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Bengals Booth Podcast: Hypotheticals · Bengals Booth Podcast

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Hi again everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the Bengals Booth Podcast. The playing out a lot of
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: hypotheticals in my mind. Addition, as I look ahead to
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: next week's draft with college football expert Max Chadwick, then
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: you'll hear from a few of the players invited to
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: the Bengals local players workout this week who have a
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: chance of joining the team as a late round pick
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: or undrafted free agent. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought
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  Speaker 1: provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder that
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  Speaker 1: right to your phone, tablet, or computer by some subscribing
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Lake Street Dive. That's the name of a band I've
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: seen several times in concert, including earlier this week at
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: the Megacore. Pavilion in northern Kentucky. In fact, the name
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: of this episode is the name of one of their songs, Hypotheticals.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: The lead singer for the band is the amazing Rachel Price.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: If you think Ohio State broadcaster Paul Keels has great pipes,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: she's the singing version of Big Daddy. But don't take
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  Speaker 1: it from me. Check out the band like right now,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Lake Street Dive is awesome. Now let's get to football.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: We are one week away from the draft, and if
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: you're hoping to see the Bengals pick Ohio State safety
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Caleb Downs, you are going to enjoy my conversation with
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: college football analyst and podcaster Max Chadwick. All right, Max,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: who should the Bengal fans be hoping to still see
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: on the board with a tenth overall pick Dan.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Honestly, I think the best player in the draft and
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: a guy that would be a dream selection for Cincinnati
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: is Caleb Downs, the safety out of Ohio State.
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: He's such a good football player. I think what.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Stands him apart from everyone else in this draft class
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: is how high his football IQ is. Honestly, I think
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: he's one of the smartest safeties I've ever seen honestly
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: coming out of college, and like I said, I think
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: he's the best player in the draft, and for a
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Bengals team that has really struggled at the safety position
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: since Jesse Bates left the team, I think Caleb Downs
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: would be perfect, you know, I really do in that defense.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: So there are a lot of great defensive players like
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Sonny Styles would be great that defense too. I would
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: like Rubin Bain or say a David Bailey if you
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: failed there, but I highly doubt that. But to me,
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: I'm kind of looking at it right now and thinking, man,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: Caleb Downs in the middle of that secondary would be
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: almost perfect for what Cincinnati needs right now.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: That's certainly a name that Bengals fans have been fixated on.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: But let me ask you this. The Bengals signed a
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: couple of safeties in free agency, Brian Cook and Kyle Duggar.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: They still have Jordan Battle on the roster. They've got
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: a couple of good corners and DJ Turner and Dax Hill.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: The incumbent slot corner is Jalen Davis. So if they
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: are fortunate and Caleb Downs is still there at number ten,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: where does he play?
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: I think, honestly, and I like those players you just
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: mentioned right there. I think they're all solid players. I
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: think Kale Downs is gonna be a top five at
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: least safety in the football. Honestly, I think he's up
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: there with Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James, you know, the
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: guys that we talked about the best safeties in recent
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: memory that have gone on to obviously be unbelievable football
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: players too. So I think he probably is playing more
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: of the box for Cincinnati. So you started talking about
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: maybe Jordan Battle maybe losing a couple snaps here and there.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: But the good thing with Cale Downs is he's such
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: a versatile football player. Like Ohio State in their national
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: title run. Actually, Dan, they're kind of using as a
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: pseudo winebacker honestly in that playoff run, and he was
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: amazing in that role too. So I'm for a Bengals
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: team that has weaknesses at linebacker in safety, not saying
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: that you want Cale Downs to play.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: Linebacker, but he could do it all for that defense.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: So honestly, like, I think you play everywhere for them,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: And I think you know, Jordan Battle and Brian Cook
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: again solid football players, but those two are not keeping
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: me from drafting a potential All Pro type of safety,
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: and Caleb Downs.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: We're chatting with the college football analyst Max Chadwick. You
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: rattled off some names that Bengals fans have been thinking
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: about for months now, David Bailey, Ruben Bain, Sunny Styles,
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: and Caleb Downs. If all four are gone, who should
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: the Bengals pick?
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: Honestly, then I might start looking at some other players
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: on the on the defense. Maybe if if jeremih Love
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: some off falls to ten, I think it'd be perfect too,
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: But I highly highly doubt his fall into town. The
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: Caleb Downs more likely to fall to ten than than
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah Love is right now, if you want to look
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: at corner, I don't think corners as big of a
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: need as say linebacker safety for Cincinnati right now, like
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Dax Hill and DJ Turner a little bit. But I
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: think if Manslor Delane was somehow there at number ten overall,
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: that will be a really good pick. I'm a big
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Jamal McCoy fan. Is a little bit risky with the
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: injury history that he has, but he is a you know,
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: if he stayed healthy and was similarly the good as
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: his sophomore year, which I know is a big if,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: obviously because he didn't play it all this year, but
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: if he did that I would put him up there
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: would kill Hi downs to Jeremy Love as the best
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: football players in this draft too, So I think Jamal
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: McCoy would be a worthy gamble at number ten overall.
