Stereotypical PFT - T.J. wants out of Cincy

[Stripes]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

HOUSHMANDZADEH WANTS OUT OF CINCY

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reported earlier this week that Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh recently hired agent Kennard McGuire. As Schefter astutely suggested, one of the primary objectives is to get Houshmandzadeh a raise.

The bigger objective, as we hear it, is to get him out of Cincinnati.

The reasons are unclear. Maybe he doesn't want to play second fiddle to Chad Johnson. Maybe he fears that Chris Henry will eventually develop to the point where T.J. becomes expendable.

Or maybe Houshmandzadeh is sick of the presence of so many turds on the team, and of the lame excuses routinely offered up by coach Marvin Lewis for signing and drafting guys who obviously are of questionable character.

Houshmandzadeh's prior agent, David Dunn, is currently under suspension and unavailable to help him finagle a trade.

[HoosierCat]

TJ wants out? Well, not saying it's true, but would it really be all that surprising?

Housh has been out in front on the character issue; clearly something about it concerns him.

The prospect of him getting a raise here is pretty dim, especially with all of Lewis' talk about needing to spend more on D.

There's a lot of young receivers behind him: Tab, Henry, Brazell, McNeal. And the Bengals seem set on getting a receiving back to replace Chris Perry.

No, if he were looking to move on, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Green 66]

i wonder what his value would be in a draft day trade. I just have had a feeling all season and offseason that there would be a trade coming this offseason to allow us to go on a run this coming season. Just food for thought, or maybe the radiation is seaping through my foil helmet

Mike Green

Waynesville Ohio

[HoosierCat]

i wonder what his value would be in a draft day trade. I just have had a feeling all season and offseason that there would be a trade coming this offseason to allow us to go on a run this coming season. Just food for thought, or maybe the radiation is seaping through my foil helmet.

I think they could get a third from someone. But that said, I don't want to see it happen. TJ is just too clutch and after him and chad we have nothing but question marks.

[bwillycuse]

i wonder what his value would be in a draft day trade. I just have had a feeling all season and offseason that there would be a trade coming this offseason to allow us to go on a run this coming season. Just food for thought, or maybe the radiation is seaping through my foil helmet

Mike Green

Waynesville Ohio

I dont think its true.

You would have to be pretty stupid to be a WR and want to leave this team. Yeah go ahead and find another team that provides the opportunities a team with Cason palmer as its quarterback can offer. This team is a WRs dream com etrue. It would almost be a guarantee TJ's numbers would go down on any other team. He is not a number 1 and he knows it. This report is a joke, and if it isnt then the people telling TJ to look around are a joke. I love what TJ does for this team. he is the type of player this team needs. BUt no more money is going to get spent on offense. He just signed a contract. Bengals dont need to do anything if challenged. And probably wont. IMO

[NYBengalfan]

Fuk PFT TJ aint going nowhere!!!!!!!!

How can you even believe any of these fukkin tools.

Tomorrows headline on PFT will be Corey Dillon is close to signing with Cincy!!

These guys are absolute morons

PERIOD!!!

[WhoDeyForever]

No way do we trade T.J., He is one of our key players on this entire team. Losing him would take a big hit. He is better than Chad in some things I think. His toughness is something I have never seen before. I mean come on, playing with 3 broken bones during the last stretch of the season isnt tough? Don't trade him, not even for a first round pick.

[Stripes]

PFT and their "sources" took no information other than T.J.'s hiring new agent and molded it into this garbage.

[HoosierCat]

You would have to be pretty stupid to be a WR and want to leave this team.

Why? Because Palmer is the nazz? Well, there are a number of good QBs around the league. And let's face it: a lot of those great catches by TJ -- and for that matter by Chad and Henry -- have been circus grabs of barely-catachable throws. That was more pronounced last season, but was true in '05 as well. In short, while Palmer is indeed a heck of a QB, his receivers have contributed a lot to that perception.

What's TJ's future here? Put yourself in his shoes. Chad is No. 1, is going to be No. 1, and isn't going anywhere even if he turns mass-murderer because of the cap hit. Henry is on your tail, and even if he self-destructs Tab Perry is right behind him. Then there's McNeal and Brazell and maybe a receiving TE and probably a receiving RB.

Meanwhile, you're turning 30 in September. You're stuck here for two more years...and the team is switching its financial focus to the D. Heck, they just let Steiney walk, you think they're going to fork over big bucks for a 32-year-old wideout in 09?

Right now there is a ton of money and not a lot of talent out there. If TJ can force a trade or finagle his release he could cash in big. No, if he really is interested in leaving, it would be neither surprising nor stupid.

[Kazkal]

You would have to be pretty stupid to be a WR and want to leave this team. Yeah go ahead and find another team

Not if money is more importent and he wants to get 30-40 million dollar contract from a team willing pay it....I could see TJ getting us more then a 2nd he does have best hands in the nfl and if branch can get a 1st.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

They do quote a "source," so I don't think it's just "something they made up for kicks."

I've also not heard TJ refuting it yet (something you think he'd do if it were not true). Maybe that will come, who knows.

They also noted Steinbach already has a deal on the table from another team in the $7 mil per year range.

At least other teams take their interior o-line positions seriously.

Mike Brown is notorious for only wanting to pay Qb's, Rb's, WR's and Tackles top money.

Sure there's only so much to go around, but if you have a difference maker at other positions, you do what you can to hold onto them.

Letting Steinbach go is akin to letting Sam Shade and others go in my book, because they don't play one of the above positions.

This is a failed philosophy (based on the Bengals' obvious troubles for so long) that still hasn't changed apparently.

