DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Chris Henry (Cincy) in trouble again

I thought old Marvin just said a couple of weeks ago that they had no interest in resigning Henry.

How stupid can a team be?

but wait! There's more.....


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Bengals interested in bringing back troubled wide receiver Henry

By Jim Trotter, SI.com

Several weeks after coach Marvin Lewis emphatically closed the door on the Bengals re-signing Chris Henry, it now appears Cincinnati is open to the possibility of a reunion with the troubled wide receiver.

Henry's agent, Marvin Frazier, said Henry and Lewis spoke a couple days before the Bengals' Week 1 preseason game against the Packers. Frazier said he and Lewis are scheduled to talk again once the Bengals break camp in Georgetown, Ky., on Friday.

When asked of Henry's chances of re-signing with the Bengals, Frazier responded, "Better than 50 percent."

The Bengals waived Henry in April following his arrest for assault, his fifth run-in with the law in three seasons on the team. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges.

The NFL suspended Henry four games for violating its personal conduct policy, which he still will have to serve no matter which team signs him.

The Bengals, who have Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh at the first two wide receiver positions, are searching for a No. 3 receiver and no one at training camp has stood out.

Before the Bengals training camp began in late July, Lewis had this to say about Henry: "I'm not interested [in re-signing Henry]. I don't think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player. There are responsibilities to being an NFL player. It's a privilege, not a right. There is a lot that comes with being an NFL player."

Another team that may be interested in Henry's services is Baltimore, where former Bengals wide receivers coach Hugh Jackson is now an assistant.

Think Marvin might be worried about his job? That is the only reason I can think of to bring this idiot back.

I read about this the other day on PFT...

You think they would learn their damn lesson! What in the hell is wrong with them? They just don't want to ever have a respectable franchise. They really don't.

Agent says Bengals close to signing WR Chris Henry
By MATT REED, Associated Press Writer
8 hours, 27 minutes ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—The Cincinnati Bengals are close to signing Chris Henry, four months after they released the wide receiver following his fifth arrest since 2005, Henry’s agent said Monday.

The Bengals suddenly have a need for experienced receivers with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh slowed by injuries. Cincinnati began showing interest in Henry last month when an assault charge stemming from an incident March 31 was dropped, agent Marvin Frazier said. A deal could be completed by Tuesday, he added.

The 25-year-old Henry is traveling from Charlotte, N.C., to Cincinnati to sign a contract with the Bengals, according to ESPN.com, which first reported that discussions were taking place.

“We’re in talks and we’re real close,” Frazier said. “I’m just glad they’re willing to let the past be the past and give him a chance. I just hope that the Cincinnati fans will give him the same type of chance.”

Henry recently told ESPN.com that he would stay out of trouble if given another chance by an NFL team.

“I just have to be smart and handle myself like a professional at all times,” he told the Web site.

A telephone message left by The Associated Press for a Bengals spokesman Monday night was not immediately returned.

Henry still must serve a four-game suspension imposed by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Henry was suspended for the first eight games last season, also for violating the league’s conduct policies. He played in the last eight games, but had only 21 catches for 343 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the No. 3 receiver.

The Bengals released him in April after he was accused of punching a University of Cincinnati student and breaking his car window with a beer bottle.

The jury couldn’t reach a verdict on an assault charge, resulting in a mistrial. Prosecutors decided to drop the case after a judge ruled against them on several motions just before the retrial was scheduled to start in July.

When asked last month about the possibility of Henry rejoining the Bengals, coach Marvin Lewis said he wasn’t interested.

“I don’t think it would be productive for our football team,” he said. “There’s responsibilities to being an NFL player. It’s a privilege, it’s not a right.”

Johnson sprained his left shoulder Sunday night in a 27-10 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been sidelined with hamstring injuries in recent weeks.

The Bengals drafted three receivers in April as they look toward overhauling their receiving corps. Second-round pick Jerome Simpson had a team-high 114 yards on five catches against the Lions’ backups on Sunday, and third-round pick Andre Caldwell had a pair of catches for 11 yards. But the Bengals may not want to rush them in their rookie years.

Frazier said the recent injuries to Johnson and Houshmandzadeh were likely a factor in the renewed interest in Henry.

