In a stunning but not surprising move, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has reversed course, and he now admits that the Redskins made a specific contract offer for receiver Chad Johnson.

“Once I actually read what was reported, I have to be truthful and say that the story is accurate,” Lewis said on Tuesday afternoon, according to ESPN.  “Unfortunately, I didn’t read it until after our press conference.”

So why wasn’t he truthful in the first place?  Because he didn’t know that there was a published report that an offer was made?

We think that Lewis also opted to lie about the offer (a first-rounder in 2008 and a third-rounder that can upgrade to a first-rounder in 2009) because he is concerned that the magnitude of the package that the Redskins put on the table will prompt a storm of pressure from the fans and the media to do the deal.  The Bengals, who can no longer use the “loyalty clause” to force players to not say mean things about the team, can now merely force a player against his will to play for the Bengals or no one after he decides to pop off publicly.

We also suspect that Lewis received a nod of approval from owner Mike Brown to acknowledge that the offer was indeed made, because we think that Brown is so determined to not trade Johnson that he wants people to realize what the Bengals have rejected in order to keep him. 

But this approach will only prompt more criticism and frustration from the fans who have grown tired of Chad Johnson’s routine.  The organization might be ready to go to the mattresses over this, to the detriment of the franchise’s prospects for the coming campaign and beyond, but the fans aren’t. 

The offseason is all about selling hope.  The notion that the Bengals have turned down a chance to pick up real value for Johnson and remove that dark cloud now hovering over the Queen City will likely cause many a Cincy fan to abandon hope, only days before the one event in the non-football months that typically produces the most of it.