C'mon Carson, Do It!

Carson Palmer has one last card to play to force Mike Brown's hand. I hope he plays it. For the plan to work to perfection, Palmer needs to hope Andy Dalton looks good in his first couple of starts. If he does, then it's Carson's time to put Brown in a corner. Just imagine if the offense under Dalton is showing progress in Jay Gruden's new system. Dalton was practically hand-picked by Gruden to run his system. Then two games into the growth spurt, here comes Palmer. If Dalton looks good early, Palmer should show up and declare he is back, reporting for duty, ready to hold a clipboard on the sideline while smacking Brown's wallet for close to 700k per game. Would the Bengals really sit Dalton down and insert Palmer, thus stunting the growth of this new offense and new era? Is Palmer really cut out for this offense? We know before wrecking his knee and popping his elbow, Palmer had a very strong and accurate arm. He still flashes that, but it hasn't been there consistently. So the Bengals choices are distasteful: Play Palmer and stunt the growth of a promising Dalton, or have the most overpaid backup quarterback in NFL history. Would Mike Brown really pay Palmer over 600 grand a game to occupy one of the best seats in the house, especially with so many empty seats at PBS that used to be occupied by paying customers? Would Brown do that to prove a point? If he does, then I never want to hear him ask the county for another penny to fix a scoreboard or buy a new leather chair for his office. Mike should do anything and everything to trade Palmer as soon as possible and move on from this idiotic chapter of an idiotic two-decades long novel. Naysayers will point out, "well if Palmer forces Brown's hand, then players will be lined up out the door to get away from the Bengals." I'm not buying that argument during a week that saw the Bengals sign two of their most valuable veterans to extensions. If this team is good enough for Andrew Whitworth and Leon Hall, then it's good enough for a lot of veterans. If someone like Palmer (who should be a leader) wants out, then get him out of here as quickly as possible. You don't win with those guys. If Carson comes back it will be a mess. It's a mess that should have never happened in the first place. Palmer should be on another team, and the Bengals should already be training the draft pick (or picks) they received in return. But since Brown isn't going to fix this mess on his own, maybe Palmer will give him the final shove he needs.

Carson and the Ocho No Show

Like a bird that keeps flying into the same window and knocking itself silly, the Bengals are knocking themselves silly with another season of Chad Ocho Cinco. Those made available by the Bengals at Monday's news conference cannot be held completely accountable on this issue. This, like the Chris Henry decision last year, must be coming from above the head of Marvin Lewis. Forget must, of course it comes from above the head of Marvin Lewis. It comes from Mike Brown. Brown's inability to connect the dots between off-field distractions and on-field success is maddening. But that might be one of the least maddening things about Brown. I digress. As the "voluntary" program begins Chad Ocho Cinco is expected to be thousands of miles away, working out in California with his junior college coach. Apparently Chad has some eligibility left at Santa Monica College. Apparently Chad accomplished all he needed to accomplish in Cincinnati last season. Apparently there is no need to work things out with a franchise quarterback who missed the last 11 games in 2008. Carson didn't appear to be in much of a mood on Monday to talk about the missing wide receiver.

Carson said something very similar last year when Chad missed all of the voluntary programs. Of course nothing happened. Carson doesn't get to call the shots on personnel. I implore Carson, I mean I really, really, really want him to go into Mike Brown's office, pound his fist on that overpriced, underused, taxpayer funded desk, and tell Mike that "the problem" needs to go and go now. Then I want him to tell Mike to take Ocho Cinco with him.