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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > August > 19 > Entry
It’s official: Bengals sign Henry
TROUBLED STAR RETURNS
IN WAKE OF WR INJURIES;
CB JERRID GAINES WAIVED
===LUDWIG AT LARGE invites loyal readers to check out previous statements by Mike Brown, Marvin Lewis and Troy Blackburn at the bottom of this blog entry.===
Turns out the Chris Henry story had legs after all.
Despite denial after denial after denial from Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, head coach Marvin Lewis and club vice president Troy Blackburn, the Bengals signed suspended free agent wide receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday, Aug. 19, four and a half months after they released him.
Adding Henry to the roster cost Jerrid Gaines his job.
Gaines, a non-drafted rookie from Miami University and Springfield (Ohio) South High School, was waived. He had been signed as a free agent on Aug. 5.
Henry, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound fourth-year veteran from West Virginia, rejoins the Bengals after being released by Cincinnati on April 3. He played in 35 games with 11 starts for Cincinnati over the 2005-07 seasons, with 88 receptions for 1,370 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Henry will be on a four-week NFL suspension to open the 2008 regular season, due to violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
Starting today, Henry is eligible to practice, attend meetings and join whatever team preseason activities are assigned to him by the coaching staff.
He is eligible to play in the final two preseason games — Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Saints at 7:35 p.m. and the preseason finale at Indianapolis on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.
Henry’s suspension will begin on Monday, Sept. 1, the start of the practice week for Cincinnati’s Sept. 7 regular season opener at Baltimore.
During the suspension, he will be held out of practices as well as Games 1-4. He may resume full activities on Mon., Sept. 29, the start of the practice week for Game 5 at Dallas on Oct. 5, a 4:15 p.m. start.
A player with a history of off-field problems, Henry — who was arrested five times in a three-year span — was released by the Bengals this spring after being charged with assault following an incident in Cincinnati.
But charges against Henry were dropped after a trial resulted in a hung jury, with six of eight jurors voting to acquit him. Henry has no further matters pending in the courts.
The NFL placed Henry on indefinite suspension following the assault charge, but the suspension was subsequently revised to four games.
PREVIOUS QUOTES
MIKE BROWN ON APRIL 3, 2008
“Chris Henry has forfeited his opportunity to pursue a career with the Bengals. His conduct can no longer be tolerated.
“The Bengals tried for an extended period of time to support Chris and his potentially bright career. We had hoped to guide him toward an appropriate standard of personal responsibility that this community would support and that would allow him to play in the NFL. We acknowledge those fans who had concerns about Chris; at the same time we tried to help a young man.
“But those efforts end today, as we move on with what is best for our team.”
MARVIN LEWIS ON JULY 22, 2008
“I’m not interested in bringing him back. I don’t think (it would be) productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there’s responsibilities to being an NFL player. It’s a privilege. It’s not a right. There’s a lot that comes with being an NFL football player.”
MARVIN LEWIS ON AUGUST 13, 2008
“Don’t put any stock in NFL.com. I don’t think (the Henry story) has legs because of anything. We need to get T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) back and healthy, and keep working with the other guys.”
TROY BLACKBURN ON AUGUST 13, 2008
“It’s not going to happen anytime soon, if at all.”
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By Derrick
August 19, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Of course, signing Henry is contraversial. However, I contend that it is necessary because I think Chad will be timid and not make the plays he would normally have attempted especially with his tendancy to fall down in all different directions at once. TJ is a tweak away from IR and all the other receivers combined might make one descent WR.By Pete
August 19, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
Gee Derrick, the pre-season waiver wire’s gonna heat up w/in the next week or so w/ a ton of WRs being released, cut, etc. Don’t you or the Bungals think that they could’ve gotten someone else, ANYONE ELSE, OTHER than the piece of garbage that is CH? This organization continues to be a freakin’ joke! I’m done w/ them & I hope many other fans become ex-fans of this ship of fools!By David V.
August 19, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Well…I just became a Colts’ fan. Does Dish Network get NFL Sunday ticket? I’d rather see Simpson, Caldwell (I know he’s hurt), Holt, Maxwell and Chapman than Henry. At least they appreciate opportunity they have.By David V.
