Bengals Banter: Updating the "Bengals interested in Pacman" file; Cincinnati kicks off offseason workouts

The recent assumption that the Bengals were still interested in Adam "Pacman" Jones popped up last week. After having worked out in February in which no updates, news, or contract offers were reported, it was (and still is) somewhat of a surprise that Cincinnati would remain interested. According to Jones' agent last week, the Bengals are one of three teams still interested. The others being Detroit and San Francisco. We suspected last week that Jones' agent merely included the Bengals name for the sake of drawing interest, which would increase demand and Jones' potential contract. In truth, Ray Savage confirmed that Jones' visit in early February is what he's referring to when saying the Bengals have interest.

“The workout in Cincinnati went well and it shows they have an interest. The teams know he is an extremely talented athlete, in condition and ready to play. He can get on the field and start immediately.”

And for some reason James Walker continues putting fuel to the fire, questioning the Bengals motivation for still having interest. "The question is why? Signing embattled receiver Matt Jones was enough," Walker writes. "But adding Adam Jones to the mix would be too much for Cincinnati." See. This is an example of how the local beat writer, Joe Reedy, gets us the information we need as compared to an ESPN blogger who takes a completely different angle.

The Bengals offseason program starts Monday morning and the team is missing several players. Of the six restricted free agents, writes Reedy, only Rashad Jeanty will be in town because he actually signed a contract. And Chad Ochocinco is obviously in Los Angeles for Dancing with the Stars.

Matt Jones speaks of immaturity. The newest Bengals wide receiver says:

"I knew if I stayed focused and I wanted another opportunity that I had to keep with it and work it out," Jones told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I'm excited about the opportunity to play with Cincinnati."

Bengals safety Roy Williams is in Cape Town South Africa with three other players (Adrian Peterson of the Vikings, Tommie Harris of the Bears and Mark Clayton of the Baltimore Ravens).

The players are part of a delegation of Americans touring South Africa to get a feel for the country before the June 11-July 11 World Cup. The NFL players are on a four-day visit to the nation to promote football. The visit included a friendly soccer game against school children from Mzamomhle Primary School in the township of Philippi on the outskirts of Cape Town.

Chick Ludwig's favorite first round draft selections are safety Taylor Mays and tight end Jermaine Gresham.