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I probably looked to those two corners. Maybe
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: it would be the next what place I would look
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: for Cincinnati just to kind of improve that defense.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: A little more.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: McCoy didn't play last year after tearing his ACL, but
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: you think he has a higher ceiling, assuming that he's
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: one hundred percent recovered, I think so.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: I think you know what you saw in his sophomore
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: year at Tennessee was special stuff. I thought he was
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: one of the best corners in the country in the
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: SEC as a sophomore, going against some elite wide receivers,
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: and really the only wide receiver I would say that
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: gave him a lot of fits as a sophomore was,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: of course, Jeremiah Smith in that first round playoff game.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: And we all know how good Jeremiah Smith is and
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: how high he will be taken next year in the
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: NFL draft. But yeah, Jemal McCoy I think the speed
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: is outrageous. He runs somewhere in the fourth threes. I
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: think he's got good size for the position, and like
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: I said, he was a lockdown in.
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: The SEC as a sophomore.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: And like I said, if he was as good as
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: his if he played and it was as good as
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: his sophomore year, I would consider him as high as
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: number two overall to the New York Jets, considering they
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: need a help at corner two. I think he really
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: could have been, in conversation as high as number two overall,
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: but because he got hurt and because it's been so
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: long since we've seen him on the field, I do
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: think that he's probably gonna fall maybe outside the top
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: ten and into the top fifteen of the draft. But Dan,
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: I don't think this draft is good enough for Jermal
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: McCoy to fall much farther than that. Honestly, I think
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: he's way too good of a football player, and I
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: get the gamble that it is there with the injuries,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: But I think this draft is not good enough, and
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: Damal McCoy is too good to fall too much farther
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: down than even number ten overall.
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: Dropped to Jeremiah Love Reference the top running back in
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: this draft. The Bengals are pretty much set on offense.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: They've got a good running back in Chase Brown, although
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: he's only got one year left on his rookie deal.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: Would you really do it? If Jeremiah Love is there,
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: as much as the Bengals need help on defense, I.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Would consider it. If Cale Downs is there, I probably
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: take Kale Downs. I would definitely consider it. Though if
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Cale downsay was taken a little bit earlier, maybe to
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: the Commanders and number seven I know are probably gonna
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: be interested in Cale Downs.
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: Or someone of that ilk too.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean again, I think running back again,
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: Chase Brown's a great player, and I like him. He's
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: not again like the safeties for so Sai and Jordan
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: Battle and Brian Cook. They're not keeping me from drafting
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: it a Jeremiah Love. I think Jeremiah Love is a
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: special football player, and I think he's one of the
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: better running backs that we've seen come out of college
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: in recent memory, honestly, and I think it's an argument
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: between he and Cale downas being the best football player
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: in the draft. Now, there is positional value to keep
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: it into account because' running back obviously it's not as valuable
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: as other positions, just like safety, which is why you're
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: gonna see Kalle Downs and Jeremi Love probably a little
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: bit farther than they should. But yeah, I highly doubt
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Jeremi Love is there because I think there's way too
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: many teams before Cincinnati picks that would be wanting him.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: Like maybe Tennessee at number four is the most likely
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: Lenning spot right now, but maybe Washington at number seven
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: could be interested in Jeremi Love as well. But I
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: do think man Jereedli Love is there for Cincinnati. Add
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: him to that offense with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: and T Higgins, that would be a pretty incredible you know,
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: quartec that Cincinnati would have in that offense.
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Hey did bring him in for a thirty visit apparently,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: so the Bengals are considering it. We'll see how it
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: goes down. We're chatting with Max Chadwick. You can follow
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: him on x at CFB as in college football, Max Chadwick.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about Ruben Bain a little bit. Between the
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: short arms and the recent revelation that he was involved
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: in a car accident back in twenty twenty four where
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: a passenger later died. To be clear, he's not criminentally
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: charged in that. Do you think ruben Bain will be
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: there at number ten?
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: I think there is a pretty good chance now, especially
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: with the recent news that came out, that he could
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: be there at number ten overall. And obviously, you know,
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: we'll see how teams handle all that. Apparently teams knew
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: about this for a while now, so it's not like
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: this is, you know, a situation like say the Laramie
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: Tunzel one I know is getting compared to it, and
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: it's completely different situations. But Laramie Tunzel, like the day
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: of the draft that video dropped, whereas this one from
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Maine Junior, I think teams knew about it for a
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: while now. So maybe the media didn't know about it, and
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: I think media is kind of catching up to it
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: a little bit. But teams at least knew about it,
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: and they're of course factoring it into their big boards,
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: if at all, if they are even factoring it in
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: to their big boards.
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: But the other thing you mentioned right.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: There too is completely right, Dan, The short of the
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: arm length is a historic outlier, right He's I think
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: it's the fourth shortest arms we've ever seen foreign edge rusher,
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: at least somewhere in the top five or ten shortest
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: arms we've ever seen for an edge rusher, and none
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: of the guys that have shorter arms than him were
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: even taking, I believe, in the first three rounds of
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: the NFL draft, let alone the first round of the
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: NFL Draft. Now, what I will say is the arms
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: are an outlier, but so is tape. I think Gruben
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: Bain Junior, I would argue, was the best defensive player
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: in college football this year. He led the nation in pressures.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: He was an outstanding run defender for Miami as well.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: And again, this draft is not good enough to let
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: a guy like Ruby Bain Junior who dominated college football
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: the way he did not only this year, but in
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: his true freshman year and even as a sophomore when
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: he was banged up a little bit, the way he
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: dominated over the last three years. And I get the
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: arm light concerns, I still would take that guy somewhere
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: in the top ten of the draft. Now, obviously you
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: gotta factor in the recent news and how that goes
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: into his evaluation, because you are, of course, at the
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: end of the day, You're not a drafting football player,
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: You're drafting human being.
