Cynics like us love to joke about Mike The Redeemer acquiring either (a) Terrell Owens, (b) Tank Johnson, or (c) Pacman Jones. One of those options might be nearing reality. From Bengals.com:

"The Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys defensive tackle Tank Johnson visited the Bengals Thursday, indicating that Cincinnati is still looking at the free-agent market. ...

Zimmer said he made it clear that Johnson would have to fit into what the club envisions on defense.

'We've got good guys on defense. They do what we tell them," Zimmer said. 'I told him that's what we want and that is what is going to be asked of him. We had a good talk. He said all the right things.' ..."

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/update-bengals-meet-tank/91661393-cf63-48ca-b333-f81087a17129

Beef up the security in the nightclubs :-p

Refresh my memory, didn't this guy stink in Dallas last year?

BMN

Yeah. He's a malcontent AND a has-been.

Perfect fit.

Ehhh...I wouldn't make to much of this. It's not like they're looking to plug him in as a starter. I see him as league minimum player for back-up/rotation/training camp fodder purposes. If something more comes of it, great.

I gotta be honest with you...for the league minimum I think this would be a good move. The Bengals need a player to add to the DT rotation. Going to camp with Peko, Sims, Shirley, Harris and Johnson would be a nice scenario in my books.

With Raji a bigger risk at #6 I'd sooner see them improve the DT position by adding some options and move towards OT or MLB in the first round of the draft.

At this point if Zimmer sees some use for him I'm cool with the move.

Later,
BFITO

Worthy of note here. Did anyone notice that Geoff Hobson only reported this AFTER the Dallas newspapers and the Cincinnati Enquirer did? This visit was in Cincinnati was it not? Was Geoffy not sitting on MikeyBoy's lap when this occurred? Toss me that thar vomit bag.

"Refresh my memory, didn't this guy stink in Dallas last year?"


Weapons charges, drunken fests, womanizing, whatever--Tank is a perfect fit for the 'Nati. Sign 'em up, Mikehole. Let the comedy begin.





"So he got fired? Big deal. It's happened to the best of us. So he got kicked out of his house by his 400 lb'ed wife?!?!? That's probably better for him anyways."-OldSchooler on ChrisMBHater's absence

"Refresh my memory, didn't this guy stink in Dallas last year?"

The guy was a 300 lb. DT playing nose tackle for the first time. And, he was a backup with limited playing time, so yeah his numbers were not great.

But in the Bengals system as a pass rushing DT I think he could be better than he las looked for the last couple of years, so for the league minimum not a bad move.

I don;t see it happening though, Brown-hole is too cheap.

"We do do, and we do it at a very, very high level," Lewis said.

I don't doubt that Tank is an over-rated malcontent. But a Dallas reject is still probably a step up in talent compared to what the Bungs started last year.

Sheople keep forgetting that the Bungs played a weak offensive division. Some of that "average" defensive play was an aberation.

And we still saw average offensive team after average offensive team run the ball down the Bungs' thoats when it came crunch time.

If Tank is an average NFL player, the Bungs need him.

It has been confirmed, Tank Johnson is a Bengal.

If he's better suited to the Bengals' scheme, then great. Maybe I'll be wrong on the has-been thing.

Happily so, in fact.

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/tank-rolls-in-/5ea9dd76-3858-40e1-ade4-37d3865250b1

From a talent standpoit, great.

From a character standpoint, I think this guy was busted with an arsenal of illegal guns yes?

The guy is only 27 though. I don't know the terms of the contract, but we know he signed cheap (or brown-hole wouldn't have signed him) hopefully for 2 or 3 years and he will stay out of trouble.

"We do do, and we do it at a very, very high level," Lewis said.

Let the national media eat this up. The redeemer bags another project, wow the lockeroom is gonna be like a group home. If this were April 1st I wouldn't believe it, too funny.

"The redeemer bags another project, wow the lockeroom is gonna be like a group home."


Wow--imagine what's going on in the lockerroom this next season.

Chad: "Yo Tank--who you shootin' this weekend?"

Tank: "You--if you're not careful--OH DAMN--my 9's in my other baggy pair of jeans. Good thing for you---yo Joseph--pass it on the LEFT HAND SIDE!!!!!!!"

Joseph: Cough *COUGH* COUGH "Sorry man!!!! Can't wait until Henry gets here with that 16-year old 'ho' he's been seeing lately. Yo Benson--wanna go 'shopping'?????"

Benson: "Sure. Warrick's coming too, for ole time's sake."



LMMFAO.





"So he got fired? Big deal. It's happened to the best of us. So he got kicked out of his house by his 400 lb'ed wife?!?!? That's probably better for him anyways."-OldSchooler on ChrisMBHater's absence

Confirmed: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4050400


Notice Johnson's lack of productivity since becoming a Cowboy. Just a ridiculous signing. Here's another example of a player that NOBODY ELSE WANTED. Hello Loser. Welcome to Loserville. You'll fit right in, fellow malcontent.





