Brown says Palmer is staying, continues to lead Bengals to the toilet
Cincinnati Bengals fans really deserve better than this. Carson Palmer has said that he will never play for the team again, and that he’ll retire if he’s not released or traded. He seems pretty damn serious.
However, team owner/GM Mike Brown has said that he’s not going anywhere. And he reiterated that sentiment yesterday, as he continues to foment the progress of a once-proud franchise.
“I want him back,” said Brown, barely audible through the sand covering his head. “I haven’t talked to any other team about him. I have no plans to trade him.” The team wrecker went on to say that he does “not see equal value” out there on the market.
Fine, fair enough. But what’s the bigger problem here? The problem is Brown himself and how he runs this team. As of a couple of years ago, they had about four scouts. It used to be they had one! This is criminal…how can you run a team like this?
Why do you think Carson wants out in the first place? He’s not stupid. He knows this team isn’t going anywhere and never will as long as things stay the way they are. And changes don’t seem to be in the works.
Look at the team’s history of bringing in player’s with off-the-field problems. I don’t even need to enumerate them here, as we all know the stories. And what about sticking with a coach that hasn’t won a playoff game since he took the job in 2003? That was also Palmer’s rookie year. The Palmer/Lewis marriage has flat-out not worked for whatever reason.
You would think that Palmer’s stated desire to be elsewhere or retire would sound alarms for Brown, but you and I know it won’t. He should really be thinking, “why would this seasoned QB who’s had some decent success in the NFL not want to play for my team anymore? What do I have to change so that that doesn’t happen?” But, you know he’s not, and his latest statements just further enforce that.
Brown: Get what you can for Palmer and address QB in the upcoming draft. Then take a good, hard look at yourself and the job you are doing and see what changes you can make at the top. That is, unless you love 7-9 seasons.
