A lot of what's going on with Keith Rivers not being in camp, is the slot he was drafted in and those around him. The tenth overall pick, Jerod Mayo, signed a five-year deal worth "$18.9 million and $13.8 million in guarantees and bonuses." Otherwise, the #7 (Ellis, Saints) and #8 (Harvey, Jags) spots are unsigned and the Bengals are likely waiting to see how those play out to see where Rivers should fall.
Florio writes that Chad Johnson may get a new deal if he "behaves"? That's the way players are now rewarded.
Chad isn't practicing in the A.M, C. Trent observed, saying that once running started, Johnson removed "his jersey and went into the team's locker room."