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: To work for your organization.
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: But I still think Rumbain's tape man is so good
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: that if he's there at number ten overall and Calee
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Downs maybe isn't there, I would still consider Rumbain as
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: a very likely and I'm honestly probably a great pick
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: for Cincinnati if he did get number ten overall.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: Max. At one point, defensive tackle p Woods had a
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: lot of buzz as a potential tenth overall pick that
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: seems to have faded. What do you think of the
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Clemson defensive tackle?
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: I like him. I don't know if I would take
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: him at number ten.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: I use a guy that I was certainly I thought
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Peter Woods was probably a top five prospect going into
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: the year. A little bit of a down year this
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: past year at Clemson. Now, Clemson as a team had
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: a down year, and I think there were some reasons
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: for that. One, I think Peter Woods did not have
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: as good of a year as his freshman.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: And sophomore years.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: But two, the Clemson scheme did not allow him to
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: be as versatile, you know, whereas in his sophomore year,
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: using him playing edge rusher a little bit for Clemson
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: as a you know, three hundred pound edge rusher, which
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: is crazy, but he was succeeding in that role this year.
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: He was playing a lot of nose tackle and that
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: was it for Clemson. So I don't think the production
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: suffered because of that. And I also think the production
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: suffered because this is even something you talked about is
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: Combine press conference, he said offensives were scheming around me.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: You know, you look at it like they were double teaming,
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: even triple teaming him on almost every single play. And
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: a lot other guys a T. J. Parker and even
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: Will Helt another guy to know for next year's draft,
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: to shine on that Clemson defense.
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: So I do think there were reasons for.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Why Peter Woods fell a little bit, or at least
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: his production suffered a little bit this year. I think
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: the player that we're gonna see in the NFL is
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: closer to the one that we saw in his first
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: two years at Clemson, not the one that we saw
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: this past year. But you're certainly right. I don't think
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: he's nearly thought of as highly as he was going
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: into the year, like we thought he could be like
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: a top five top ten pick.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: Are you a Keldrick Falk fan, the pass rusher from Auburn,
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Not at.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: Number ten and probably not in the first round. I
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: think Keldrick Falk there's a lot of reasons to like him. First, well,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: he's very young. He's only twenty years old right now.
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: He's probably the best run defending edge rusher.
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: That we have in the entire draft.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: The tools are all there, but especially for Cincinnati. I mean,
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: you just took a Keldrick Falk esque player already last
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: year in the draft in Shamar Stewart, who was a
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: really great run defender, But like Keldrick Falk, Schamar Steward
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: has a lot of pass rushing question marks right now.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: And Keldrick Falk, I mean over the last two years, Dan,
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: He's only one hundred and fiftieth in the country in
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: pass rush win rate over those last two years.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: So that does not scream to me a guy that I.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Would take at number ten overall or even number And
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: as Hi as a top twenty like he's being projected
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: right now, he's more of a second round pick in
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: my opinion, but I do expect him to go somewhere,
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: probably in the top twenty. Top twenty five of the draft.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: I personally just wouldn't do it because I think there's
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: a lot of projection as a pass rusher right now.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: But if a team does take him and just wants
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: to bet on the upside with Keldrick Falk, I think
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: that that would be a understandable at least pick.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: College football alndaist Max Chadwick is our guest. Let's move
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: to round two. The Bengals have the forty first pick
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: overall with their second round selection. Give us a few
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: names that you like in that range.
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think one of them that would be a dream.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: I think if you get Cale Downs at number ten
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: and if you get Jacob Rodriguez at number forty one overall,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: I would be like slam dunk A plus. I don't
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: gonna see any of your picks for Cincinnati. That is
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: an A plus draft right there. I think Jacob ron Riguez.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: I would take that guy in the first round of
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: the draft. He's probably gonna be available with that number
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: forty one overall pick for Cincinnati.
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: So that is a guy right there.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: If I'm Cincinnati, I am circling that guy in the
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: second round of the draft. I think, you know what
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: he did at Texas Tech this last year was one
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: of the best linebacker seasons we've ever seen in college football.
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: He probably should have.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: Been a Heisman finalist in my opinion, and he tested
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: out really well at the Combine too, so there's not
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: a lot of reasons to dislike it. Jacob Rodriguez right now.
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: He's a little undersize, sure, and he does gamble a
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: little bit more often than you you'd want, but the
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: ball production in the overall production for Jacob Rodriguez is
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: absolutely outstanding, So I think he's definitely a guy to
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: look out for for Cincinnati. I think this linebacker classes
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: is really really good in general, so I think they
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: could look through a lot of areas in there. I
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: think Kristin Miller, you know, they need a d tackle.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: I'm a big fan of Kristin Miller, the defensive tackle
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: out of out of Georgia. I have him the first
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: round caliber player too. He's probably also going to be
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: there at number forty one overall, so that's another guy
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: that I like for Cincinnati. So yeah, I think those
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: two right there, in Jacob Rodriguez and Kristin Miller, those
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: are two guys that I'm a big fan of Also
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: Dangela Pons would not be a bad pick either. I
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: think dangel Pons the corner out of Indiana, and again,
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: like I said, corns On as big of a need
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: for Cincinnati right now. But dangel Pons, in my opinion,
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: is also a first round caliber player that's probably gonna
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: foil the second round because of his size, but I
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: think he is such an amazing corner. If he was
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: three inches taller, Dan, we could be talking about maybe
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: CB one in the draft.
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: Bans for the Land.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: I guess how good D'Angelo Pons is. He just happens
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: to be five foot eight five foot nine right now,
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: but he is an absolute incredible football player.
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: He's been that way for three years.
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: Getting back to Jacob Rodriguez, the linebacker from Texas Tech,
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: how do you think he compares to another seemingly likely
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: second round selection, Jake Golday out of the University of Cincinnati. Yeah.
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: I like Jake Golday a lot.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: Actually, I think he's another guy that would be a
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: really good pick at forty one overall if Cincinnati did
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: end up taking him there. I think he's a guy
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: that excelled this last year at Cincinnati. It's really cool
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: to see the development arc that you saw from Jake Golday.
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: Whereas you know, when he's playing at the SCS level,
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: they were using in a lot of different roles, like
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: a little bit of safety, a little bit even the
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: edge rusher sometimes. And then he goes and plays full
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: time linebacker for Cincinnati, and I think he's still becoming
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: even better and better every single year. And he was
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: one of the best linebackers in the country this past year.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: So I was really impressed by him in coverage, and
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: I think in run defense he's a really good athlete too.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: I think Jake Golday would certainly be a great fit
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: at number forty one overall, and very low moving costs
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: for Jake Golday too, and I'm sure Cincinnati would appreciate.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: All Right, let's talk center. Ted Karris is thirty three.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: He's going into the final year of his contract. His
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: current backup is Jacob Bayer, who is a practice squad
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: rookie last year. He's never played a snap in an
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: NFL regular season game. You were asked recently about your
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: favorite Day two or Day three picks in the draft,
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: and you said the following. In a strong center class,
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: Jake Slaughter, who's out of Florida stands apart. Tell me
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: about Jake Slaughter because I've now been taking him on
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: all of my mock draft simulators because of you and
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: any other centers you like in this draft, because it
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: feels like the Bengals are going to have to take
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: one at some point.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I appreciate you. You trusted me
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: blindly with the Jake Slaughter weve right there. But I
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: think he's an amazing football player. And I think what
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: he has done over the last three years at Florida
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: as their starting center has been nothing short of remarkable.
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: Honestly, he has been one of the best centers in
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: the country.
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: In the second he became the starting center for Florida,
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: and that's against first round defensive tackles that he was
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: playing almost every single week in the SEC too, so
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: he was dominating.
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: That level of competition. He was one of the best
• 17:46
  Speaker 3: centers in the country in the SEC.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: Goes out of the combine, is an elite athlete at
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: the combine two.
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: And I think he's a little.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Under size, you know, I think, or at least I
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: got to ask in play stranks right now. But I mean,
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: you just look at Jake Slaughter and what he has
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: done in the SAC and how do we tested out
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: the combine. He's currently mocked as a late third round,
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: early fourth round pick right now. If you get Jake
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: Slaughter in the late third early fourth round, that is
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: going to be an absolute steal in my opinion. So
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: f I'm Cincinnati and I get that guy on late
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: day two, early day three, in addition to you know,
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: Caleb Downs or Jacob Ardriguez or Jake Goldey or Christi Miller,
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: I would be thrilled if I was Cincinnati.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: Any other centers that you like.
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: I think it's a really strong center class. Yeah.
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: I think Connor lou the center out of Auburn. He
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: tore his a cl later on in the year, but
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: people were talking about him as a potential first round
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: pick before that. Sam Heckt from from Kansas State. He
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: had a great Senior Bowl in a really good year
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: this past year at Kansas State as well.
• 18:43
  Speaker 3: He's got to watch out for.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: He's probably gonna be a you know, I think both
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: he and Connor Loe are probably gonna be third round picks.
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: Logan Jones from Iowa.
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: He's a little undersized too, but we've seen Iowa centers
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: who are a little bit undersized work in the NFL before,
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: like Tyler Linnardbaum for example, he's got to watch out for.
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: He had a great year, really great career at Auburn too,
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: So I'm sorry to Iowa. So yeah, I think Connor
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: lou from Auburn, Sam Hacks from Kansas State, Logan Jones
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: from Iowa. Those are the other guys that I really
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: like and is a great center class this year. But
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: for me at least, Jake Slaughter is still my number
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: one center and honestly, I think I have him as
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: like an early second round pick of my personal big board.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: Right now, all right, we are visiting with the college
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: football analyst Max Chadwick. Let's talk about the Bengals in general.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: Kind of the off season mission this year was to
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: get better on defense. They've signed Brian Cook, Boy Mafe,
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: Jonathan Allen, Kyle Duggar, and some other signings as well.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: Depending on what they're able to do with the draft
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: capital that they have, how much better can they be
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: on defense?
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's tough because I do love the
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: boy A Mafy signing. I think he's actually a really
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: underrated player, and I'm excited to see what he does
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: in Cincinnati. But you obviously lost Trey Hendrickson too, right,
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: so I obviously they did downgrade a little bit going
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: from Trey.
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: Henderson to boy A Mafey.
