Getty ImagesNew England’s signing of Brandon Lloyd fills the role in the Patriots’ passing game that the team hoped Chad Ochocinco would fill when they traded for him last year. So where does that leave Ochocinco going forward?
It probably leaves him looking for a new team: Stories in both the Boston Herald and Boston Globe today suggest that Ochocinco probably doesn’t have a place on the Patriots’ roster anymore.
In fact, there’s a good chance the Patriots would have decided to move on from Ochocinco even if they hadn’t signed Lloyd. When you’re a 34-year-old wide receiver coming off a season in which you had career lows in catches (15) and yards (276) and you don’t contribute on special teams, your job is never safe. And that’s what Ochocinco is right now.
Before they signed Lloyd the Patriots indicated they would like Ochocinco to restructure his contract, and Ochocinco hinted in a Twitter message that he’s open to reducing his $3 million base salary and taking an incentive-laden contract instead. But even if he’s willing to play for the league minimum salary it’s hard to see what Ochocinco’s place in the receiving corps would be. He barely had a place in the offense last year, before the addition of Lloyd.
So Ochocinco may find that the Patriots don’t want him at any price. If he’s released, he’ll be free to find out what the market is for a 34-year-old receiver who caught 15 passes last season.
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Bring your talents to South Beach!!
No surprise here! Next story, please!
CFL time?
lol^^
Lousy Stinko is toast. He’ll be joining the other unemployed DIVA’s to form a trio for the pre-game singing of the National Anthem. The other members will be TO and Braylon ‘hands of stone’ Edwards.
This headline would have made a lot more sense back in October.
Why? He was so productive
I appreciate his willingness to buy in the Patriot way.
Don’t appreciate the 6 mil or whatever they had to blow on it.
If this is true, I wish Chad well. He did a fantastic job being a good teammate and he tried to be what they wanted him to be. I hope Lloyd is as good of a teammate.
My guess is that he’s just about done…
but i thought he was a “future hall of famer”? hes a joke, and so were his numbers this past season. maybe he can reunite with T.O.
Just the kind of used-up receiver that seems to give the Jets’ brass wood.
What “talents”?
wouldn’t be surprised to see the jets make a run after him. although it would be a bad signing, the jets haven’t made any type of splash so far.
iow, he will be free… of football.
whether he wants to be, or not.
Too bad, he apparently was a good soldier and teamate, just not a good fit. I think he can still help someone on the cheap.
Jets please.
Hes done. was finished after he changed his name. compare the guy to jerry rice and u can see why. rice took his job seriously and ocho dinko went holywood.
Ocho was a beast in cincy.
I for one hope he stays. I just like the guy. Makes no sense but I want him on the roster. He’s been a good soldier.
Ochocinco is not how you spell 85 to begin with. 15 catches? Maybe his talents best fit reality TV and not the NFL? Just asking.
When does his time actually start in New England??? His was non-existent last year.
Shocking! Ocho out. Who’d a thunk it? What a waste for what it looks like a basically good guy.
You people that want an old loud mouth are probably welcome to him and you deserve him.
Complex offense. Granted the idiot should’ve tried harder to learn it there’s still a place for him in the league.
Bill Belichick is a genius. Signing Ocho was a genius move. Cutting him will be a genius move.
85 gettin’ 86′ed!
Even if the Patriots don’t cut him, there won’t be an Ochocinco playing for them next year.
Lee Evans would be a better choice than him and Lee Evans isn’t a good choice.
considering they got Lloyd and Gonzales (who is a question mark by himself) and might get Amindola… This guy is dead to Brady. He will be in Seattle..lol
He never should have changed his name from Johnson.
What a bad sign by Billl-the-cheat… And nobody is complaining. But it seems to me that Bill-the-cheat is nothing without Pioli.
Anybody with football intelligence saw this coming midway thru last season. It’s barely even a story at this point. Situations like this, brett favre, and tomlinsons make you appreciate a Barry sanders style retirement
Miami obvs, they need someone, bess and hartline are good, even Roberto Wallace. Just get 2 more recs and well be good. Draft?
He’s probably done, especially if they re-sign Branch.
take your prius with you!
Good guy. Not good wideout in our system!
We need players not running a reform school for wayward receivers.
How bout use a pick on Wallace go all in rest of draft on D and have a legit 5 yr window with Brady locked and turn over to Mallet???
Bye Chad Johnson. You suck.
Ocho is still their second best outside receiver on the team, but I imagine that Deion Branch will be back.
Since Ocho doesn’t play ST, I can see him being out of town.
