Latest / Bengals Booth Podcast / Bengals Booth Podcast: Going Through Changes
Transcript
- 0:03Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading
- 0:06Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast. The I'm going through changes his
- 0:13Speaker 1: edition as we discuss the bengals many changes for the
- 0:16Speaker 1: upcoming season with two guests. First, NFL analyst and former
- 0:20Speaker 1: offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, I'll get his thoughts on Joe Burrow,
- 0:25Speaker 1: the Bengals O line, and much more. Then I'll be
- 0:29Speaker 1: joined by one of the eight unrestricted free agents that
- 0:32Speaker 1: the Bengals signed in the off season, linebacker Josh Bines.
- 0:36Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Prime Sport, the
- 0:40Speaker 1: official fan, travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals.
- 0:44Speaker 1: And here's a quick reminder that you can have the
- 0:46Speaker 1: latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet,
- 0:50Speaker 1: or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify,
- 0:55Speaker 1: or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since having a
- 0:59Speaker 1: calculator on your phone. I remember the first calculator I
- 1:04Speaker 1: ever saw. My stepfather bought it for his business and
- 1:08Speaker 1: it was the size and weight of a brick and
- 1:11Speaker 1: it was expensive. Now, anytime I need to do quick math,
- 1:15Speaker 1: like figuring out a tip at a restaurant or my
- 1:18Speaker 1: son's on base percentage and not hold baseball. All I
- 1:21Speaker 1: have to do is use the calculator on my phone,
- 1:25Speaker 1: A useful invention right in the palm of your hand.
- 1:28Speaker 1: I guess that's why they call it handy. Now let's
- 1:33Speaker 1: get to football. There are many great things to watch
- 1:37Speaker 1: on NFL Game Pass, currently available for free on NFL
- 1:41Speaker 1: dot com until July thirty first, and one of the
- 1:44Speaker 1: best shows is called Film Session. On it, co hosts
- 1:48Speaker 1: Brian Baldinger and Kurt Warner sit down with one of
- 1:51Speaker 1: the NFL's top players for an in depth film study
- 1:54Speaker 1: session that gives viewers a look at what it takes
- 1:57Speaker 1: to make a player one of the best at his position.
- 2:01Speaker 1: Baldinger is a prominent analyst for NFL Network and joined
- 2:04Speaker 1: me recently to discuss the Bengals. Brian, let's start with
- 2:07Speaker 1: the player who has energized this fan base. What do
- 2:10Speaker 1: you think the Bengals are getting in Joe Burrow. They're
- 2:12Speaker 1: getting a natural Robert Redford in the natural. I mean,
- 2:15Speaker 1: I've never seen anybody play college football the way Joe
- 2:17Speaker 1: Burrow did a year ago against the country's best team's
- 2:21Speaker 1: week in week out. He was sensational. And the big
- 2:25Speaker 1: difference was when Joe Brady came from New Orleans last year,
- 2:28Speaker 1: is he recognized how quickly he goes through his progressions
- 2:33Speaker 1: and it was a strength. And from that he was
- 2:36Speaker 1: basically able to get five wide receivers or five receivers
- 2:40Speaker 1: out in the route and let him decide where to
- 2:42Speaker 1: go with the ball and limited what teams could do
- 2:45Speaker 1: in the pass rush in the blitz game, and he
- 2:47Speaker 1: was just deadly accurate and his decision making was spot on.
- 2:52Speaker 1: They're getting one of the best college prospects to ever
- 2:54Speaker 1: come out, and there's a lot to be excited about there.
- 2:57Speaker 1: We're talking to NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger. How does
- 3:01Speaker 1: his potential compare to what's been solid play over the
- 3:05Speaker 1: last nine years from Andy Dalton. I don't know exactly.
- 3:09Speaker 1: I mean Andy Dalton, you know, won the division, he
- 3:12Speaker 1: went to the playoffs five years in a row. We
- 3:14Speaker 1: know what his playoff record was. But they were a
- 3:17Speaker 1: very successful team for much of Andy Dalton's tenure. He
- 3:21Speaker 1: was a great leader, he knew where to go with
- 3:23Speaker 1: the ball. They had pretty good drafts back then, and
- 3:26Speaker 1: there's a lot of stability, uh something Cincinnati hasn't had recently,
- 3:30Speaker 1: so I don't want to compare him to anybody yet.
