Late Wednesday, the flamboyant wide receiver had three tattoos implanted on his face. On his right cheekbone are two crosses. Ochocinco then had a miniature map of the state of Florida, his home state, inked into his left cheekbone.
On the bridge of his nose, Ochocinco now has the letters OC, presumably to tout his name, which was legally changed in a Florida court in 2008.
The wide receiver declined comment, saying he would speak with the media in the Bengals locker room on Thursday.
But on his Twitter feed Thursday, Ochocinco said they were fake.
“The entire twitt (sp) world and media outlets got punked, that was my twitt joke from yesterday, they follow I’ll have fun with it,” he wrote.
“My grandma would kill me if I had damn facial tatts!!! Fun while it lasted, back to normal, I felt different to,” he said.
Boy, that was a good one, Chad – you really had us there. Outside of the Cincinnati TV station that reported this story, nobody cares. This isn’t news and the only reason why I’m posting something on it is so that I do my part to criticize the antics of Chad Ochocinco Johnson Phillip McGillacutty Wilson 8-Ball Perez (or whatever he’s calling himself these days). This is a man so desperate for attention that it’s beyond the point of sad.
Word of advice, Chad: Cut the crap and just play ball. Show up, work hard and go home. Nobody cares anymore about what you do or say because your act is tired and old. Punk that…
The Bengals got a surprise Tuesday when they confirmed wide receiver Chad Ochocinco showed up at Paul Brown Stadium before a voluntary workout and took a physical.
There was no word if he would practice, which would be his first voluntary workout with the club since 2007. He indicated Monday he wouldn’t show until next weekend’s mandatory minicamp.
It was in stark contrast to last year’s return to a media circus during the minicamp after an offseason he ripped the club and demanded a trade in hopes of securing a new contract. No media access had been scheduled Tuesday and there won’t be until Thursday.
Chances are, Ochocinco reported just to make sure he was there early for when HBO tapes the Bengals for their next installment of “Hard Knocks.” Lord knows Chad doesn’t want to miss any opportunities being in front of the camera.
Lewis acknowledged after Tuesday’s practice that he talked to Ochocinco a few days ago, a rarity in an offseason Ochocinco has been ducking calls from the 513 area code.
“The biggest thing I told Chad just the other day is with a lot of the new things we’re doing he’s going to have to play catch up,” Lewis said. “He’s excited about that and is working hard. Chad learns football very quickly and he’ll be able to get his feet on the ground. What he found last year when you’re working with a team and you’re doing football, there’s a lot more stress on it. When he gets here I will judge how much football I’ll allow him to do until he proves he’s in the shape our players are in.”
The Ocho didn’t report until mandatories last year, which he limped through because he needed arthroscopic ankle surgery. Then after missing the first week of training camp, he missed the last two weeks of the preseason with a separated shoulder.
Asked if The Ocho is going to be his starting receiver in two weeks, Lewis said, “I’ll see him when I see him.”
It’s about time Ochocinco earns a starting spot. It’s been a long time since he’s had to work for a starting gig and this is the perfect offseason for Lewis to drum up some much-needed competition in Bengals camp. Ironically, the person likely to give Ochocinco his biggest competition is Chris Henry, who has apparently been outstanding so far in workouts.
If Ochocinco shows up to camp and outperforms Henry, then he deserves the starting gig. But if Henry beats him, then Ochocinco should accept his role (whatever it may be) and stop being a distraction.
Chad OchoCinco is really on a mission. He has truly dedicated himself this offseason. He will be tougher then ever to cover this year.
Dedicated himself to what? It certainly hasn’t been his team that he’s dedicated himself to as he continues to skip Bengals’ OTA sessions.
Rosenhaus’ comments come on the heels of former Bengal and current Chief Eric Giaciuc telling Kansas City’s official website that there were certain personalities in Cincinnati that caused a distraction for the rest of the team. He didn’t mention Ochocinco by name, but he didn’t have to either.