“I think that’s one of the reasons,” he said. “But also, the boy can play.”

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Updated: 8-19-08, 11 a.m.

Marvin Frazier, one of Chris Henry's representatives, confirmed Tuesday morning that his client is in Cincinnati getting a physical and is expected to sign a contract but can't play or practice in the regular season until the fifth week because he's on the suspended list.

The Bengals made the signing official Tuesday morning in a press release. In an additional roster move, the Bengals waived cornerback Jerrid Gaines. Gaines had been signed as a free agent on August 5.

According to the release, Henry is eligible as of Tuesday to join whatever team preseason activities are assigned to him by the coaching staff. He is eligible to play in the final two preseason games. His suspension will begin on Mon., Sept. 1, the start of the practice week for Cincinnati's Sept. 7 regular season opener. During the suspension, he will be held out of practices as well as Games 1-4. He may resume full activities on Mon., Sept. 29, the start of the practice week for Game 5, on Oct. 5 at Dallas.


Henry
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.

Henry became the face of the Bengals' off-field problems that marred the 2006 season and as late as last week head coach Marvin Lewis indicated he was not interested in him.

Frazier said that Henry traveled to the Bengals' Georgetown College training camp a few weeks ago and met with Lewis after the coach put it in as strong as terms as possible on July 22.

"I'm not interested," Lewis told reporters at the Bengals training camp luncheon. "I don't think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there's responsibilities to being an NFL player. It's a privilege, it's not a right. There's a lot that comes with being an NFL football player."

Frazier said Henry talked to other clubs, including the Ravens, the opponent in the Sept. 7 regular-season opener that he can't play in because of his four-game suspension.

"It was a family decision more than anything," Frazier said. "They felt like he needed to go someplace where he was going to get support and the Bengals have been tremendous that way. Not only does he know the offense and the guys, but he wants to show people there that he's not the kind of guy they think he is."

Henry is on his third NFL suspension and the Bengals cut him April 3 after his fifth arrest, this one for assault, a charge that was later dropped. He also began last season with a suspension, an eight-gamer for two alcohol-related arrests in the spring of 2006.

"This last incident was proven to be bogus and it was an unfortunate incident because he was doing everything he had to do," Frazier said. "He was suspended for four games because he shouldn't have been there, and I believe he gets it."

Frazier confirmed that Henry is basically broke and says he seems to have undergone a transformation in order to get his life back in order.

"No one has lost more than this young man," Frazier said. "He could have gone the other way. He could have been bitter and complained and moaned. But he's really been great. He's got no choice. You can't run away and hide. You've got to grow up."

Asked if they had considered a change of scenery because of the community and media scrutiny in Cincinnati, Frazier said, "No matter where you go, it's going to be like that for NFL players. That's the way it is.

"Hopefully with the organization giving him another chance, the fans will, too."

Johnson's injury, which involved the shoulder popping out and then back into the joint, the club's withering receiver depth, and the miserable effort on offense in the 27-10 loss to the Lions on Sunday night has apparently won the day despite Henry's notorious track record.

"If you mean by extended period the last two preseason games, that's all it's going to be," Johnson said. "It's great (Henry) is back. He'll be fine."

At least one veteran endorsed the move when it surfaced last week that the Bengals were talking to Henry.

"If he's going to play for anybody in the league, why not here?" asked defensive tackle John Thornton, who served as defensive captain last year. "The Bengals took a lot of crap for him. Why let him go somewhere else, and he goes plays for Dallas and he becomes a superstar? He knows this offense.

"If he screws up, he's done. It's a one-strike policy. If everybody is comfortable, if the NFL is comfortable with it ... in my opinion, as a friend and a player, I think the locker room would light up just to see him back because everybody's been reading about how tough it's been with him with foreclosures and all that."

Henry's stats are seductive. The 6-4, 200-pounder showed a great knack for tracking the long ball by scoring 15 touchdowns on his first 67 catches during his first two seasons in the NFL. His production dipped last year to just two touchdowns in eight games after spending the first eight games on the suspended list.

The Bengals figure to sign Henry to a contract with minimum salaries. Like last year, Henry can practice and play in preseason games before sitting the first month. But since he hasn't been with a team since the Bengals cut him, he may not be ready to play at all in the preseason.

