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Bengals Booth Podcast: Unwritten · Bengals Booth Podcast

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody on Dan Hord and thanks for downloading
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the Bengals Booth Podcast.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: The rest is still unwritten.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: On addition, as we discuss a crucial off season for
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: the Bengals with draft guru Dane Brugler from The Athletic
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: and NFL analyst Pete Prisco from CBS Sports. The Bengals
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud
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  Speaker 1: to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber,
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• 0:34
  Speaker 1: and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: thing since. Sam Hubbard, the Bengals defensive end, announced his
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: retirement on Wednesday after a great seven year run with
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: his hometown team. The Bengals struck gold when they drafted
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: him in the third round in twenty eighteen. Sam was
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: a productive and durable player, a universally respected team leader
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: and a tremendous ambassador for the franchise, twice, being nominated
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: for his charitable efforts in the community. Sam is also
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: responsible for two of the most important plays in franchise history. First,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: a red zone sack of Patrick Mahomes in the final
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: minute of regulation in the AFC Championship game that forced
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Kansas City to settle for an overtime forcing field goal.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: The Bengals then won the game in ot to advance
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: to the Super Bowl, and one year later, what I
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: would consider to be the most iconic play in Bengals history,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: the fumble in the Jungle. Here's how those plays sounded
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: on the race, plus a memorable moment that happened ten
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: days before Christmas last year.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: On third and goal from.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: The nile, Mahomes catches the shotgun snap, retreats back to
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: the eighteen. Looking around in the end zone, nobody opened,
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: yet no pressure at all. Now Here comes the rush
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: Mahomes way back at.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: The twenty times they lose it at all.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: The Chiefs fall on it at the twenty six, and
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: this makes it a much more difficult field goal try.
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: It will be a forty four yarder with all sorts
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: of pressure on Harrison.
• 2:31
  Speaker 5: Butker, I'll tell you what. They rushed three and dropped eight.
• 2:34
  Speaker 5: They blanketed everybody. Sam Hubbard forced the funnel.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Jane Tooney recovered it. Huber loss of seventeen.
• 2:41
  Speaker 5: How about back to back snaps by Sam Hubbard. I
• 2:44
  Speaker 5: mean he makes the play on second down, makes the
• 2:48
  Speaker 5: play on third down. About the Moller High School house,
• 2:52
  Speaker 5: state product, local kid in just making huge.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: Plays third down and goal. The line hand sticks the
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: ball out. The Bengals have the ball. They are running
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: it back, Sam Hubbard.
• 3:07
  Speaker 6: We had blockers behind him, Hubbard of the Ravens forty,
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: the thirty, the twenty, the ten, the Bob touchdown Bengals
• 3:18
  Speaker 6: who Tyler Hunley tried to extend the ball over the
• 3:22
  Speaker 6: goal line.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: It got poked away.
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: Sam Hubbard scooped it up and ran the length of
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: the field for a go ahead Bengals touchdown.
• 3:33
  Speaker 5: He tried to pull at Trevor Lawrence and the Bengals
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: said no.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: They slapped it.
• 3:38
  Speaker 6: Out of there.
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: Logan Wilson punched the ball out of the hands of
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: Tyler Huntley.
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: And right into the hands of Sam Hubbard and boy
• 3:47
  Speaker 5: Logan Wilson others.
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: Everybody was swarming it at at.
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: That football and Sam Hubbard says, I'll take it to
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: the house. And boy who threw the block for Sam
• 3:56
  Speaker 5: Hubbard down the football field his escorts service. Final block
• 4:00
  Speaker 5: was necessary and it was made for him.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: Burrow fakes a handoff, throws a pass Sam.
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: Hubbard fake with the catch, Saton touchdown Bengals.
• 4:12
  Speaker 4: Sam Hubbard raising.
• 4:14
  Speaker 6: The football over his head and spiking at Gronk style
• 4:19
  Speaker 6: after the first catch of his NFL career.
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: Sam Hubbard started his career at Mowler High School.
• 4:24
  Speaker 5: Is a tight end, Sam Hubbard is an athlete, Sam Hubbard.
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: That's a great fingertip catch.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Sam actually suffered a season ending knee injury on that play,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: so on the final snap of his NFL career, he
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: caught a touchdown pass from an old college buddy who
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: became one of his closest friends, Joe Burrow. It's kind
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: of like Ted Williams hitting a home run in his
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: final at bat. Coming up later on the podcast of
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: fun Facts Flashback, as Sam discusses the thrill of playing
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: for his hometown team. Now, let's get to my first guest.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: If ESPN's mel Kiper was the first person to become
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: famous for being an NFL draft expert, the best guy
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: doing it now, in my opinion, is Dane Brugler from
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: The Athletic. His annual draft guide, The Beast, annually contains
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: more than four hundred in depth player profiles. I caught
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: up with Dane at the NFL Scouting Combine dayan. The
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: Bengals need to address their defensive line. I keep hearing
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: from various draft gurus, and I have you at the
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: top of the list that it's a good defensive line draft.
• 5:35
  Speaker 7: Is that the case, There's no doubt, and I think
• 5:38
  Speaker 7: it's true in the first round, it's true once you
• 5:40
  Speaker 7: get to Day two and then even into Day three,
• 5:43
  Speaker 7: both on the edge and on the interior. So and
• 5:46
  Speaker 7: there's different styles, different types, different sizes. Like I think
• 5:49
  Speaker 7: there is a little bit of everything depending on what
• 5:53
  Speaker 7: you really want. If you're looking for more of the
• 5:55
  Speaker 7: proven production, you know, there's that guy in this draft.
• 5:58
  Speaker 8: If you want someone.
• 5:59
  Speaker 7: That's got all the time cools, that's in this draft
• 6:03
  Speaker 7: as well. So I think it depends on It'll be interesting.
• 6:06
  Speaker 7: Every team's going to stack their boards a little bit
• 6:08
  Speaker 7: differently with this defensive line class, where some teams are
• 6:11
  Speaker 7: gonna look at the promise of a Michel Williams from
• 6:13
  Speaker 7: Georgia and say they they don't make them like that
• 6:16
  Speaker 7: very often, and so let's get that, let's coach him up,
• 6:19
  Speaker 7: and we've got something where other teams might look at
• 6:22
  Speaker 7: it and say.
• 6:23
  Speaker 8: You know, like that, we like him.
• 6:24
  Speaker 7: That's a little rich for us because he's a little
• 6:26
  Speaker 7: bit of a project. He's a little bit more of
• 6:28
  Speaker 7: an idea than a polished player at this point. So
• 6:31
  Speaker 7: I think teams are going to be all over the
• 6:33
  Speaker 7: map with how they stack these the defensive linemen this year.
• 6:36
  Speaker 7: And part of it is because of what I just said.
• 6:37
  Speaker 7: There's so many of them, there's so many different types.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Glad you mentioned Williams because on your first mock draft
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: you had Cincinnati selecting him number seventeen overall, so obviously
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: would be a good match. They need somebody to rush
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: the quarterback other than Trey Hendrickson, and clearly you think
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: there's a chance he'll be there at seventeen.
• 6:56
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean, he could go top ten.
• 6:58
  Speaker 7: I wouldn't be surprised, because again, he's just a freaky,
• 7:00
  Speaker 7: freaky dude. But if he did fall a little bit
• 7:03
  Speaker 7: into the mid first, I think that that would make sense.
• 7:06
  Speaker 7: And I don't want to make it sound like he's
• 7:08
  Speaker 7: a true project that he's not going to see the
• 7:09
  Speaker 7: field right away, because I think obviously Bengals fans they
• 7:12
  Speaker 7: want some help right away. They don't want someone to
• 7:15
  Speaker 7: have to sit. And you know, they've seen that from
• 7:18
  Speaker 7: a few other draft picks recently, where you know, they
• 7:20
  Speaker 7: want someone that's going to be able to come in
• 7:22
  Speaker 7: and impact the team, and I think Became Williams could
• 7:24
  Speaker 7: do that.