Rosenhaus has to paint a rosy picture for his client, but the fact remains that nobody knows what Ochocinco is up to these days because he won’t report to any of the Bengals’ camps. If he were truly “on a mission” and “dedicating himself” this offseason, then why wouldn’t he do so while working out with his teammates? There are several athletes that choose to workout away from the team, but usually the team knows where they’re at and what they’re doing. By the looks of things, the Bengals have no idea when Ochocinco is going to show up.
According to Fanhouse.com, the Cowboys are actively shopping linebacker Greg Ellis, who is in the last year of his contract.
Ellis, 34, has been a productive player throughout his entire career, but the Cowboys want to see more of former first round pick Anthony Spencer. Apparently Dallas is so inclined to move Ellis that they sent him home on the final day of OTA’s this week so that he wouldn’t get hurt. Of course, they did this last year with him too, but head coach Wade Phillips claimed that the reason was because they didn’t want to wear him down.
Besides creating more reps for Spencer and trying to get something for him before he becomes a free agent, another possible reason the Cowboys want to trade Ellis is because rumor has it he’s not a good locker room guy. He’s been called selfish in the past and this might be another attempt (a la releasing Terrell Owens) by Jerry Jones to spare the Cowboys of those kinds of players.
The Bengals and Patriots have been brought up in trade discussions, although New England has already stated that they have no interest. Cincinnati doesn’t make much sense considering they don’t play a 3-4, but there must be a reason why Dallas is targeting them as a potential trade suitor.
If you’ve never seen Al Davis rap, you’re going to want to check out the latest ‘toon by the guys at Bang! Cartoon because it might be their best to date. Aside from handing Al the mic, Bang! also checks in with the Bengals as they prepare for HBO’s latest edition of “Hard Knocks” and have an update on Brett Favre and “Retirement III.”
My colleague (and inspiration according to him) John Paulsen did a great job of highlighting the impact that this year’s offensive rookie class could have in terms of fantasy football, so I thought it would only be appropriate to show some love to the defensive rooks.
I’ve ranked the 10 rookies who I feel could make the biggest impact for their teams in 2009. This doesn’t mean that I think they’ll put up gaudy numbers, although they could. These rankings are more of a reflection of how I feel each rookie fits into their specific defensive scheme and what teams can expect in terms of overall production from these players in their first season.
Side Note: I stuck to only the defensive players that were drafted in the first two rounds. While plenty of mid-round picks have started and were successful in their rookie seasons, it’s a little hard to project at this point which third and fourth rounders could have an impact with training camps still a month or so away. Maybe I’ll re-visit this topic once again before the season starts and dedicate another piece to the mid-rounders that could have an immediate impact.
1. Aaron Curry, LB, Seahawks
Curry might not have been the first defensive player to come off the board in April (that honor went to LSU’s Tyson Jackson, who was selected with the third overall by the Chiefs), but he was the best defender that the 2009 draft class had to offer. Curry has the ability to play all three linebacker positions in a 4-3, although he’ll likely start on the strong side, allowing the Hawks to keep LeRoy Hill at weakside ‘backer. Curry has outstanding speed (4.5), size (6’2”, 254 pounds) and can stay on the field in passing situations, unlike some linebackers, who are often replaced in nickel packages because they can’t hang with backs, tight ends and receivers. Curry isn’t one of those situational prospects – he’s a complete player and should make a significant impact in his first year.
The cable channel and NFL Films chose one of the league’s least-successful teams of the last 18 years for its next “Hard Knocks” training camp series. Last year, the Dallas Cowboys were the ones followed through training camp.
HBO started the program in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore then, so he’s familiar with how it works. Still, television executives had to do some arm-twisting to get the team to go along.
The Bengals have only one winning record since 1991, when owner Mike Brown took over. One intriguing subplot will be how Brown, who shies away from cameras, comes across in the episodes. Brown didn’t attend a news conference about the show.
