| One of the more intriguing subplots to this
offseason that has failed to play itself out so far is the Corey Dillon situation. Believed
by many — including myself — to be the premier free agent on the
market, Dillon has yet to sign a new contract. This running back is a can’t-miss
player. He will not become a bust once he gets his hands on the millions of dollars he has
coming his way. He simply has too much talent for it not to translate into continued gaudy
rushing statistics.
Dillon does not have the luxury of being able to name his own future, however. The
Bengals have the right to match any contract that Dillon receives, and from what
we’ve been hearing, there haven’t been many offers made. In this offseason of
salary-cap-strapped teams, it’s hard to come up with the cap room to offer a player a
deal worth between $7 million and $8 million per season.
But I figured some team out there would have formally done so by now. The Browns? The
Dolphins? The Chiefs?
None has done so to date. And with each passing day, it looks less likely that a new
address is in the cards for Dillon.
So what is Dillon waiting for? He knows that the Bengals want him back. He knows that
he will get plenty of cash, whether it comes from the Mike Brown family that runs the
Bengals, or whether it comes from some other multimillionaire NFL owner. So, just what is
holding this thing up?
Rather than just negotiating with the Bengals about money, Dillon is asking for a
glimpse at the plan the Cincinnati braintrust has devised in order to turn around this
losing franchise. Dillon wants to see proof that the Bengals are close to winning. He
wants to know that the team is committed to doing whatever is necessary to win.
Nothing wrong with that, I say, especially considering the track record of this club
over the last decade.
But the one thing that this running back should know is that the biggest thing the
Bengals can do to show that they want to win is to re-sign Dillon. In essence, Dillon
himself has to allow the Bengals to show that they are serious about success. He is the
one who has to sign the contract.
Yeah, the team can parade all the free agents it wants through its practice facility,
and have upbeat press conferences with enthusiastic head coach Dick LeBeau. That’s a
big dog-and-pony show. Let’s face it, not many of those guys are going to sign with
this franchise. Look at some of the players the team has brought in: Ted Washington, Elvis
Grbac, Gus Frerotte, Dana Stubblefield, among a bunch of others.
Who are the guys the Bengals have landed thus far in free-agency? DT Tony Williams, QB
Jon Kitna and PK Richie Cunningham. Those aren’t exactly the type of signings that
scream "Super Bowl bound."
But at least the Bengals are trying, which is more than you can say about this team in
the past. Unless the Bengals are pulling off some unbelievable hoax, it appears as if this
team is doing whatever it can do to turn things around.
That said, it is now time for Dillon to take action. If he wants to win, then he has to
sign. He says he wants to play for a winner. If he signs with Cincinnati, the Bengals will
(oh my God, am I really saying this?) become a winner. |