• 7:24
  Speaker 8: He just he was hurt. He was banged up this year.
• 7:26
  Speaker 7: You know, he the ankle injury played him throughout the
• 7:29
  Speaker 7: entire year. But I would say, just watch the Texas tape.
• 7:32
  Speaker 7: Watch what he does against a pretty good offensive line,
• 7:35
  Speaker 7: and you see the talent and it's not just I'm bigger,
• 7:38
  Speaker 7: longer than you.
• 7:40
  Speaker 8: I'm just it's not just quicker than you.
• 7:42
  Speaker 7: He showed a better understanding this year of you know,
• 7:45
  Speaker 7: using the length of his advantage. So he's leveraging the
• 7:48
  Speaker 7: point of attack, plays very well against the run, different
• 7:53
  Speaker 7: euro steps and the ways that he can win the corner.
• 7:56
  Speaker 7: So he's you know there's progression there. It's not just
• 7:59
  Speaker 7: a ball of clay that you're trying to mold into something.
• 8:03
  Speaker 7: So I think with Michel Williams, it's a little bit
• 8:06
  Speaker 7: of both, where you have a guy who's gonna come
• 8:07
  Speaker 7: in and help out right away as a part of
• 8:10
  Speaker 7: that rotation, but also someone that you'll love the upside
• 8:13
  Speaker 7: and say, yeah, he's good now, but he has a
• 8:16
  Speaker 7: chance to be truly a difference maker down the road.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: We're talking draft with Dame Bugler from the Athletic let's
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: focus in on the defensive tackles a little bit. I
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: assume Mason Graham will be long gone by the time
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: the Bengals select, even if they had thoughts of trading up.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: But let's talk about some of the other guys that
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: could be there. Walter Nolan from Ole miss Tyleek Williams
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: from Ohio State, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, Derek Harmon from
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: Oregon who stands out in that group from guys that
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: you think would have a chance to be there at seventeen.
• 8:50
  Speaker 7: I really like Derek Harmon, you know, Michigan State transfer
• 8:53
  Speaker 7: went to Oregon. He's he's really disruptive. I mean you
• 8:58
  Speaker 7: think about interior pressure. Nobody pressured created more pressure from
• 9:05
  Speaker 7: the interior of the defensive line this year in college
• 9:07
  Speaker 7: football than Derek Harmon, and that translates last year, the
• 9:11
  Speaker 7: guy that did that the most was Byron Murphy and
• 9:13
  Speaker 7: he was the first defensive tackle drafted last year. I think,
• 9:15
  Speaker 7: what's sixteen overall by the Seahawks. So Harmon is kind
• 9:19
  Speaker 7: of in that, in that mold where he can disrupt
• 9:23
  Speaker 7: what the offense wants to do, and he does it
• 9:26
  Speaker 7: with power. He can win with his quickness through the gaps.
• 9:30
  Speaker 7: You know, there's there's a lot to like there with Harmon,
• 9:32
  Speaker 7: and especially as a guy that's still figuring things out,
• 9:34
  Speaker 7: another guy that you know, he's not a finished product
• 9:37
  Speaker 7: by any means, but he's still able to be productive
• 9:40
  Speaker 7: with what he knows right now. So I really like
• 9:42
  Speaker 7: Derek Carmon in that mix. I'm a big Tyley Williams
• 9:45
  Speaker 7: fan too, especially against a run. He's one of the
• 9:47
  Speaker 7: best run defending defensive tackles in his class, and he
• 9:49
  Speaker 7: doesn't necessarily look like it, you know, like he doesn't
• 9:51
  Speaker 7: look like a hulking nose tackle, but he's so good
• 9:54
  Speaker 7: with the stack shed I'm not going to lose the runner,
• 9:58
  Speaker 7: which he's so good with his eye.
• 10:01
  Speaker 8: And you know there's a lot of those guys in
• 10:02
  Speaker 8: this drive.
• 10:03
  Speaker 7: And Alfred Collins from Texas I would throw in that
• 10:05
  Speaker 7: mix as well. He's gigantic and he's six five over
• 10:08
  Speaker 7: six five thirty five inch arms and he's another one
• 10:12
  Speaker 7: that controls the point of attack and he's going to
• 10:14
  Speaker 7: good luck running at him because he is going to
• 10:16
  Speaker 7: clog things up, just like you know, Tallier Williams does
• 10:19
  Speaker 7: the same thing. TALLI Williams a little bit smaller, has
• 10:21
  Speaker 7: better range. Walter Nolan, he's your one gap penetrator, classic,
• 10:27
  Speaker 7: gonna win with quickness. Some stuff that he's you know,
• 10:30
  Speaker 7: they need to figure out with him, just making sure
• 10:32
  Speaker 7: they get the best version of him. It's, you know,
• 10:35
  Speaker 7: the nicest way to say it, but you know, he's
• 10:38
  Speaker 7: there's a lot to like about him because again he
• 10:40
  Speaker 7: can create that interior disruption and it's it's harder to
• 10:42
  Speaker 7: find those guys.
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: Let's move to edge guys that could be there.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: Mike Green from Marshall, Shamar Stewart from Texas A and
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: m James Pierce from Tennessee. The Boston College Kid as
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: a root as a. I don't know how much print
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: out you can tell me, but in any case, how
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: about that group and and how you feel about them?
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 11:02
  Speaker 7: As a rock who is Yeah, he's he's a lot
• 11:05
  Speaker 7: of fun to watch. He's he's longer, like he doesn't
• 11:09
  Speaker 7: look very big, but he's really long, and he uses
• 11:11
  Speaker 7: that well. He's a two way go guy where he
• 11:13
  Speaker 7: can win with speed, but he can also, uh you know,
• 11:16
  Speaker 7: win with counters inside.
• 11:17
  Speaker 8: He can go right at you and and go speed
• 11:20
  Speaker 8: to power.
• 11:21
  Speaker 7: As a rock who can win in different ways, and
• 11:22
  Speaker 7: I think that's you know, the the production really stands out.
• 11:26
  Speaker 7: So you know, teams draft trades over production, but when
• 11:29
  Speaker 7: you have both, it's like, okay, that's even better. And
• 11:32
  Speaker 7: that's the same thing with Mike Green. Mike Green leadon
• 11:33
  Speaker 7: FBS and sacks this year. I think the biggest knock
• 11:37
  Speaker 7: on him will be he did it against Sunbelt competition,
• 11:41
  Speaker 7: you know, playing up Marshall and playing that schedule.
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: But you throw onto Ohio State tape and you see
• 11:45
  Speaker 8: him win.
• 11:46
  Speaker 7: So his game is built all on violence and play speed.
• 11:51
  Speaker 7: I just NonStop and versus the run and versus pass.
• 11:55
  Speaker 7: So Mike Green is a fun player. Yeah, with James Pierce.
• 12:00
  Speaker 7: He's he's still very much learning. I think he is
• 12:03
  Speaker 7: a guy that the talent is tremendous, but you need
• 12:06
  Speaker 7: to figure out, Okay, what makes him tick? How long
• 12:10
  Speaker 7: does it take before we get him to a point
• 12:12
  Speaker 7: where you know, we trust him setting an edge, you know,
• 12:17
  Speaker 7: being a true three down player. But the talent is
• 12:20
  Speaker 7: so exceptional that he still is very much and it
• 12:23
  Speaker 7: has a chance to go top twenty. So he's gonna
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: be one of the teams really spend a lot of
• 12:28
  Speaker 7: time with to figure him out.
• 12:31
  Speaker 8: What was the fourth one?
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: You said, Stewart from Texas, I am.
• 12:34
  Speaker 8: That's just wait till he works out today.
• 12:37
  Speaker 7: He's the freakiest of the freaks, two six and eighty
• 12:41
  Speaker 7: pounds and I mean maybe runs in the four fives.
• 12:45
  Speaker 8: It's gonna be crazy.
