Jerome Simpson: WR's Pot Predicament Further Damages Bengals' Reputation

Much-maligned for much of the past decade for willing drafting, signing and trading for players with documented legal issues, the Cincinnati Bengals took another hit yesterday.

According to Janice Morse and Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Inquirer, authorities detained Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson and offensive lineman Anthony Collins when 2.5 lbs of marijuana were delivered to Simpson's Kentucky home. Neither player was arrested, but six more lbs of pot were found in Simpson's home during a search.

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'The house was set up as a potential distribution network,' Tommy LaNier, head of the National Marijuana Initiative, told CaliforniaWatch. The NMI is funded by the Office of National Drug Policy and helps coordinate marijuana enforcement operations around the United States.

'They had it all set up to receive supplies of high-grade marijuana from Northern California, and from there, it was being distributed from that residence,' LaNier said.

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While a Bengal being in the news for illegal off-the-field activities honestly doesn't come as much of a surprise anymore, it is incredible that the organization continues to employ players with considerable character issues.

Aside from a couple of one-off playoff appearances, this has been a particularly miserable decade for the Bengals. The team has been demonized in the media thanks to the countless legal issues that their players have got into.

Bengals owner Mike Brown believes in giving players second chances, and while that is admirable in one respect, it is also foolish due to the damage it does to his team's reputation. Brown has to realize that his team is the laughingstock of the league, and it isn't just because they lose so often.

If they lost without incident like the Buffalo Bills or Detroit Lions (although this season isn't a good example), the Bengals would just be another team in the league. Generally, publicity is a good thing, but essentially every piece of news involving the Bengals has to do with breaking the law.

I wouldn't suggest that the Bengals should get rid of a promising young receiver like Simpson over this incident, but the franchise has to do a complete 180-degree turn in the way it evaluates and acquires players. I'm not one who would normally disqualify a player completely due to character issues, but the Bengals are so dire that they should start doing so.

The Simpson incident wasn't the only bad news for the Bengals, either, as running back Cedric Benson was suspended for three games for two offseason altercations. Most teams normally don't have to endure even one major legal issue during a season, but the Bengals are currently dealing with two, and it's essentially old hat for them.

If the Bengals are ever going to climb out of this black hole they're currently in, a culture change is desperately needed. Brown doesn't seem likely to relinquish the team in the near future, but a top-to-bottom evaluation is needed and it has to happen immediately.