If there’s a better fit for “Hard Knocks”, I’m hard pressed to think of it. Having the opportunity to be filmed on a daily basis should make Chad Ocho Cinco’s day and maybe get him to stop crying (literally) about wanting to get traded.
In Jones, Cincinnati had been looking for the opportunity to give up on the former top 10 pick for a couple of years now and after drafting Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith with the No. 8 overall selection in last month’s draft, they finally had a reason to. Jones is still relatively young at only 29, but he has major durability issues and has largely underachieved throughout his career. He’ll catch on somewhere because he plays such a needed position in the NFL, but it might not be until later this summer after teams have had a chance to evaluate the talent that is already on their roster.
As for Williams, he reunites with his former Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, but it remains to be seen if he can beat out Nedu Ndukwe at the strong safety position. Williams is fantastic in run support, but equally brutal in pass coverage and doesn’t exhibit a ton of range. Still, this was a low-risk signing and maybe Zimmer can get the most out of what is left of Williams’ career.
According to a report by Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post, one of the reasons why linebacker Rey Maualuga fell in last month’s draft (he was selected by the Bengals with the 38th overall pick after most projected him to go in the first round) was because he was a “handful” at USC.
Rey Maualuga, the second-round pick of the Bengals, needs to make sure he walks a very tight behavior line in Cincinnati. Maualuga slipped in the draft for a number of reasons, and he must keep his off-the-field behavior in check and not create problems for the coaching staff. In talking to some NFL people, I heard that Maualuga was not always compliant with the rules on and off the field at USC. He was, as one GM said to me, putting it mildly, “a handful.”
Well, Maualuga wound up in the right place if he’s intent on being disorderly.
When you think about it, Maualuga slipping into the second round isn’t that big of a surprise. First of all, scouts consider him a two-down linebacker in that he can be a force against the run, but a liability in coverage and thus he’ll have to come off the field in obvious passing situations. And if teams knew he caused coaches grief off the field while at USC, then it makes sense that NFL GMs hesitated taking him in the first round. No pro team is going to want to invest first round money on a player who was known to be (to borrow the exact word from the report) a handful while in college, not to mention will have limitations on the field at the next level.
The Bengals’ draft this year has boom or bust written all over it, or at least their first two picks do. Andre Smith was the riskiest pick in the first round given all the baggage he carried with him coming into the draft and now it’s clear that Maualuga was a risk as well, even for the second round. But both players are immensely talented and if they can fly straight and just play football, then Cincy might have gotten two steals. Plus, there’s a difference between being a handful and being destructive. We’re not talking about choir boys here and as long as Maualuga can respect his coaching staff and not get in trouble with the law, then I doubt the Bengals care if he’s a bit of a character.
I’m going to channel my inner Peter King and dole out a crap load of quick-hit thoughts on last weekend’s NFL draft, which by the way, was one of the more unpredictable drafts I have ever witnessed.
Below are 65 observations from the 2009 NFL Draft. Why 65? I don’t know – don’t worry about it. Originally I came up with 62, but I know that some people freak out when things aren’t in round numbers, so I added three more. But the number 65 means nothing, so don’t waste time searching for its meaning.
Obviously these are all my opinions and feel free to debate them. But before you do, I already know that it supposedly takes three seasons to fully grade a draft and that no prospect is a sure thing. Again, I’m projecting here – so lighten up and let’s strike up some good debates.
1. Outside of the fact that he’s now a millionaire and could buy a small country, I kind of feel bad for Matthew Stafford. You know some halfwit fan or media member can’t wait to utter the comment, “For $72 million, he should have made that pass.” I hate the fact that money plays such a huge role in sports because when you get down to it, completing a pass, making a catch or kicking a field goal has nothing to do with how many zeros are on your paycheck.
