Ocho Cinco No-Shows Bengal Workouts

Back during Super Bowl week, Bengals receiver Chad Ocho Cinco said he would take part in all team off-season activities.

Instead of believing he had turned over a new leaf, most were skeptical. After all, the wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson has made a habit out of marching to the beat of his own drummer. Seemingly, no one in Cincinnati believed him, as there appears to be zero surprise to the fact that Ocho Cinco is a no-show for the start of voluntary workouts.

Not only did he not show up, but quarterback Carson Palmer says he has not had any offseason communication with his top target.

"I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about the guys we have here," said Palmer when asked about Ocho Cinco. "The guys that want to be here and want to work now are the guys in the locker room and here today and here this offseason. I'm not going to worry about anyone else."

With Palmer having missed most of the Bengals' disastrous 2008 season with a bad elbow, Ocho Cinco's presence seems to be more important this year than most.

Head coach Marvin Lewis hasn't said anything specifically about Ocho Cinco not being there, but he did make it very clear before workouts started that it was important for his star receiver to show up, citing the team's decision to sit Ocho Cinco for a game late last season.

"I know Chad learned a valuable lesson from last season. Hopefully he will not have a repeat of that," Lewis said during last week's league meetings. "Chad has to get himself back to where he was. We haven't changed. Offensively we have to do things to get the ball to Chad, to push the ball down the field. ... Chad has to make sure he prepares himself physically in the offseason so that when we get started and play games in September, he's ready to go."

Instead, the Bengals are left with more drama ... just like they left off in 2008.

(Pat on the butt: PFT)