August 19, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
Well…I just became a Colts’ fan. Does Dish Network get NFL Sunday ticket? I’d rather see Simpson, Caldwell (I know he’s hurt), Holt, Maxwell and Chapman than Henry. At least they appreciate the opportunity they have.By Roho Radio
August 19, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
The panic button has been pushed. TJ must be in bad shape. How many receivers did we take in the draft…..3 or 4? I have no problem with the signing. What I have a problem with is the lack of confidence in the draft picks. To me, another sign that this team is unsure of what it’s doing from the top down. I’ve got a bad feeling about this season. Will we still be interested by November?By Brian
August 19, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
Monday Night Football darling Cleveland doesn’t have a secondary; Pittsburgh is having player professionalism issues, not to mention Henry gives the Steelers fits; and Baltimore is OLD. If the Bengals are ever going to win, even in spite of themselves, this is the year. That’s why they re-signed Chris Henry. Well THAT and Mike Brown has a thing for bad boys, but to each his own I guess.By Pete
August 19, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
& just to make my point…. Joe Horn was just cut by the Falcons. Older receiver? Yep. All over ESPN & TV? Yep. But could certainly outplay the clown in CH. & oh by the way, Brian…..this isn’t the year, nor is next, or the next. As long as Mike Brown is in charge of this team, it’s NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! GO COLTS!By Paul T
August 19, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this
As a player on the Reds so well stated a fact years ago, “if his lips are moving, he’s lying”. The 3 monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, also comes to mind.By ezed
August 19, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
Resigning Henry is the strongest signal that Marvin should go.He is relying on players that are BUMS.He has no system to rely on.Look @ the difference between Lewis & Coughlin.Its the Coach w/charactor CharactorBy Norman
August 19, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
I will take Chris Henry over Marvin Harrison and hope for the best. Hey Colts Fans…What’s going on with Marvin Harrison? Shouldn’t he be in jail for murder? It makes Chris Henry look like…a trouble maker. Brown fans have plenty of law breakers beging with Jamal Lewis.By islebfrank
August 19, 2008 3:16 PM | Link to this
This isn’t just about what Chris Henry “deserves.” This is also about the Bengals trying to put a competitive product on the field, and they’ve decided that the rewards of re-signing Henry out weigh the risks. Due to the injuries to Chad Johnson and Andre Caldwell the Bengals needs have changed, and as a result Chris Henry is getting another chance. I’m curious what the fan reaction would be if Dallas had signed Henry, and Henry, TO, Packrat, and “armed like a” Tank, all played a major role in spanking the Bengals in week 5, then continue to stay out of trouble the rest of the season as Dallas goes to the Super Bowl. As fans, we get burned by the business side of football all the time. In this case, the Bengals think it is good business to re-sign the 25 YEAR OLD Henry, who knows the system (unlike the 36 YEAR OLD Horn who doesn’t) and who the Bengals have a lot invested in, both financially and emotionally. Go Bengals! Go Pete! \ Go David V.! your latest bandwagon awaits you! See you in week 14, for better or for worse…just like the last 41 years I’ve been a Bengals fan!By kevster
August 19, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
After 17 years of bumbling and embarassment, and countless giving of “benefit of the doubt”—this is the straw that broke the camels back. I’m through. MB will rue the day he signed this “America’s most Wanted” wanna-be. Think about it folks—31 other teams passed on this thug. 31 other teams “get it.” The Bengals don’t “get it” and never will. I hope the entire organization sinks to the bottom of the Ohio River where they belong. MB and the Bengals have made a mockery of themselves, the fans, and other players who play the game the right way. Go Jaguars.By confused
August 19, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
Which way do you want it Bengals fans? For years you cried about Mike Brown not doing enough to have a winning team. Now, he signs the best FA wide reciever available for a bargin basement price for the sole reason of getting a winning team. Pick a side and stick with it people.By confused
August 19, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
Re: Kevster 31 other teams get it? like the Cowboys who pick up pacman. Like the Browns pick up Jamal Lewis. Like the Ravens whose star LB is a murderer. If Chris Henry would have had these problems on another team and the Bengals gave him a chance everyone would be praising this move. Henry is no better or worse the Josh Hamilton was, now look at him he is america’s darling. The Bengals don’t want to turn out like the Rays, Henry has one more chance, just like Hamilton. I’d rather it be a gamble for the Bengals then for another NFL team.By Greg
August 19, 2008 4:33 PM | Link to this
After all the denials, we can now say that Marvin Lewis and Mr. Brown’s credibility has hit rock botton. How can we ever believe another word from either of them.This is clearly an act of desparation- one which no other NFL team was willing to make. That speaks volumes. Instead of uniting a team and organization, this move negates any conduct policy that the Bengals had implemented. How can Lewis and the front office look at any of the players and say “you will be held accountable for bad behavior?” Yet, the Bengals just sent out a notice to all season ticket holders stating that they, too, will be held accountable for bad behavior. Talk about hypocritical?I leave you with one last thought: If Bengal management does not have the fortitude to properly run the organization, how can they be expected to know how to win in the NFL? I believe that after Marvin Lewis’ contract was extended, he soon after lost his intensity to succeed. Bill Parcells said, “your are what your record says you are.” Marvin’s in over his head. The Bengals will be 8-8 at best this season.