• 12:46
  Speaker 7: I think his ten yards split, like his burst is
• 12:48
  Speaker 7: so great, the ten yard split could be in the
• 12:50
  Speaker 7: one fives. And to put that in the context, Von
• 12:53
  Speaker 7: Miller is a one five to nine ten yards split,
• 12:56
  Speaker 7: so wouldn't be shocked at all. I mentioned trades over
• 12:59
  Speaker 7: product Schmar Stewart, I want to have sacks this year.
• 13:02
  Speaker 8: But when you watch.
• 13:03
  Speaker 7: His film, you're like, Okay, he's getting home like he's
• 13:07
  Speaker 7: he's winning.
• 13:08
  Speaker 8: He actually led Texas a and.
• 13:09
  Speaker 7: Him and pressures, so even though he was farther down
• 13:13
  Speaker 7: the list on sacks, he led the team in pressure.
• 13:15
  Speaker 7: So he is getting there. He just needs to be
• 13:17
  Speaker 7: a better finisher. And ideally, yes, you want him to
• 13:19
  Speaker 7: get the sacks. But if I'm making the quarterback move
• 13:22
  Speaker 7: his feet, I'm doing my job. You know, I'm creating
• 13:24
  Speaker 7: that disruption. And so Schmart Stewart, I think I think
• 13:27
  Speaker 7: he was number eight on my top one hundred. Like
• 13:29
  Speaker 7: I'm already I'm already factoring in the fact that he's
• 13:31
  Speaker 7: a freak athlete, and I think I'll show it here
• 13:33
  Speaker 7: at the combine. And you know, the lack of reduction
• 13:37
  Speaker 7: isn't ideal, but I'm not as much worried about it
• 13:40
  Speaker 7: as other people are.
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: Dan Brugler is our guest. His draft guide, the beast
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: that you can get if you are a subscriber to
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: The Athletic is unlike anything else for people that are
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: interested in the draft. It is really must reading if
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: you were interested in the players that the Bengals are
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: going to be looking at in the draft this year.
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: The Bengals are in the market for a guard. I'd
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: be surprised if they took one in the first round.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: It's not out of the question. They've done it once
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: before with Kevin Zeitler, but that's the only time in
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: franchise history they've taken a guard in round one. Can
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: you give me a Day two and a Day three
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: guard or a couple of them that you like?
• 14:17
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I think on Day two Tate Ratlie from from
• 14:20
  Speaker 7: Georgia's he fits the bill. He's ready to go strong
• 14:24
  Speaker 7: at the point of attack, he can win with torque.
• 14:27
  Speaker 8: And I really Miles Fraser from LSU. Both these guys
• 14:30
  Speaker 8: are right guards.
• 14:32
  Speaker 7: Fraser he's maybe the nastiest lineman in this draft. You
• 14:36
  Speaker 7: can make that argument where the competitive toughness is off
• 14:39
  Speaker 7: the charts. Maybe not the best athlete of the group,
• 14:42
  Speaker 7: but he's not deficient in that area and he wins with.
• 14:46
  Speaker 8: Just the physicality, the competitiveness.
• 14:49
  Speaker 7: And so Miles Fraser, he had a good week at
• 14:50
  Speaker 7: the Senior Bowl kind of helped himself as well. He's
• 14:53
  Speaker 7: gonna be right there in that Day two mix as well.
• 14:54
  Speaker 7: It's a good, pretty good guard group. A couple will
• 14:59
  Speaker 7: go in the first round. Tyler Booker and I think.
• 15:03
  Speaker 8: Kelvin Banks from Texas is a guard.
• 15:05
  Speaker 7: And then on day two it's there's gonna be more
• 15:07
  Speaker 7: than a handful of names that I think will be
• 15:09
  Speaker 7: in play for the Bengals.
• 15:11
  Speaker 8: And on day three Anthony Belton from Enci State.
• 15:15
  Speaker 7: He's a college left tackle who I think is going
• 15:18
  Speaker 7: to be better moved inside. Gigantic guy, mammoth guy, and
• 15:24
  Speaker 7: getting him away from having to play on an island,
• 15:26
  Speaker 7: I think will help him and just help him with
• 15:28
  Speaker 7: his timing, with a setup, the ability to use his hands.
• 15:31
  Speaker 7: But I think Anthey Belton for you know, fourth fifth round,
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: he would make.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: Some soundse Have you studied Luke Candra from the University
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: of Cincinnati as Cincinnati kid as a possible third a
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: third day guard prospect, Yeah.
• 15:43
  Speaker 7: No doubt, And I think he should do pretty well
• 15:45
  Speaker 7: for himself here. Like I, not the best athlete, but
• 15:48
  Speaker 7: a good athlete. And you know, seeing his background by
• 15:53
  Speaker 7: Louisville and then going to Cincinnati, you know he's he's
• 15:57
  Speaker 7: played a lot of football. You know, he's a experienced guy,
• 15:59
  Speaker 7: and you know, I was impressed with him this year.
• 16:02
  Speaker 8: I think he's he's a guy that technically is a.
• 16:06
  Speaker 7: Further along than some of these other players and might
• 16:09
  Speaker 7: give you a little bit of versatility on the interior.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Let's talk tight ends.
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: It sounds like people are enthused about this group. The
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: Bengals have Mike Kasicki as a free agent, not sure
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: if he'll be back. Unfortunately, Eric All, who is so
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: impressive before he got hurt last year, is likely to
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: miss the entire season. What about this tight end group
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: and some of the guys you like is loaded?
• 16:30
  Speaker 7: Absolutely, And if you want to go that direction in
• 16:32
  Speaker 7: the first round, you know, to Tyler Warren or Colson Lovelin,
• 16:35
  Speaker 7: are they still available for you in the first Possibly,
• 16:40
  Speaker 7: But it's not like it's you know, you're worried if
• 16:43
  Speaker 7: they're not. Because on Day two, Mason Taylor from LSU,
• 16:47
  Speaker 7: Elijah Royo from Miami, I'm a big fan of Gunner
• 16:50
  Speaker 7: Helm from Texas. I think that, you know, that'd be
• 16:52
  Speaker 7: a nice fit on day two in the second round
• 16:55
  Speaker 7: for the Bengals. He can be kind of that mismatched
• 16:58
  Speaker 7: weapon where yeah he'll block a little bit, but his
• 17:01
  Speaker 7: ability to win down the field at the catch point.
• 17:04
  Speaker 7: He's a good athlete. He stands out and and then
• 17:08
  Speaker 7: even in the Day three there's name. So I think
• 17:09
  Speaker 7: this is a tight end class that it's it's good
• 17:12
  Speaker 7: in the first round with those top two guys, but
• 17:14
  Speaker 7: then it stretches.
• 17:15
  Speaker 8: Day two, day three.
• 17:17
  Speaker 7: Plenty of guys that you see can or can come
• 17:20
  Speaker 7: in and compete for jobs and try to make something.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: A year ago, at this time, I was asking you
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: about offensive tackles. The Bengals obviously took one an a
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: Marius Mims.
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: I believe your quote.
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: At the time was looks like he was built in
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: a lab to play right tackle.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: What'd you think of his play as a rookie.
• 17:36
  Speaker 7: Yeah, you know, and maybe even a little bit better
• 17:39
  Speaker 7: than I expected, because he was, you know, he had
• 17:42
  Speaker 7: missed so much time with the injury.
• 17:45
  Speaker 8: You know, he was so good the year before.
• 17:47
  Speaker 7: Against Ohio State in that playoff game, and it was
• 17:49
  Speaker 7: just like, oh wow, this guy is for real. And
• 17:52
  Speaker 7: then he missed time the next year because of the
• 17:55
  Speaker 7: ankle injury, and so you just weren't sure, like you
• 17:58
  Speaker 7: knew the size, strength, the ability, but just mindset wise,
• 18:02
  Speaker 7: where was he going to be?
• 18:03
  Speaker 8: Technique wise? Where would he be?