2. I know I’m not saying anything new here, but the rookie salary structure is a joke. When teams don’t even want a top 5 pick anymore because of the financial burden that comes with it, there’s a huge problem.
3. The kid could turn out to be the next Ryan Leaf on the field, but Lion fans have to at least take comfort in the fact that Matthew Stafford is saying all the right things at this point. He did an interview with the NFL Network on Sunday and he talked about how he wants to be a starter right away, but also wants to learn and be patient in his development. From all accounts, he looks like he has a great head on his shoulders.
4. If Tyson Jackson turns out to be the next Richard Seymour like Chiefs’ GM Scott Pioli believes, then nobody is going to remember (or care) that he was taken with the third overall pick in a weak draft class.
As the NFL draft rolls on over the next two days, I’ll post picks, thoughts and stay on top of any rumors that I hear and post them here. Enjoy.
2:55PM ET: Mike Mayock of the NFL Network claims that his “cell phone is blowing up” with reports that the Jets are trying to trade up to No. 2 for USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.
3:19PM ET: According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Dolphins will select Connecticut cornerback Darius Butler at No. 25.
3:22PM ET: The Rams could trade back into the first round for middle linebacker Rey Maualuga according to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche.
3:38PM ET: I’m shocked the Chiefs passed on Aaron Curry, but all the pre-draft rumors that said Tyson Jackson would be their pick were obviously dead on. Jackson is the best 3-4 end in the draft and obvious was a commodity.
3:40PM ET: The Browns got exactly what they wanted with this trade. They weren’t in love with anyone at No.5 and managed to trade out. Great move - I wonder what kind of ransom the Browns got.
3:42PM ET: Mike Mayock just made a great point about the Jets trading up to No. 5. What team did they want to get ahead of to go all the way up to No. 5?
3:45PM ET: DE Kenyon Coleman, QB Brett Ratliff, S Abram Elam No. 17 and No. 57. A sleeper in this deal is Elam, who is one of the more promising safeties in the draft.
3:52PM ET: The Bengals select OT Andre Smith - another low character guy for their low-character roster. He is a tremendous talent, but he comes with a ton of baggage.
Scout.com is speculating that the Bills are trying to trade up from their No. 11 spot ahead of the Bengals at No. 6 in order to nab Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith.
Buffalo is obviously in huge need of a left tackle after trading Pro Bowler Jason Peters to the Eagles last week. If they want to get ahead of the Bengals (a team also in need of a tackle), then they may have a trade partner in Cleveland.
The Browns have the No. 5 pick and while some speculate that they could be targeting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez or Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree with that selection, they have bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball. (The reason people are speculating about Cleveland taking Sanchez or Crabtree is because some believe that the Browns will deal either/both Brady Quinn or Braylon Edwards by the end of the draft.)
Cleveland’s biggest need as it outside linebacker and unless Aaron Curry falls to No. 5, no other linebacker prospect would be worthy of that spot. So if Buffalo wants to trade up, the Browns could drop back to No. 11 and then target a defender like Brian Orakpo or Everrette Brown there.
What’s interesting is the possibility (emphasis on “possibility”, because this is still only a rumor) that the Bills would even want Smith, a prospect who has had his fair share of problems leading up to the draft. He was suspended for the Sugar Bowl game in early January, showed up to the NFL scouting combine out of shape and reportedly had a lackluster showing at his Pro Day. But the fact that teams still consider him a top 10 prospect speaks to his immense talent. (If he didn’t carry all of that baggage, he would be a serious candidate for the top overall pick.)
It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Buffalo has the desire to move up and if they’ll pull the trigger on a trade. Tackle Michael Oher of Ole Miss could be there at No. 11 if the Bills don’t trade up and while he doesn’t have as much natural talent as Smith, he also comes with less baggage and is still one of the best offensive line prospects in the draft.
