Carson Palmer: My Elbow Is 100 Percent, No Ochocinco in My House
Jul 17, 2009 – 8:30 PM
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LOS ANGELES --
Carson Palmer is certain about two things: Electing not to have invasive "Tommy John" reconstructive surgery on his damaged throwing elbow was a wise decision.
And the Bengals quarterback will not allow Twitter-loving, attention-grabbing wide receiver and teammate
Chad Ochocinco to move into his Southern California home so that the two can do some male-bonding and work out in the backyard before Cincinnati's rookies and veterans report to training camp on July 30.
No way. Forget it.
"That was just a 'Tweet,''' Palmer said with a huge laugh. "I'm not sure where that came from. But the doors are locked, the alarm is on. And he's not getting past my attack dogs. We're good."
What is it with Ochocinco and that Twitter account, anyway? Not a minute goes by without Chad weighing in on his workouts, his mama, what he's eating and -- as Palmer found out – the receiver's travel plans, which at one point
included bunking with Cincinnati's quarterback, his wife Shaelyn and their six-month-old twins.
"You know what? I think Chad's mind works faster than his hands [on Twitter],'' Palmer said during his appearance this week on a celebrity studded panel that featured him, Warren Moon, Joe Theismann and Trent Dilfer discussing the 2009 season as part of the L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission's seventh-annual NFL 101/201 charity event.
Back at his old college playground, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum -- where he starred as a Heisman Trophy winner for USC -- Palmer was relaxed, laughing and absolutely pumped for the start of the 2009 NFL season.
"I'm great. I feel great. I'm 100 percent healthy, throwing, lifting, running all that stuff,'' said Palmer,
who played in just four games in 2008 after opting to forgo reconstructive surgery to repair a partially torn ligament and tendon in his right elbow. Instead, Palmer chose to let the tissue damage
heal with rest and rehabilitation.
And while he admitted his arm strength wasn't where he wanted it to be during a late June minicamp, Palmer told FanHouse this week he's now 100 percent physically, and confident in his belief that the elbow shouldn't hamper him in 2009.
"It's just a big weight off of my shoulders. I didn't know if I was going to have the 'Tommy John' surgery – I still wouldn't be able to throw, to this day, if I had had that,'' Palmer said.
"I'm just thankful I didn't have to go through that. The doctors who said that it would heal were right and it did heal. So I've been throwing, just doing everything to get geared up for the season."
Palmer also shared more on Ochocinco, and his thoughts in general on how he thinks the Bengals' offense will fare this season.
Nancy Gay: "Chad seems committed this offseason to training hard and having a better season than 2008, when he caught only 53 passes and was unsuccessful in forcing a trade. You must be expecting big things from him this season."
Carson Palmer: "Oh yeah. I think he's going to be back to that 'leading the AFC in receiving yards' form. Last year was a down year for our organization and our entire team (4-11-1 record), not just Chad. He's got a lot to prove. He's got a lot of doubters. And that's what really fuels Chad and makes him work, makes him excel. So I'm really excited for Chad and for us this season."
Gay: "In your absence, the offense got a real boost from the addition of running back
Cedric Benson. How much of a surprise was it to see him take off in Cincinnati?"
Palmer: "It was a very pleasant surprise. Cedric Benson was the No. 4 overall pick in the draft [by the Chicago Bears in 2005] for a reason. He's fast, explosive, strong -- he's everything you want in a tailback. The longer he was there, the longer he was in Cincinnati, the longer he had to get to know the playbook and the team, the better off he did. And now that he's had an entire offseason under his belt, he'll have a full training camp and have that opportunity to really grow and mesh with the team, he's going to have a huge year."
Gay: "How much better will the Bengals' offensive line be with the addition of first-round draft pick
Andre Smith, who is expected to replace
Levi Jones at left tackle?"
Palmer: "I think it's great. He's got a ton of potential. He's got to have a great training camp -- I'm not sure when he'll be in camp. But I'm just excited. He's a very physical player. He's really good for our conference as far as the run game is concerned, because he really specializes in the run game. He's going to be taught by one of the better offensive line coaches in the league, as far as pass blocking . So it's going to be a good year for Andre."
Gay: "The loss of wide receiver
T.J. Houshmandzadeh -- that must be difficult for you and for everyone because of his production and his leadership. How do you replace a guy like that?"
Palmer: "It's impossible -- we're not looking to replace him. He caught 100 balls a year, he caught eight touchdowns a year. You can try to replace that, but as far as the chemistry standpoint, the leadership, the professionalism, we're not looking to replace that because we can't. We've got a bunch of guys who want to fill in for him and try to pick up where he left off. But (Houshmandzadeh) is a Pro Bowl player for a reason. You don't just all of a sudden just shuffle somebody in.
"We've got a lot of guys who have to pick up the slack from losing him."
Gay: "Have you had a chance to get in much work with free-agent addition
Laveranues Coles in the offseason?"
Palmer: "Yeah, Laveranues was there all offseason. We had a chance to work together and get a lot of rhythm and timing going. And we have a lot of time to get that back throughout August."
