March 2008 - Cincinnati Bengals Wiretap

Lewis Denies Report That Bengals Won't Franchise T.J.

May 19, 2014 8:49 PM

Bengals' head coach Marvin Lewis has denied a report that the team would not use its franchise tag on wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh. However, a lot could happen between now and the Feb. 22 tag deadline. Franchise tags often create a unique contract negotiating environment, so by saying it won't tag a player, a team shows a good faith attempt to sign him long-term. If contract talks fail, however, the tag could become a viable option again.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Free Agent Rumor

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Even With Andrews Hurt, Bengals Won't Franchise Houshmandzadeh

Sep 30, 2014 8:47 PM

Last year Cincinnati used its franchise tag on offensive tackle Stacy Andrews. But on one of Sunday?s final plays during Cincinnati?s win over Cleveland, Andrews damaged his right knee enough that it will impact his value on the free-agent market, and it could likely mean the Bengals no longer will franchise him. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be a free agent, but a league source has indicated that the Bengals will choose not to do franchise him.

Adam Schefter/NFL.com

Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Free Agent Rumor

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Palmer To Decide On Surgery Soon

May 19, 2014 9:18 PM

Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer is expected to decide whether or not to have surgery on his injured elbow in the coming days. Palmer hopes to regain full strength in his throwing arm and, based on the results of his practice sessions, decide on the procedure. "There is somewhat of a timeline," Palmer said Thursday. "I don't want to wait too long. Within the next couple weeks, I'll know. I don't want to wait until April, May and miss out on what's going to be going on. Within the next couple weeks, we should know. I'll have another MRI, and we'll check it out." Palmer originally injured the elbow when his arm was grabbed as he was throwing the Giants on Sept. 21. He has not played since an Oct. 5 game against Dallas. "I could tell in the first quarter of the Dallas game that something wasn't right," Palmer said. "I've been throwing a football since I was 4. When something doesn't feel right, you know. Something unusual is going on in your arm. I knew it right away."

Cincinnati Enquirer

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Ocho Cinco Wants To Have T.J. Around

Nov 5, 2014 10:20 PM

Bengals' receiver Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson hopes to have teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh around in Cincinnati past this season. The duo has been together for nine years, stemming back to the season they spent together at Oregon State. "It could be," Ocho Cinco said of whether or not they are playing their final games together. "I'm not sure how that's going to play out. I think the fans and everyone else, including myself, would love for him to stay. "It's been a long road, him and I. It's going to feel like somewhat of a bitter divorce. He's been a big help, man. We've been together, what is this, year nine? It'd be kind of funny to see somebody else on the opposite side of me. I'm sure the same for him."

Dayton Daily News

Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Misc Rumor

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Houshmandzadeh Could Get Tagged At Least $8M

Sep 30, 2014 8:47 PM

The Bengals may be forced to use the franchise tag on T.J. Houshmandzadeh at a cost of at least $8 million for 2009. "I don't know how I can put this," Houshmandzadeh said. "Would I be happy with it? Yeah, because it's a lot of money. But would I be happy with it? No, I wouldn't. I don't know if that makes sense. "It's going to be my ninth year (in 2009). I didn't play (much) my first three, so I look at it as being my sixth year. You just want to know what's going to happen. If you get a franchise, they want to keep you for one year and that's it. It'd be cool, but it wouldn't be cool." RealGM Note: Houshmandzadeh is ranked 12th amongst wide receivers and 'deserves' to make about $6.3 million, giving him a Reina Value of +71%.

Dayton Daily News

Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Free Agent Rumor

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Bengals' Palmer Unlikely To Play This Season

Sep 30, 2014 9:03 PM

Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer isn't expected to play again this season even though his injured right elbow is starting to feel better. "The healing process is going well, and we don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," head coach Marvin Lewis said on Monday. "We don't want to have somebody inadvertently run into him, or anything like that at this point, when we've waited so long and we are where we are with only two weeks to go."

Dayton Daily News

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Palmer Has Been Throwing Nerf Football

Nov 17, 2014 11:25 AM

Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer has begun throwing as he attempts to avoid surgery on his inflamed right elbow. Coach Marvin Lewis on Friday said Palmer is now throwing a real football. He had been working with a Nerf football recently. "This was his week to begin throwing a football," Lewis said. "It's gone well."

Cincinnati Enquirer

Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Misc Rumor

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Bengals Prez: Season A 'Massive Disappointment'

May 21, 2014 6:27 PM

Bengals' president Mike Brown called the team's season a "massive disappointment" during an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer on Monday. Brown characterized the season as a, "massive disappointment. We feel it. We're unhappy down here. ... We're in the morass and just have to work through it." He placed a majority of the blame on the team's numerous injuries. "It is hard to have success in this league without your key players. We?re playing with literally less than half of the people we thought would be our starters. ... We lost Carson Palmer, who is our linchpin player. We lost our best defensive player before the season started, (linebacker) Odell Thurman. "The linebacker corps we thought that we would be playing with was (Keith) Rivers, Thurman and (David) Pollack. They are all gone, two for good. "When you have that kind of erosion on your football team, it is hard to be successful. We have not managed to overcome it."

Cincinnati Enquirer

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