--The Bengals had just four wide receivers -- Antonio Chatman, Doug Gabriel, Glenn Holt and Marcus Maxwell -- on the field May 13 for the first of their offseason OTA practices. Rookie players, including second- and third-round picks Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell -- couldn't report for offseason practices until May 16.

Starters Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh did not attend the voluntary practice Tuesday. The embittered Johnson said he will not report, though he has four years remaining on his contract. Houshmandzadeh is doing his offseason training at home in California, which he did a year ago.

"We're definitely missing valuable time," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We'll get to work whenever they get here. ... The guys who are here are getting valuable experience."

--The team's mandatory full-squad minicamp is scheduled for June 12-14, Thursday through Saturday. Those practices will be the first required for players and could represent a showdown of sorts with disgruntled wide receiver Chad Johnson. He could be fined if he misses the workouts.

Johnson has demanded a trade, though he has four years remaining on the contract extension he signed in April 2006. Johnson has said he would not report for any team event.

--Offensive and defensive linemen worked on the sideline with position coaches Paul Alexander and Jay Hayes, respectively. Starting offensive tackles Levi Jones and Willie Anderson were not there.

"There's a lot of difference. We started without linemen," head coach Marvin Lewis said of the change in practice structure. "They get pretty bored. We have more time to work individual work. My goal was to start this way this year because our line is somewhat experienced and you kind of run out things you can do pushing around each other without pads. We have more time with the skill positions."

--Safety Ethan Kilmer, who missed all of 2007 after undergoing knee surgery in August, made his return to the field Tuesday. He is an important player on special teams, and special teams coach Darrin Simmons spent time with Kilmer during and after practice.

--Safety Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted Carson Palmer but was corrected by coaches for running across the field as opposed to staying on the sideline for his return.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"This is all voluntary, which is good. We're excited about the guys, as usual, who have been here, which has been common to our football team." -- Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, when asked, on the first day of offseason practice, if he were upset by the absence of starting wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.