for Bryant, Garcia was the only decent QB to ever throw to him. The other quarterbacks Bryant has worked with in his career? Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, Trent Dilfer, Alex Smith, Charlie Frye and Josh Freeman. Those guys suck.

If Bryant had been receiving balls from Donovan McNabb, Steve Young, Tony Romo or Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton I think he would have a few more 1,000 yard seasons. It will be interesting to see how Bryant plays now that he is reunited with an upper-echelon quarterback.

Despite having his problems in the past, namely a blow up with Bill Parcells, Bryant's personality seems to be a a little more stable than T.O. and Marshall. And while Marshall would offer a long-term solution, he would also command a huge amount of money the Brown family would be unwilling to dole out. Chad might have wanted T.O. but he would have been a one-year player considering his age and his character issues are well documented.

The middle ground was Bryant and I think Bengals fans, in time, are going to realize he was the best option of the three(Sorry Zane).

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.