Are we ready to go to Warrick?

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports the following:

"Wide receiver Peter Warrick, the fourth player selected in the 2000 draft, was apprised Tuesday morning by the Cincinnati Bengals that he will be released later in the day as the club reduces its roster to the mandatory 65-player limit.

"On Monday, when he returned to practice for the first time in a week, Warrick made a public request that, if the Bengals were going to jettison him, they do so in this first round of cuts, rather than wait until the weekend, when rosters must be pared to 53 players, the NFL regular-season limit.

"It did not take long for Warrick to generate interest. ESPN.com confirmed that Warrick was already en route Tuesday evening to Seattle to visit with Seahawks coaches and team officials. He will also likely make visits in coming days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. Among the other teams that have indicated varying degrees of interest, but have not arranged visits, are Green Bay, New England and Indianapolis."

My Take? It's nothing we haven't heard before. He'll take his physical, I'm confident that Ruskell give him a fair offer and not overpay, and he will visit several other teams.

I say we've got a 30% chance.

But why should we be excited to enlist someone else's disappointment? Probably because the guy obviously wants to play. He thinks he has something to offer another team. He's getting over a disappointing season, marred by injury.

In any case, I think he would be a good fit into Holmies version of the WCO. He's not fast, but quick, and runs after the ball well.

Here's another good report on Warrick, from the offseason, taken from footballguys.com:

5. CIN - WR Warrick On Track To Play
Clipped from: Cincinnati Post article by Kevin Goheen, 5/12/05
There was no limp in Peter Warrick's walk as he meandered through the locker room at Paul Brown Stadium Wednesday. His goal now is to run without trouble when it counts.

Warrick has been away from the Bengals' voluntary offseason conditioning program the past few weeks, rehabbing in Florida from leg injuries that cost him 12 games in 2004. After a breakout season in 2003 in which the wide receiver set career highs in receptions, yardage and touchdowns, last season was a bitter disappointment that dampened Warrick's usually jovial attitude.

The Bengals will have the first four of 14 voluntary on-field coaching sessions beginning Tuesday and Warrick will be there, although not fully. He wants to be 100 percent healthy come the first practice of training camp on July 29 and overdoing workouts now won't help achieve that goal.

"I'm going to take my time and be smart about the situation," said Warrick.

Warrick has one season remaining on the contract he signed after the Bengals selected him with the fourth overall choice in the 2000 NFL draft. He's due a base salary of $2.6 million this season. Those economical facts combined with the Bengals drafting receivers Chris Henry and Tab Perry in the third and sixth rounds, respectively, of this year's draft have led to the speculation that Warrick's days in
Cincinnati could be numbered.

Should Warrick be released at any time before the start of the season, the Bengals would gain $2.6 million - the amount of his base salary - in salary cap space. The team won't release him simply to gain that accounting relief, however. A healthy Peter Warrick teamed with quarterback Carson Palmer, running back Rudi Johnson and receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh would give the Bengals one of the NFL's most potent offenses.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
Warrick has had a generally disappointing career, having never lived up to his draft position (selected #4 overall in 2000). Before he was injured in the second game last season, however, he showed fine quickness, hands, and run-after-the-catch ability during the 2003 season. Warrick will probably never be the featured WR on an NFL team, but he has the skills to be very effective in a complimentary role operating out of the slot. If he can recover from last year's injury, the trio of Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Peter Warrick would present a terrific set of targets for QB Carson Palmer. If Warrick is not completely recovered by the start of the season, the Bengals are hoping that rookie third-round pick Chris Henry can fill the void.

Sounds like he's worth a shot to me!

BUT HE CAN'T USE #80. HEAR THAT, RUSKELL?