Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals has been the subject of trade rumors since the end of the regular season. He just turned 30, and signed a 6 year 35.5 million dollar contract in the offseason heading into the 2006 season. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has gone to the media recently to say that he will be a Bengal in 2008. If you were an executive in Cincinnati, would you trade him? I will go on the record and say they will, and here are a few reasons why I believe they do.
First Chad can be argued as the best possession receiver in the league since 2003. His lowest reception total being 87, yardage total being 1274 and lowest YPC registering in at 13.4 yards. He may not be the most prolific scorer, but during this span, his lowest TD output was 7 in 2006. These numbers clearly label him as an elite receiver. Many regard him as streaky, but I can't, the numbers don't lie
Second is his age. Ocho Cinco just hit the big "30". This is not the end all age for recievers like it has been known to be for running backs, but he is no longer a spring chicken by NFL standards. Being the fact that he is 30, and has not missed a game since his rookie season may attribute to his toughness, but to me that is a red flag for a guy who takes a beating, and can possible break down. Law of averages says he is due to miss time, why not let it be on someone else's watch?
Lastly is his mouth. As entertaining as he can be, this year we have seen that he is getting under the skin of the other players in his locker room. His on-field spat with Carson Palmer during prime time was not a good sign in my book. The fact that he seems to be laying seeds in the media about wanting out of Cincinatti also is a bad sign as well. When a player does this, he can drastically reduce his value for the team trying to get a return on him (ie Randy Moss).
I think Cincinatti would be able to grab a few draft picks in this years class if they were to pull the trigger. Not to mention the cap savings can be used to bring in some veteran help on defense. I would think a second round pick would not be out of the question, along with a low rounder or future draft choice as well. With those picks they can address other areas of need. This is a team that obviously has needs that would be fixed the fastest via a strong draft. The offense can survive with TJ Who's your mamma and Chris "hide your daughters" Henry for the time being. A cheap veteran free agent receiver along with an big athletic receiver from this years draft would be plenty to keep this team in the top third of the league on offense. The market for him is at it's highest now, before he begins really running his mouth. Minnesota, San Francisco, Tennessee, Oakland, and Kansas City are all receiver starved and should line up at the chance to acquire him.