Try telling Chad Ochocinco that last season was a sign that his time as one of the top wide receivers in football is almost up. His response will most likely be "child, please."

For those of you who have followed the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver over the years, it's obvious the five-time Pro Bowler likes to have fun with the game of football by running his mouth.

Ochocinco has provided the city of Cincinnati and their fans with plenty of entertainment during his career as a Bengal.

From his touchdown celebrations, to his "Future Hall of Famer" jacket he wore in a Monday Night Football game, Chad has shown us that he can not only play football, but have fun while doing it too.

This offseason, the Bengals were selected by HBO to be featured on their hit series Hard Knocks, which covers and takes an in-depth look at the team through training camp until Week One of the regular season.

Through two episodes, Ochocinco has looked sharp as he looks forward to proving that 2008 was just a fluke.

Last season was the first time since his rookie season that he failed to haul in less than 1,100 yards and five touchdowns. However, he also played most of the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback instead of Carson Palmer, which seemed to have a heavy impact.

Not only has Ochocinco looked sharp during training camp, but he seems to be more mature; and those two words usually don't go together.

Over the last couple of years, there have been numerous reports regarding Ochocinco and how he wanted out of Cincinnati. Numerous times, he would speak to the public about his request to be traded to another team, but owner Mike Brown and Head Coach Marvin Lewis made it clear that Ochocinco would stay put.

Last season, it appeared that teammates and fans were somewhat irritated with Ochocinco running his mouth off the field. It seemed fun during previous seasons when he was producing big numbers, but now it just seemed annoying. However, all of that has changed during the offseason.

During this one, there were no requests for a trade. Instead, Ochocinco has emerged as a team player, and appears to be focused more than ever to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

Don't believe me? Take a look at what he did last week in the Bengals' preseason matchup against the New England Patriots.

When kicker Shayne Graham's groin was hurting, Lewis decided that it would be best to rest him. Since Graham was the Bengals only kicker on the roster, Lewis decided to give Ochocinco a chance, considering soccer is his favorite sport.

In the 7-6 win over the Patriots, Ochocinco not only drilled an extra point after a touchdown, but he booted the ball inside the 10-yard line on the kickoff as well.

Normally, one would expect Ochocinco to do some sort of celebration considering it's not his job to kick the ball. Instead, he was as mature as any kicker could be, receiving high-fives from teammates as he walked towards the sideline with nothing but a smile on his face.

Ochocinco has shown his value as a Bengal this offseason not only as a wide receiver, but as a kicker too. The fact that he stepped it up and kicked for his team when they desperately need him, just shows that he has developed more into a team player this offseason, which could be a huge boost for the Bengals in 2009.

He has shown us throughout his career what he is capable of doing on the football field. Say what you want about him running his mouth and having fun; the fact is Ochocinco can still back his talk up with his performance on the field.

With his favorite quarterback returning after missing most of last season with an elbow injury, look for Ochocinco to return to his normal form in '09 and do whatever it takes to help the Bengals win.

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From a fan's perspective, the Cincinnati Bengals seem to disappoint consistantly when it comes to taking advantage of the NFL Draft over the last couple of seasons. However, the Bengals made selections last April that helped improve their needs on offense and defense, leaving fans with nothing but excitement for the upcoming 2009 season.

The Bengals used their first two draft picks on offensive lineman Andre Smith (Alabama) and linebacker Rey Maualuga (USC). The team hopes Smith can provide some much-needed help to an offensive line that gave up 51 sacks last season while Maualuga can emerge as one of the younger leader's on a defense that was already pretty solid last season (325.5 yards allowed per game, 12th in the NFL).

With the success from April's draft and the return of quarterback Carson Palmer, who missed 12 games last season due to an elbow injury, the Bengals could emerge as a sleeper team in 2009 and make a run for their first trip to the playoffs since the 2005 season.

Despite all of the hype and excitement for the 2009 season, the Bengals lost one of their key players during the first week of training camp when tight end Reggie Kelly ruptured his Achilles tendon. The 11-year veteran had high expectations for the upcoming 2009 season not only as a player on the field, but also as a mentor for the younger tight ends on the team's roster. Now, that mentoring will have to be done from the sideline.

Kelly's season-ending injury leaves a major hole at the tight-end position for the Bengals. However, the injury will give other players a chance to step up their game and make an impact for the upcoming season.

Enter rookie Chase Coffman.

Coffman was selected in the third round (98th overall) in this year's draft out of Missouri. He was arguably one of the best receiving tight ends in the draft, as he finished his three-year career by hauling in 156 receptions for 1,664 yards and 20 touchdowns. Those are better numbers than some of the wide receivers selected in the draft.

Coffman has the opportunity to provide the Bengals with another weapon on offense that already consists of wide receivers Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, and Chris Henry.

However, if Coffman wants to have a succesful rookie campaign with the Bengals, not only will he need to put up big numbers as a wide receiver, but as a blocker too.

While at Missouri, Coffman never had to worry about being a blocker since he was mostly used more as a wide receiver. He knows if he wants to succeed at the NFL level, he will need to continue developing his game as a blocker too, which he has been.

Coffman struggled at the beginning of training camp, but that appeared to be nothing more than a case of the rookie jitters. Since then, he has improved on his style of game and has impressed the Bengals' coaches, especially tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes.

As much as the Bengals will miss Kelly's leadership on the field, they could still benefit from Coffman's play if he continues to emerge as a strong option on offense for Palmer to throw to. With the rate he has been improving on, Coffman could become a sleeper tight end for the Bengals in 2009.

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