CINCINNATI -- It's likely that at this very moment, Cincinnati Bengals fans who have been glued all week to their phones, tablets and laptops for free-agency updates are wondering the same thing.
Could Michael Johnson be on his way back?
As of late Wednesday afternoon, that certainly appears to be a possibility.
Johnson, the former Bengals third-round draft pick who signed a five-year, $43.8 million contract with Tampa Bay last offseason, was released by the Buccaneers on Wednesday. Suddenly, the once-prized defensive end who has seen better seasons than the one he spent in pewter and red, was back on the market.
It wasn't a surprising move. Given the enormity of the cap space Johnson's contract commanded, and the lackluster performance he had in an injury-plagued year, Tampa Bay was looking for an opportunity to part ways. The writing hit the wall Tuesday night when reports surfaced indicating that former Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan would be visiting Tampa Bay. The search for Johnson's replacement was already underway.
So, could a Bengals reunion take place?
According to a source, Johnson is fielding offers from multiple teams. The Bengals are expected to be one of them, but the Vikings could be another. Johnson's first five seasons were spent playing under the Bengals' then-defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer. The former assistant is now Minnesota's head coach.
A reunion remains a possibility in part because the seeds for one were planted in January. Johnson's agent told Lance McAlister of Cincinnati's ESPN 1530 AM at the time that he felt Johnson and the Bengals missed each other.
"That's probably a regret that I have," John Thornton, a former Bengal himself, told McAlister. "We probably, both sides, should have worked harder to get that deal done."
Last offseason the Bengals were reportedly trying to commit about $7 million to Johnson, then an unrestricted free agent who was fielding better offers elsewhere. Both the Bengals and Johnson wanted to figure out a way to keep him in Cincinnati, but the numbers just weren't quite lining up.
This offseason, the numbers still could be off after the Bengals committed a chunk of money to free agents signed earlier this week.
When you factor in the $7.14 million linebacker Rey Maualuga just received for 2015, the $1.95 million Mike Nugent is taking home, the $1.85 million that's going to A.J. Hawk and the anticipated $5 million and $1 million that Clint Boling and Eric Winston are garnering, respectively, then you see the Bengals already have committed about $17 million this year toward the cap.
Yes, the Bengals entered free agency with nearly $40 million in overall cap space, but because of other cap-covered expenditures (like paying restricted free agents, and putting aside money for injury protections and the practice squad), they entered March expecting to have about $18 million to spend. That's why it's simply not possible for them to sign both Johnson and another pass rush talent like defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who was at Paul Brown Stadium on Wednesday for a visit.
It could be hard to ink Johnson with that anticipated remaining cap space, but there's some wiggle room that could get carved out. A cut could also free up space. Johnson's contract could be structured in a way that suits the team's cap, too.
Regardless, expect Cincinnati to keep going after a defensive lineman this free agency period.
Could it be Johnson? Time soon will tell.