A peace, at least a temporary one, was struck during minicamp between disgruntled wide receiver Chad Johnson and the Bengals.
With agent Drew Rosenhaus in town for the first day of mandatory camp June 12, he and Johnson met and discussed strategy. What emerged were decisions for Johnson to report to training camp July 27 and to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle. It was done June 18, and the Bengals said in a release that it went well.
Getting Johnson in line with his teammates and coaches can only help the Bengals. Despite some inconsistency, Johnson's presence on the field makes T.J. Houshmandzadeh better. It helps the run game, a renewed emphasis in 2008 with the returns to good health so far of tailbacks Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry and offensive linemen Levi Jones and Willie Anderson.
Still, if Johnson's attitude can stay positive, he will add an energy to the locker room.
"He came out and worked the last two days, and I think it's been good for him to get back into the flow of things," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said.
As each of the five practices were held, Johnson seemed to relax and enjoy himself more, and he did more on the field, in spite of the ankle situation.
He trash-talked a radio reporter on the sideline during the morning practice Friday, June 13. Johnson wanted $20 for every photo the reporter snapped for a blog. Later, in the open locker-room period, Johnson talked off-the-record with Cincinnati-based reporters. He has not spoken on the record to them since October.
He even slapped another reporter on the hip as he walked past.
Johnson did say this: "I was in a good mood yesterday. I'm happy. I don't have (anything) to be mad about."
Many Bengals teammates embraced Johnson's presence and lifted spirit.
"We have to go out and get better and win more football games," said tailback Rudi Johnson, drafted, along with Chad Johnson, in 2001.
Asked if Chad Johnson's unhappiness would detract from the team's effort to win, Rudi Johnson said, "It's not going to distract me. As me being one of the leaders of the team, I can't let it distract us. ... We definitely need him. Marvin and (the team) said what they said. We need him. He is a big part of what we do and the success we've had."
Chad Johnson would face fines of more than $14,000 a day if he would miss training camp. Johnson is due to make a $3 million base salary in 2008.
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