Palmer practices without knee brace

A year ago, I watched every move Carson Palmer made anywhere near a playing field, down to the point I could tell whether he was wearing a smaller or larger brace on his surgically-repaired left knee.

So thorough has Palmer's rehab, recovery and return been that on Tuesday, during the first of 14 offseason practices, I just made sure he was there and continued to count bodies as I walked around the perimeter of the two practice fields.

It wasn't until earlier this morning, when I looked at colleague Gary Landers' photograph on the cover of the Enquirer Sports section, that I noticed Palmer had no brace on that left knee. (I put the link above.)

Some other leftover observations:

-- Practice finished with all players running eight 40-yard striders. They weren't flat-out sprints, though center Eric Ghiaciuc and defensive end Robert Geathers ran hard.

-- I was interested in watching former Olympic hurdler Bennie Brazell, a Bengals wide receiver, run the sprints. He wasn't going to pull the Cadillac out of the garage. He calmly ran each 40 a little faster but never approached full speed. I could tell by just watching the concentration on his face that he knew exactly what he was doing.

-- Brazell could provide a dangerous deep threat. He's not a track runner playing football. He is a football player. I recall how well he blocked in training camp last year before his injury.

-- Cornerback Johnathan Joseph has incredible closing speed and change-of-direction skills. He made a lightning-fast move on a pass, stepped in front of the receiver but dropped the ball. Defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle has had Joseph catching footballs all offseason.

-- Middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks made a quick move on a pass in the flat but also dropped an interception.

-- I appreicate how hard Chad Johnson practices, and it's May, and it's the first day of 14 Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices.

-- Tab Perry is getting the first long look as the third receiver, in place of suspended Chris Henry. Perry looks to be moving well after his hip injury and appears to be in excellent condition.

-- Linebacker Ed Hartwell talks a good game. So did Nate Webster before his injury. Hartwell has produced when healthy, and if he can stay on the field, the Bengals might really have something.

-- At one point, the first-team defense lined up with the following front seven: Bryan Robinson, Domata Peko, John Thornton, Justin Smith, Landon Johnson, Brooks and Rashad Jeanty.

-- Peko is a player to watch. He performed well as a reserve last season, and his rapid development made the Sam Adams' release possible.

-- I enjoy the thought and effort Robinson puts into every answer he gives when I approach him at his cubicle in the locker room. He is a pro. He doesn't just talk. He says something.

-- Finally, this item was in the Palm Beach Post this morning about the Joey Porter-Levi Jones case:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2007/05/14/0514porter.html