• 18:05
  Speaker 7: And I thought he was even a little bit He's
• 18:08
  Speaker 7: still raw in areas, still green in areas but I
• 18:11
  Speaker 7: thought he was further along than what most people expected,
• 18:14
  Speaker 7: and he held his own for a good chunk of
• 18:17
  Speaker 7: when he was out there, which was awesome to see,
• 18:19
  Speaker 7: especially you know, in the AFC North. So I think
• 18:22
  Speaker 7: if you're a Bengals fan, you have to be encouraged
• 18:24
  Speaker 7: by the what you saw in year one and then
• 18:26
  Speaker 7: what's to come in year two.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: On the flip side, there were concerns character wise with
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: Jermaine Burton.
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: The Bengals rolled the.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: Dice in the third round, at least so far, it
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: hasn't worked out when that happens.
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: Do you think that a team is really.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: Reluctant to take any risks in the near future.
• 18:46
  Speaker 7: Well, the Bengals haven't been scared off of those guys,
• 18:49
  Speaker 7: So I don't you know, you have to have a
• 18:52
  Speaker 7: process when you're talking about you know, because all these
• 18:56
  Speaker 7: guys aren't choir boys, you know, and that doesn't mean
• 19:00
  Speaker 7: you don't draft them.
• 19:00
  Speaker 9: You know.
• 19:01
  Speaker 7: There have been plenty of guys with issues that have
• 19:04
  Speaker 7: turned out to be really solid pros and haven't been
• 19:07
  Speaker 7: issues behind the scenes, and so you just have to
• 19:10
  Speaker 7: understand what makes him tick, you know, how big is
• 19:13
  Speaker 7: this an issue that's gonna come with them, or is
• 19:16
  Speaker 7: this something where we give him structure, we give him
• 19:20
  Speaker 7: the support that he needs. All of a sudden, you know,
• 19:22
  Speaker 7: we have a what's a locker room, like we have
• 19:24
  Speaker 7: the veteran locker room that's gonna be able to take
• 19:27
  Speaker 7: him under their wing.
• 19:28
  Speaker 8: So every case is different.
• 19:29
  Speaker 7: You know, I don't want to paint a broad brush
• 19:31
  Speaker 7: because every case is so unique, and it no different
• 19:36
  Speaker 7: than last year with Burton. You know, there the character
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: was definitely a question mark and a lot of teams.
• 19:41
  Speaker 7: He was off the board for a lot of teams
• 19:43
  Speaker 7: and Bengals rolled the dice and.
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: You know it didn't work out.
• 19:47
  Speaker 7: But you know, you don't you know, you're not throwing
• 19:49
  Speaker 7: dirt on the on the coffin just yet.
• 19:51
  Speaker 8: You know, we'll see.
• 19:54
  Speaker 7: They have made it known exactly where they stand with
• 19:57
  Speaker 7: them and what they need to see from him if
• 19:58
  Speaker 7: you want to stay on the roster. And so hopefully
• 20:01
  Speaker 7: this is kind of the wake up call and say,
• 20:02
  Speaker 7: all right, we'll be better this year.
• 20:06
  Speaker 8: We'll show improvement.
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: Your description of the process was perfect for what the
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: Bengals were thinking of with Jermaine Burton.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: A group of hard working, talented players like Jamar Chase
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: and t Higgins.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: They thought that the group and the coach would elevate
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: him and unfortunately, at least there's a rookie, it didn't
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: pan out.
• 20:25
  Speaker 7: Yeah, and that's why the draft is always going to
• 20:27
  Speaker 7: be more of an earth than a science. You know,
• 20:29
  Speaker 7: you can't you can like the fact that he had
• 20:32
  Speaker 7: he struggled is not a huge surprise because of the
• 20:35
  Speaker 7: warning signs and the red flags. But at the same time,
• 20:39
  Speaker 7: you know, Devandre Sweat was had all these types of
• 20:42
  Speaker 7: issues and the Titans shocked a lot of people and
• 20:46
  Speaker 7: they drafted him top forty. Still, you know that some
• 20:48
  Speaker 7: teams took him off the board. Some team said, well,
• 20:50
  Speaker 7: maybe if he's there in the third or the fourth,
• 20:52
  Speaker 7: Titan said, you know, no, we're going to take a
• 20:54
  Speaker 7: chance here. And Sweat was awesome as a rookie, and
• 20:58
  Speaker 7: at least at this point, nothing's popped up, you know,
• 21:01
  Speaker 7: as being an issue for him. So you know, there's
• 21:03
  Speaker 7: examples on both sides of guys that had some red
• 21:06
  Speaker 7: flags character wise who were able to mature and work out.
• 21:11
  Speaker 7: And I mean your point is I think dead on.
• 21:14
  Speaker 7: When you drop the player like that, you feel like,
• 21:15
  Speaker 7: all right, we're bringing him to a wide receiver room
• 21:17
  Speaker 7: that has some proven guys that you know are prime
• 21:21
  Speaker 7: examples of Hey, if I have the talent, if I
• 21:23
  Speaker 7: work and I do what's needed of me was asked
• 21:26
  Speaker 7: to me, and I listened to the coaching, maybe I could.
• 21:28
  Speaker 8: Be on their level someday.
• 21:30
  Speaker 7: And so I think you understand the reasoning, but you
• 21:34
  Speaker 7: also understand maybe why it hasn't worked out yet.
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: Visiting with Dame Brugler from the Athletic I mentioned defensive tackles,
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: defensive ends, guards, and tight ends.
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: Let's talk running back.
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: Chase Brown is emerging as perfect fit for the Bengals offense,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: but we don't know about the future of Zach Moss.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: I suspect they're probably going to add to that group
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: at some point. What do you think about guys after
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: round one? And they wouldn't take one that early, but
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: day two, Day three, at running.
• 22:04
  Speaker 8: Back, it's a loaded position this year.
• 22:06
  Speaker 7: I mean, you you feel really good about who's gonna
• 22:08
  Speaker 7: be available round two, round three, round four. I think
• 22:11
  Speaker 7: I gave draft well grades to thirty two running backs.
• 22:13
  Speaker 7: I mean, there's just a lot of them, and they're
• 22:16
  Speaker 7: gonna go. They're all probably gonna go later than they should,
• 22:18
  Speaker 7: you know, just because there's only so many teams that
• 22:20
  Speaker 7: are gonna consider a running back in a second round
• 22:23
  Speaker 7: or the third round, and so it just pushes everybody
• 22:25
  Speaker 7: back a little bit. But you know, it depends what
• 22:27
  Speaker 7: type of runner they want. They want, you know, someone
• 22:31
  Speaker 7: that can come in and be a more of a
• 22:33
  Speaker 7: three down guy, or not three but like a third
• 22:35
  Speaker 7: down type of back. Then you're looking at like a
• 22:37
  Speaker 7: LeQuinn Allen out of Syracuse, who is a really good
• 22:40
  Speaker 7: pass catcher, He blocks well, he can play on special teams.
• 22:43
  Speaker 8: If you want someone that's.
• 22:44
  Speaker 7: More of an early down guy, like a Damien Martinez
• 22:48
  Speaker 7: from Miami who is gonna run with power and violence
• 22:51
  Speaker 7: and try to run over you, that would fit. So
• 22:54
  Speaker 7: there's just there's so many running backs in his class
• 22:56
  Speaker 7: that I think would fit my One of my favorites
• 22:59
  Speaker 7: probably around three for the Bengals, Jordan James from Oregon,
• 23:03
  Speaker 7: who is.
• 23:03
  Speaker 8: Not a home run hitter, but he's going to lead
• 23:06
  Speaker 8: the league of doubles.
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: You know.
• 23:07
  Speaker 7: He's that type of guy where thirty five point six
• 23:11
  Speaker 7: percent of his carries last year resulted in a first
• 23:15
  Speaker 7: down or a touchdown, so he might not rip off
• 23:18
  Speaker 7: a sixty yarder, but he's going to get six consistently,
• 23:21
  Speaker 7: and so I think Jordan James, he's going to be
• 23:24
  Speaker 7: a steal at wherever the third round, fourth round Rover
• 23:27
  Speaker 7: ends up going.