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Steep price to pay for Henry

By Paul Daugherty
August 19, 2008



Chris Henry arrived today, his latest last chance grinning grotesquely, like a smile in a funhouse mirror. The Bengals have him back and they think it’s great. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us five times. . .

Choose your explanation: The team needed a wideout to stretch the field, after Chad Johnson went down Sunday. Henry is on a short leash, making next to nothing on a one-year deal. Everyone deserves a sixth chance. Mike The Redeemer wanted Henry here, so here he is.

The Bengals re-acquired a capable wide receiver. All it cost them was their soul.

The head coach got trumped by an owner with a forgiving heart and a poor track record for assembling football teams. Marvin Lewis might coach the Bengals. He doesn’t run them.

“Not interested," Lewis said a week ago, after Henry’s agent said he’d had talks with the team regarding his client. Lewis’ terse response came without qualifier. He didn’t say “Not interested, unless Chad messes up his shoulder." He didn’t say, “Not interested, unless the owner says we are and cuts my legs off to bring back a guy as reliable as a 1979 Chevette." Nope. Marvin was not interested.

Only now, he is. He’ll have to coach a guy he openly and forcefully didn’t want. He has to deal with a locker room that knows who’s boss, and it ain’t Coach. You could argue this sort of tug happens all over the league, and you’d be right. But it doesn’t generally occur with a player who has been suspended for 15 games of his 50-game NFL career, not including the first four this year.

The internal talks about Henry were taking place before Johnson sprained his shoulder, so Lewis knew how Brown felt about things. Maybe the coach tried a power play and lost. Regardless, Lewis has to coach a player he has no use for and manage a locker room wondering who the sheriff is.

This isn’t about Chris Henry, per se. Maybe he’s a new man. Maybe he’s running for tenor in the Vienna Boys Choir. Good for him. Everyone has a right to make a living.

This is about how forlorn a franchise the Bengals continue to be. It’s about an owner who hasn’t presided over a playoff victory in 17 years. Mike Brown has put on the line whatever dignity and credibility his franchise has, for a good-not-great player who has been suspended almost as often as not.

Didn’t the Bengals draft wideouts in the second and third rounds? Didn’t they take three in eight rounds? Oops.

Their credibility on the “character" issue? Zero.

Their stated desire to have “good people’’ on their roster? Fraudulent.

Their record this year with Henry, as opposed to without him? Remains to be seen. Educated guess: He won’t be the difference in more than a game. The Bengals have issues at center, issues with the pass rush, concerns with the cover abilities of their corners, wonders about the health of Rudi Johnson.

Solution: Bring back Chris Henry.

Mike Brown has a genuine interest in Henry’s well-being. The owner has a jelly spot within him for the miscreants he has hired, all the way back to Stanley Wilson. It’s not wrong or naïve to appreciate Brown’s Father Flanagan side. He is a decent man.

Not that it helps him succeed in business. If you’re going to run your team like a halfway house, if you elect to practice social work without a license, you might want to win more than you lose, occasionally.

Even if you’re a bottom-line Bengals fan whose outrage is limited to losses to the Cleveland Browns, you will acknowledge that adding Chris Henry for 12 games doesn’t mean the playoffs are up next. Successful teams have players they can rely on, players who can rely on each other. Then there are the Bengals, whose owner enables irresponsibility in the name of stretching the field.

“His conduct can no longer be tolerated," was Brown’s response in April, after Henry was arrested a fifth time. Charges eventually were dropped, apparently causing the owner’s heart to flutter. What is different about the player now is anybody’s guess.

We’re about to find out. Not that it matters. It’d be nice if the Bengals stood for something, other than losing.



http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080819/COL03/308190063/1007/SPT02

I don't know whether to feel bad for Marvin Lewis or not.. part of me thinks he's the unwilling participant in all of this and has this crap thrust upon him from above... then part of me thinks he's just as culpable..

Either way, if he really wants to take a stand, don't play him.

My buddy the Bengals fan had this to say:

"This reeks of Mike Brown. Our idiot owner who for the past 18 years thinks he knows how to run a football team. The Bengals are a 7-9 6-10 football team. This will be Marvin’s last year in Cincinnati, he will quit at the end of the year because he is tired of the crap Mike Brown does. Mike Brown is an idiot, forget making the team better by hiring more scouting, and through player development, no lets hire a thug who can’t play 25% of the year. And what we are missing is the fact that Chris Henry WILL get arrested again.

This organization is a joke. It would be hilarious if they weren’t my team."

According to the below article, it sounds as if it was all Mike Brown; Lewis objected.

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Henry deal exposes division in Bengals
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 3:21 AM
By Scott Priestle

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Bengals
Henry deal exposes division in Bengals
Wednesday, August 20, 2008

CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have added a game-changing talent who knows the offense and is generally liked within the locker room. Or, they have added a one-man crime wave who embodies their reputation for lawlessness and underscores the conflicting philosophies of coach Marvin Lewis and owner Mike Brown.

Chris Henry, in all his forms, is back in Bengals stripes.

The skilled, troubled receiver signed a two-year contract with the team yesterday, 4 1/2 months after it released him after his fifth arrest in three years; exactly four weeks after Lewis said he was "not interested" in re-signing Henry; and two days after Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson suffered a sprained shoulder that likely will force him to miss the rest of the preseason.

Henry is suspended for the first four games of the season but figures to improve the offense in week five. He caught 17 touchdown passes in 35 games for the Bengals in the previous three seasons, and none of the other candidates for the No. 3 receiver job has appeared capable of matching that production.

The million-dollar question is, what will that production cost the Bengals?

Lewis was adamant in July that it was not worth re-signing Henry, because he has proved unwilling or unable to stay out of trouble, and thus has been unable to remain on the field. But Brown has long been intrigued by Henry's talent -- particularly at his relatively low salary -- and he has a history of giving players multiple opportunities to get their careers on track.

"I obviously know that at the end of the day, the owner has the final say in whether or not he wants to give a guy an opportunity," Lewis said, "and Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity and asked that we do the best job we can to get him ready to play football.

"If he can be a positive influence on this football team and help us win games and be productive as a receiver, get better as a receiver -- if we feel that way after the suspension is over, then he has a chance to earn a spot. That's what (Brown) asked me to do, so that's what we're going to do."

Players seemed to take it in stride. They recognize Henry's talent but are wary of his past. Multiple players tried counseling Henry and former linebacker Odell Thurman in recent years, to no avail.

"There's not much you can do," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "He has to do it himself."

Henry said he has not been told that he will be expelled from the league if he gets in trouble again, "but I know that's what I'm looking at. It's pretty much my last chance to prove myself."

He said his agent talked to other teams -- the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints are thought to be among them -- but the Bengals were the only team to offer a contract. And Lewis made it clear that the Bengals offered a contract against his wishes. Brown won a power play to get Henry back on the roster.

"It's his team," veteran defensive lineman John Thornton said. "It happens all over the league. It's no different here. Marvin is a great coach. He didn't lose any credibility with us."

The Bengals released Henry on April 3 after he was arrested and charged with assault. During the arraignment, a Hamilton County judge referred to him as "a one-man crime wave."

The charges eventually were dropped when a jury was unable to reach a verdict.

"If it was me," Thornton said with a smile, "I would just stay in the house and never go out."

spriestle@dispatch.com

It's such a shame that a great man like Paul Brown spawned such an idiot for a son. They shouldn't share the same genes. He doesn't deserve them.

How does a team survive having a coach and an owner battling like this?

The players can say they still respect Marvin, but when Marvin comes down on them for something, all they have to do is go crying to Mike Brown.

Brown has set a precedent now that if you get in trouble, he'll bail you out. As soon as he doesn't do it for someone else, a ton of resentment is built up against Henry, the team, and the organization.

Nice job!

Just clickin' here...

I kinda feel for Marvin Lewis in all this mess. I wouldn't say he's a great head coach, but I believe the guy is a stand-up human being. He deserves to work for somebody who is willing to back him up when he takes a stand like he has. Mike Brown's actions simply undermine everything Marvin was trying to accomplish, IMO.

Mike Browns actions seem to have undermined every coach he's had since Sam Wyech (sp)

True enough.

Looks like he can't even put his jersey on the right way.

Just a matter of time til he screws up again. I think it was on Mike & Mike last week where they were talking about the over-under of him getting arrested again before his suspension is lifted.