FanHouse Jerome Simpson

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
Team best known for self-destruction and felonies! Yes, only in America ... it's the Cincinnati Bengals. Honestly though, the troubled times seem to be in the past, as the Bengals are preaching team unity and singing a new tune heading into the upcoming season. Under the radar? Sleepers? Well, when was the last time we heard such chatter as it relates to the Bengals? Hold tight, let's watch this story develop. However, you heard it here first (sort of): The Bengals have some fantasy potential.

They possess one of the top quarterbacks in the league (when healthy), a stable of cast-off running backs, a troubled receiving corps with "rebound" potential and the capability to be an explosive offense, again. Will the line hold up to keep Carson healthy? Will Ochocinco snap back into circa 2005 form? A lot of questions, but you already know there is gonna be risk with these guys. However, this year they do offer a sliver of hope that they will indeed reward.

After saying that he and Carson Palmer "were like Brokeback Mountain," it only made sense that Chad Ochocinco would move in with the Bengals quarterback this summer. That was the plan (according to Mr. Ochocinco), anyway.

Palmer's wife -- and I'd assume Palmer, too -- had other ideas. The family just had twins, and even if they hadn't, I'm not sure they would be interested in introducing crazy into their home. Via the Dayton Daily News' Chick Ludwig:

Even Carson Palmer, the unassuming Opie Taylor-looking Bengals quarterback, has his limits. After spending most of the 2008 season on the sidelines with a bum elbow, the 2003 first-overall pick is healthy and participating in voluntary workouts. Which, like previous offseasons, isn't the case with Chad Javon Ochocinco.

He's reportedly working out in Los Angeles, and I don't doubt that -- Chad always seems prepared, at least physically, for the start of the NFL season -- but that's not really the point. Cincinnati won just four times last year, and hasn't had a winning record since 2005, also the last time they advanced to the playoffs. (Coincidentally, that was the other time Palmer suffered a significant injury. Thanks Kim von Oelhoeffen!)

On Monday, the Seahawks signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a five-year, $40 million deal. Great news for Seattle -- Matt Hasselbeck will finally have a legit pass-catching threat (a seldom-healthy Deion Branch doesn't count) -- but the Bengals were suddenly down to Chad Ocho Cinco in the reliable wide receiver department. (Yikes.)

Apparently, the thought of starting the season with Chris Henry, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell was enough to motivate historically cheap Bengals owner Mike Brown into action, presumably at the behest of head coach Marvin Lewis. Whatever the impetus, Cincy has a new-old Houshmandzadeh: Laveranues Coles. Via NFL.com's Adam Schefter, Coles signed a four-year, $28 million contract.

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Chad Javon Ocho Cinco is back with the Bengals after being deactivated for Thursday night's Steelers contest because of a severe case of drowsiness. And while I'm sure Ryan Fitzpatrick will happily welcome his return, when you're staring at 1-9-1, it doesn't much matter who you trot out there for the next five weeks.

The real issue, however, is what will the organization do with Mr. Cinco after the season? Common sense might dictate running his ass out of town and getting whatever you can for him. Of course, the Bengals could've had a first-round pick (or two, depending on who you believe) from the Redskins last summer, but they weren't willing to deal. In retrospect, yeah, they probably should have.

But according to CBS' Charley Casserly, the plan -- as of right now, anyway -- is to keep Johnson in Cincy for 2009, too. It seems like an insane notion given all the trouble he's caused in recent seasons, but nobody's ever accused the Bengals of being smart.

FanHouse colleague Ryan Wilson stated that the Bengals are giving up on the season by shutting down quarterback Carson Palmer for the season. I think that is a great idea.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-7 and still have the Steelers, Eagles, Redskins, Ravens, Colts and Jaguars remaining on the schedule. Needless to say, this season looks like it has already been lost. Heck, fans are hoping they go 0-16 just to prove a point to owner Mike Brown.

There is no need for Palmer to try to play at any point this season. Lose the battle and win the war. Get your elbow fixed and ready to roll for the 2009 season. In sports, there is no honor in being stupid. Take the time to research the surgery, get the proper advice and information, and then do what you have to do to be ready for '09.

As for the Bengals organization, you'd be best served to use the rest of this season as a big job audition. Just like the consultants did in Office Space, have everyone re-apply for their job and weed out the weak.

