Give it to Chad Ochocinco, he knows how to keep his name in the news.  (Whatever name that may be at the moment.)

Recently, the man formerly known has Chad Johnson guaranteed that the Cincinnati Bengals would make the 2009 NFL playoffs. Considering that the Bengals won just four games last year, that’s quite a statement.

Here’s the actual quote, courtesy of ESPN.com:

“It’s going to be a great year; we’re going to the playoffs. We’re going … We’re making progress. I mean, I see it, and I can come out on a limb and say what we’re going to do.”

Chad Ochocinco Playoff Guarantee (Image: Zuma Press)

That’s not exactly Joe Namath — or even Rasheed Wallace, for that matter — but that quote should add even more drama to the 2009 NFL season for the Bengals if they begin to sputter.

If Cincinnati is going to the playoffs, they’ll need a better season than they got last year from Ochocinco. He had only 53 catches for 540 yards. In the previous five seasons, he never had fewer than 87 catches or 1,274 yards.

We’ll see if Ochocinco can live up to his end of the bargain.

Earlier in the week, Greg Ellis was released by the Dallas Cowboys. The 33-year-old out of North Carolina played his first 12 years in the NFL with the Cowboys. However, after another offseason filled with complaints from Ellis, Dallas decided to cut their ties and save some money on his contract.

Greg Ellis Rumors and Possible Destinations (Image: Zuma Press)

Considering that he has 20.5 sacks in the past two seasons, Ellis shouldn’t have any shortage of attention in free agency. At 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds, he’s still a player the offense has to account for when he’s on the field.

Who could be interested in him?

New England Patriots
Don’t the Patriots make a whole lot of sense? They need a pass rusher and they love veteran players with something to prove.

Arizona Cardinals
Ellis could rub it in and sign with the Cardinals — one of the Cowboys’ main rivals. Arizona also needs a pass rusher and Ellis could fit right in.

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals also make sense. Mike Zimmer, the former defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, is now with the Bengals. Plus Cincinnati could use his added toughness.

Miami Dolphins
A reunion with Bill Parcells? Don’t count it out. Parcells likes veterans and even though he didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Ellis, he would make Miami better.

The wide receiver formerly named Chad Johnson continues to see his name in lights. However, what exact name is being used continues to change.

Last year, he changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco to presumably give his “Ocho Cinco” nickname a better stage. He wanted his jersey last year to say “Ocho Cinco” on the back but the NFL said that they were notified too late to make the change.

This year, there still won’t be an “Ocho Cinco” number 85 available in Cincinnati Bengals colors. Instead, the jersey will say “Ochocinco” on the back. Apparently, when Chad Johnson issued his name change request to the NFL, he wrote it as one word instead of two.

No word yet if Chad Ocho Cinco will be satisfied with Ochocinco.

Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (Image: Zuma Press)

Brian Leonard has been traded to the Cincinnati Bengals from the St. Louis Rams. In return, the Rams received Orien Harris. The 25-year-old Leonard will likely begin the season as the Bengals’ starting fullback.

After being selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Leonard played in all 16 games for the Rams in 2007. He finished the season with 303 yards on 86 carries. He also had 30 receptions for 183 yards.

In 2008, Leonard only played in two games and had two carries for seven yards. No longer in the Rams’ long-term plans, Leonard has reportedly been shopped for much of the offseason.

Considering that the Bengals are in need of depth at both fullback and running back, he should be a good fit in Cincinnati. He could become a safety valve for quarterback Carson Palmer due to his pass catching skills out of the backfield.

Harris is a 25-year-old defensive tackle who played in 14 games for the Bengals in 2008. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder was born in Jamaica.

Cincinnati Bengals (Image: Flickr)

Roy Williams, formerly the safety for the Dallas Cowboys, has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Although the specifics of the contract are unknown at this time, sources close to the Bengals indicate that it is a deal that will allow Williams to hit the free agent market again within a few seasons.

Roy Williams, Bengals (Image: Newscom)

Once a highly touted safety, Williams has heard more and more criticism in recent years. He’s a hard hitter but he struggles to defend against the pass. With the safety position in the NFL becoming more of a coverage position in recent years, Williams hasn’t been nearly as valuable. As a result, the Cowboys released him earlier in the offseason.

Apparently, the Bengals believe he can help their defense. Still just 28 years old, the safety out of Oklahoma could make a big difference if he adds an element of toughness to Cincinnati’s defense.

