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How do you explain the offseason of the Cincinnati Bengals?

In one word: chaotic.

Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson dominated the headlines with his numerous trade demands. After all that was said and done, his absence in organized team activities created a stir and his appearance in minicamp was arguably one of the biggest stories this offseason.

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But there are football games to be played, too, and the team is going through a major makeover defensively under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Cincinnati's defense is young, but there are some talented pieces in defensive end Antwan Odom, linebacker and first-round pick Keith Rivers and cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall.

Cincinnati is on its third defensive coordinator in six seasons under Marvin Lewis, and the hope is that Zimmer is finally the right fit for the team.

What we learned from minicamp

Johnson is a major distraction for the Bengals. The irony is that Johnson felt he was unfairly cited as the reason Cincinnati went 7-9 last season, and at the time he did have a case.

But Johnson's multiple offseason comments ripping the Bengals' organization and wanting out of Cincinnati brought a wealth of negative attention to a team that certainly didn't need it. In addition to Johnson, the Bengals also made a pair of high-profile cuts in receiver Chris Henry and linebacker Odell Thurman for off-the-field issues.

Once Johnson arrived to the team's three-day minicamp, Johnson, agent Drew Rosenhaus and the team were not on the same page. For starters, the team didn't know whether Johnson was going to show up on the first day.

After Johnson did, Cincinnati fully expected him to practice with the team. But Johnson told the Bengals he had an ankle injury. So the Bengals gave Johnson a physical: He passed, but Johnson responded by saying his back also was sore and he didn't want to practice. A week later, Johnson underwent surgery to clean out his right ankle. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp .

Rosenhaus arrived in Cincinnati to support Johnson and confirmed that his ankle injury is legit. Rosenhaus added that Johnson is contemplating surgery this summer to remove bone spurs.

Then the Bengals responded by saying the team advised Johnson to get the surgery a long time ago. The point is, all of this could have been settled behind closed doors before Johnson arrived for minicamp.

Toward the end of the minicamp, Johnson did a little more and participated in team drills. But the entire minicamp turned out to be the "Chad Johnson Show."

Still unresolved

Since the Bengals remain steadfast in not trading Johnson -- most likely due to the $8 million salary-cap hit it would entail -- the biggest issue is Johnson's happiness.

Will Johnson be content playing in Cincinnati for at least one more season? Can he avoid becoming a major distraction throughout the year?

Will all of Johnson's teammates fully accept him, particularly the players on defense who felt the wrath of Johnson's harsh criticisms?

The good news for Cincinnati is that all indications are that Johnson will report to training camp on time next month.

Injury analysis

After being hampered by a bad hamstring last season, starting tailback Rudi Johnson is in tremendous shape.

Johnson packed on 15 pounds of muscle to increase his durability and is running like the Johnson of old in early practices. Last year he slimmed down to increase his speed, but that turned out to be a mistake because his body took a pounding.

This year, Johnson is getting back to his power running style, which usually has worked for him. In other running back news, the Bengals lost backup DeDe Dorsey to a hamstring injury and won't have clarity on his status until training camp.

High expectations

Rivers will be heavily relied upon to produce in his first season. The No. 9 overall pick was considered one of the rookies most ready to make an immediate impact. He will have to prove it in Cincinnati. Already Rivers has impressed Cincinnati's coaching staff with his professional demeanor and work ethic. The team has a glut of 11 linebackers on its roster and probably will take seven or eight into the season. It appears at this early stage that Rivers is playing his way into a starting outside linebacker role.

Training camp start date: July 28

James Walker covers the NFL for ESPN.com.