This is it – the week NFL draft nuts have been waiting for. Soon enough, prospects will know what cities they’re headed to and draft mock experts everywhere will look like idiots when less than half of their predictions are correct despite spending hours of time researching the picks.
I say it every year – the NFL draft is a crapshoot in terms of trying to make predictions. Nobody knows how high prospects are rated on draft boards around the league except the teams themselves. So while it’s fun to project who will go where, nobody has a clue – not Mike Mayock, not Mel Kiper and certainly not Anthony Stalter. (Did I just refer to myself in the third person? What a joke.)
The following is my third and final mock of the first round. In my previous two mocks, I had some fun by predicting potential trades that could play out, but I won’t do it here. I’m playing this mock “straight up” because predicting trades in the first round is harder to do than predicting what kind of mood Billy Bob Thornton will be in when he sits down to give an interview. Zing!
Some of you will inevitably feel as though that I have teams reaching with their picks. That’s fine, but realize that reaches are going to happen come Saturday because they’re just a part of the draft. If you disagree with any of my picks, go ahead and let me hear about it in the comments section. After all, the NFL draft is a spectacle and it’s supposed to be fun for fans. Enjoy all the action on Saturday and good luck to your favorite team on draft weekend.
As Peter King writes in his latest addition of “Monday Morning Quarterback”, Chad Johnson desperately wants out of Cincinnati and recently cried on the phone to former teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh about it.
“Chad Johnson called me today. Crying. He wonders why everyone can get traded but him.”
– Former Johnson teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, now with Seattle, on NFL Network Friday night.
Ocho Cinco wasn’t crying when the Bengals signed him to a six-year, $35.5 million contract in 2006 was he?
I know Cincinnati is one of the black holes in the NFL, but just once I would like to hear a player that is stuck on a bad team say that he’s going to do everything in his power to get his club to win. I have no idea what Johnson is going through, so maybe I should just shut my mouth, but why can’t he say, “Hey, with Carson Palmer back to full health and Laveranues Coles next to me, we’re really going to do things next year”? And then go out and prove it by showing up to all the offseason workouts and training his ass off.
But no, instead, players like Johnson cries (literarily) and throws a hissy fit until their team finally gives in and trades them for less than they’re ultimately worth. It’s ridiculous.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Chad Ocho Cinco is unlikely to be traded this offseason by the Bengals
The primary people, agent Drew Rosenhaus and Ocho Cinco, are not saying anything. Last year, both were telling every media outlet within shouting distance that they wanted out of Cincinnati. This year Rosenhaus is staying true to his word by working behind the scenes and staying quiet.
According to ESPN.com, the Bengals’ salary-cap hit would be $4.87 million. It is a high figure, but not a crippling amount that might preclude a trade from happening.
Whenever he’s been asked, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has said he expects Ocho Cinco to be here and that he should have a good season. But at the league meetings a couple weeks ago, Lewis also said something that can be construed as a personal challenge to Ocho Cinco:
“In order to get back to being the Chad Johnson that everybody feared, he was a guy who worked very, very hard at his craft. And if you don’t do that, it falls away very quickly and people forget about you.”
So will Ocho Cinco be traded? Unlike last year, when there was a zero percent chance, it’s slightly possible. There is only one person who is going to make the final decision, and that is club president Mike Brown.
Considering Johnson is coming off one of his worst seasons of his career, is already 31 and didn’t show up to voluntary workouts, why would any team give up a high draft pick for him? Anyone who thinks the Bengals will be able to get a first or second round pick for him at this point is dreaming.
Fearing that his team’s bad reputation would be questioned if they didn’t have another legal issue again soon, Bengals’ cornerback Leon Hall was arrested and charged with driving under the influence while traveling in Ohio on Sunday.
The Ohio State Patrol said Hall’s blood-alcohol level was .149, nearly twice the legal limit. Hall was charged with driving under the influence and driving left of center.
“You would think they would get someone to drive them with the cash they got. Why not?” witness Brian Rogers said.
