Arrow is Pointing Up for Ochocinco
I always have a real hard time betting on rebounds from players coming off lost or terrible seasons. Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's 53-catch, 540-yard, four-touchdown 2008 campaign was very troubling, even if it can partially be blamed on Ryan Fitzpatrick's noodle arm.
Entering last year, Chad had not produced fewer than 87 catches, 1,274 yards, or seven touchdowns in a season since 2002. A model of year-to-year consistency, "85" never finished lower than the fantasy WR9 overall between 2003-2007. He fell to the WR50 in 2008.
Late June ankle surgery and a shoulder injury may have contributed, but Ochocinco's admission that he didn't "lift one weight" or "run one route" during the offseason certainly takes the cake. He wasn't prepared to play.
Ochocinco has taken his spring workouts seriously this year, however, and showed up to Organized Team Activities (OTAs) a week earlier than anyone expected. It's still later than most players, but big news for Chad. Before Tuesday, he had not participated in a voluntary offseason practice since 2007.
It's still hard to be fully confident in Chad rebounding to his pre-2008 production levels, but combine these factors with Carson Palmer's return -- the No. 1 plus for any Bengals skill player -- and the arrow is pointing up for Ochocinco again.
Wide receivers are being drafted earlier than ever this year, but according to early ADP (Average Draft Position) results, Chad Ochocinco is going 56th. That's the WR23, behind wideouts with much weaker resumes like Anthony Gonzalez, Santonio Holmes, Roy E. Williams, and DeSean Jackson.
I definitely wouldn't recommend reaching for Chad, but he's a steal in the sixth round of a 10-team league draft.
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