A lot has happened in recent days with the team, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Combine, general draft talk, etc.. So let's take a quick look at what you might have missed that you need to know that applies to the team, just in case you haven't had the time to tend to your obsessive Bengals blood.
PETTY BOMBS CONTINUED TO BE THROWN. Earlier this week, Carson Palmer told a confidant that told WCPO's Dennis Jansen that he "will never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again." That's some major pull, consider that his new team could be forced to visit Paul Brown Stadium at some point in the future. Not that it matters. On Wednesday night, an unnamed Bengals official told Local 12's Brad Johansen that "Our stance has not changed. He will either choose to come back here, or he will retire."
Johansen's source went on to question the accuracy of the reports. That's right. We haven't heard a lick from Carson Palmer himself, while both team and player stomp their feet with temper tantrums about what each side wants. Want accuracy? Proudly stand up to the podium and set everyone straight.
In the meantime, Carson Palmer's younger brother is trying to round up the team's younger wide receivers to do their own offseason workout programs when the league locks out the players.
TENDERS OFFERED. As most teams in the NFL are currently doing, the Bengals offered tenders to three restricted free agents on Wednesday. Johnathan Joseph received a tender that would give the Bengals first and third round compensation if the team didn't match a signed offer sheet from another team. Brandon Johnson would give the Bengals a second rounder while Nate Livings wouldn't give Cincinnati anything.
Since a new Collective Bargaining Agreement would likely reset unrestricted free agent qualifications to pre-uncapped year levels -- where a four-year player could become an unrestricted free agent if not under contract -- then the tenders are largely meaningless.