Oh, the Bengals....

So, only 7 days away from draft day now. Anyone else getting really excited? Well, in recent weeks there has been a lot of focus on the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver position. The majority of said focus has been on Chad Johnson.
We have come to know Chad over the years because of his ability to get the ball in the end zone, as well as his ability to entertain us when he does. This all came to a head with the rulings about taunting a few years back. Personally, I think this is all hogwash. I say the players should be able to celebrate when they do something good. Sure, it can be taken too far sometimes, but who's to say when that is? The NFL brass made a good call, but they could be a little more lenient when it comes to end zone dances.
Anywho, back to Chad. This week, he demanded that the Bengals trade him. Head coach Marvin Lewis has stated multiple times during the offseason that Johnson will remain a Bengal. So, now the question is: what do the Bengals do with their disgruntled superstar? A few days ago I touched on this, and I think that their best option would be to trade him. But, this brings up a problem. If they trade Johnson, they will still be responsible for over $8 million of his salary. So if this is the case, Johnson will likely remain in the orange and black.
Here is my suggestion (again): Marvin, you have to weigh the pros and cons here. Sure, your team will have to pay Johnson his money either way, but wouldn't you rather get that distraction out of the locker room? This whole situation has covered up the fact that Johnson's receiving partner T.J. Houshmanzadeh is also upset with the team. Housh has done nothing but good things for this club. Year in and year out he is near the top of the league in receptions, and he does it without the charisma and problems that are brought by Chad Johnson. The Bengals need to realize that if they keep this stalemate happening, they could lose both their top wide outs.
The Bengals need to unload Johnson, and I'm sure there are many teams out there interested. Their best bet (as was noted in my mock draft) would be to trade him to the Cowboys for one of their two first round selections. This would help get rid of the distraction, as well as enable them to add another peice to their struggling defence.
Another option could be dangling him in front of the Tennessee Titans. The Titans hold the 24th pick in the first round, and could use a top receiver such as Johnson. The Bengals could unload their distraction, and likely could draft one of the top receivers in the draft. If Deshean Jackson is still around, this becomes an easier decision. Jackson is similar to Johnson, with good size and good speed, but there are character concerns around Jackson as well.
Whatever they choose, they had better get it done soon. They need to go into draft day looking for help on defence. They hold the number nine pick, and are targeting Sederick Ellis from USC. This would be a great pick for an organization who has been terrible in the draft room for the better part of 20 years (outside the pick of Carson Palmer). Oh, the Bengals....