CINCINNATI (AP) -Out in Los Angeles, Chad Ochocinco tried to get the timing down on a quickstep routine that he hoped would keep him on “Dancing with the Stars” for another week.
Back in Cincinnati, his Bengals teammates worked out without him, trying to get the timing down on their pass routes so they can get back into the playoffs for a second straight year.
What do they think about the receiver who’s more into the rumba these days?
“Um, he’s got to work on his hip action,” offensive lineman Bobbie Williams said. “He looks a little stiff. Hopefully, he’s working on that – along with getting ready for this upcoming season.
“But I don’t know. I don’t know about Ocho. I don’t know.”
Here’s one thing the Bengals know: It won’t be too long before Ochocinco can waltz away. And this might be the time to start preparing for that day. They’ve got Ochocinco and several other starters on both offense and defense heading into final year of their contracts, which will be in the back of everyone’s minds when Cincinnati starts making draft picks on Thursday.
“I think (owner Mike Brown) always has that in mind as we go into the draft,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “He and I talk about that quite a bit. That’s the little thing that sits above our head as we move forward.”
It’s a sign of improvement that the Bengals can think long-term as they approach the draft. In years past, they’ve been looking to fill a number of holes. This offseason, they’ve spent a lot of time and money keeping their roster intact after a playoff season – certainly not the norm around these parts.
The Bengals went 10-6 last year, ran the table in the AFC North for the first time in their history and reached the playoffs for only the second time since 1991. Even though they lost to the Jets in their first playoff game, they decided that the team was good enough to keep around.
There’s been only one significant change in the starting lineup – Antonio Bryant replaces Laveranues Coles as Ochocinco’s complementary receiver. With most starting spots filled, the Bengals are looking long-term in this draft.
“It’s great,” quarterback Carson Palmer said. “It’s nice to not have four or five spots where we’re like, ‘Oh, we need to find somebody to play and we need to find them now.”’
m go after one season. Bryant was their top free agent acquisition, but there’s still an unproven cast behind him and Ochocinco.
And the outlook can change drastically after this season, the last on Ochocinco’s contract. He tried to get the Bengals to trade him two years ago and failed. He was more upbeat last year, when he had his sixth Pro Bowl season and led the team with 72 catches for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns.
The offseason has been an on-camera blur – covering the Super Bowl for his social media, dancing on network television, setting up a reality dating show on cable. Given his contract status and the lack of a receiver capable of replacing him, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bengals took a receiver in one of the early rounds.
“I’ve heard the same things you guys have heard – a receiver, a tight end,” Palmer said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. But there’s not really a drastic need per se, other than a couple of spots here or there.”
Tight end stands out. The Bengals lost their top two early in training camp last year – Reggie Kelly tore the Achilles’ tendon in his left leg and Ben Utecht suffered a season-ending concussion. Third-round pick Chase Coffman struggled with his blocking and didn’t play last season.
They have to figure something out at that spot. The Bengals wound up using an extra offensive lineman to block last season, an approach that doesn’t help the passing game.
Otherwise, they’re in good shape.
“I think we’re in a good spot that way, not going into the draft saying, ‘We’ve really got an empty chair at one spot,”’ Lewis said. “We’re able to let our draft board pick our players as we go.”
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