Marvin Lewis doesn't know exactly what will happen with quarterback Carson Palmer, but he's proceeding as though he won't be with the team next season. Palmer wants a trade out of Cincinnati. "I don't know that. All I know is what's been said," Lewis said. "You just have to take it from what we know. That's the way I'm proceeding." Palmer has reportedly told friends he'd rather retire than continue to play for the Bengals. Lewis did say that he has talked with Palmer recently, but would not discuss the nature of those conversations.

Terrell Owens was sharply critical of the Bengals over the weekend. ?I think if you look at the talent we had in that locker room this year and we mustered four wins, that should let you know something is not right," Owens said during an NFL Network appearance. "Throughout the year, I saw some things that really wasn?t right. I?ve made a comment about if you?re trying to win some championships, it starts from the top down. (Warren Sapp) mentioned Mike Brown. "I think even before I got there, they said the owner was a little different. Obviously, I saw that. You start with the head coach, and then you start with the staff on both sides of the ball. Offensively, we really didn?t have the coaching that we really needed to muster what we had on the offensive side of the ball."

Bengals lineman Andrew Whitworth spoke about Carson Palmer?s request to be traded from the organization. "No, not really," Whitworth said when asked if he was surprised by Palmer's request. "I knew he was really frustrated and knew it had been a tough year for him. It had to be. He took a lot of blame for a lot of things that probably weren't his (fault) and things that for sure weren?t his fault. That?s the nature of a quarterback but I think in a year in which he was so excited about the potential of our team and for everything to go so badly was tough on him. "Then it didn?t help that there were ? and you say Cincinnati fans but the people who do stuff like they did to him aren?t real fans. You?ve got your real fans that will love and support you no matter what but having stuff thrown in his yard and stuff like that, just stuff that is uncalled for. There is stuff like that I?m sure hurt him and put him in a place where he?s not just hurt but worried about his family and people coming to his house. You worry about all that for him but in the end I can feel his frustrations so I wasn?t exactly surprised but I was concerned."

Further adding to rumors that Carson Palmer is done with the Bengals, the quarterback has put his Cincinnati-area home up for sale. "He's not coming back", according to a real estate agent who talked Wednesday morning with Palmer and local television station WCPO. Recent reports out of Cincinnati say that Palmer, the Bengals quarterback the past eight seasons, has requested a trade and is willing to retire if one is not granted.

Carson Palmer hasn't spoken to new Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Gruden is implementing a totally different offense on a team that is unsure about the future of their quarterback. Palmer asked for a trade following a 4-12 finish that left Cincinnati with only two winning records in the last 20 years.

Jay Gruden has accepted an offer from the Bengals to become their offensive coordinator. Gruden was on his brother Jon's staff with Tampa Bay from 2002-2008.

Chad Ochocinco, soon to be Chad Johnson again, expects more changes in Cincinnati this offseason. The Bengals went 4-12 last season and Carson Palmer has requested a trade. "I think Carson made a demand. Changes are being made already I guess to accommodate his demand," Ochocinco said. "I guess the organization will do whatever it takes to make him happy. "Our offensive coordinator was fired yesterday, for whatever reason, I'm not sure why. We've had some of our best years with him at the helm. I'm not sure where that firing came from. I'm sure other changes are soon to come." He is under contract with the Bengals next season, but the wide receiver has done little to quiet talk about a possible change of employer.