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Posted by Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson

Chad Johnson says he won't miss a game. Coach Marvin Lewis said he probably would. Regardless who's right, the one sure thing is if Johnson's shoulder injury lingers and costs him significant time, Cincinnati's promising offense will be in a world of trouble.

With the exception of Carson Palmer, Johnson is far and away the offense's most important player. Johnson's contributions far exceed his numbers, although he still racked up over 1,300 yards last season and has gone over 1,200 receiving yards in each of the last five seasons.

Johnson threatens a defense like few others. He is an elite deep threat with fantastic speed and an uncanny ability to explode out of his cuts, especially on deep posts and other vertical routes. He also has rare body control and can contort to keep his feet in bounds or snag a pass over the head of a defensive back. His posture changes very little from route to route, which makes getting a bead on his intentions very difficult for a defensive back. Johnson isn't just a deep threat though. If corners give him a huge cushion, he is patient enough to rack up catch after catch on out routes or other short to intermediate routes. His hands are superb and while he isn't very physical, he is capable of producing after the catch. His durability and work ethic often go unappreciated.

What Johnson does best though is make room for his teammates. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is reliable and had 1,143 yards and 12 TDs last season. Palmer looks to him to move the chains and to score touchdowns near the goal line. However, Houshmandzadeh isn't an explosive player nor one who can threaten a defense on all levels. He is precise, tough and sure-handed, but his speed is very ordinary and defenses clearly prefer to put a safety over the top of Johnson's side of the field rather than Houshmandzadeh's. He's exactly what a No. 2 wide receiver should be, but he needs Johnson to be as successful as he's been in the past.

If the Bengals sign Chris Henry, it adds another weapon and one Palmer is familiar with, but the rest of the wideouts on the roster are unproven and although rookies Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell could quickly develop into contributors, their maturation would be far smoother with Johnson on the field alongside them. Ben Utecht should provide Palmer with a reliable safety valve tight end over the middle of the field -- a dimension this passing game has lacked -- but he isn't a dynamic pass catcher like Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez or San Diego's Antonio Gates, players who can thrive with a defense keying on him. Utecht is a complementary player and needs Johnson in the fold as much as anyone.

Johnson's absence would also affect a run game that was dismal last year. It's hard to have faith in Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson had some success last season, but he's more of a secondary option than a workhorse running back. If healthy, Chris Perry could spark this running game, but even with a line that could be better this season, it will be tougher without Johnson. Safeties could creep up in the box knowing they don't have to defend deep against the Bengals' receivers and making it harder and harder for these backs to find room to run.

Finally, the impact on Palmer can't be ignored. Palmer is one of the game's best QBs, but he can sometimes try to do too much. It's no coincidence that last year when the running game struggled, he ended up with a career-high 20 INTs. Without Johnson, he just wouldn't have the weapons he's used to having and it's easy to see Palmer forcing the ball into tight windows with negative results. His interception total could rise while his completion percentage drops.

Bottom line is Johnson is the player defensive coordinators fear and whose presence has a profound affect on his teammates. The Bengals offense can be lethal this year ... but only with Johnson in the mix.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.