For the record, he maintained a great attitude and stayed out of trouble. He also won people money on the “over” off .5 catches in the SB. Way to go, Chad.
SF has a sign out calling for washed up Divas, he would fit perfect next to Moss. What a train wreck that would be Moss, Chad and Crabtree with Kap as the QB. Jimmie would have a heart attack dealing with that drama.
It’s not Ocho’s fault, Brady and the former OC didn’t care about outside receivers, because it was easier to dump it off or give it to the TEs in the middle.
Another over-hyped, under-producing wide receiver. Yeah, go to south beach. Please.
sometimes human beings age
He just couldn’t learn the offense. I think he can still be a productive receiver for another team.
Come to Chitown!
He is done. Reality TV for a year or so more then an article about him being broke a year or two later. Nice knowing ya!!
JaminJake says: Mar 18, 2012 2:34 PM
He just couldn’t learn the offense. I think he can still be a productive receiver for another team.
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We’re not talking about solving differential equations here. He was a ten year NFL veteran – you really think he can’t learn a playbook? It’s not like you need the Rosetta Stone to decipher it.
Cutting #85 now would be a mistake. See what he can do with McDaniels and if he doesn’t look good you can cut him when teams need to reduce their rosters to 53 men during the pre-season.
Cincinnati would like to thank New England for the 2 draft picks given for this washed up bum.
Next Stop the San Francisco 49ers, and they’ll sign him for nothing! I think Greenbay’s offense is really complicated so maybe he’ll sign there lol
So will he still get that yellow HoF blazer???
Vikings need receivers….. Just sayin..
Houston needs a number 2. He fits that description.
Isn’t he competing against girls in the cross-fit challenge anyway?
He can join the Lions for the league minimum after his buy out
Bye Bye Ocho Stinko. You did nothing…..but at least you didn’t act like a Diva Douche.
Can I have those hours of my life back this summer when I was told how great the signings of MuchoStinko and Fat Albert were?
If everyone knows it, it’s not news. Was there a chance he was staying?
Come to MN old boy,play in comfort and catch some passes. Sure we’ll have a young receiver or 2 added that you could teach your craft to
That’s it. Chad to Raiders. Mark it down. Lock it up.
Or the Jets. He can NOT play and NOT catch passes from a crappy QB just as well as a Hall Of Fame one.
I’m shocked.
SHOCKED.
He just couldn’t learn the offense. I think he can still be a productive receiver for another team.
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The one where you have to be a TE to have the ball thrown at you? If you drop a few of Tom Brady’s passes you might as well pack your bags.
Something feels werid about the chad johnson thing in NE..if you got Tom Brady throwing to you and you really have those bad of numbers for being a stretch the feel type reciever why would anyone pick this guy up. As good as he played previously, and Tom Brady being at helm, him putting up way below average numbers, just seems odd.
bigguy54 says:
Mar 18, 2012 2:32 PM
SF has a sign out calling for washed up Divas, he would fit perfect next to Moss. What a train wreck that would be Moss, Chad and Crabtree with Kap as the QB. Jimmie would have a heart attack dealing with that drama.
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Meanwhile Brady get older and older. Of course he hasn’t won anything of significance since the Pats D declined and Belicheat stopped spying. 7 years and counting….
Shouldn’t that “talk” have increased, say, last October? Just go away, Chad, you were never as funny as you thought you were anyway.
zackattack006 says: Mar 18, 2012 2:26 PM
What a bad sign by Billl-the-cheat… And nobody is complaining. But it seems to me that Bill-the-cheat is nothing without Pioli.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You’re right…since it was the Chiefs who played in the Superbowl this past year. Oh wait…….
Another genius.
bobhk says: Mar 18, 2012 3:00 PM
bigguy54 says:
Mar 18, 2012 2:32 PM
SF has a sign out calling for washed up Divas, he would fit perfect next to Moss. What a train wreck that would be Moss, Chad and Crabtree with Kap as the QB. Jimmie would have a heart attack dealing with that drama.
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Meanwhile Brady get older and older. Of course he hasn’t won anything of significance since the Pats D declined and Belicheat stopped spying. 7 years and counting….
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Durrrr….Bill-cheat….durrrr Spygate…..durrrr, me no understand football…durrrrr
ochocinco played for the patriots last year?
JACKSONVILLE!
49ers should sign him
CHILD PLEASE……..TIME TO KISS DA BABY
Me think he become a 49er as they are in the market for everyone elses cast offs
He will fit in well with the once were never were and never will be great WR’s
Wait, I thought they cut him in Week 8 last year?
