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Sports TwitterReceivers are questions as minicamp opens
It's all up in the air whether Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be at practice.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
CINCINNATI — Well, will they or won't they?
Will Pro Bowl wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh make their first appearance of the offseason at Paul Brown Stadium by attending mandatory, full-squad minicamp, which runs today through Saturday?
Extras
Houshmandzadeh has promised to be here, but the verdict on Johnson won't be revealed until the Bengals hit the practice field at 9:45 a.m.
Know this: Quarterback Carson Palmer won't let their presence or absence disrupt what he claims is the best team chemistry he's experienced in six pro seasons.
"I'm not going to go into a bunch of depth on what's going on," Palmer said. "All I can say is I hope they're here and we'll see what happens."
Young & restless
Third-year veteran Johnathan Joseph likes the look of the up-and-coming secondary.
Joseph and second-year star Leon Hall start at left and right corner, while Marvin White, Chinedum Ndukwe and Corey Lynch represent the future at safety.
"We're getting better and better each day," Joseph said. "We're young guys and we're holding ourselves accountable to work hard each day and push each other."
Perry '80 percent'
Tailback Chris Perry still isn't 100 percent recovered from the right ankle fracture and dislocation he suffered in Cleveland on Nov. 26, 2006. The injury caused him to miss the 2007 season.
Physically, Perry claims he's only 80 percent. With Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson a strong one-two punch, look for DeDe Dorsey and nondrafted rookie James Johnson (Kansas State) to push hard to take Perry's roster spot.
More cuts coming
The roster is at 86 players and only 80 with signed contracts are allowed to participate at training camp.
If all 10 rookie draft picks sign before reporting day (July 27) at Georgetown (Ky.) College, six players must get sliced from the roster.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@coxohio.com