Due to injuries, Williams was only able to play in three games last year for the Cowboys. Perhaps the best season of his career came in 2002 as a rookie. In that campaign, he recorded 99 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles and five interceptions.

For the past five years, it seemed like Chris Perry was billed as the future of the running back position in Cincinnati for the Bengals. On Monday, the Bengals decided to end those expectations by releasing the former first round pick.

The Bengals Give Up on Chris Perry (Image: Flickr)

After injuries limited him severely in his first four seasons, the Bengals gave Perry a chance as the team’s starting running back last year. However, after averaging only 2.6 yards per carry, that experiment was eventually ended.

Playing in 13 games, Perry had 104 carries for only 269 yards and two touchdowns. In 2004, 2006 and 2007, Perry was only able to play in a total of eight games. For his career, he has 606 yards in 35 games and 177 carries.

Going into the 2009 fantasy football season, the Bengals appear to be ready to allow Cedric Benson to be the team’s starting running back. Benson had 214 carries for Cincinnati last season and finished with 747 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Cincinnati Bengals are at it again. If the Bengals aren’t signing convicted criminals, they are seemingly creating criminals. The latest example is Leon Hall, who was recently arrested for drunken driving in the state of Ohio.

According to police, Hall’s blood-alcohol level was determined to be 0.15 — nearly twice Ohio’s legal limit. On Friday, he is due at Clermont County Municipal Court for arraignment.

Hall is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound cornerback out of the University of Michigan. The 24-year-old had 75 tackles and three interceptions last year for the Bengals. In 2007, he had 68 tackles, five interceptions and a forced fumble.

The speedy defensive back also returned three punts and one kickoff last year. Combined, he had 17 return yards on the season.

Heading into 2009, there’s a very good chance that Hall will be a starting cornerback for Cincinnati. While this arrest probably won’t help his chances, he’s with the Bengals … so it just might.

Here’s a Leon Hall highlight video:

The Cincinnati Bengals apparently are big fans of legal trouble. On Tuesday, they signed yet another player who knows his way around the court room. Tank Johnson, a defensive tackle formerly with the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys, agreed on a one-year deal to join the Bengals.

Johnson’s rap sheet is impressive. In November of 2005, he arrested on a gun charge. In February of 2006, he was arrested for resisting arrest and aggravated assault. In December of 2006, Johnson was charged for possessing weapons that were unlicensed. Later in the month, William Posey, Johnson’s bodyguard and friend, was killed. His final brush with the law was a speeding ticket in Arizona.

On the football field, Johnson is a talented player. At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, he can be a dominant force in the middle when he’s playing at the top of his game. In 70 games over five season, Johnson has 96 tacks, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Still only 27, Johnson has a chance to be a good signing for Cincinnati … as long as he doesn’t get in trouble with the law once again.

If you want a laugh, watch this music video of “Blame it on a Bengal”. With Tank Johnson now on the Bengals, there’s yet another believable option:

Chad Johnson, who calls himself Chad Ocho Cinco these days, can be a very good wide receiver in the NFL. But after all his recent lunacy, he’s just not worth it anymore for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The latest transgression led to Mr. Ocho Cinco getting el deactivatedo against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. The issue in question was reportedly a team meeting that was skipped.

Whatever the details, the Bengals would be better off without him. Trade him to a team (Dallas Cowboys will be interested to take him on, especially now that he’s certified crazy) and rebuild the wide receiving corps around TJ Houshmandzadeh.

Chad Johnson loves to talk, loves to seek out as much glory as possible and apparently enjoys changing his name. But he’s not a winner and he almost never has the team’s number one interest in mind.

Adios, Ocho Cinco.

^{Photo credit: Newscom}

Last month, Hines Ward delivered a blow that broke the jaw of Cincinnati Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers. On Sunday, the Bengals will play against Ward and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Not so quietly, some members of the Bengals have been mentioning the possibility of revenge. Ward, who is undoubtedly the most physical wide receiver in the NFL, says he isn’t worried.

And, honestly, he shouldn’t be worried.

If the Bengals could execute on the football field, they’d have more than one win as they enter Week 12 of the season. A couple of Bengals players will likely look to take a cheap shot on Ward but Ward will be ready and he’ll be able to avoid injury.

In fact, it’d be just like Ward to lay a couple more vicious hits on Sunday just to show Cincinnati who’s boss. If you are a Bengals player, you best watch out for Ward coming to block you. Buckle your chin strap.

Here’s the Hines Ward video where he breaks Keith Rivers’ jaw: