Bengal House Cleaning!!
The jokes about the Bengals are endless. They already wear orange, like an orange jumpsuit, etc.....
Now the stripes are cleaning house, getting rid of unruly players. Chris Henry---gone. Part of that “9 strikes and you’re out” program.
Now after 2 years of NFL suspension, Odell Thurman---gone. He left the team to take care of family business back in Georgia, where his grandmother recently passed away. But it’s no secret Thurman’s been in Marvin Lewis’ dog house since he got to Cincinnati. I guess I’m wondering if the Bengals did all they could do here to make this work.
Given, Thurman’s been in trouble more than once. For a team in need of an image overhaul, cutting ties with poor character guys is crucial. Also, Thurman did not make an unusually high salary. Wasn’t making a big hit on the salary cap---the all-important bottom line in Cincinnati.
But let me play bad cop here… Who do the Bengals have at linebacker? I’m waiting....
Thurman led the stripes in tackles as a rookie two years ago. Remember that team? That was the year the Bengals actually had a defense good enough to make a playoff run. And if not for a shattered Carson Palmer knee, who knows what would’ve happened.
Cincy’s in a real pickle at linebacker, even if Thurman were coming to training camp. Dhani Jones is their best left, and it seems the Bengals have been content to move safeties like Chinedum Ndukwe up to OLB spots. Cincy did draft a linebacker (Keith Rivers--USC) in the 1st round this year, and he’d better be ready from day one. That means no holdout!
Did Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis do the right thing here? Yep… but it still comes down to winning games. And not getting arrested.
