It is only June, but the Bengals lead the NFL.

[1niksder]

by Jon Saraceno of the USAToday

It is only June, but the Bengals lead the NFL.
In arrests. Unofficially, of course.

Actually, if you don't include Chris "Oh, No" Henry, Cincinnati isn't much of a factor in the police-blotter standings. He has been arrested four times in the last seven months and charged with driving under the influence, drug possession and carrying a concealed weapon. The only other Bengal arrested this month was rookie linebacker A.J. Nicholson (burglary, grand theft and vandalism).

I'm not sure if the Bengals are preparing for training camp next month or auditioning players for Cops. Coach Marvin Lewis certainly changed the culture when he took command. He brought organization, respect and discipline. But it appears he may have not always drafted wisely in an area scrutinized with greater detail than ever: character.

More likely, he took a chance. That would make him no different than every other coach. To be fair, NFL coaches inherit players who already have been passed through the system when it comes to accountability — by schools, courts and, yes, parents and legal guardians. Then they're asked to fix them.

They're lucky if they can merely contain them.

Now if there is one thing coaches covet more than flat-out ability, it is a player with an edgy attitude. Someone who will stick his nose in it.

Guys such as Ricky Manning.

Two months ago, on the day after being arrested and charged with assault by means to likely produce great bodily injury, the defensive back was signed to a $21 million offer sheet by the Chicago Bears. Manning, who is free on $30,000 bail, already was on probation.

The offseason rap sheet (cue Bad Boys theme song) looks longer than the summer solstice, though certainly all players deserve presumption of innocence.

Santonio Holmes hasn't played a down in the NFL, and already the Pittsburgh receiver has racked up two arrests in the last three weeks, including charges of domestic violence and simple assault.

Reuben Droughns, fresh off a not-guilty verdict in a DUI trial, spent a night in jail last month after the Cleveland Browns running back was arrested for allegedly throwing his wife out the door (literally).

Jake Plummer, Denver's quarterback, was cited for kicking the headlight of a pickup, then backing his vehicle into the man's truck.

Cory Rodgers, a Green Bay rookie, was arrested after police say he fired two shots into the air during a scuffle. The rumble began, police said, after he refused to sign autographs or buy drinks for patrons.

These guys don't need minicamps, they need maximum lessons in one school of thought: It is a privilege — not a right — to play perk-filled professional football.

They are blowing it, and the chance for a better life as members of communities that not only look up to them, but worship their presence. (Of course, that is part of the problem.) All they have to do is keep their noses clean and they're set for life, provided they remain injury-free and stay out of the hoosegow.

For every offending player, every thug, there are dozens of law-abiding players who are stand-up citizens. It is a minority who don't get it, though the perception remains that the NFL has a growing problem with hoodlums in helmets. It only takes a few poster boys of ill behavior to give the collective lot a bad rep.

The league does have a conduct policy, but because of the collective bargaining agreement, issues involving discipline aren't always clear-cut. Teams wait for the legal process to be completed. Later, players often issue statements of remorse.

That's what Minnesota's Fred Smoot and Bryant McKinnie did after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance on a watercraft. Smoot was charged with using a sex toy in front of the crew; McKinnie was accused of performing oral sex. They were fined $1,000 each and given community service. The league can further fine them, but no suspensions are forthcoming.

They need a bolder message, one they should have heard years ago, and the kind Mike Giuliani of Simi Valley, Calif., gave his son.

Joe Giuliani is a redshirt freshman linebacker at Utah. He faces a charge of misdemeanor assault for allegedly using a deadly weapon — a golf club — to hit a player from a rival high school during a brawl.

His father wanted to show him he cares. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, he let Joe sit in jail.

For three days.

Think the kid got the message?