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: But I'm excited to see it if Miles Murphy can
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: finally look up to the first round hope that he had,
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: you know, when he was drafted that way in twenty
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: twenty three. I think that Brian Cook signing with Smart
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: from Cincinnati. As of right now, I'm still a little
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: worried about this defense. I still think they have big
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: issues at linebacker right now. You're hoping that Dimitrius Snide
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: and Barrett Carter can get better there, but I really
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: think that they should be taking a linebacker. I mean,
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: if Sonny Styles is there number ten overall, great, but
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: probably at number forty one overall. If you can get
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: because it's a great linebacker class this year, you better
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: take advantage of it, I think if you're Cincinnati, so
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: I definitely think they've got to be still hammering this
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: defense home in the draft because I'm still a little
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: worried about it right now. You had a superstar before
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: and Trey Henderson. Now that he's gone, you look at
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: that defense. I don't know who the superstar is for
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: that defense right now. So maybe you could draft one
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: to kill downs and maybe you can get a really
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: good player in Jacob Rodriguez or Christin Miller or someone
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: like there.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: Jake Golday too.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: But yeah, if I'm Cincinnati, I'm I'm still worried about
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: the defense and I'm still am prioritizing it in the draft.
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: There's still some veteran linebackers out there, namely Bobby Wagner,
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: who's obviously getting up there in years, Matt Mulano, who
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: has had a lot of injury issues over the last
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: few years. Does either of those names do anything for
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: you or anybody else that might still be out there
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: in free agency?
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I actually love the Bobby Wagner call out right there.
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: I think Bobby Wagner he's just stand to test the time, honestly.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: You know, he's obviously lost a step from his elite
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: playing career in Seattle, but like every single year seems
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: like in his career, he's still a top ten to
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: fifteen linebacker in the NFL because of how smart of
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: a football player he is. And you know, when your
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: mental speed is that fast, it makes up for any
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: lack of.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: Physical speed that you have out there.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: So I think if Bobby Wagner wants to go to
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: Cincinnati and Society could promise him, hey, listen, man, you're
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: gonna be the leader of our defense. So you're gonna
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: be the guy for our defense. And you know, obviously
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: he could look at them too and say, hey, if
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: I can help this defense play a lot better, and
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: I know I got Joe Burrow and Jamar Chasin and
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: T Higgins on the other side of the ball, we
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: can make a run at this thing. Right So, if
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: Bobby Wagner wants to chase another ring, I'm not saying
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Cincinnati is one of the top contenders to win a
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: SUP this year with what the defense is looking, but
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: he could probably look at it and say, I could
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: be the veteran leader for a lot of young pieces
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: right now.
• 22:08
  Speaker 3: That is one thing I will say for Cincinnati.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: They have a lot of young players on the defense,
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: not a lot of proven guys just yet, but at
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: least there is youth on that side of the ball.
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: You had a veteran presence and an all time great
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: linebacker I think one of the ten greatest linebackers you've
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: ever seen in the game of football in Bobby Wagner
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: to that defense just to kind of help tootlegit those
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: even tutor them. Like even if he isn't as great
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: of a football player anymore, at least you have the
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: mentor for Dimitrius Knight, a Barrett Carter, a Jacob Rodriguez
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: at Jake Golde. That that is invaluable in my opinion.
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: Honestly so, I think Bobby Wagner will be a terrific
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: signing if they ended up getting him.
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: All Right, A few more questions for Max Chadwick before
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: we wrap this up. Who is your favorite player in
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: the draft regardless of round.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: Jake Slaughter was one of them. Jacob Rodriguez is another.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: I think I gotta go back to D'Angelo Pons. I mean,
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: just you know, there's the old moniker, like the first
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: guy off the bus, which would be like a Caleb
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: Banks for example, who might be a target for Cincinnati.
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: Actually in the second round of the.
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: Draft, the Florida defensive tackle was just an absolutely gargantuan
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: human being.
• 23:11
  Speaker 3: Dangel Ponds would be the last.
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: Guy off the bus, off the based off of that,
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: but he's still one of the best football players in
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: the country honestly. Like I said, he's been you know,
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: five eight, five nine, But he plays in the on
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: the boundary. He plays in the outside when sony guys
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: at that size have to play in the slot. Dangel
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: Pond's paid on the Dangel Pond's playing on the outside
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: in Indiana and even James Madison, like I actually remember
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: Dan his his true freshman year at James Madison with
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: Kurt Signetti and he exploded and had an amazing.
• 23:36
  Speaker 3: Year and then transferred to Indiana.
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: You're like, Okay, he had a great year James Madison,
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: but how good will he be in the Big ten?
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: Turns out pretty damn good, honestly.
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: So I think D'Angelo pons he is a guy that
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: again the size concerns are going to drop him most
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: likely out of the first round, but I think whoever
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: scoops him up in the second round of the draft
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: will be getting a dog of a football player and
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: a guy that I would love to have in my
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: locker room.
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: On the flip side, who is the guy in this
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: draft that your fellow draft gurus love that your effion.
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: That's a good question. I hate to repeat answer to that.
