The Bills, Raiders, Redskins, Dolphins, 49ers and Bengals are among the teams still searching for a quarterback entering the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. TCU's Andy Dalton, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Mallett of Arkansas are the most prominent quarterbacks remaining on the board.

The Bengals, in need of a quarterback, tried to swing a deal with the Packers for the last pick in the first round of Thursday night's NFL Draft. Cincinnati would have selected TCU's Andy Dalton, according to league sources. The Bengals and Packers could not agree on the compensation for the 32nd pick, however, so the Packers selected Mississippi State tackle Derek Sherrod.

Chad Ochocinco tweeted on Tuesday that he believes his time in Cincinnati may be coming to an end. Ochocinco, coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued season, expressed bluntly that his "time is up" with the Bengals. He has one year remaining on his contract and could be trade bait once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

The Bengals have the fourth overall pick in this week's NFL Draft and coach Marvin Lewis says the team will keep all their options open. Lewis did, however, reveal on Monday that Cincinnati recently had a private workout with Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert is just the latest high-profile quarterback to visit and take part in a pre-draft workout with the Bengals, joining a group that includes Auburn's Cam Newton, Florida State's Christian Ponder and TCU's Andy Dalton. "We've evaluated quarterbacks but I don't think we're forced into any situation any way or another," Lewis said. "I think we want to be very, very careful to make sure we make the picks that we make and we get the value for the picks where we're making them. Unfortunately we're picking too high this year at No. 4, and there comes a great value with that pick and we want to make sure in every pick that we make that we that we get a player that meets that value and we feel real good about him in that particular slot."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed a phone conversation with Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on Friday. League officials said it didn't violate the rule restricting communication during the NFL lockout because it was informal and purely social. "He tweeted me out," Goodell told USA Today. "He asked me to call him. I talk to players all the time."

Boomer Esiason doesn't want to see any of this year's quarterback prospects drafted by the Bengals. Esiason said that Cincinnati likely will take Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the No. 4 overall pick in next week's draft, suggesting that Carson Palmer's days with the team are done. Palmer has said he will not play for the Bengals and wants to be traded. "In my estimation, he (Palmer) has absolutely checked out of the Cincinnati hotel," Esiason said. "He is gone, he is out of there, he does not want to play there anymore. And I can completely sympathize with where he's coming from." Esiason believes Gabbert is the pick and will face unique challenges adapting to the Bengals' franchise. "I have to completely sympathize with Blaine Gabbert if he does get drafted by the Bengals," Esiason said. "I do believe he would make a great fit there, but as Cris and I both know, he is going to have to be a better player than advertised in order to be successful there because of the lack of support."

With his brother requesting a trade from the Bengals, quarterback Jordan Palmer is stepping up for the team. The younger Palmer is gathering offensive players for offseason workouts in California. He told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday that he'll host most of the Bengals' receivers, tight ends and running backs next week. They'll work out at Palmer's high school in Mission Viejo. "I've got them staying in a hotel, got a trainer and everything set up for them," Palmer said. "It should be good and take some steps in the right direction. It's my first thing, really, as a leader. I want to be the guy, so I'm just trying to do those things."

Adam "Pacman" Jones is in line to start at cornerback for the Bengals next season if Jonathan Joseph leaves as a free agent. Many believe Joseph will be in high demand as an established cornerback. Jones was Cincinnati's No. 3 corner in 2010.

The Bengals aren't certain what will happen at their quarterback position with Carson Palmer demanding a trade, but the team is still excited about their offense next season. Cincinnati hired Jay Gruden as their new offensive coordinator earlier this offseason. "When you sit and talk with him, he's a football junkie and fanatic," Lewis said. "He brings great energy to that (offensive meeting) room. He brings a great feel (for) how every position is going to be coached and critiqued without being one of those that micromanages. "As he said, when you call the play in the huddle, it should be exciting for the quarterback."

With Carson Palmer on his way out in Cincinnati, Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports wonders whether the Bengals can avoid drafting a quarterback with the fourth overall pick. "... even though there are serious questions about each of the draft's marquee passers, I don't see how the Bengals can avoid giving into the temptation to select one of them with the fourth overall pick," Silver writes. The lockout has helped put the Bengals in the situation they are in because they haven't been able to pursue a quarterback via free agency or trade.