That didn’t take long, did it?

One day after the Bengals returned from the NFL Scouting Combine, a report surfaced in the National Football Authority citing an NFL executive saying Cincinnati and the Cardinals are in talks for a first-round trade that would allow the Bengals to draft Alabama running back Trent Richardson with Arizona’s No. 13 pick.

But ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio offered Wednesday that with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden saying he likes a back-by-committee he rules out the Bengals using a first-round pick for Richardson on what they see as a rotational position.

On Wednesday afternoon there were no indications that the Bengals brass was involved in any trade talks with any teams. And while the executive told NFA the Bengals think very highly of Richardson, the club is still in the process of setting its board following the combine.

Given that the Bengals have traded up once in the first round in their history and it blew up with the ACL injury to running back Ki-Jana Carter, it’s hard to see them doing it again for a guy that plays the same position. They could draft Richardson with one of their own picks at No. 17 or No. 21, but that would go against their grain, too. They’ve only taken a running back four times in the first round: Archie Griffin in 1976, Charles Alexander in 1979, Carter in 1995 and Chris Perry in 2004.

If they did trade up this year, it would most likely happen on Draft Day and it would be for a cornerback, but history says no.

Just think. There are still 56 days until they make those picks and it’s started already.