The first time he set foot in Cincinnati, receiver Peter Warrick felt like he was in Tinseltown.

“I’m looking at the hills and (thinking) Hollywood,” he mused that sunny April afternoon in 2000.

He left town Tuesday during a downpour, the remnant of Hurricane Katrina moving through. The Bengals released Warrick after five failed attempts to craft a feel-good ending in a city that sorely needs one.

“It’s weird, because you don’t expect something like that to happen to him,” said receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who took Warrick’s job when he was hurt last season. “That’s why you’re shocked, really.

“I hope he does well. I’m quite sure he will. All he can do is make them feel like they made a mistake.”

The Bengals made several mistakes with Warrick, right from the start.

They took the shifty playmaker from national champion Florida State with the fourth overall pick, expecting him to develop into a game-breaking receiver and kick returner. They didn’t quite know what to do with him.

They teamed Warrick, college teammate Ron Dugans and quarterback Akili Smith — all rookies — behind a flimsy offensive line in 2000, and it was a failure. Warrick had a rough adjustment, learning what it’s like to play for a losing team.

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He tried too hard to make things happen, often doubling back and losing yards while vainly trying to turn a short reception into a big play. The Bengals repeatedly changed quarterbacks, and Warrick languished.

He finally made progress in 2003, the first season under Marvin Lewis. He caught 79 passes for 819 yards with eight touchdowns — all career highs — and helped the Bengals stay in contention for their first playoff berth since 1990.

For the first time, he looked like a first-round pick.

“It was like the old P-Dub we used to watch in college,” receiver Kelley Washington said. “He made unbelievable plays with the ball in his hands.”

Warrick missed only one game late in the 2003 season after having arthroscopic surgery for torn knee cartilage. The Bengals finished 8-8 and Warrick’s knee was never the same.

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“He shouldn’t have come back from that injury when he did at the end of ’03, but he was trying to do what’s best for the team,” said Jon Kitna, the quarterback that season. “In the end, that probably hurt him individually. I think that speaks to the character he has.”

Warrick developed a crack in the bone by the knee last season, when he played in only four games. He had more knee surgery, and missed minicamp and most of training camp while recovering.

He played in only one preseason game and didn’t have a catch, dropping him down the depth chart at the Bengals’ most crowded position. He practiced on Monday and urged the team to cut him soon if he wasn’t in its plans.

A day later, the Bengals obliged.

“There is some disappointment involved in making this move,” Lewis said. “But I believe it’s in the best interests of the Bengals and Peter to go forward.”

The Bengals made several other moves on Tuesday to get to the roster limit.

Starting safety Kim Herring was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Herring hurt his shoulder during a preseason game in Philadelphia on Friday night.

The Bengals also signed safety Ifeanyi Ohalete, who was released by Arizona, and free agent linebacker Hannibal Navies from Green Bay. They waived cornerback Terrell Roberts and rookie guard Kyle Takavitz from Cincinnati.

Warrick would have made $2.28 million in the final year on his contract. He’s free to negotiate with any team.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said a few minutes after Warrick’s contract was terminated that he already had gotten phone calls from other teams.

“There’s no question in my mind that he’s got a lot of football ahead of him,” Rosenhaus said. “Since word’s gotten out, we’ve had a flood of interest. He will be with another team in a couple of days.”

When Warrick practiced on Monday, teammates noticed the injury was still affecting him.

“He doesn’t have his legs back to where I saw him two years ago,” Washington said. “He still kind of limped around a little bit. It’s going to take him a while to get back in football shape and get back to the old P-Dub.

“I’m sure he believes he can be that type of player again, it’s just not going to be here.”