There has also been increased speculation that Santa Claus is not real.
Just let Chad Uh Oh Spaghettios go!!!!!!!
It’s so disgusting on how people made Uh Oh Spaghettios look angelic compared to T.O.
After goofing off during the 2008, 2010, and 2011 offseasons that (according to the media) NEVER contributed to his potential downfall!!!
Just because he’s funny it doesn’t mean you cover up his past that consists of lethargy and negligence!!!!!!!!
BTW, anyone seen his Twitter handle lately???
It’s back to normal!!!!!!! More anti-Belichick than it should be!!!!!!!!!!
I’m dying to see the next episode of his reality show!!!!
San Francisco will be waiting with open arms.
With the recent signings of WR’s in NE…this is news?
Great investigative work, who was your unidentified source?
Put this in the bank.
One place he will not go is Oakland. At least not while Palmer is there. One of the reasons Carson was so frustrated was Marvin could never get Chad to run the right route. Palmer always took ownership of Stinko’s mistakes. That and the addition of TO doing the same thing was the final straw.
as a Pats fan hats off to the dude – his attitude was impeccable in a very tough situation, going from centerstage to afterthought. Not easy and earned sympathy and respect in NE as a result (whatever past issues he may have had). not sure if it was him, OC, Brady or shortened preseason, or full coaching attention on D’s holes.
3 million for 15 catches? Maybe he can join Terrel Owens in Arena Football and form the nucleus of a legendary mini field duo lol.
Cincy needs a #2.
This guy is done… I want to see him swim with Great White Sharks now…
portnoychunk says:
Mar 18, 2012 3:05 PM
bobhk says: Mar 18, 2012 3:00 PM
bigguy54 says:
Mar 18, 2012 2:32 PM
SF has a sign out calling for washed up Divas, he would fit perfect next to Moss. What a train wreck that would be Moss, Chad and Crabtree with Kap as the QB. Jimmie would have a heart attack dealing with that drama.
————
Meanwhile Brady get older and older. Of course he hasn’t won anything of significance since the Pats D declined and Belicheat stopped spying. 7 years and counting….
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Durrrr….Bill-cheat….durrrr Spygate…..durrrr, me no understand football…durrrrr
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Of course you don’t. Glad to see you can admit it.
Once Pats were a feel good story (when they won the first one). Now they are just plain annoying (mainly due to the fans arrogance).
Now that they haven’t won the superbowl in 7 years they are headed back to the mediocrity/basement dweller status they were before 2001.
It’s not like the guy got the veteran minimum he made what $6Mill…he was good guy but at 34 maybe it’s time to move on or retire..A 20 yr old TE picks up the offense and a veteran like Ocho can’t figure it out–mind boggling…Kudos to the Bengals for this deal and the fleecing of Oakland..
the Allen wranglers and TO are waiting with open arms,great retirement village for whiny a** aging receivers
He’ll sign a contract in the lingerie league!!
The Allen Wranglers of the IFL is looking for aging wide receivers.
the guy was talented and pissed away the best yrs of his career acting like a goof. i always kinda thought he was refreshing in a way but he has burned allot of bridges.
Chad johnson has neen overrated his whole career!!! He was making plays early on in his career with an elementary style offense. Once he found himself on a real team, with real professional ownership he couldn’t make it!!! p.s Im a lifelong bengals fan, but the truth is the truth!! Not a team player, & and never was!!
Don’t worry your loser qb friend carson is next!! both of you are garbage. go join the arena league with your garbage buddy T.HOE!!!
Ochocinco played on the Pats last year?
Maybe Hue Jackson can work out a trade for a 1st rounder.
His reported attitude this past year gives him substantial up-side regarding teammate or locker room value. However, the fact that he didn’t produce tends to show that his career may be coming to an end.
He would be a very pickup for quite a few teams for a 1 year, minimum salary contract with extra “production incentives” added. He may surprise folks and have high production just to show the nay-sayers. If he doesn’t, the team moves on.
Seahawks pass.
Bills should sign him. You would get him for cheap and he would provide another weapon to a mediocre receiving core excluding stevie johnson (revis krypto). Let’s not forget another big reason he put up those numbers is because he was not able to mesh with the Pats system quick enough to make a big impact on the field which obviously affected his snaps (lockout, gronk/hernandez, old age,Bill’s regime). I do agree he is not the same player he once was but I think he still has some game left in him. Should be interesting. Give him a small base salary with some performance incentives and then he doesn’t cost you much and gets paid for what he deserves if he plays well. Buddy probably won’t but as a Bills fan I wouldn’t mind seeing him suit up for Bills Nation every sunday.