Anybody seen Carlson Palmer? I know he's still the Bengals quarterback, but the guy currently under center doesn't resemble the same person who threw for 32 touchdowns in 2005 and followed that up with 28 more in '06. Palmer slipped last season, throwing for 4,131 yards (a personal record), but also tossed 20 picks.

And now, two games into 2008, he's the worst-rated quarterback in the league. A league, I might add, that also includes Kyle Orton, Tarvaris Jackson and Brett Favre. And things don't look to get better anytime soon, at least according to Palmer. When asked how he's doing, he offered this:

"Not good at all. We're 0-2. Not where we want to be ... "

"It's been a combination of teams saying, 'We're not going to let Chad (Ocho Cinco) beat us, we're not going to let T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) beat us and also my fault ... I need to do a better job getting the ball to the guys when their shots are called. We need to keep running the ball, be aggressive in the run game. Not let a defense take a guy out of the box and put him on Chad and take Chad out of the game."

In theory, it sounds fixable. In practice, it seems a tad more daunting. Especially when you factor in Palmer's comments about the Bengals 2008 second-round pick, wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who was supposed to contribute immediately:

Cincinnati: the NFL's halfway house. In news that should've surprised no one, the team re-signed chronic law breaker Chris Henry yesterday. At the time, the move was thought to be a combination of things: injuries to starters Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and less-than-expected progress by the two rookies, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell.

And today, Bengals.com confirms as much: the team, faced with the possibility of going into the season without two of it's best players and nothing behind them, prompted the re-ushering in of the Chris Henry Era. Ah, good times, indeed.

The signing indicates that Chad Johnson's sprained shoulder is serious enough that the Bengals look to be preparing for the possibility that Johnson could be sidelined for several weeks, although Johnson insisted Monday night he'll be back for the opener.

But that's not the only injury that has clouded the receiver picture in the last 48 hours. There is also rookie receiver Andre Caldwell's sprained foot and T.J. Houshmandzadeh's hamstring. He's 50-50 at best to play in his first preseason game Saturday night against the Saints, and the Bengals could be forced to sign a receiver in addition to Henry.

But it gets better: according to Henry's agent, the gun-toting, jersey-wearing evil doer is broke, but has apparently "undergone a transformation in order to get his life back in order." Translation: "I'm broke and I need to quit acting like a jackass long enough to get paid."

You know what happens when your No. 1 receiver bellyaches through the entire offseason, your No. 3 receiver is released for clinical stupidity, and you realize that the second- and third-round wideouts you drafted are nowhere near as good as you hoped?

You re-sign the stupid one. Obviously.

We'd mentioned at various points this summer that the Bengals, intrigued by chronic law breakers who are really good at football, had been contemplating giving Chris Henry another chance to prove he can't be as dumb as his arrest record might indicate. And now, it looks like the band's gettin' back together!

The Cincinnati Bengals are close to reaching an agreement with free-agent receiver Chris Henry, a source told ESPN.com Monday night. Henry is en route from Charlotte, N.C., to Cincinnati to sign a contract with the team as early as Tuesday, the source said.

The Bengals refused comment on Henry when contacted by ESPN.com on Monday night.

ESPN's James Walker writes that the team thinks it may have overreacted in cutting Henry after his latest arrest but before the charges were eventually dropped. Maybe.

That Chad Johnson was injured last night, T.J. Houshmandzadeh is battling a hammy, and rookies Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell are underperforming, I suppose this move makes perfect sense.

Well, until Henry gets arrested again, anyway.

The Cincinnati Bengals offense looked poor ... again ... in their 27-10 loss to the Detroit Lions.

The bigger news coming from the game is that Chad Johnson left the game after injuring his shoulder. He injured his shoulder on the Bengals first series when he attempted to catch a Carson Palmer pass. Detroit CB Brian Kelly laid a hit on Ocho Cinco (forcing a tipped interception) that landed him awkwardly on the field:

The Pro Bowl receiver rolled around on the field in pain for several seconds, then got up and went to the sideline. Trainers examined the shoulder on the field before Johnson went to the locker room for further examination and treatment. He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

After the game, ESPN's Bob Holtzman was told by the team that Johnson suffered a sprained shoulder and would not play next week.

Johnson had a different take, however, telling ESPN that he would return next week against New Orleans.

This is big news since Cincinnati's other Pro-Bowl receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, has been slowed by a hamstring injury. After T.J. and Chad, no other wide-out has made any kind of positive impression (though rookie Jerome Simpson came alive in this game).