Neither the team nor Hall have commented about the issue, but fans are already chiming in.
“It’s unbelievable how people can keep getting in trouble there — it really, it blows my mind,” Brett Mentzel said.
This news comes just one day after the Bengals signed defensive tackle Tank Johnson, so it’s clear that the team is committed to having plenty of off field incidents in 2009.
According to ESPN’s Michael Smith, the Eagles could have interest in receiver Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson.
ESPN’s Michael Smith said on NFL Live tonight that he’s hearing the Eagles have interest in Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson.
Rather than paraphrase what Smith is reporting, here’s exactly what he said so you can decide for yourself whether this is just a rumor or something more.
“I am hearing there is interest in Chad Johnson,” Smith said. “Now there’s been some back and forth as to whether or not he is officially on the market. I think everybody in Cincinnati has signed off on moving Chad Johnson except for owner Mike Brown. The Eagles could be in the picture. They have two first-round picks. They need a receiver.”
Note: It was brought to my attention that I could have been clearer with the above quote. Smith was asked a direct question about the Eagles when he said, “I am hearing there is interest in Chad Johnson.” So in my interpretation, he was directly talking about the Birds, not just saying there was general interest around the league in Johnson.
The Eagles have two first round picks and with so many quality receivers available in this month’s draft, I don’t know if Johnson would be worth it. If Ocho went the way of Randy Moss in New England (i.e. shut his mouth and produced), then he’d be worth giving up a draft pick for. But considering he didn’t show up to voluntary (I know, I know – voluntary) workouts in Cincinnati, I highly doubt Johnson is going to change his ways.
In my first attempt to project the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, I predicted the Lions to take Georgia’s Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick, Alabama’s offensive tackle Andre Smith to fall out of the top 15 and I also drummed up a potential swap between the Browns and 49ers so that San Fran could land USC signal caller Mark Sanchez.
But to paraphrase that overactor Nicholas Cage in “The Rock”: Gee, kind of a lot has happened since then. Most notably the Bears sending two first round picks to the Broncos for quarterback Jay Cutler and the Giants’ release of receiver Plaxico Burress.
Here’s my second attempt at projecting the first round of this month’s draft. As always, feel free to criticize in the comments section, but remember that I’m a human - I have feelings, too, damn it. So be gentle.
1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia Mock 1.0 Projection: Stafford
Nothing in the past couple of weeks has changed my mind about Stafford eventually winding up in Detroit. GM Martin Mayhew reportedly wants to trade this selection because of the financial burden that is bestowed upon having the top overall pick, but other teams don’t want it for the same reason. In the end, Jason Smith (Baylor) and Eugene Monroe (Virginia) are both very good options here, but the Lions were reportedly very impressed with Stafford’s private workout and you know what? They simply need a quarterback.
“I’m not worried about him; I’m worried about the guys we have here,” Palmer said at a news conference Monday. “The guys that want to be here and want to work now are the guys who are in the locker room right now and are here today.”
Despite Palmer’s confirmation, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis would not say what players were present. Palmer did sound more upbeat when asked about other receivers such as Laveranues Coles, who was present.
Last year Ocho Cinco caused a major stir by skipping “voluntary” workouts and publicly stating his desire to be traded. It is not known if this absence is again hinting that he wants out of Cincinnati. Ocho Cinco has not been in contact with the Bengals recently.
Last year Cincinnati passed up trade offers because the team was unwilling to take an $8 million salary cap hit. This year that cap number is reduced to $4.87 million to trade Ocho Cinco, making it more of a possibility.
You’d think a guy coming off one of the worst seasons of his career would get his ass to every team workout program that his team offered – especially considering his quarterback missed all of last season due to injury. Who knows, maybe Ocho Cinco has a good reason for missing the program. Or maybe he’s just trying to get attention again. Either way, he needs to stop being a distraction so the Bengals can start turning things around.
