After spending yesterday hanging back against the wall awkwardly sipping punch, T.J. Houshmandzadeh will reportedly choose a girl to dance with today. The offers, allegedly:
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the Bengals are offering a deal that exceeds the five-year, $35 million contract ($11 million guaranteed) the Giants gave wide receiver Plaxico Burress last September and the five-year, $33 million extension Pittsburgh gave Hines Ward. The Seahawks and Vikings are thought to be both offering three-year contracts, with Seattle coming in about $2 million higher than the Vikings.
To help T.J. decide, I've used painstaking research to assemble a short list of selling points for each team.
Selling points for the Vikings: Great defense, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, a competitive team with a legitimate shot at the NFC North title.
Selling points for the Seahawks: An offense that should suit T.J. well, proximity to home, a chance to be competitive, slightly more money than the Vikings.
Selling points for the Bengals: Carson Palmer, his amigo (Señor Ocho Cinco), and of course the guarantee that T.J. could start an underground marmot-fighting ring and still be denied a podium finish for Craziest Bengal.
Update: Houshmandzadeh cares less about marmot-fighting than he does Seaplane rides.