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: Keldrick fawk is certainly up there. That is one where
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: I'm like, man, you better have a defensive coordinator that
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: you are very confident in because he, to me, is
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: a guy that I'm just like. There's a lot of
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: projection there for Keldrick Fowk, So he's probably the biggest
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: one for me right now. The other one that I
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: do like, I'm not saying he's not worthy of a
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: first front pick, but I think there is projection there
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: is Rvel Reese, the linebacker out of Ohio State. I
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: would not take him a number two overall like he's
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: currently projected right now to the New York Jets. He's
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: probably gonna end up being a top five at least
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: picking the draft, I think he's more of a top fifteen,
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: top twenty prospect. I actually like him more linebacker than
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: edge rusher, and a lot of people are saying, oh,
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: he's gonna make the transition from linebacker to edge rusher,
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: like Michael Parsons did, like After Carter did, like Jalen
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: Walker did, the problem with those guys, though, is that
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: they were much better pass rushers. I thought than that
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: than r VL Reese was too. So he has all
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: the tools in the world, and there's still a lot
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: more to be unlocked, I think, but there's a lot
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: of projection there with r VL reason, I would much
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: be much more comfortable. If you want an edge rusher,
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: I'd be much more comfortable taking David Bailey or Ruby Bain.
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: And if you want a linebacker, I'd be much more
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: comfortable taking his teammate in Sonny styles too. So I
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: think RVL Rees where he's being mocked right now, is
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: a little bit too too rich for my blood.
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: All right, last thing, taking into consideration all of the projections,
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: all of the studying you've done, about what do you
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: expect to happen with the first nine picks in the draft.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: We know you're hoping from the Bengals perspective that Caleb
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: Downs is there, but we don't know if you think
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: he will be. So here's the question. With the tenth
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: pick in the twenty twenty six NFL Draft, the Cincinnati
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: Bengals select who.
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: I am actually gonna say, KYLEA. Downs.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: I think he'll get there to number ten of Ronald
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: I know you're thrilled with that.
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: Dan I'd be thrilled with the two.
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: Honestly, if I'm pumping my fist here, I.
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: Think what I will say is, despite him being the
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: best football player in the draft, the NFL has proven
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: time and time again that they don't care how good
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: of a safety they are. They're going to take them
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: later than you think they should go. Ale Hamilton went
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: outside of the top ten of his draft. Derwin James
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: went outside the top fifteen of his draft. I thought
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: both of those guys in their drafts were maybe the
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: best player in the draft, if not a top three
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: or top five player in the draft.
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: So I feel the same way about kill Downs.
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: I feel like this draft is not good enough for
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: him to fall outside the top ten, but I do
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: think that he will be there at number ten, and
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: if he is there at number ten, overall, Dan I
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: am I'm not even listening to any trade offers from
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: any other team.
• 26:40
  Speaker 3: I don't care what they're offering.
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: I'm sprinting that card in as fast as humanly possible
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: from Soccati.
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: Bengals, I think you are going to add a lot
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: of Twitter followers based on my podcast audience, because I
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: know Bengals fans would be pumping their fists much like
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: I was just doing. If Caleb Downs is there and
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: the Bengals have the opportunity to add him to their defense,
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: I think that would be a dream come true. Max,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: this has been great. Really appreciate your time and your knowledge.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: Keep up the great work and I hope we can
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: do this again sometime down the road.
• 27:12
  Speaker 3: Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. Go cues Yes.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Max is a fellow Syracuse University alum. The Bengals Booth
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: the best Care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Each year, NFL
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: teams are permitted to hold a workout for players who
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: played their high school and or college ball in the
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: team's regional area, as well as for players who currently
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: reside in that area. On Tuesday thirty one, players who
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: fit that description worked out for the Bengals at pay
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: Core Stadium. Now it should be noted that guys like
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: Ohio State Sunny Styles and Caleb Downs or u c's
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: Jake Golday and Joe Royer were not involved. The Bengals
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: have already seen and met with guys like that. The
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: local player workout is for potential later round picks or
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: undrafted free agents, and I've picked out five from Tuesday's
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: workout that i think have the best shot of winding
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: up with Cincinnati, Beginning with a couple of linebackers. Jack
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Dingle was a three year starter at the University of
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: Cincinnati who has elite athletic ability. He was on Bruce
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: Feldman's Famous Freaks List while he was at UC, and
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: his relative athletics score of nine point eight two ranked
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: sixty fifth out of three thy four hundred and sixty
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: linebackers measured since nineteen eighty seven. Based on what I've heard,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: it sounds like you've been a busy man in terms
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: of NFL visits and so forth. Tell me a little
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: bit about that.
• 28:58
  Speaker 4: Yeah, just got back from the Chiefs last week, going
• 29:01
  Speaker 4: to the Raiders today. You know, things are starting to
• 29:03
  Speaker 4: pick up a little bit for me. Had a great
• 29:05
  Speaker 4: Pro Day just after that. It's been it's been really good.
• 29:09
  Speaker 4: It's gonna be out here at local day with all
• 29:10
  Speaker 4: the with all the guys I know from around here,
• 29:13
  Speaker 4: good experiences, show show one last time what I can
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: do on the field.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: What are your hopes just to hear your name picked?
• 29:20
  Speaker 4: Oh, I mean that's a dream come true to hear
• 29:22
  Speaker 4: my name pick. But anyway it goes, you know, just
• 29:25
  Speaker 4: to get signed to a team and have the opportunity
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: to make a team. That's all you can.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Ask for having played for you see, what was it
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: like to be part of this tryout with the Bengals.
