Washington has the chance to step up for the Bengals

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, June 12, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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Recently, Cincinnati Bengals No. 3 receiver Chris Henry has experienced a great deal of legal trouble. On June 4, he was taken in by police for the third time in six months. He's been caught with marijuana on one occasion, then possession of a handgun. His latest offense was a DUI.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis went so far as to say Henry "embarrassed" the organization. Frankly, Lewis is right.

The Bengals have completely turned their on-field performance around since Lewis arrived prior to the 2003 season, as they've compiled a solid 27-21 regular season record, including an 11-5 finish last season and a division title. It was the Bengals' first playoff appearance since the 1990 season.

Prior to that, the franchise was referred to as "The Bungles" because of the inability to play anything that resembled decent football.

Well, that era seems to be over, and Lewis isn't going to tolerate having his or the organization's name smeared because of a player who seems to care little about the law. Because Henry's been such a detriment to the team thus far, there's a good chance he could face a release or demotion before the 2006 season begins.

If Henry isn't the slot wideout for the Bengals in the upcoming year, the role will likely be turned to three-year veteran Kelley Washington, who has been a valuable player in the past for Cincinnati. Washington was the No. 3 receiver heading into last season, but only appeared in seven games due to injury. As a result, he caught a career-low 10 passes.

In the two years prior to last, Washington was a solid target for quarterbacks Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer. He appeared in 32 straight games, catching 53 passes for 677 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers may not seem like anything special, but he was stuck behind one of the NFL's best receiving tandems in three-time Pro Bowler Chad Johnson and veteran stalwart T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

At 6-3 and 216 pounds, Washington--a former Tennessee Volunteers' star--has great size for a wideout. With his supreme talent combined with that size, he has the ability to be a special target for the Bengals. Palmer would certainly love to have an extra receiver to take the pressure off him, especially since he's in the process of recovering from a brutal knee injury in last January's AFC Divisional Playoff Round.

Washington, an ex-third-round pick, will be out to prove his worth in '06. Even if Henry makes the team and fights for the slot receiver position, Washington will likely be given every chance to take the spot, since Lewis and the offensive coaching staff don't seem too thrilled with Henry. Meanwhile, Washington has been a model citizen and has earned the right to be a dependable member of the Bengals' prolific offense.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

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