Antonio Bryant: WTF?!

Even though I reside outside Cincinnati, I still like to think I am able to maintain a good handle on the general Zeitgeist of the team and its fans.  And as best I can tell, no one seems to give a shit about this whole Bryant situation.

Well.  I give a shit.  I give lots of giant, Andre Smith man-tittie sized (and shaped?) shits.

Do you know that, as of this moment, you can go to Joe Reedy's blog or NFL.com and see casual mentions of the fact that the Bengals might consider reaching an injury settlement with their centerpiece offseason acquisition?  This means (ahem) HE WOULD NEVER EVEN PLAY A DOWN FOR THE TEAM DESPITE SIGNING A LONG TERM DEAL.

Are fucking kidding me?  Please find me examples of a team bringing in a guy for a workout, giving him a physical, taking that guy over someone else that they ended up bringing in later, and then having that acquisition fall apart before the start of the season for an injury that happened the previous season.

Unbelievable.

You may think I am too hard or biased against the Bengals.  But go back and look at my writing on Bryant...I thought the whole bringing in TO thing was just the Bengals positioning themselves for a Superbowl run this year due to a looming lockout next year.  I specifically thought the injury to Bryant angle was revisionist history and seemed incorrect.  Why?  Because no one talked about Bryant's lingering injury until we signed TO!

The addition of TO and the confidence in Shipley and Gresham to produce right away likely explains everyone's seeming willingness to just kinda sorta glance over this issue but I say FUCK THAT.  I thought the Bengals went out and got us a goddamn 3 number 1 WR juggernaut.  But no, it seems more and more like the Bengals just screwed up massively on this one.  Let's recap what happened with Bryant just so it's clear:

• Coles does not work out, we part ways with him after the season
• Bengals express interest in Marshall, Bryant & TO
• Bryant and TO come in for back to back workouts
• Bengals decide they like Bryant best
• Bengals offer Bryant 4 year $28 million contract with $10 million guaranteed
• Somewhere along the line, Bengals learn that Bryants knees suck
• Team brings in TO on very favorable terms
• Story line publicly emerges that Bryant's knee still sucks
• Bryant practices in first day of training preventing Bengals from putting him on "reserve" PUP
• Chad & TO become the overwhelming focus of attention and analysis
• Bryant slips into the background, and everyone forgets he was supposed to be the future number 1 on our team for the rest of Carson's prime
• The Bengals are now discussing cutting Bryant and eating some of the guaranteed money

Holy shit what a fucking debacle.  This, friends, smacks of the way the Bengals historically fucked us.  It's a giant stain on an otherwise decent off season.

The PUP thing in particular, now that is impossible to deny that Bryant remains injured, stands out as a truely idiotic.  Okay - the Bengals botched their physical of Bryant, clearly that's worse overall.  But it's still a 4 year deal and Bryant has true #1 talent.  If he doesn't play to begin the year (or even play at all) we can survive, we now have options with the addition of TO and the draft picks.  Bryant can still be a good long term signing for future years.  So why are we considering cutting him?  Are the knees that bad?  And if they are why did they sign him?  Aren't we running in circles now?  AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH.

Anyway, in the meantime, I still can't let go of the WR juggernaut that I feel I am owed, dammit!  Fans have Superbowl expectations, not wholly unreasonable I might add.  But without The Juggernaut, the Bengals as Superbowl contenders thesis takes a large hit.

My hope is that Bryant gets better and can play even if he needs some time beyond the preseason.  And I hope perhaps there is more to this story that will explain to me exactly how the Bengals got themselves in this position.  Regardless, I remain convinced that the Bengals need loud critics to keep their asses in line.  This whole incident should remind all fans that MGMT still has a long way to go.

Comments

[Colin]

SWB: I totally agree. This appears to be an epic fail on so many levels: 1) the bengals' doctor who provided the physical should be fired, unless he provided the decision-makers with significant warnings and they chose to neglect those warnings (sadly, not implausible, and considering that the Bengals worked him out on the field and didn't notice anything, perhaps likely); 2) after finding out the extent of his injuries (which made the signing of TO more pressing), they practiced him so that he couldn't be placed on the PUP list; and 3) fuck, fuck, fuck. I think our journey-man laden offensive line will be our downfall this year, but Bryant was supposed to be the shot in the knee that we needed to at least have a chance to open up our offense. I get enraged every time I think of this debacle, and I think Bengals fans just try to repress it because the truth is too hard to bear: much of the success we've had has come through luck and a competent Defensive Coordinator, but that sucess is unlikely to continue given that our division contains two of the most well-run organizations in the league and we're, well, a bunch of clueless bastards. I mean, have you ever seen the vacant look on Marvin Lewis' face during a game:"um, well, let's go guys, and come on, and let's put some points up on the board, and, um, how should we use our time outs again?" Ok, now I've dragged ML into this, and that might have been uncalled for--I just want to go out and skull fuck a squirrel. Sorry for the rant, and sorry for those that love squirrels.

[Sleeping With Bieniemy]

@colin - beastiality solves nothing. But yes, the whole Bryant thing looks like a slowly developing trainwreck.

Marvin, however, has nothing to do with this. Not being able to properly manage the clock, use timeouts or challenge a play, while frustrating, does not offset the fact that he tries to run the team the way a modern NFL team is run better than anyone ever has. He is the first, and best, line of defense against Mike Brown.

[Colin]

SWB: point taken. I've always thought ML is a pretty bad game coach, but he's a good team manager and seems decent with schematics. My rage was misplaced. Now, bestiality, on the other hand, we'll agree to disagree.

