The Dolphins haven’t confirmed that Chad Ochocinco will work out for them.
That isn’t stopping Ochocinco from feeling good about his chances of signing with them as a free agent. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the former Bengals and Patriots wide receiver is “optimistic that there’s genuine interest” in bringing him on board.
Even without confirmation from the team, it’s not hard to understand why that might be the case. The Dolphins’ depth chart at receiver currently features Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Legedu Naanee alongside a slew of underwhelming veterans and unproven rookies. If Ochocinco’s game is sound and he can see his way clear to learning the playbook, there’s a place for him on the offense.
There’s also the Hard Knocks angle. We’re not suggesting that the Dolphins are interested in signing him just to juice up their HBO stint this summer, but the willingness to do the show makes it clear that the Dolphins aren’t worried about the possibility of distractions. That’s a prerequisite for getting into bed with Ochocinco, so the wideout’s belief in genuine interest seems well-founded.
Now we just need to actually get to the workout because all the interest in the world won’t help Ochocinco if he can’t prove his value on the field.