• 29:34
  Speaker 4: I mean this is also just a dream come true
• 29:36
  Speaker 4: as a kid, you know, playing in the stadium, coming
• 29:39
  Speaker 4: out here in front of these coaches and showing off
• 29:40
  Speaker 4: your talents and you know, being in the same city
• 29:43
  Speaker 4: as the Bengals that it's awesome being out here with
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: the guys you know you played with over the years
• 29:47
  Speaker 4: or played against.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's just a great opportunity. How important are
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: special teams going to be to your future? Do you think?
• 29:53
  Speaker 4: You know that's the number one thing. Get on team,
• 29:55
  Speaker 4: start learning special teams right away. You know, that's how
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: you make a team, and it's very important to these coaches.
• 30:00
  Speaker 4: You know, you gotta get out there. You know, I
• 30:02
  Speaker 4: talk to a lot of NFL players in the league
• 30:04
  Speaker 4: right now, and they said, learn that kickstep on punt man.
• 30:06
  Speaker 4: You make the punting, you make the team. And that's
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: that's that's the number one thing when I come into
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: the team.
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: I think the Bengals are probably in the market for
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: a linebacker. You do you study stuff like that? Are
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: you paying attention to what teams might have a need
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: in the event that you're a free agent?
• 30:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I talk with my agent and he
• 30:23
  Speaker 4: kind of gives me the rundown, and you try to
• 30:25
  Speaker 4: look at their defenses. You can go in there and
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: ask questions to these teams and you're going to get
• 30:28
  Speaker 4: interviewed by them, and you know, you kind of watch
• 30:30
  Speaker 4: other players and how they do things. But that's just
• 30:33
  Speaker 4: how the process goes. Best the fluck, Thank you appreciate it.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: Dengle has firsthand knowledge that it's possible to have a
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: good NFL career as an undrafted free agent. His dad, Nate,
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: was undrafted coming out of UC and went on to
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: play for the Eagles, Jaguars, and Rams. Another linebacker to
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: keep an eye on is Jackson Coop Watch Cool watch
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: is a local kid from Lakota West High School. He
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: originally walked on at Ohio State, but didn't play much
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: in two seasons, so he transferred to Miami University for
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: his final three years and had a breakout season for
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the RedHawks as a senior with more than one hundred
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: tackles and five sacks. He earned All Mac honors and
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: invitations to the East West Shrine Bowl and Hula Bowl.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: Based on everything I've heard in Red You've really put
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: yourself on the NFL radar. What are you hearing from
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: an agent or teams or whatever.
• 31:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, I'm just gonna, you know, see what happens.
• 31:31
  Speaker 5: You know, maybe maybe I'll get my name called on
• 31:34
  Speaker 5: uh you know, Saturday of the draft. Maybe maybe not
• 31:36
  Speaker 5: either way. Uh, you know, I'll get an you know,
• 31:38
  Speaker 5: hopefully get an opportunity somewhere and look forward to making
• 31:41
  Speaker 5: the most out of that opportunity.
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: Where do you think you bring to an NFL team?
• 31:45
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I think I think I'm a very versatile player.
• 31:48
  Speaker 5: I think I'm someone who can come in right away
• 31:51
  Speaker 5: and you know, with with coaching and contribute right away
• 31:55
  Speaker 5: on special teams and uh, you know, n linebacker and
• 31:59
  Speaker 5: I think, I, you know, bring someone who's you know,
• 32:02
  Speaker 5: gonna be uh easy guy in the locker room to
• 32:04
  Speaker 5: you know, get along with.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: And yeah. How would you describe wearing a Bengals uniform
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: and practicing for the Bengal staff today? Yeah, no, it was.
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: It was really cool.
• 32:13
  Speaker 5: I you know, grew up a big Bengals fan, obviously
• 32:16
  Speaker 5: being from the area, so yeah, a little little surreal,
• 32:19
  Speaker 5: but uh, but no, it was, it was awesome.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: Did you attend a lot of games as a kid?
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: Uh?
• 32:24
  Speaker 5: I went to I would say I probably want to
• 32:26
  Speaker 5: want a year, probably want a year.
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: Uh would it be weird to be in a locker
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: room with Burrow Chase, you know, all these guys that
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: that you've been watching.
• 32:34
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it would definitely, uh definitely take some
• 32:37
  Speaker 5: getting used to.
• 32:37
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 32:38
  Speaker 5: It'd probably those first you know, first couple of days,
• 32:40
  Speaker 5: first couple a couple of practices would certainly be uh
• 32:43
  Speaker 5: be pretty surreal.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Special teams will be huge for you, correct, Yes, I will.
• 32:47
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: Do you have a lot of experience in that area?
• 32:49
  Speaker 5: I do, Yeah, I Uh, I don't know the exact
• 32:51
  Speaker 5: snap count number, but I think maybe close to five
• 32:54
  Speaker 5: hundred snaps throughout my throughout my college career. But yeah,
• 32:58
  Speaker 5: I was playing special team you know, even you know
• 33:03
  Speaker 5: this past year when I was playing a lot of linebacker,
• 33:05
  Speaker 5: I was playing a lot of special teams too, and
• 33:07
  Speaker 5: then the twenty three, twenty four big special teams guys.
• 33:11
  Speaker 5: So yeah, I do have a lot of experience on it.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: Have you had visits with teams? Yeah, so I was.
