If Chad Johnson is traded, salary-cap hit would be $4.865 million

by Josh Kirkendall on Feb 20, 2009 2:40 PM EST

We suspected last year that the biggest reason Mike Brown and the Bengals wouldn't trade Chad Johnson was the $8-plus million cap hit. It was a justified point. However, we thought the advantages of trading Johnson outweighed the disadvantages of absorbing the salary-cap hit.

Now that Drew Rosenhaus manipulated the market by proclaiming three of his wide receivers, Anquan Boldin, Plaxico Burress and Chad Johnson are available via trade, that number had to be adjusted in case the unbelieveable became the believeable.

In his "Inside the AFC North", Walker points out that the Bengals salary-cap hit would be $4.865 million if the Bengals worked out a trade, which Walker rightly concludes that "they should take the hit, get the draft pick(s), and start over by playing younger receivers." Best Bengals-related analysis he's had yet at ESPN.

Again, Johnson's worth, and the picks that we could get in return, isn't likely to be what he was offered by the Redskins. However, I'm big on the theory that the Bengals need to start over in many aspects -- if not calling this season a "rebuilding year". That's a very unpopular term. However, we're not certain that Lewis' recent performance will allow for a rebuilding year without the ejection button finally being pressed on the hot seat.

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Let him GO!

Agreed…when the cap hit was $8.03M last year, there was no legitimate chance (especially after Mikey spurned Danny Boy’s offer) that Chad was going anywhere. $4.865M, though? Certainly more doable, since they are so far under the cap to begin with. That’s 3.96% of the 2009 salary cap of $123M. I’d call that a simple 4% investment in the stability of my locker room, the sanity of my coaching staff, and just include that amount when considering the ROI on the picks/players that I get in return. I’ll bet they come out ahead, if they deal with the right club. Sure would like to have Oakland’s #7 pick for him…wouldn’t you? When was the last time a team had two consecutive picks in the top 10?

by TheWalrus1971 on Feb 20, 2009 3:34 PM EST reply actions

unfortunately

I think Chad’s attitude last offseason, coupled with his lack of numbers in the ‘08 season, makes a late teens/early twenties first rounder. Chargers at 16? Bears at 18? Philly at 21? Minnesota at 22? Miami at 25? The last one, due to his roots there, might be an ideal fit for Chad. Miami’s 25 plus maybe a 3rd or 4th? Then again, Parcells hated Jerry Jones forcing TO on him in Dallas. He might not be interested in a prima donna.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Feb 20, 2009 5:54 PM EST up reply actions

Well, yeah...

…his trade value notwithstanding…I actually think he has a great chance of playing well for whatever team he would land with, which will inevitably lead to lots of news stories about how [X] team got Chad Ocho Johnson Cinco JingleheimerSchmidt for a song, and look at how stupid the Bungles are, they just gave him away, etc. etc. Think “Randy Moss for a 4th-rounder, Part Deux.”

He needs to go out there and boost his trade value by racing a cheetah or something…I dunno…just thinking out loud. :-)

by TheWalrus1971 on Feb 21, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions