Friday, July 21, 2000
Bengals-Pickens divorce final
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Carl Pickens got his wish Thursday. He is a former Bengal.
The club, the NFL Players Association and the league reached a universal agreement that allowed the Bengals to cut Pickens and keep free-agent designations that help them retain top players.
The union wanted the league to strip Cincinnati of the franchise player tag for three seasons. Instead, the Bengals lost use of the tag for only next year and kept the less restrictive transitional designation.
The club received confirmation of the agreement Thursday from union executive director Gene Upshaw.
“We released him,” Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said. “We're prepared to move on and put some of these things behind us. He'll move on and do better, and hopefully, so will we.”
Pickens is now a free agent. His agent, Hadley Engelhard, did not return calls Thursday.
The release ends an eight-year relationship be tween the receiver and the organization that was characterized by as many lows as highs.
The beginning of the end came Dec.29 when Pickens criticized team president Mike Brown's decision to bring back coach Bruce Coslet for the 2000 season.
After missing training camp in 1999, the receiver signed a five-year, $23 million contract. His release saves the Bengals $3 million against the salary cap.
Pickens was a starter in the Pro Bowl after the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He had 99 receptions in 1995, 17 for touchdowns, and 100 catches the next year. He had a team-record 530 career passes for 6,887 yards.
The Bengals anticipated Pickens' release several months ago and didn't invite him to minicamp in April.
At the time, his teammates said Pickens was frustrated by eight losing seasons. The Bengals are 40-88 since 1992.
Brown never questioned Pickens' talent.
“Carl didn't want to be here. Our people didn't honestly want him here,” Brown said Thursday night from Bengals camp at Georgetown College in Kentucky. “Carl was an outstanding player for us. That speaks for itself. I wish him well.”
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