Tank Johnson: Dishonorably Discharged

Posted by Don M. Dumas on 07.05.2007

The Bears seemed to be doing the right thing when they left Tank on the side of the battlefield. Some consider him a common thug who deserved what he got. Don M. Dumas of 411mania isn't so sure.

Tank Johnson was released by the Chicago Bears a week ago, and it seemed for good reason. Now, it seems, the Bears jumped the gun.

The former second round pick out of Washington in 2004 was cut because he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Arizona on June 22.

Johnson's BAC was .072, .008 under the legal limit. Unless some special circumstances arise, it appears Johnson will not be charged with DUI.

The Chicago Bears, apparently fed up with Johnson's repeated scrapes with the law, released the DT for what GM Jerry Angelo called an "embarrassment" to the organization.

Johnson served a brief, two-month county jail sentence in Chicago beginning in March. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge, a violation of his probation on a previous weapons charge, and was dealt an 8-game suspension by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Johnson's suspension included a stipulation that he could return after six games, barring any further altercations with law enforcement. It is still unclear whether or not this latest incident will prompt Goodell to further suspend Johnson, but it is quite clear that the Bears considered it the last straw.

Tank was pulled over in Arizona for driving 15 mph over the speed limit. His vehicle was traveling 40 mph in a 25 zone, attracting the attention of the police. A minor traffic violation was blown a bit out of proportion, and it will cost Tank, and the Chicago Bears, dearly.

Releasing Johnson before the facts of the case were known was where the Bears made a huge mistake. After standing by their DT's side throughout his jail sentence and subsequent suspension, the organization abandoned Johnson before he could defend himself.

Despite making the Super Bowl last season, the Bears organization is having an offseason that can only be described as tumultuous.

Early in the offseason, the Bears lost Ron Rivera, their prized defensive coordinator, who took a job coaching linebackers for the San Diego Chargers.

Then, their All-Pro linebacker Lance Briggs made it known that he did not want to play another down for the team. The Bears upset Briggs by placing the franchise tag on him, making it impossible for him to test the free agent market.

The tag guarantees Briggs the average salary of the top-5 highest paid linebackers, $7.2 million, which is more than their stud middle linebacker Brian Urlacher will make in 2007.
Then, defensive end Alex Brown asked to be traded. Brown, the former Florida standout, had 7 sacks and two interceptions in 2006. So far, Brown remains on Chicago's roster with three years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2004, but the fact that he's looking to go elsewhere has raised some eyebrows.

DT's Ian Scott and Alfonso Boone did, however, declare themselves free agents, leaving gaping holes in what last year was arguably considered the best front four in football.

With Pro Bowl DT Tommie Harris coming off an injury in which he tore his hamstring from the bone, the Bears are suddenly weak up front.

So far, reports of Harris' recovery have been positive, but releasing Tank Johnson now seems ill-timed and unwarranted.

With the NFL trying to clean up it's image, it is understandable that the Chicago Bears would want to distance themselves from players with off-field issues. Tank Johnson, however, should not have been dealt with so harshly.

Tank's original problems with the law stem from weapons charges. Although his right to bear arms is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment in the Bill of Rights, he failed to register his firearms with the State of Illinois.

Tank's attorney, Thomas Briscoe, argued that the guns were registered to Tank in his home state of Arizona. It seems the only thing Tank was really guilty of was not filling out the proper paperwork to have his weapons registered in both states.

Although guns detest me, I do not think Johnson should have been dealt with so harshly by the NFL, or the Chicago Bears, because of that incident. After all, he does have a legal right to own weapons.

Compounding the issue, of course, is Johnson's most recent arrest. After the story broke that he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, nobody questioned the Bears course of action. But, because the organization acted before the due process of law, the Bears have now put themselves in a tough position.

The Chicago Bears are heading into the 2007 season defending the NFC crown, and they have just set themselves back considerably. The first six (or eight) games were going to be tough enough without their 300-pound DT up front, but now they have severely crippled themselves for the second half of the season.

It is no secret that the Bears win games with their defense. With Adewale Ogunleye (6.5 sack in'06) and Mark Anderson (12 sacks in '06) at defensive end, the Bears still have a good defensive line. But with Tank Johnson not there taking up blockers, those two face the threat of double teams. If Tommie Harris' injury does prove to be an issue, then the Bears are in serious trouble.

With all things considered, the Bears should not have cut Johnson without his recent case being heard. Although some have compared Johnson with the likes of Titans cornerback Pacman Jones and Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, he is not cut from the same mold.

Johnson's off-field issues appear minor in comparison to Jones' and Henry's. Tank does not frequent strip clubs where he batters women and threatens to shoot the place up, and he has not given underage females alcohol.

A minor traffic incident does not warrant the termination of one's job. Johnson already paid his debt to society by serving his two-month jail sentence, and was poised and humbled when he accepted the NFL's punishment of an eight game suspension.

The Bears cannot expect anything positive to come out of their releasing of Johnson. If they were trying to send a message about player conduct to the rest of their team, they failed. The remaining players on the Bears' roster must be walking on eggshells; not knowing whether or not they will be cut for failure to wear a seatbelt or spitting on the sidewalk.

As mentioned above, the Bears will surely miss Tank Johnson on the field. With their free agent acquisition of DT Anthony Adams, the Bears might have a replacement for Tank. However, Adams was acquired in March, which leaves one wondering whether or not the Bears were just looking for any excuse to cut Johnson.

To cut Tank Johnson before all the facts were released about his most recent brush with the law was nothing short of cowardice. With Goodell cracking down so hard, the Bears thought the easiest thing to do was to wash their hands with Johnson, rather than offer him they support they were so eager to offer when they were making their playoff run last season.

The good news for Tank Johnson is: he is too good not get picked up by another team. His troubles with the law are minor when compared with other players in the league, but he might want to consider holing himself up for the remainder of the offseason.

With training camp fast approaching, I'm sure some team will offer Johnson a contract. He might have to play for the league minimum, but at least he'll have a shot at redemption.