The Cincinnati Bengals have a storied history at the wide receiver position. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is one of the franchise's icons at the position and is still very much involved in the game as an outspoken NFL personality.
Housh knows what it takes to be great. he knows what exceptional talent looks like. Unfortunately, his mentoring of 2024 third-round pick Jermaine Burton didn't hit home enough, and Burton was waived last season.
But when it comes to another mercurial, albeit way more talented and less problematic receiver elsewhere in the NFL, Houshmandzadeh's recent rant about Marvin Harrison Jr. got me thinking.
You know where this is headed. And it's a better idea than it might sound like on paper, especially with Andrei Iosivas hitting injured reserve due to thumb surgery.
Houshmandzadeh nails why Marvin Jr. is not for long in the desert of Arizona
On his Speakeasy sports talk show, T.J. Houshmandzadeh referred to how Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Jeremiyah Love are all higher in the pecking order of the Arizona Cardinals' offense than Marvin Harrison Jr. That's led to effort issues from the former Ohio State star, and declining production that doesn't correspond to the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"The routes half-speed...he's not trying. He feels like, 'I'm not getting the ball anyway.' [...] He has to understand this is making him look bad. [...] My advice to Marvin Harrison Jr. would be this: Go all out. Show everybody that this s*** really matters to you, that you can create separation. [...] Right now, what many see is that you're playing yourself right out of the league. Go out and take it."
Let's be fair: The Cardinals organization and the Bidwil family ownership combine to make Arizona one of the absolute worst-run operations in all of professional sports. They're a complete and utter joke, only further underscored by the world-class NFC West division they shared with the Rams, 49ers, and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Having any degree of success in Arizona is not easy, especially when the culture is what it is.
So you see what I'm trying to do here. Not that the Bengals are some bastion of excellence football ops-wise, but they are changing their ways. They aggressively upgraded the defense this offseason, and their trading the 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence is already paying off in a huge way.
Albert Breer's informed speculation points to a potential Harrison deadline trade
Marvin Harrison Jr. could indeed be a trade candidate at the midseason deadline on Tuesday, November 10. That'd be right after the Bengals play in Madrid against the lowly-looking Atlanta Falcons.
Here's what SI.com insider Albert Breer had to say in his latest league-wide report regarding a possible Harrison trade:
"I do think Marvin Harrison Jr. probably needs a change of scenery. With Michael Wilson, drafted a year before Harrison, now on a big second contract, it’ll be interesting to see if Arizona is open to moving Harrison when we get closer to the trade deadline."
What better change of scenery would there be than Cincinnati? He'd be beloved and instantly embraced by Ohio State fans. He'd join a winning environment with Joe Burrow as his quarterback, and two ideal veteran mentors in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Could Maserati Marv ask for a much better scenario to get his career back on track? I say no!
Why would the Bengals actually do this? The better question: Why not?
Remember the Super Bowl LVI season? The Bengals had their typical Chase-Higgins combo, but Ja'Marr was only a rookie and Tee was in Year 2. Point was, they were young and cheap and now they're even better.
Tyler Boyd was the clear WR3 in that group and helped bring along both Chase and Higgins, not to mention Burrow, as the passing attack was borderline unstoppable.
Now just think of an elite talent like Marvin Harrison Jr. entering the mix. Yes, the Bengals have been pleasantly surprised by training camp breakout Dohnte Meyers. Yes, Colbie Young is showing more promise than expected as a rookie fourth-round pick.
But Meyers' spot isn't guaranteed beyond this season. Young is still a wild card. Iosivas is due to hit free agency this offseason.
Point being, trading for Harrison would give the Bengals a cost-effective playmaker for half of this year and next if a deadline trade were executed. Harrison probably wouldn't get his fifth-year option picked up, and as a WR3, Cincinnati could sign him to a decent-but-not-prohibitive second contract, or turn around and flip him in another trade to sell high on him.
Look, I'm not saying this will absolutely happen. But hey, the last time the Bengals made a bold trade for a player involving a draft pick, it worked out pretty well. Who's to say this wouldn't be another home run?
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