• 23:28
  Speaker 8: He's one of my favorite backs this year.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: There's another since he Cincinnati kid at the combine, Corey Kiner.
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: He started his college career at LSU, wound up back
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: home in Cincinnati, Cincinnati high school kid. Is he one
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: of your running backs with a draftable great?
• 23:41
  Speaker 7: Yeah, Roger Bacon, right, Yeah, Yeah, he's he's honestly, he's
• 23:46
  Speaker 7: right on the cusp. He's like, I could see why
• 23:48
  Speaker 7: he would go in the sixth, seventh round, or I
• 23:50
  Speaker 7: could see why he'd be a PFA.
• 23:52
  Speaker 8: He's one of the borderline guys. But you know he's here.
• 23:55
  Speaker 7: You know he's he was at the Shrine Bowl too,
• 23:57
  Speaker 7: got you to see him there. He'll be here at
• 23:59
  Speaker 7: the combine a chance to you know, is he gonna
• 24:02
  Speaker 7: be a.
• 24:02
  Speaker 8: Four to four guy, four or five guy in the
• 24:04
  Speaker 8: four yeard dash.
• 24:05
  Speaker 7: You'll have a chance to kind of make his statement
• 24:07
  Speaker 7: why he should be drafted. And it's tough class because
• 24:09
  Speaker 7: it's so loaded, so many names, so anything you do
• 24:12
  Speaker 7: to stand out.
• 24:13
  Speaker 8: That'll be key for these guys.
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: We've got a couple more minutes with Dame Brugler. The
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: Bengals only have six picks. I think they would love
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: to trade down at some point to get more.
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: What would be a good time to do.
• 24:25
  Speaker 7: That, Yeah, and I think it's you have to see
• 24:29
  Speaker 7: ow the first what sixteen picks play out in the
• 24:31
  Speaker 7: first round.
• 24:31
  Speaker 8: If they would do that, entertain that in the first round.
• 24:34
  Speaker 7: This is also a draft where I'm just I'm not
• 24:35
  Speaker 7: confident how many teams are gonna want to trade up,
• 24:38
  Speaker 7: you know, like you have to have a dance partner
• 24:39
  Speaker 7: in order to get those extra picks, and in this class,
• 24:43
  Speaker 7: I'm just not sold that. You know, we see trades
• 24:46
  Speaker 7: every year, so it's not like we're not going to
• 24:47
  Speaker 7: have any trades. Of course we will, but I'm not
• 24:50
  Speaker 7: sure that the phone will be ringing maybe as much
• 24:52
  Speaker 7: as in past years.
• 24:55
  Speaker 8: And it's interesting.
• 24:56
  Speaker 7: Because there's I think players thirteen team to forty five
• 25:01
  Speaker 7: in this draft. Like there's for one team, a player
• 25:04
  Speaker 7: might be fifteen. That same player might be fifty for
• 25:06
  Speaker 7: a different team. I think the grades are very similar
• 25:09
  Speaker 7: in that range, which means the boards are going to
• 25:12
  Speaker 7: look wildly different, and so I don't know that we'll
• 25:14
  Speaker 7: have teams maybe clamoring the hey, we got to go
• 25:16
  Speaker 7: up and get this guy.
• 25:17
  Speaker 8: We have a trade up.
• 25:18
  Speaker 7: They might be feel fine saying and we probably like
• 25:21
  Speaker 7: more than other people, will stay put and be able
• 25:23
  Speaker 7: to get our guys. So ideally, yeah, I think that
• 25:25
  Speaker 7: makes sense. You trade back, you get an extra third
• 25:28
  Speaker 7: round pick, fourth round pick. You know, those are so
• 25:30
  Speaker 7: valuable in terms of filling out your roster and adding depth.
• 25:33
  Speaker 7: I just think it might be a little bit tougher
• 25:35
  Speaker 7: to do that this year.
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Final question, Really appreciate your time. We assume the Bengals
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: are going to have one of the top offenses in
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: the NFL. As long as you've got a healthy Joe Burrow,
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Jamar Chase, et cetera, you should be able to score points.
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: They didn't make the playoffs because their defense wasn't good enough.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: Between the draft and what they might be able to
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: do in free agency, can they improve the defense enough
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: in one year to be back in the is a
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: Super Bowl contender?
• 26:02
  Speaker 8: There's no doubt because the offense is that good.
• 26:04
  Speaker 7: I mean, you don't have to be tremendous on defense
• 26:09
  Speaker 7: for this team to make the playoffs, you have to
• 26:11
  Speaker 7: be passable, you have to be average, and I think
• 26:15
  Speaker 7: they can get there. It's just, yeah, you have to
• 26:18
  Speaker 7: make a few key decisions, and it's getting better on
• 26:21
  Speaker 7: the defensive line. It's getting better on the back end
• 26:24
  Speaker 7: and being more consistent the linebacker level.
• 26:27
  Speaker 8: And I'm not.
• 26:28
  Speaker 7: Saying it's easy to do that, but I think it's
• 26:31
  Speaker 7: definitely possible that they can get there this offseason through
• 26:35
  Speaker 7: the draft, making some key moves in free agency, as
• 26:39
  Speaker 7: long as you have borrow quarterback and the offense that
• 26:42
  Speaker 7: they have, because it's not like they went five and
• 26:45
  Speaker 7: twelve this year.
• 26:46
  Speaker 8: They were right there knocking on the door of the playoffs.
• 26:49
  Speaker 7: So you make a few key adjustments on defense and
• 26:53
  Speaker 7: get close to average, I think they'll be right back
• 26:56
  Speaker 7: in the mix and have a chance to knock down
• 26:57
  Speaker 7: that door.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: I enjoy coming to the Combine every year, and one
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: of the biggest reasons is the opportunity to pick your brain.
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for the time. And I can't
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: wait for the beast.
• 27:06
  Speaker 8: Any Tom can't wait.
• 27:07
  Speaker 7: I look forward to it too. It's like, Okay, I know,
• 27:09
  Speaker 7: I gotta talk to Dan. That's part of my process
• 27:12
  Speaker 7: of coming to the combine every year.
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: By the way, since our conversation, Dane has come out
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: with a new mock draft. Michel Williams, the edge rusher
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: he had going to the Bengals in his first mock
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: was gone this time around, going to San Francisco at
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: number eleven Overall. Dane now has Cincinnati selecting Michigan cornerback
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: Will Johnson with a seventeenth pick. Johnson is generally considered
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: to be one of the top two cornerbacks in this draft,
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: along with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the cornerback slash
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: wide receiver. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you
• 27:48
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• 28:03
  Speaker 1: Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: Up next, a national NFL reporter who is never shy
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: about expressing his opinions. Great to catch up at the
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: combine with Pete Prisco from CBS Sports. Duke Tobin spoke
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: to the media on Tuesday, he referred to the Bengals
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: as quote a championship caliber team. They missed the playoffs
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: the last couple of years. Do you agree with Duke?
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Are the Bengals a championship caliber team or close to it?
• 28:32
  Speaker 9: Well, they can be a championship caliber offense. I wouldn't
• 28:34
  Speaker 9: call their defense a championship caliber defense.
• 28:36
  Speaker 10: So they have work to.
• 28:37
  Speaker 11: Do on that side of the ball.
• 28:38
  Speaker 9: But obviously, when Joe Burrow's playing like he's playing, they're
• 28:41
  Speaker 9: going to stay in a lot of games and win
• 28:43
  Speaker 9: a lot of games.
• 28:44
  Speaker 10: But they have to fix that defense.
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: Is it fixable in one off season between the draft
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: and whatever room they have left over in free agency
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: after they try to extend t Higgins, Jamar Chase, and
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: Trey Hendrickson, If they can do.
• 28:56
  Speaker 9: It well, I think that's the biggest challenge first, and look,
• 28:58
  Speaker 9: I would do everything I could to try and keep all.
• 29:00
  Speaker 11: Three of those players.