- 3:33Speaker 1: I mean, Andy Dalton was a real pro and it
- 3:35Speaker 1: has a chance to be continue to be a real
- 3:37Speaker 1: prom He just knew how to conduct himself, how to
- 3:40Speaker 1: handle himself, how to run a football team. And that's
- 3:44Speaker 1: what Joe, you know, that's that's his initial job. I mean,
- 3:47Speaker 1: obviously he's got to go out and perform and play
- 3:49Speaker 1: at a high level. We got to see how quickly
- 3:52Speaker 1: he can do that right now. But I don't I
- 3:53Speaker 1: don't really want to compare him to Anny Dalton. Look,
- 3:56Speaker 1: Joe Burrow doesn't have the strongest arm. I did a
- 3:59Speaker 1: football camp with Sam Darnold this year and they're training
- 4:02Speaker 1: together in California, and he was around him and he
- 4:04Speaker 1: said that the arm isn't it's not Patrick Mahome's arm,
- 4:09Speaker 1: but it is an accurate arm. He knows where to
- 4:11Speaker 1: put the ball, and so accuracy is more important than
- 4:14Speaker 1: arms strength, and that's that's going to be the key.
- 4:17Speaker 1: Can you convert third downs? Put the ball where you
- 4:19Speaker 1: got to be able to put it on third down
- 4:21Speaker 1: to convert and stay on the field. When you could
- 4:23Speaker 1: do that, you're gonna win games. We're talking to former
- 4:26Speaker 1: NFL offensive leman Brian Baldinger. What do you think the
- 4:29Speaker 1: lack of OTAs and mini camps are going to mean
- 4:32Speaker 1: too Joe into the other rookie quarterbacks this year. Well,
- 4:35Speaker 1: it's it's a huge roadblock for everybody like that. New staffs,
- 4:41Speaker 1: young players, teams that are rebuilding, not to be able
- 4:44Speaker 1: to get on the field and spend time together, get
- 4:47Speaker 1: to know one another, get to know you know as
- 4:50Speaker 1: a person, and then the timing on each other side
- 4:53Speaker 1: of the ball. It's it's going to hamstring teams. And
- 4:56Speaker 1: so I've said for a number of years because of
- 5:00Speaker 1: how little teams played their starters in preseason that September
- 5:04Speaker 1: was the new August. Well it may. We may not
- 5:07Speaker 1: see the timing that is necessary to really play at
- 5:11Speaker 1: the high level until October. With a lot of teams
- 5:14Speaker 1: this year, teams are going to struggle. I believe now
- 5:17Speaker 1: you might have to look deep to find it, and
- 5:19Speaker 1: to find the timing errors might not show up on
- 5:22Speaker 1: the TV screen right away, but I think it's going
- 5:25Speaker 1: to be there because football is a summation of a
- 5:28Speaker 1: lot of moving parts, and if they're not all moving together,
- 5:31Speaker 1: in the right way. Things usually don't click real well.
- 5:36Speaker 1: We're talking to Brian Baldinger. You can follow them on
- 5:38Speaker 1: Twitter at Baldy NFL. After Joe Burrow Brian. The Bengals
- 5:43Speaker 1: took T Higgins in the second round, linebacker Logan Wilson
- 5:46Speaker 1: in the third. Three of their seven picks or linebackers,
- 5:50Speaker 1: The only offensive lineman they selected was a Team of
- 5:52Speaker 1: Energy out of Kansas in the sixth round. What did
- 5:55Speaker 1: you think of their draft overall? Well, mate, T Higgins,
- 5:59Speaker 1: can you line up along with Tyler Boyd and AJ
- 6:02Speaker 1: Green and John Ross? And you know, we know that
- 6:05Speaker 1: you know, Ross has been injured a lot, We know
- 6:07Speaker 1: that AJ Green didn't play last year. I think they've
- 6:09Speaker 1: got a young player that they can develop, that can
- 6:12Speaker 1: learn from a lot of those players I just mentioned.
