As you all know, Chad Johnson wants out of Cincinnati. I just saw a great interview with Marvin Lewis however, in which he said that Johnson signed a long contract and will play out that contract. He continued that if Chad wants to win a playoff game then he should take the team on his back and bring them to the playoffs. This is kind of reminiscent of 2005 when Johnson released a list of the DBs who successfully covered him during games, called "Who Covered 85 in '05." Lewis responded by releasing a list that was entitled: "Did 85 Do Everything He Could To Lead His Team to Victory?" Points included:
1. Did he study extra tape?
2. Zero mental errors in practice?
3. Did he make a teammate better?
4. Did he see all signs and hots?
5. Did he run after the catch?
6. Did he finish blocks?
I think that Lewis makes an excellent point here. A star player like Chad clearly has the potential and skill to transform his team if he so chose. He faces a difficult situation in regards to the competence of the defense, but if he took an active leadership role with the team he could not only inspire them to play better, but convince players to sign with the Bengals (such as when Warren Sapp brought Keyshawn Johnson to the Bucs in 2000 so that their offense could be good enough to win a Super Bowl).
Either way, I think the Bengals should listen if a blockbuster offer is given (2 First Round Picks, such as when Dallas traded to get Joey Galloway from Seattle), but Lewis is absolutely right in not caving in to Johnson's demands. He is under contract, and if he wants to play he needs to play for Cincinnati. As Lewis said, you are a play away from losing any player on your team and if Chad plays, so much the better, but if he doesn't they'll be fine without him.
Ice cold, but brutally necessary.
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