• 29:01
  Speaker 9: I think if you take Higgins out of the lineup,
• 29:03
  Speaker 9: it changes the dynamic of the offense. If you take
• 29:05
  Speaker 9: Hendris out of the lineup, it changes the defense in
• 29:07
  Speaker 9: a big way. So that's number one priority for me.
• 29:11
  Speaker 9: And then because you can only there's only so many
• 29:13
  Speaker 9: stars that you could have, and if you have those guys,
• 29:15
  Speaker 9: you have stars.
• 29:16
  Speaker 10: So I would say, get those.
• 29:18
  Speaker 9: Guys signed, then use the draft to fix the try
• 29:20
  Speaker 9: and fix the defense, and whatever money you have left over,
• 29:23
  Speaker 9: depending on how you structure the contracts, maybe aut.
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: A guy in free agency, Pete.
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: I think a year ago, a lot of people, myself included, said,
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: all right, T Higgins will be a Bengal for one
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: more year in the franchise tag. It's tough to pay
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: two receivers that kind of money. They'll move on after that. Then,
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: with about five weeks to go in the season, Joe
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: Burrow very publicly said, we need to do it. I
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: think we can do it, and it changed to a
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: lot of people's opinion, including my own. Did Joe Burrow's
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: talk of the importance of keeping both change your opinion
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: on the subject at all?
• 29:54
  Speaker 10: You know what changed my opinion on it is the.
• 29:56
  Speaker 9: Way they play together, and when one's not there, it's different.
• 29:59
  Speaker 9: It's Higgins adds a different dimension of the offense. You know,
• 30:02
  Speaker 9: when you have Chase and you don't have Higgins, it's
• 30:04
  Speaker 9: not the same offense.
• 30:05
  Speaker 10: So I think that's what Joe Burrow.
• 30:07
  Speaker 9: Came out and said it, and that's I kind of
• 30:09
  Speaker 9: changed my mind, and not based on what he said,
• 30:11
  Speaker 9: just on what I saw when they're on the field together.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: Trey Hendrickson has led the NFL led the NFL in
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: sacks with seventeen and a half this year. He also
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: had seventeen and a half the year before. He's got
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: one year left on his deal. As you've already said,
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: you think the Bengals should try to extend him. Do
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: you view Trey as one of the best overall defensive
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: ends in the league or just an elite pass rusher.
• 30:34
  Speaker 9: No, He's one of the best overall defensive ends in
• 30:35
  Speaker 9: the league, and for whatever reason, he doesn't get the
• 30:39
  Speaker 9: credit he deserves for being such a really good player
• 30:41
  Speaker 9: and he plays hard all the time. Yeah, I think
• 30:44
  Speaker 9: he's a great player. I think they have to do
• 30:46
  Speaker 9: everything they can to extend him, get that contract done,
• 30:49
  Speaker 9: make him the priority on defense.
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: The Bengals have the seventeenth pick in the first round.
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: I think most people would consider defensive line to be
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: their biggest need. Keep hearing from Draft Guru's great year.
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: If you need a defensive lineman, is that your belief?
• 31:06
  Speaker 10: I think it's a great.
• 31:07
  Speaker 9: Year for interior defensive lineman, which they you know, they
• 31:09
  Speaker 9: could use a big body in there.
• 31:11
  Speaker 10: And and yeah, you could.
• 31:12
  Speaker 11: Get a guy like Grant from Michigan down there.
• 31:14
  Speaker 9: I think he'd be a possibility, but they you know,
• 31:17
  Speaker 9: it's it's funny because how cyclical this league is. Everybody
• 31:20
  Speaker 9: watched the Eagles and they win the Super Bowl? And
• 31:23
  Speaker 9: how do they win the Super Bowl with the great
• 31:24
  Speaker 9: offensive line and the great defensive line and a defensive
• 31:27
  Speaker 9: line that can get after the quarterback and have a
• 31:30
  Speaker 9: dominant interior player like Carter and then build it around
• 31:33
  Speaker 9: him and then they're a great offensive line.
• 31:35
  Speaker 11: So now what's everybody trying to do?
• 31:36
  Speaker 9: Look for interior defensive linemen and great offensive lineman.
• 31:39
  Speaker 11: So yeah, they can get a guy at that spot.
• 31:42
  Speaker 11: In this draft.
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: They probably need a guard. They probably need a tight end.
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: Are those guys out there in this draft?
• 31:49
  Speaker 9: The tight end class is actually pretty good. There are
• 31:52
  Speaker 9: some guards, but I think there are some guards in
• 31:54
  Speaker 9: free agency, veteran guys that might not cost a lot
• 31:57
  Speaker 9: of money that you can plug in and play for
• 31:59
  Speaker 9: a year or two. You know, Daniels from Pittsburgh, he's
• 32:02
  Speaker 9: coming off an injury, but a good player, relatively young.
• 32:05
  Speaker 9: You might be able to Will Fries from Indianapolis.
• 32:09
  Speaker 11: You know, relatively young coming off an injury.
• 32:11
  Speaker 9: Maybe you get those guys on a team friendly deal
• 32:14
  Speaker 9: and plug them in and play.
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: Pete Prisco is our guest.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: Any thoughts on the hiring of l Golden, bringing him
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: back from Notre Dame, the former linebackers coach, to be
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: their defensive coordinator following Luanna Roumo.
• 32:26
  Speaker 11: Yeah, I think it needed a fresh set of eyes
• 32:28
  Speaker 11: over there.
• 32:29
  Speaker 9: It kind of got a little stale, I think, and
• 32:32
  Speaker 9: sometimes when it gets that way, players kind of tune
• 32:34
  Speaker 9: it out, and so you get a new guy in there.
• 32:36
  Speaker 9: He's been there, but you get a new guy calling
• 32:39
  Speaker 9: the defense, and I think that changes the outlook as
• 32:42
  Speaker 9: a unit.
• 32:42
  Speaker 11: So yeah, I think that's a good move on their part.
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: The Bengals were four and eight with five games to go,
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: ran the table, needed a little help on the final
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: Sunday to get into the playoffs, and didn't get it
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: when Denver beat Kansas City.
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: Were you of the belief that had they.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: Snuck in, they were going to be a problem for
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: other teams in the AFA?
• 33:00
  Speaker 9: I said for the last four weeks of the season,
• 33:03
  Speaker 9: nobody wants to see the Bengals in Everybody in the
• 33:06
  Speaker 9: AFC was rooting against the Bengals getting.
• 33:08
  Speaker 11: Into the playoffs.
• 33:09
  Speaker 9: They really were because Joe Burrow is Joe Burrow. He's
• 33:12
  Speaker 9: so dangerous, that offense is so dynamic. Nobody wanted to
• 33:15
  Speaker 9: see them in the playoffs.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: Here at the combine where everybody's evaluating prospects, and that
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: generally begins with quarterbacks. Has Joe kind of become the
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: benchmark in how you evaluate some of these prospects coming along.
• 33:28
  Speaker 9: Well, it's interesting because he was such a late bloomer,
• 33:31
  Speaker 9: you know, and then exploded that last year and everybody said, well,
• 33:35
  Speaker 9: where'd he come from? Well, where he came from. He
• 33:37
  Speaker 9: should have been playing probably before that. That's where he
• 33:39
  Speaker 9: came from. Joe Burrow makes it look so easy, and
• 33:43
  Speaker 9: we always look for quarterbacks to make it look easy.
• 33:46
  Speaker 9: You know who else made it look easy? Jayden Daniels
• 33:48
  Speaker 9: makes it look easy.
• 33:49
  Speaker 11: He should have been the number one pick last year.
• 33:51
  Speaker 10: I thought he was the best quarterback in the draft
• 33:52
  Speaker 10: last year. So we got to look at these guys who.
• 33:54
  Speaker 9: Makes it look easy And the answer to that is
• 33:56
  Speaker 9: neither one of them. At the top two and that's
• 33:59
  Speaker 9: always a concern to me. You know, there's a lot
• 34:02
  Speaker 9: to like about camp Mord. He can whip it around,
• 34:04
  Speaker 9: but doesn't make it look easy. Shador Sanders doesn't make
• 34:07
  Speaker 9: it look easy. So I always gauge my quarterback play
• 34:11
  Speaker 9: by who makes it look easy.
