None of us really considered the likeliness of the Bengals going after Brandon Marshall. After all, the Bengals weren't expected to give up the holy grail of a first round draft pick. The argument for Marshall is striking. The Bengals need another good receiver opposite of Chad Ochocinco, who could eventually replace Chad as the team's best receiver. Then again, one could argue that Marshall would outperform Chad now. But that's neither here nor there.
The question you have to ask yourself is this: what person could the Bengals draft that would outperform what Marshall could do on the field? Not that it matters. The question was hypothetical because no one believed that the Bengals would even entertain the notion.
Then Adam Schefter tweets Sunday night, that the "Bengals have contemplated pursuing Marshall. How serious the Bengals will be still is a matter of discussion within the organization."
Hey, that's a start.
UPDATE. Joe Reedy says it's just a smoke screen to drive up the price with Seattle. I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure how forcing the Seahawks, owned by one of the richest owners in football, to pay more for Marshall would directly affect the Bengals. If this were a smoke screen, we could see it as a way to put pressure on Bryant and Owens, who may not have as many suitors lined up and would pressure their respective agents to get something done sooner rather than later.
UPDATE II. Or a smoke screen from Denver throwing Cincinnati's name out there. Now I get it.