Bengals opt for Chad running mate in third
4/23/2005 - 10:00 p.m.
BY GEOFF HOBSON

With the draft’s two top centers gone, the Bengals opted for a potential running mate for Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson when they selected fleet West Virginia wide receiver Chris Henry Saturday night in the third round with a pick they think can make quarterback Carson Palmer’s deep ball even more dangerous.

The first day of the draft and not always the first round has been a fertile ground for Cincinnati’s best receivers, including Johnson himself in 2001, and two Pro Bow receivers of the previous two decades with Carl Pickens in 1992 and Cris Collinsworth in 1981. All went in the second round. The pick could have an impact on first-round receiver Peter Warrick after he played just four games last season because of injuries and is looking at a big $2.2 million price tag in the final season of his deal.

Some reports say Henry is a raw player who came out a year early and may need time to adjust to the pros.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis objected to such characterizations, noting he scored 25 touchdowns in 22 games.

"If he accomplished that much being raw, then we're glad he's raw," Lewis said.

The 6-4, 203-pound Henry has the size and speed that can translate into a game-breaker, and the Bengals are excited about what he can do opposite another burner like Johnson. He averaged nearly 25 yards per catch (yes, 24.5) for the Mountaineers in 2003 and caught 12 touchdowns last season, and receivers coach Hue Jackson is sold on his 4.4-speed that is timed with a 37-inch vertical leap.

The Bengals have invested a lot of research in Henry and look to be satisfied with some questions surrounding him. Henry didn’t play football in 2002 as a Prop 48 student, got thrown out of a game last season because of two unsportsmanlike penalties, and got benched for a half in the next game when he left the field giving the finger to the crowd at Rutgers, according to various reports.

The bulk of his problems seemed to stem from on-field emotional outburts and coaches and teammates in Morgantown, at times, questioned him. But Jackson spent an entire day with him Cincinnati when the Bengals brought him in for a visit, and the Bengals researched the various incidents before coming away convinced he won't be a problem.

"When I'm playing, I really get into the game, but I've learned from my mistakes," said Henry, who visited a comedy club with Jackson, Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh during his trip.

"I'm satisfied," Jackson said.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper says: “If he proves to be coachable and totally focused on the job at hand, there is no questioning the fact that Henry has awesome skills necessary to get the job done in a big way at the pro level.