• 34:12
  Speaker 10: Joe Burrow came out. He made it look easy. He
• 34:13
  Speaker 10: makes it look easy.
• 34:14
  Speaker 9: Now it's almost like they're you know, like what Joe cool,
• 34:17
  Speaker 9: He's cool doing it.
• 34:18
  Speaker 11: Jay Daniels is the same way.
• 34:20
  Speaker 10: That's what I look for my quarterbacks.
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: It's really interesting you would say that because I chatted
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: with Greg Cosell earlier today and he was talking about
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: the same thing, and he shared an anecdote that Kurt
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Warner said, that is the best compliment a quarterback.
• 34:34
  Speaker 2: Can receive because it's so hard.
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: If somebody tells you you make it look easy, that
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: is the kindest thing you can say to a quarterback.
• 34:43
  Speaker 10: And indeed it is.
• 34:44
  Speaker 11: And Kurt Warner made it look easy at times.
• 34:45
  Speaker 10: So he knows what that's like.
• 34:47
  Speaker 9: But yeah, I think you know, Bengal fans and I
• 34:49
  Speaker 9: know there was a lot of concern about the defense
• 34:51
  Speaker 9: and everything, but you have that guy throwing the football around.
• 34:53
  Speaker 11: If he's healthy, you're going to be in the division race.
• 34:56
  Speaker 9: You're going to be considered a threat in the AMC
• 34:59
  Speaker 9: and with that, which is why I think it's important
• 35:01
  Speaker 9: to keep t Higgins. You are always going to be
• 35:04
  Speaker 9: in games because teams can't put you away.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: The Bengals had a long stretch of successful drafts that
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: really fueled that stretch of five straight years where they
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: made the playoffs under Marvin Lewis. In recent years, it's
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: been a little more hit and miss. I think last
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: year they actually did pretty well, but there were some
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: drafts before that that haven't been all that productive. Is
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: that just the nature of the draft or is there
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: anything about what Cincinnati has done in recent years that's
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: been a bit of a red flag for you?
• 35:31
  Speaker 9: Well, I think one of the things that they've done
• 35:33
  Speaker 9: a little bit of is you chase your mistakes. Sometimes
• 35:36
  Speaker 9: in defensive line, they've kind of chased their mistakes.
• 35:38
  Speaker 11: A little bit.
• 35:39
  Speaker 9: When you chase your mistakes, you tend to overdraft the position.
• 35:42
  Speaker 9: Maybe in some of those scenarios, they've overdrafted some of
• 35:45
  Speaker 9: those guys.
• 35:45
  Speaker 11: So where are they right now? They're still looking for
• 35:47
  Speaker 11: some of those guys.
• 35:48
  Speaker 10: So I think that gets teams. That catches up with
• 35:51
  Speaker 10: you a little bit.
• 35:52
  Speaker 9: If you make a mistake, you're apt to go back
• 35:55
  Speaker 9: and try and fill it, and then you overdraft the
• 35:57
  Speaker 9: guy maybe you know a rounder or you know fifteen
• 36:01
  Speaker 9: spots higher than he should go, and that comes back
• 36:02
  Speaker 9: and hurt you. So I think they've been guilty of
• 36:05
  Speaker 9: that a little bit.
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: Last thing for Pete Prisco. We are a long way
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: from week one of the season. We got free agency
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: in the draft to look forward to. But what does
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: your gut tell you at this early stage about the
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: Bengals in twenty twenty five.
• 36:18
  Speaker 9: They'll be back in the mix in the division. I
• 36:20
  Speaker 9: don't think there's any question about that. I think it's
• 36:22
  Speaker 9: a two team division. Look, the Steelers have major questions
• 36:24
  Speaker 9: at quarterback.
• 36:25
  Speaker 2: I think they have.
• 36:26
  Speaker 10: Questions at other spots.
• 36:27
  Speaker 11: They were kind of steel.
• 36:28
  Speaker 9: Fans don't like hearing this, but they were kind of
• 36:30
  Speaker 9: a mirage less if you could look inside their numbers.
• 36:32
  Speaker 11: They didn't run the ball very well, they didn't stop
• 36:33
  Speaker 11: the run very.
• 36:34
  Speaker 9: Well, they didn't get after the quarterback very well, and
• 36:36
  Speaker 9: somehow they were there at the end.
• 36:37
  Speaker 11: I don't have no idea. It's a tribute to Mike
• 36:40
  Speaker 11: Tomlin as a football.
• 36:41
  Speaker 10: Coach because a quarterback play wasn't very good.
• 36:43
  Speaker 9: So I think it's a two team division. I think
• 36:45
  Speaker 9: it'll be the Ravens and the Bengals in the division.
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: Always a treat to pick your brain. Really happy. I
• 36:50
  Speaker 2: ran India here in Indy. Thanks so much, Pete got it.
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: You got it.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: It's one of my favorites. You can follow him on
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: x at Prisco CBS. That's p Isco CBS. We end
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: this episode by turning the clock back to twenty eighteen
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: and a conversation I had with a twenty three year
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: old rookie out of Ohio State. Time for some fun
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: facts with defensive ends, Sam Hubbard from Ohio State by
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: way of Mohler High School. According to your bio, Sam
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: Buckeye's coach Urban Meyer, first notice you playing dodgeball in
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: gym class. True story or Urban myth.
• 37:31
  Speaker 12: True story.
• 37:32
  Speaker 13: So my high school football coach was our gym teacher
• 37:35
  Speaker 13: as well, and coach Meyern Kerry Combs came in one
• 37:38
  Speaker 13: day to visit him and you see the town at
• 37:41
  Speaker 13: Moller and I happened to be in the gym class
• 37:43
  Speaker 13: when he walked in the building and got introduced to
• 37:47
  Speaker 13: him after playing a game of dodgeball, and that's how
• 37:49
  Speaker 13: it all started.
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: Were you just like drilling kids on the opposite side
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: of the court.
• 37:53
  Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean the last person you expect to walk
• 37:55
  Speaker 13: into your gym class is Urban Meyer, but once you
• 37:58
  Speaker 13: see him, you expect to go a little bit harder.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: Sam, five years ago, you're sitting in class at Moeller
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: High School. Now you're playing for your hometown NFL team.
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: How surreal is that.
• 38:10
  Speaker 13: That first home game on that Thursday night was a
• 38:13
  Speaker 13: special moment, especially looking up into the stands and seeing
• 38:16
  Speaker 13: my family and friends in my jersey. All I wanted
• 38:19
  Speaker 13: to do was just make him proud, and that was
• 38:20
  Speaker 13: a special moment. And I'm gonna continue to represent and
• 38:24
  Speaker 13: do what i can to make the city proud.
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: We're doing fun facts with Sam Hubbard. You're a great
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: athlete in high school. But what else were you interested
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: in as a kid.
• 38:34
  Speaker 13: There's a lot of things, you know. I was always
• 38:36
  Speaker 13: interested in history. You know, my dad's a history buffs.
• 38:40
  Speaker 13: He knows everything Roman Empire, all that stuff. And eventually
• 38:44
  Speaker 13: I came out of college with a minor in history,
• 38:46
  Speaker 13: you know, taking EP classes in history in high school.
• 38:51
  Speaker 13: I was interested in sports obviously, and hanging out with
• 38:55
  Speaker 13: friends and having a good time.
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: You also earned a finance degree in three and a
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: half years at Ohio State. How did you juggle football
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: in school?
• 39:04
  Speaker 12: It was tough.
• 39:05
  Speaker 13: I think I was raised very well by my mom
• 39:07
  Speaker 13: and dad, learning time management and you know, how to
• 39:11
  Speaker 13: be successful, working hard and doing all the right things
• 39:15
  Speaker 13: all the time. I think I had a great foundation
• 39:18
  Speaker 13: from them, and then I got to Moeller learned how
• 39:20
  Speaker 13: to do stuff right in the classroom and on the field,
• 39:23
  Speaker 13: and just enhance it once I got to Ohio State.
• 39:25
  Speaker 13: So I was very fortunate with the people around me
• 39:28
  Speaker 13: that showed me the right way to do things.
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: We're doing fun facts with Sam Hubburn. We're going all
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: over the map. Tell me the story of getting Rudy
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: Johnson's autograph at a Cincinnati mall.
• 39:38
  Speaker 13: Yeah, me and my friends. I can't even remember what
• 39:41
  Speaker 13: grade we're in, but it was around Halloween and we're
• 39:46
  Speaker 13: going to Halloween Express got dropped off by our parents
• 39:50
  Speaker 13: to get a costume and ran into Rudy Johnson. I
• 39:53
  Speaker 13: forget who who he was with, but we ran inside,
• 39:56
  Speaker 13: got a piece of paper, asked them to sign I
• 40:00
  Speaker 13: so got to hang in my room to this day.
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: Nice choice, Rudy, great player in his Bengals days. You
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: were a great lacrosse player at Moler. You almost went
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: to Notre Dame to play lacrosse before playing college football
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: at Ohio State.
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: Was it hard to give up lacrosse?
• 40:15
  Speaker 12: It was hard.
• 40:15
  Speaker 13: I think the hardest thing was not playing lacrosse my
• 40:17
  Speaker 13: senior year of high school. I didn't play so that
• 40:20
  Speaker 13: I could spend extra time in the weight room gaining
• 40:22
  Speaker 13: weight and getting ready to play college football. But you know,
• 40:25
  Speaker 13: I love the sport equally as much as I loved football,
• 40:29
  Speaker 13: and you know, it's a sacrifice I had to make.
• 40:32
  Speaker 13: But I really like where I'm at now and what
• 40:34
  Speaker 13: I'm doing, so I can't complain.
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: There's footage of you playing lacrosse on YouTube. You're about
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: six inches taller than most of the other guys on
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: the field. Did you scare opponents in that sport?
• 40:45
  Speaker 13: Yeah, one on YouTube's my freshman year. If you want
• 40:48
  Speaker 13: to see my real highlights, watch the junior ones on huddle.
• 40:51
  Speaker 13: Those are more fun. But yeah, I was bigger than
• 40:54
  Speaker 13: most of the guys I played against.
• 40:55
  Speaker 12: There's just that's how lacrosse is.
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: When you got to Ohio State, put on a lot
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: of muscle to go from being a safety to being
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: a defensive end. How much did you eat and what
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: did you eat?
• 41:07
  Speaker 12: It was a process.
• 41:08
  Speaker 13: I you know, first I was eating anything inside I could,
• 41:12
  Speaker 13: just to get the weight on me so I could
• 41:14
  Speaker 13: compete at the high level. And over the years, especially
• 41:16
  Speaker 13: now I've learned how to eat right, how to eat properly,
• 41:20
  Speaker 13: and really you know, gain the right kind of weight,
• 41:22
  Speaker 13: replace that whatever it was fat with muscle.
• 41:26
  Speaker 12: Just try to lean out.
• 41:27
  Speaker 13: But I till I felt sick every meal for six
• 41:31
  Speaker 13: months until I gained forty pounds and then ever since then,
• 41:35
  Speaker 13: just trying to maintain and stay stay in the weight
• 41:38
  Speaker 13: room extra.
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: You never lost to Michigan in four years at Ohio State.
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: How obnoxious are you when you are around Michigan people?
• 41:47
  Speaker 12: Pretty obnoxious?
• 41:48
  Speaker 13: Rightfully, So we uh we don't have any love for
• 41:51
  Speaker 13: that stayed up north, but uh, you know, I can
• 41:54
  Speaker 13: I feel like I can say whatever I want because
• 41:57
  Speaker 13: they got no bragging rights.
• 41:58
  Speaker 2: We're doing fun facts. That's Sam Hubbard.
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: I mentioned your finance degree from Ohio State. You had
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: internships at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan in New York.
• 42:06
  Speaker 2: What'd you learn?
• 42:08
  Speaker 12: I learned a lot.
• 42:08
  Speaker 13: I learned how you know, how competitive the business world is.
• 42:12
  Speaker 13: It's just as competitive as a football field. You know,
• 42:14
  Speaker 13: there's a special type of you know, people that are successful.
• 42:19
  Speaker 13: You know, they're determined, they're driven, and they're experts in
• 42:23
  Speaker 13: their field. And if I want to be successful one
• 42:26
  Speaker 13: day when I'm done with football in the business world,
• 42:29
  Speaker 13: I got to take the same approach I took with football.
• 42:31
  Speaker 13: And that's really the biggest thing I took away from it.
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: We're talking to Sam Hubbard after you got drafted your
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: family and friends about one hundred and sixty four customized
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: Hubbard number ninety four jerseys from the Bengals Pro Shop.
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: I know you love them to death, but was it
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: a little embarrassing?
• 42:47
  Speaker 12: Oh no, not at all. That was awesome.
• 42:49
  Speaker 13: I thank my aunt Emily and my sister Madison that
• 42:54
  Speaker 13: organized the whole thing, and everyone just wanted to be
• 42:58
  Speaker 13: involved and be supportive.
• 43:00
  Speaker 12: I'm so thankful for it.
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: Sounds like the tailgates are pretty legendary in the Hubbard family.
• 43:04
  Speaker 12: Yeah, well, no, I've never been to one.
• 43:07
  Speaker 2: Even postgame. Don't you get to go over there and
• 43:09
  Speaker 2: say hello? When you're done.
• 43:10
  Speaker 13: Oh yeah, but the party usually is died down by then.
• 43:13
  Speaker 13: But now they they have my friends go. People that
• 43:16
  Speaker 13: have never been to a House State or Bengals game
• 43:19
  Speaker 13: go and they tell me that it's the best fun
• 43:22
  Speaker 13: they've had in the life. So shout out to my
• 43:24
  Speaker 13: parents for bringing their a game every week.
• 43:27
  Speaker 2: Nice.
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: What are you do when you have free time?
• 43:29
  Speaker 12: A lot of things?
• 43:30
  Speaker 7: You know.
• 43:30
  Speaker 13: I like to watch movies. I'm gonna consider myself a
• 43:34
  Speaker 13: movie critic. I like to cook, go out to eat, relaxed, swim, fish,
• 43:40
  Speaker 13: play golf. I got a lot of hobbies, but pretty
• 43:43
  Speaker 13: much whatever I'm feeling.
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: Does the movie buff have an all time favorite?
• 43:47
  Speaker 13: I got a couple of all time favorites. I don't
• 43:49
  Speaker 13: think I can pick one off the top of my
• 43:50
  Speaker 13: head right now. Maybe Good Fellas, Oh good choice?
• 43:53
  Speaker 4: All right?
• 43:54
  Speaker 12: Final thing?
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: Great athlete, great student, but nobody's perfect. What do you
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: stink at basketball?
• 44:03
  Speaker 12: Really can't shoot.
• 44:05
  Speaker 13: All I can do is rebound and pass it off.
• 44:08
  Speaker 13: That's always been My uncle played basketball at Michigan. You know,
• 44:11
  Speaker 13: I've always wanted to be good at basketball, but just
• 44:14
  Speaker 13: wasn't my sport.
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: Can't be good at everything, right, Appreciate the time, best
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: of luck this year.
• 44:19
  Speaker 12: Nope, thanks for having me.
• 44:20
  Speaker 2: That's Sam Hubbard.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: Sam plans to continue his work in the community through
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: the Sam Hubbard Foundation and his annual Fowling tournament featuring
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: current and former Bengals, is coming up on May fifteenth.
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: Registration opens tomorrow, Friday, March seventh, at nine am. That's
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: going to do it for this episode of the Bengals
• 44:42
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• 45:09
  Speaker 1: I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to The Bengals
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: Booth Podcast.