When we first heard the rumor (and it turns out, that's all it was) that the Bengals were shopping TJ Houshmandzadeh, it seemed strange. But with the way the Bengals conduct their business, not totally out of the range of possibility. Here's the history.
Tuesday, on its web site, the Dayton Daily News reported that the Bengals and the 49ers were in discussions about a deal that would send TJ out west. The trading deadline in the NFL is next Tuesday. So the timing made some sense. Here's what didn't: Houshmandzadeh is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Why would a team, particularly the 49ers who are a long shot to make the playoffs, deal for a player that has a good chance of leaving in free agency next winter? Turns out, several sources and web sites were shooting down the alleged interest on the part of the 49ers by the middle of last evening. Today, at his regularly scheduled news conference, Marvin Lewis torpedoed the story as well.
The Bengals spent two high draft picks on wide receivers last spring. Neither Jerome Simpson nor Andre Caldwell have played much at all this season. They might soon, with this season spiraling out of control. But until and if they show they can play at this level, any thoughts of trading or letting Houshmandzadeh go are simply nuts.
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