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CINCINNATI -- It's almost as though Odell Thurman was never here.
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Two days after the Cincinnati Bengals released the troubled linebacker, coach Marvin Lewis refused to talk about him in any detail. Thurman's former teammates expressed sadness.
That's about it.
The organization publicly and steadfastly supported Thurman while he went through treatment for alcohol abuse and served a two-year suspension from the NFL. When it concluded that the former second-round pick wasn't working hard enough to regain a spot on the team, it made him past tense.
"We've been patient enough with Odell, and he's no longer here," Lewis said Wednesday, following the team's voluntary, on-field workout. "No big deal."
In many ways, it is a big deal.
Thurman's release left the Bengals with virtually nothing to show for their 2005 draft. First-round pick David Pollack is retiring because of a broken neck, and third-round pick Chris Henry was released last month following his fifth arrest as a Bengal.
The only starter from that draft class is center Eric Ghiaciuc, a fourth-round pick.
"Odell was a well-liked guy on the team, had possibly more talent than anybody we've seen come through here," sixth-year quarterback Carson Palmer said. "So it's tough to lose an athlete like that, a guy like that, and a draft pick.
"I mean, you only get so many second-round draft picks and when you only get one year out of them, it affects your team tremendously. It's just tough to lose the player that he was, and you really can't replace him."
Thurman showed signs of turning into a star as a rookie middle linebacker, when he led the team in tackles and led all NFL rookies with five interceptions. He never played for the Bengals again.
Thurman was suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell for the last two seasons after he skipped a drug test, got arrested for drunken driving and failed to meet the league's expectations for reinstatement.
He was allowed to resume working out at Paul Brown Stadium in January, and was fully reinstated on April 21. Teammates encouraged Thurman to spend more time with them so they could help him stay on the right path.
