AFC North blog
ESPN.com's James Walker writes about all things AFC North in his division blog.
•Blog network: NFL Nation
As a result, Ochocinco says he's working extremely hard in Los Angeles, doing various football and boxing drills to get back into Pro Bowl form.
"Last year was very humbling for me; it was an embarrassment," Ochocinco, who intends to return for Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp June 18-20, told the NFL Network. "It's not just for myself, but for the rest of the city and the team. So before I go back, I want to be in just unbelievable form before I even touch the green grass."
Ochocinco, 31, looked crisp doing sparring and running passing routes in the video piece aired Tuesday night on the NFL Network. He received a lot of heat from the Bengals and quarterback Carson Palmer for not taking part in the team's offseason workouts.
Last year, Ochocinco caught just 53 passes for 540 yards as Cincinnati finished 4-11-1. The team made several good moves this offseason and could have another reason to feel optimistic this year if its top receiver proves to be accurate in his personal assessment.
"Words cannot describe the type of shape I'm in right now," Ochocinco told the NFL Network. "Words cannot describe the type of season I'm going to have. I'm telling you ahead of time."
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