• 33:16
  Speaker 5: Uh, I was in Indianapolis last week and then Baltimore
• 33:22
  Speaker 5: yesterday and going to New York tomorrow.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: That's a good sign.
• 33:25
  Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, that's been done. Great, super super fortunate to
• 33:31
  Speaker 5: be in this position, and yeah, super excited.
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: The Athletics draft guru Dane Brugler, as Jackson coo Watch,
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: projected to be a seventh round draft pick. There were
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: a couple of Ohio State Buckeyes at the local workout
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: that are names to know, defensive linemen Taiwan Malone and
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: offensive lineman ethan Odeonwa. Malone was a starting defensive tackle
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: for the Buckeyes last year whose strength is stopping the
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: run and he has something interesting in with Hall of
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: Famer Anthony Munos. Malone was part of national championship teams
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: in baseball and football. He played both sports at Ole
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: Miss and won a baseball title in twenty twenty two
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: when he came off the bench as a first baseman
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: dh Then, after transferring to Ohio State, he won a
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: football title with the Buckeyes in twenty twenty four. Anthony
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: Munos won titles in both sports at USC pitching for
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: the Trojans national championship team in nineteen seventy eight. Ethan
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: Oneonwa is a gigantic offensive line prospect. He's six six
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: and a half and three hundred and thirty three pounds.
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: He was a three year starter at Rice who got
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: a big chunk of nil money to transfer to Ohio
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: State last year. He didn't crack the starting lineup on
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: a talented Buckeye line, but his measurables were enough to
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: get a Senior Bowl invite. Malone and Oneanwa are both
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: projected to be undrafted free agents by Brugler and are
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: sure to be in NFL camps. My fifth and final
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: player to keep an eye on from the local workout
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: is center Gavin Gerhart. Gavin was a four year starter
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: and three time captain at uc Bearcat's head coach Gott
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: Saderfield often called him one of the best leaders he
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: had ever coached, and once told me that any company
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: out there should hire him when he finishes playing. There
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: are roughly two seven hundred players mentioned in Dane Brugler's
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: Draft guide this year, and Gerhart is not among them.
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: So he might be a long shot. But the Bengals
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: are in the market for developmental centers and NFL teams
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: are showing interest in a player who grew up about
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: an hour away from Peikorp Stadium in Xenia, Ohio. What
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: are you hearing from an agent from teams whatever?
• 35:54
  Speaker 6: Late seventh round, undrafted free agent And as long as
• 35:57
  Speaker 6: I get opportunity, that's all it matters. Just got back
• 36:00
  Speaker 6: visiting with Misso Vikings and then I've had a lot
• 36:03
  Speaker 6: of zoom calls with teams going over installs, had a
• 36:06
  Speaker 6: couple of private workouts. I got another visit set up.
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: The Bengals recently let their backup center go. Do you
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: pay attention to stuff like that and do you think
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: there might be an opportunity here?
• 36:17
  Speaker 6: Of course, I think there's always an opportunity. It's what
• 36:20
  Speaker 6: I make of it. And yeah, I believe somebody sent
• 36:23
  Speaker 6: it to me that you know, I'm not big on
• 36:25
  Speaker 6: social media. But I saw somebody send it to me
• 36:27
  Speaker 6: and know that knowledge of him being released, and I
• 36:30
  Speaker 6: just need an opportunity. If it's here, that'd be amazing.
• 36:33
  Speaker 6: If it's not, all as well.
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: You're doing some drills with Scott Peters. I know a
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: lot of what he teaches is similar to what coach
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: Cardwell teaches at UC. Did that all sound familiar to you?
• 36:46
  Speaker 3: Oh?
• 36:46
  Speaker 6: It sounded like a practice six months ago when I
• 36:49
  Speaker 6: was when I was playing with coach Carwell and under him.
• 36:52
  Speaker 6: A lot of the similar stuff. Minor minor changes, but
• 36:55
  Speaker 6: it's all. It's all pretty similar.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Got a ton of experience, Your leadership is well known.
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: What do you think you need to show NFL teams
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: or what what are they looking at to know if
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: you can plain in the NFL?
• 37:07
  Speaker 6: Like you said, I think I've established all that stuff.
• 37:09
  Speaker 6: I think just being able to come in and learn
• 37:13
  Speaker 6: a system as quickly as possible. If you go undrafted,
• 37:16
  Speaker 6: you have to be ahead of everybody else. You have
• 37:18
  Speaker 6: to learn the system well. You got to be a
• 37:22
  Speaker 6: good back holder for the for the older guys. All
• 37:26
  Speaker 6: that stuff plays a factor. So being able to come
• 37:29
  Speaker 6: in and do that stuff is the main thing.
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: Being from just up the road and having played at UC.
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: Was this a special experience for you to be wearing
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: Bengals stuff and practicing for these coaches?
• 37:39
  Speaker 6: Oh yeah, oh yeah. I wouldn't have missed it. Even
• 37:41
  Speaker 6: if I was projected first second round, I still would
• 37:45
  Speaker 6: have been out here just because it's a childhood dreamed
• 37:47
  Speaker 6: to I rooted for him growing up and there's still
• 37:50
  Speaker 6: going to be, you know, my childhood team. So it
• 37:53
  Speaker 6: was it was special to get out here for.
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: The day that's going to do it for This episode
• 37:57
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• 38:28
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• 38:31
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