"So he got fired? Big deal. It's happened to the best of us. So he got kicked out of his house by his 400 lb'ed wife?!?!? That's probably better for him anyways."-OldSchooler on ChrisMBHater's absence

Well, he hasnt been arrested in 2 years - LOL

In his defense, in Dallas, they tried to put him at nose tackle - he is better suited to be a 4-3 DT, which is what he was at Chicago.

I will give him a chance.

Besides, would I rather have him than THORNTON? You guys know that answer...

"The American Cancer Society says uninsured patients are 60 percent more likely to die within five years of their diagnosis."

I guess anything is better than Thornton, hell I like the move now. Are there any criminal-type Centers on the market?

Tank you vedy much, Mike Brown, for bringing some talent to Cincinnati.



EDIT: More Dunn-style humor...

A meeting occurs among Bungals defensive tackles prior to the opening game of the season. Domato Peko and Jason Shirley offer some sage advice to Tank Johnson.

Domato: Remember, Tank, you can't pull a gun on the center during the game.

Jason: You know it, man.

Tank: Surely you dudes can't be serious.

Domato: Yes I am. And please don't call me Shirley.

Jason: That's right. I'm Shirley.

One observation though--you are much better at it than Dunn was. I actually laughed at yours.





"So he got fired? Big deal. It's happened to the best of us. So he got kicked out of his house by his 400 lb'ed wife?!?!? That's probably better for him anyways."-OldSchooler on ChrisMBHater's absence

Again, I think people are making too much of this. He's being brought in to compete with Orien Harris and Jason Shirley for the back-up DT positions.

So he has some guns. Whatever. If he doesn't work out there's nothing really lost.

As for what the media and rival fans say...who cares.

Later,
BFITO

...this guy has a proven track record of 1) getting in trouble with the law and 2) stinking. Which is why Chicago dumped him in the 1st place. Only Mike Brown would continue to do the same crap over and over again like this.

There is no hope in Cincy until Mike Brown kicks the bucket. I don't care if this guy end up with 15 sacks. He's a character problem. Paul Brown is once again turning over in his grave, felt all the way to Italy....

SWAMP

"He's a character problem."


Among all the other "character problems" that the Bungles are already dealing with. Which is why Tank was booted out of Chitown--which is why Tank was booted clear out of Jerry Jones' (no less--with other character types himself) Dallas Cowboy Camp.

No doubt only one person made this signing happen. Michael F. Satan Brown himself. Satan Mikey. The guy behind the curtain making the big green bulging head guy on the big screen with the smoke all around work.





"So he got fired? Big deal. It's happened to the best of us. So he got kicked out of his house by his 400 lb'ed wife?!?!? That's probably better for him anyways."-OldSchooler on ChrisMBHater's absence

As jaded as I am, I still can't fully comprehend the Tank Johnson signing. If I had a crystal ball in 2007, I would have died laughing knowing this was coming. To briefly revisit the public mood from those days, check out this old post from the Chicago-based satirical sports site The Heckler:

Tank Johnson to wear commemorative Bengals jersey in Super Bowl
Defensive tackle will honor his unruly Cincy comrades
Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007

http://www.theheckler.com/news/templates/?z=3&a=607

Excerpt:

Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson will wear a commemorative Cincinnati Bengals jersey in Super Bowl XLI as a show of support to the team and its numerous fellow law-breakers.

The nine Bengals players who were arrested in the recent months are not only rooting for Johnson's Bears to defeat the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, but are championing the degree of Johnson's legal problems.

There is even a Photoshopped picture with Tank wearing the Bengals stripes. Too funny.

Here is something else to consider...

The following are/were the top DT free agents in the NFL this year. Look at the list, they either had "character" issues or were not a 4-3 defensive tackle.

1. Albert Haynesworth - probably the best tackle available at the time, dont forget about his stomping issue and previous DV arrest. Character guy?

2. Rocky Bernard - hey look, another idiot who beats his wife (DV arrest)

3. Igor Olshansky - 3-4 DT - not a good fit

4. Tank Johnson - gun possessions 2 years ago, every other issue was dropped and never saw the light of the courthosue day. Good 4-3 tackle. He played well in Chicago as a 4-3 DT.

5. Shaun Cody - great in college but in the NFL he blows, but he is healthy. Never made an impact in the NFL.

6. Mike Wright - 3-4 tackle. Patriot guy (I guess thats a bonus, right?)

7. Ron Fields - no impact as a player either. Has never shown talent or burst since getting into the NFL. Bronco bench warmer.


When you look at it in that perspective, I would take Johnson over everyone besides Haynesworth and Haynesworth is too expensive.