On another note, it would be great if you or another writer/commenter could dissect what the pros and cons of an injury settlement would be--something about base salary vs. guaranteed $, etc. I know this might be premature, but I'd like to know what we would stand to gain by cutting him (leaving, as he will, with $7 million guaranteed) versus keeping him to see if he pans out, and then cutting him if his injury persists.

[Sly Vramavomovich]

Fuck cost effectiveness. I want Mike Brown to lose money every moment of every day. Remember, the Bengals are about a billion dollars under the cap right now. He can afford to pay Bryant while he sits out a year recovering.

[The truth]

SWB i think you are believing to many rumors, nothing concrete has been established about they bengals and what they will do about Bryant or the real health of his knee. For all we really know he may still be the starting #2-3 on opening day. Also as much as you want to bash the bengals for this do you really think cheapskate brown would give someone 8 mill if they didn't thinknthe knees was healed??? He would have given TO 4 and called it a day.

I'm frustrated by this but I dougtbthe bengals were as inept as you think in this

[The truth]

Colin my understanding is this: if the bengals cut Bryant they can not recoup any of his guaranteed money but don't have to pay any more of his base salary and he is free to sign elsewhere and they bengals have one less counting on the 53 man roster. If the put him on the IR they pay him this seasons salary and obviously can cut or keep him next year and he can't play at all for anyone this year or be cut before next offseason.

There are two reasons

[blesterov]

I know I am going to get a lot of shit for this one, but everything that has been written about this is pure speculation at this point.

You can guarantee that almost any story that starts on PFT is full of shit. I have not seen them right on one story where they made a mountain out of mole hill. For instance their latest attempt to screw with Bengals's fans minds was that they claimed having TO on the team was already causing controversy in the locker room b/c the Ocho's were complaining about how many balls they were getting. This was before the first preseason game even kicked off.

If Bryant gets a settlement, I will be pissed. If you remember in the offseason, I thought he was one of their best options to pick up (everyone else available was a problem child- worse than Chris Henry, and TO's asking price was too unrealistic- 5 mil at that point). If the doctor screwed up, he needs to be cut. If Bryant knew he was damaged goods and it turns out that way then I hope he rots in hell since that money could have gone to better uses.

Hopefully the over-hyping media is wrong like they usually are and that it turns out for the best. Until it all plays out, I am going to sit back and wait and see and enjoy watching the good team we have for once- appreciate while we have it b/c it won't last long.

[The truth]

There ate two reasons for settlement. 1 the team has grounds to recoup part if a signing bonus ( ie a player hid an injury) but more often it is for #2: they the player more than likely will be able to play around midseason or later and would like the opportunity to sign somewhere else. The team negotiates a settlement where the player pays back part of the bonus on return for the option to be able to sign with another team, thus giving the bengaks another roster spot and money in the pocket. Hope that helps.

[Artrell]

the truth has given the best explanation of this deal I could find anywhere on the web - thank you. However, I still cannot understand how this would work out for us dollar wise with all the guaranteed $ due to Bryant. Even if he couldn't play this year, why would we even consider cutting him - a large portion of that $28M is still due to him, cut or not, correct? I guess you're saying that he concede enough future money to entice us to release him instead of putting him on IR?

The team is being mum about this now, it is clear they are not happy. I think this is a classic case of a guy having more setbacks than expected when trying to come back from an injury. It sucks, but at least we have other plans. I hope we can keep him on ice for a bit and still work him in this year.

[Artrell]

I definately agree with Blesterov on this one, I look at it the same way. PFT is full of it - no one knows what is going to happen right now. I would think AB would have to concede a large amount of current and future guaranteed money for the Bengals to cut him, given that we owe him future dollars no matter what. If someone who knows these contracts can explain in round numbers how such a deal could possibly work, maybe then I would believe it. I understand it doesn't matter for the cap this year, but the future guaranteed $ is real $.

[Marlon]

Marshall was the best way to go from the beginning. He of all the options was the legit beast that would genuinely create mismatches for all teams. And TO would have just added to the opponents' problems. And what was the price for Marshall? A 2nd rounder? What a joke? Should've even ante'd up on the offer to guarantee he came here. Throw in an extra 4 or 5th to sweeten the deal and CP9 has the true #1 WR till the end.

[Jim Nasium]

Hold your horses. The guy is taking extra precautions to make sure he is 100%. Nobody on the Bengals have said a word. So now everybody knows the options the Bengals have but nothing is going to happen until he shows he can play or cannot. If not it won't change anything and they still have Chad, To, Gresham in the middle and a real slot in Shipley. If bryant is doing the right thing and being extra careful to fully heal and can play that is huge to have a giant target that can go deep. It is a win win. We got so many steals this year that it all washes out if he has to be dropped.

[Hofbraunow]

Colin wrote:

"I think our journeyman-laden offensive line will be our downfall this year, but Bryant was supposed to be the shot in the knee that we needed to at least have a chance to open up our offense"

I am much happier with that bit of high comedy,
than I would be with two good AB knees (i.e. Abner B. Doubledays, that is)...

btw, don't you mean, 'Sorry for those that love to skull-fuck squirrels' ?

[Sleeping With Bieniemy]

Gents - I hear you on the speculation but the two links I referenced discussing this above are:

1. Joe Reedy
2. NFL.com

That is not the NFL's number 1 site for rumor mongering and baseless speculation (Pro Football Talk) or some fucktarded Steelers blog. That's our freaking beat reporter with more access than anyone else on the planet not in the Bengals organization. The NFL is a super tightwad organization, I don't think they would like it if their writers were all writing crazy speculation to rile up fans and cast their owners in poor light.

I wouldn't even address this if they are rumors. Bless Joe Reedy, but if he's just talking out his ass about this I will be pissed.

My hope is that Bryant just needs extra time to heal. I say that at the end. But if we end up cutting this guy, holy fuck, what a shit show.