Get Well, Carson; Cincinnati Won't Look the Same When You Come Back

FanHouse colleague Ryan Wilson stated that the Bengals are giving up on the season by shutting down quarterback Carson Palmer for the season. I think that is a great idea.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-7 and still have the Steelers, Eagles, Redskins, Ravens, Colts and Jaguars remaining on the schedule. Needless to say, this season looks like it has already been lost. Heck, fans are hoping they go 0-16 just to prove a point to owner Mike Brown.

There is no need for Palmer to try to play at any point this season. Lose the battle and win the war. Get your elbow fixed and ready to roll for the 2009 season. In sports, there is no honor in being stupid. Take the time to research the surgery, get the proper advice and information, and then do what you have to do to be ready for '09.

As for the Bengals organization, you'd be best served to use the rest of this season as a big job audition. Just like the consultants did in Office Space, have everyone re-apply for their job and weed out the weak.
There could/should be a big overhaul in the offseason. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is in the final year of his deal and Chad Johnson will undoubtedly go on another media tour where he tries to get shipped out. There are a lot of role players on this team that need to be sorted out and evaluated.

Let's see what Carson's brother Jordan can do. Give him a chance to show if he's a worthy backup to his big bro down the road. See what you have in Cedric Benson and rookie receivers Andre Caldwell (who is hurt) and Jerome Simpson. Benson could be of value in a weak free agent running back class this winter and the Bengals would be best served to use that motivation to their advantage.

The only issue here is the coaching staff. While it seems that Marvin Lewis is safe, the Bengals may elect to look in a new direction. You would think that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski would be gone no matter what. Really, only defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer looks like a keeper. Because of a possible overhaul with the coaching staff, who knows what the approach will be regarding the personnel of this team?

We do know that Carson Palmer is a huge part of the future of this organization and his health is of the utmost importance.