Palmer: Should be changes on coaching staff

Quarterback Carson Palmer met with reporters this morning in the Bengals locker room and, in typical fashion, answered questions honestly.

He talked of the need for the Bengals to put the disappointing season behind them and come back a rejuvinated team with a tighter focus and more disciplined.

Then he was asked if the same coaching staff can lead that turnaround.

"I don't think so," Palmer said.

Do you think there should be a change in coaches?

"I think so," he said.

Do you think there will be?

"Like I said, I don't make those decisions. I play quarterback."

Do you know what's going on?

"No."

Even in terms of the coaches you work most closely with, quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski?

"No. Like I said. I don't know."

Throughout much of the Bengals now-completed 7-9 season,Palmer looked tired and worn out.

This morning we found out why.

"Oh, yeah. I think the amount of sleep I lost this year. I think I've aged. I'm 28 going on 34. I think I lost a couple years," he said. "Frustrating. Times I felt sick to my stomach and I didn't have the flu. Just a long, long, frustrating year, but in saying that, I wish we could start all over and play 16 games right now. I'm not ready to go home.

"This is my most disappointing year of any sports, junior Pop Warner to T-ball to now. The losses, the way we lost, the fact we're going to be watching the playoffs from our couches, the fact we don't have practice next week."

Would would he do to improve the team?

"We have enough problems and enough areas we need to improve on that it's not a short list," he said. "Hopefully the things will happen that need to happen for us to be the team we can be. I haven't been asked. Like I said, I would love to give input, and I have great input to give."

Is the window of opportunity closing on the core group of Bengals key players?

"I don't think so," he said. "(But) every year you say that. Pretty soon next year you're retiring and hanging them up. The guys on this team who need to realize that realize that. Pretty soon it's over, you're an alum or a fan and have to get a real job and put on a suit every day. We need to approach this offseason in a new way and come back a rejuvinated team."

UPDATED: Schedule official

The NFL released opponents for the 2008 season.

The Bengals will have home games against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. (Kansas City was the third-place team in the AFC West ahead of last-place Oakland, based on record against common opponents.)

The Bengals will play road games against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

UPDATED: Offseason roster expands

The Bengals today signed four players to the team’s offseason roster. All four were on the Bengals practice squad as the 2007 season concluded. The four are defensive end Titus Adams (Nebraska), center Kyle Cook (Michigan State), safety Nick Turnbull (Florida International) and offensive tackle Dane Uperesa (Hawaii).

Cook and Uperesa, both rookies in 2007, spent the full season on the Bengals practice squad. Adams, classified a first-year NFL player, and Turnbull, a second-year player, both were signed to the practice squad Dec. 18. All four players signed two-year contracts.