Apparently there is a new Chad Johnson (yeah right).

The outspoken Bengals receiver had plenty to say Monday, but maybe the most surprising was this: “I’m putting Carson (Palmer), T.J. (Houshmandzadeh), Marvin (Lewis), Brat (offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski) first.

“You’re going to see the same player – the laughter, the celebrations; I’m still going to get fined and still going to have Cincinnati on the edge of its seat wondering what I’m going to do next – but I am going to mature in some way, I just don’t know how it will be,” he said.

Of course, Ocho Cinco prefaced all that by saying “When I’m at my best, I make everybody around me better,” so let’s not say he’s completely unselfish all of a sudden.

Johnson said his ankle feels better than it did last week and he plans to be in Cincinnati this week to get some rehab in preparation for next Monday’s first training camp practice. He won’t be 100 percent right out of the gate after his June 18 arthroscopic ankle surgery.

And he said he wouldn’t rush things during the early portion of camp, so don’t expect full participation for a while. Johnson showed up for a mandatory minicamp last month, but didn’t fully participate the first two days because of the sore right ankle that led to the surgery. He estimated that he’s about 60 percent recovered.

“It’s not where it needs to be,” he said. “I can run, but I don’t think I’m able to actually get right on the field and go at it. If I came back too early and reinjured myself, it would be a setback.”

Johnson, who caught 93 balls for 1,440 yards and eight TDs last season, agreed to a long-term deal with the Bengals two years ago. He’ll get a $3 million base salary this season, and is under contract with the Bengals through 2010. There’s a club option for 2011. Yet he says his trade demands are a thing of the past and that he would (gasp!) actually like to retire as a Bengal.

“I’m still in Cincinnati,” Johnson said. “This is one of those crazy things. I love Cincinnati. I love my fans. I love everything about it. I wasn’t happy about certain things — the business side of it — and I spoke my mind and that was it.

“I will be in Cincy. And please do not misunderstand the point of what went on this offseason,” Johnson said. “To me, I call it somewhat of a wake up call to get things done. That is all I was trying to do.”