Watch him end up in Jacksonville…but for some reason, SF pops up in the back of my head….
I have no tolerance for people who like to disrespect athletes for no good reason. What has Chad ever done wrong besides being a goofball. The guy was one of the best in the biz for a decade. He made things interesting and played some damn good football. He had a bad year where he couldn’t find his stride in a new system. It wasn’t for lack of effort.I hope he has a few more good seasons left in him because his antics make the NFL more enjoyable.Good Luck Eight Five!
Put a fork in him, he’s well done!!! While he had talent, he could never grasp the “TEAM” concept, always wanting the attention on him, pouting when things did not go his way. Marvin Lewis did nothing to stop that behavior and as a result the Bengals never seemed to be a real team even when they had success. Mike Brown had a chance to fleece the Redskins and let it pass, at least NE gave the Bengals something for a washed up 34 year old receiver.
This is not Chads fault. Blame it on Dancing With the Stars. Ward and Chad are both casuaties.
Was 85 really any good at WR or was he very good at self promoting?
Chad was a good team player in New England. He didn’t pick up the offense which is very disappointing because he would have been fun with 80 catches 10+TD’s.
He did nothing to embarass the org and if he leaves it will be because he doesn’t accept the Pats incentive laden contract.
Best of luck but he wastes alot of time on twitter the dumbest thing to most people who can care less what these guys think every moment. The stuff posted on ESPNBoston looks stupid.
7 years and counting….
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That’s about a 1/6 of the time it’s been since the Jets won the Super Bowl.
Mac3333
I am glad you are happy with your picks.
NE gave cincy a fifth in 12 and a sixth in 13. I wouldn’t gloat until you see what you get
Hardly a big exchange.
Cincinnati would like to thank New England for the 2 draft picks given for this washed up bum
In return, I thank Cincinnati for pocketing 50 million of available cap space and remaining non-competitive.
I actually used to like the Bengals with Boomer and Sam Wyche, but that was forever ago.
Yeah, I’m not surprised that 85 didn’t do so well in NE. As far as I can tell, if your name is not Gronkowski or Hernandez, your chances of getting the ball is inversely proportional to your skill level.
Hey, come to NYJ.. We could use a #2 WR. Cotchery is a FA too
Ocho stinko! He and hush made a great leap from the Bengals and never lived up to the cash.
Some people amaze me. Chad only caught 15 passes, but how many times did he get thrown at?
If the Patriots didn’t throw to him, or he wasn’t on the field for many series, or he simply was never open.
Why don’t you do some research before you condemn them.
Browns will take him! He’d be our best player!
My Browns could sign him for cheap and the sad thing is unless they draft a WR he would be the #1 receiver.
I actually think he may stick around. He was a solid teammate, never a distraction, and I think BB still has a soft spot for him. If he really was going to get rid of him regardless of who they were able to sign, BB would have made it a priority to reduce his cap hit this year sooner than later, and then would have released 85 so he could catch on with another team before the WR market dried up.
He will see him in camp and make his decision at that point.
Jag-warrs…
15 catches would actually reach incentives with them.
T.O. plus Randy Moss plus Ochocinco equals how many Super Bowl rings?
Excuse me, I didn’t quite catch that.
I feel so bad for Carson Palmer…
Not only did he have to work with this insufferable fool for YEARS, but he had to deal with the biggest penny pinching GM in the NFL!
He’ll fit in with the Dolphins. All show and no play
Gotta ask this, but do the Pats even have any receivers of color anymore?
he once sent pepto bismal to the steelers secondary players the week of the game.
Seems to me he could still do reasonably well in another system. After all those years being a primary target, it’s probably past the point where he can refocus on only seeing the ball 1 or 2 times a game. Also, the NE offense is probably one of the more demanding versions out there to function in. I also think he felt the Boston pressure and probably tried too hard. That said, $3m still might be a little rich.
A year ago, I would have followed these somewhat kind thoughts on Chad by self-admitting myself into a psych ward. But he has showed he can be a hard working, professional (perhaps loosely defined).
Good, see ya.
Men the reason why chad got 15 catches cause he didn’t get in the game I thing they should resign him or if not go get mike w… From the steelers or trade a frist pick on a rb…
Was a pretty decent player, but all the antics overshadowed his talents
His years and mileage just caught up with him, it’s not his fault. Wish I could be around when some of you hit 40 and pull a back muscle taking out the trash. As you hobble to your front door I would cheerfully drive by and yell ‘you svck!!’