Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > October > 10 > Entry
T.J. ‘trade rumor’ just that — a rumor; but his future as a Bengal remains uncertain
HOUSMANDZADEH AMONG
EIGHT POTENTIAL BENGALS’
FREE AGENTS IN SPRING 2009
There’s a rumor floating around that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh could be traded before the Oct. 14 deadline to the San Francisco 49ers.
I believe the rumor should be put to sleep before it gets run through the shredder.
Houshmandzadeh, an eight-year veteran and 2007 Pro Bowler, has emerged as the Bengals’ most productive, consistent, reliable and dependable player in 2008 with 31 catches for 351 yards (an 11.3 average) and three touchdowns.
Why would the Bengals want to get rid of arguably their finest player? And why would any team want to acquire him now — coughing up a draft pick or two — when a team can get him in the spring (without a trade) when he becomes an unrestricted free agent?
I can’t remember the last time the Bengals pulled off an in-season trade. It hasn’t happened in my 12 years on the Bengals beat. I know there’s a first time for everything, but Houshmandzadeh doesn’t expect a trade, the Bengals don’t expect a trade and LUDWIG AT LARGE certainly doesn’t expect a trade.
Nevertheless, Houshmandzadeh’s future with the Bengals remains uncertain.
If they don’t sign him to a multi-year contract, he will likely leave via free agency in March 2009. But hold it! Houshmandzadeh is also a candidate to be designated as the club’s franchise player in 2009.
Houshmandzadeh said the Bengals have not approached him about a new contract.
That doesn’t surprise me at all.
The club is notorious for not making moves until it has to.
Houshmandzadeh interprets the “silence” as meaning the club doesn’t want him back. That’s not necessarily the case.
The club loves T.J. (almost as much as the fans do). And I’m convinced Katie and Troy Blackburn — the Bengals’ “Salary Capologists” — are working the numbers to see how much they can afford to offer T.J.
I believe the Bengals want him back, but not for Larry Fitzgerald money (4 years, $40 million). After all, T.J. just turned 31 years old. And he’s NOT A NUMBER ONE RECEIVER. HE’S A NUMBER TWO.
Fans need to know the club drafted Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell for a reason — THE FUTURE.
They are heirs to the throne of Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
Simpson and Caldwell just have to wait their turn.
IN T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH’S WORDS:
“If it happens, which I doubt very seriously, I can’t control that. I’ve got to play football. That’s what I do. It’s just good to know that people think I can play, that they would throw my name in something like that. (Management) makes that decision (on a contract offer or franchise tag). It’s not under my control. Lord willing, I stay healthy and keep playing football, and everything will fall into place whether I like it or not.”
IN MARVIN LEWIS’ WORDS:
“Boy, that’s a bad rumor, huh? I mean, let’s just talk about it a little bit — and I’m sorry, I have to. No. 1, OK, No. 1, you’re going to get a club in trouble for tampering. That club has already been penalized once this year, very harshly. No. 2, what club in its right mind would trade for a player that’s going to be an unrestricted free agent? Again, if you’re going to start a rumor, make it a good one. OK? Make it something that makes some sense to people inside the NFL and so forth. You know? It’s unfortunate. The thing I hate about it is the fact that that headline gets on the Red Zone or whatever one of those sites are, that make it look like a story, when it’s not a story and it’s unfortunate it ever got posted. Let’s try to do a better job of reporting facts and so forth that way. OK?”
BENGALS POTENTIAL FREE AGENTS IN 2009
The following veterans’ contracts expire at the end of the 2008 season. Anyone not re-signed by the Bengals becomes an unrestricted free agent in MARCH 2009, free to sign with any NFL club:
Player (Years of NFL service)
OT Stacy Andrews (5)
TB Cedric Benson (4)
LB Darryl Blackstock (4)
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (4)
C Eric Ghiaciuc (4)
PK Shayne Graham (8)
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (8)
DT John Thornton (10)
FRANCHISE TAG FOR T.J.?
Houshmandzadeh is a candidate to be designated as the Bengals’ franchise player in 2009.
The franchise tag is designed to help a team retain the rights to a top player who reaches free agency.
Franchise players are owed a one-year salary equal to the average of the top five players at his position from the previous season.
This 2008 franchise tag for a wide receiver was $7.848 million.
SEE MORE TRADE RUMORS AT:
http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/NFLTradeDeadline_Looming/345893
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By NCC
October 10, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
The Bengals acquired Charlie Joiner many years ago in a mid-season trade. I believe it was Joiner and Ron Pritchard from the Oilers for Paul Robinson and Fred Willis. TJ likely will not be traded just because mid-season trades are rare. But if MB has decided not to re-sign him, trading him makes sense. We aren’t going to do anything this year, and may as well pick up a draft pick or possibly an OL prospect.By Mike Brown
October 10, 2008 11:23 AM | Link to this
Who’s TJ?By Brian
October 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
T.J. is going to slip out under the radar because the team will have to franchise tag Stacy Andrews again and hope against hope that they’re in a position to draft a stud left tackle to replace Levi. If T.J. would just get arrested a few times before the end of the season Mike Brown might open up the checkbook out of the spirit of redemption.