Why waste a top 2 pick on a guy, if you have no intention of keeping him beyond his initial contract? (unles he's a T, WR, RB or QB)

I would think top lineman are harder to come by and provide more stability than WR's and Rb's, who are a dime a dozen these days. Your skill players aren't nearly as effective minus protection, same with your franchise QB, and you can get replacement Rb's in the draft (see Indy and others).

The lack of quality depth, starters and experience on the o-line now is a weakeness. You just know Levi and/or Willie will get hurt at some point, and Whitworth will end up switching to tackle again - then who plays LG?

I hope they are right about Guy-chick and possibly even Wilkerson being the real deal. But, I just don't see it at this point.

[Kazkal]

7million a year to get your QB's leg injured? that teams getting a deal!

[Stripes]

I thought other teams couldn't negotiate with Steinbach until FA begins?

[HoosierCat]

I thought other teams couldn't negotiate with Steinbach until FA begins?

The league doesn't actually pay attention to its tampering rules.

[BigBenBlows]

Look at what chasing money got Eddgerin James. A big pay check and s**tty O line to run behind. I don't believe TJ is going anywhere.

[HoosierCat]

TJ says he's staying:

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5901

[Stripes]

TJ says he's staying:

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5901

'Atta boy, T.J. Put the PFT turds in their place.

But Houshmandzadeh denied all those theories while confirming that he did hire McGuire because David Dunn is serving a NFL Players Association suspension that ends in the spring of 2008.

“No one talked to me about it. I don’t know where it came from,” Houshmandzadeh said. “They just want to say because I fired David Dunn there must be a reason. But I felt like I needed someone who is out there and working for me because you don’t know what is going to happen in two years.”

[Kazkal]

Though not gonna happen wonder if falcons would switch 1sts + throw in 2nd for TJ They need a WR who can catch and plus they have hue....with that being said I want TJ stay bengal having the best hands in the nfl comes in handy.

[BTG]

i wonder what his value would be in a draft day trade. I just have had a feeling all season and offseason that there would be a trade coming this offseason to allow us to go on a run this coming season. Just food for thought, or maybe the radiation is seaping through my foil helmet.

I think they could get a third from someone. But that said, I don't want to see it happen. TJ is just too clutch and after him and chad we have nothing but question marks.

Just a third for a receiver with three straight 900-plus yard seasons? Are you out of your mind? Do you realize he caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns last year and he's only 28 years old? You don’t give that up for a third round pick. Hell, Deion Branch was traded for a first rounder last year. Just for fun, let's compare his last three seasons in New England to TJ's last three seasons in Cincy.

TJ:

2004: 73 978 4 TD

2005: 78 956 7 TD

2006: 90 1081 9 TD

Branch

2003: 57 803 3 TD

2004: 35 454 4 TD

2005: 78 998 5 TD

Again, Branch was traded for a first round pick. The worst the Bengals should get if they even considered trading him (which they shouldn't) would be a high second rounder.

FYI: If I were Minnesota, I would dangle the 7th overall along with a second round pick in front of the Bengals noses for TJ and the 18th overall. They just might go for that.

[Kazkal]

T.J. SAYS HE WANTS TO STAY IN CINCY

In direct response to our report that he wants to get out of Cincinnati, Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh denies that his decision to fire agent David Dunn and hire Kennard McGuire was driven by a desire to change teams.

"No one talked to me about it. I don't know where it came from,” Houshmandzadeh said. "They just want to say because I fired David Dunn there must be a reason. But I felt like I needed someone who is out there and working for me because you don't know what is going to happen in two years."

Our response to T.J.'s response? Baloney. It's not as it Dunn was just fired last week; he agreed to an 18-month suspension before the start of the 2006 season. This isn't about Dunn.

So we stand by our report. And we thank Housh for not calling us a bunch of punk-ass white boys.

[BTG]

That's some hard hitting journalism right there. For all of you Communications/Journalism majors, Pro Football Talk just used a technique known throughout the media as "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

And of course, by "media," I mean elementary school students.

[HoosierCat]

Just a third for a receiver with three straight 900-plus yard seasons? Are you out of your mind? Do you realize he caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns last year and he's only 28 years old?

Uh...no. TJ turns 30 in September. Branch turns 28 in July. I'm not knocking TJ's performance over the last three years, but I don't see any team coughing up a first or second for a 30-year-old No. 2 wideout.

[B24]

T.J. SAYS HE WANTS TO STAY IN CINCY

In direct response to our report that he wants to get out of Cincinnati, Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh denies that his decision to fire agent David Dunn and hire Kennard McGuire was driven by a desire to change teams.

"No one talked to me about it. I don't know where it came from,” Houshmandzadeh said. "They just want to say because I fired David Dunn there must be a reason. But I felt like I needed someone who is out there and working for me because you don't know what is going to happen in two years."

Our response to T.J.'s response? Baloney. It's not as it Dunn was just fired last week; he agreed to an 18-month suspension before the start of the 2006 season. This isn't about Dunn.

So we stand by our report. And we thank Housh for not calling us a bunch of punk-ass white boys.

It's got to be TJ that's lying. PFT and it's "sources" can't possibly be wrong or making stuff up.

[BTG]

Just a third for a receiver with three straight 900-plus yard seasons? Are you out of your mind? Do you realize he caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns last year and he's only 28 years old?

Uh...no. TJ turns 30 in September.

Oh yea, it's 2007. lol

Oops.

Still, his production can't be ignored.

[Stripes]

I want to know how a site as worthless as PFT became big enough for this story to actually reach the ears of T.J. himself.