- 6:15Speaker 1: And you know, he certainly had success at Clemson. And
- 6:19Speaker 1: I mean it was a deep wide receiver draft. You
- 6:21Speaker 1: had to take one of them, and they did. I
- 6:24Speaker 1: think that Logan Wilson is a good prospect. They certainly
- 6:28Speaker 1: need linebackers in every phase right now, especially with what
- 6:32Speaker 1: they lost over the last two seasons. So they're gonna
- 6:36Speaker 1: get an opportunity to play right away. A Kaman Denege
- 6:39Speaker 1: played at Kansas. Probably play his best football this year,
- 6:43Speaker 1: you know, with the new coaching staff. But he certainly
- 6:45Speaker 1: is a guy that you know, played on a team
- 6:47Speaker 1: that struggled and he had to be really good because
- 6:51Speaker 1: they were always behind and throwing the football, and so
- 6:53Speaker 1: he got a lot of work at pass protection there
- 6:55Speaker 1: at Kansas. Brian, you do mister fixed articles during the
- 6:59Speaker 1: season on NFL dot Com where you address how teams
- 7:02Speaker 1: can fix their weaknesses. So here's my question for mister
- 7:05Speaker 1: fix it. How can the Bengals improve that offensive line? Well,
- 7:09Speaker 1: I mean it starts with getting Jonah Williams back. He
- 7:12Speaker 1: didn't play last year. He was a first round pick,
- 7:14Speaker 1: you know, I mean people thought he was a first
- 7:16Speaker 1: round pick and he's got to go play like it
- 7:18Speaker 1: now at a key position. They haven't really fixed that position,
- 7:23Speaker 1: you know, for you know, since they lost a really
- 7:25Speaker 1: good player three years ago. So it starts there. Look,
- 7:31Speaker 1: I mean, can Billy Price, can he play like the
- 7:33Speaker 1: number one pick he got beat out last year? Can
- 7:36Speaker 1: he get back to what he was at Ohio State?
- 7:39Speaker 1: Can he be a starting NFL center? We got to
- 7:42Speaker 1: find that out. I think, you know, I would try
- 7:45Speaker 1: to get as much competition at Bobby Hart right tackle
- 7:48Speaker 1: position as you can, you know, and try to try
- 7:52Speaker 1: to get the best five guys out there. That's where
- 7:54Speaker 1: it starts. It always starts up front. You're gonna get,
- 7:57Speaker 1: you know, the first pick in the draft. You want
- 7:59Speaker 1: to try to build the best wall possible, you know,
- 8:02Speaker 1: try to get the best five guys up front, and
- 8:05Speaker 1: the best five guys playing together as one up front.
- 8:07Speaker 1: That's where it starts. We're talking to NFL Network analyst
- 8:11Speaker 1: Brian Baldinger. You were an offensive lineman for more than
- 8:14Speaker 1: a decade in the NFL. Speaking about Jonah Williams after
- 8:18Speaker 1: missing his rookie year with a shoulder injury, are you
- 8:20Speaker 1: concerned at all about his ability to come back and
- 8:23Speaker 1: take over at left apple right away? Well, I mean,
- 8:26Speaker 1: I'm you know, I'm out a doctor obviously, and i
- 8:29Speaker 1: haven't seen, you know, how he rehabbed. But I've seen
- 8:32Speaker 1: plenty of guys come back from injuries that age and
- 8:34Speaker 1: just play fine. I mean, I would just go by
- 8:37Speaker 1: his youth, the fact that he has not had many
- 8:40Speaker 1: injuries that he should be ready to go. I mean,
- 8:43Speaker 1: most players make the biggest jump between the first and
- 8:46Speaker 1: second year. The fact that he didn't play, he probably
- 8:49Speaker 1: kind of editors as a rookie. But provided he's healthy,
- 8:52Speaker 1: I mean, I expected to go out there and be
- 8:54Speaker 1: what he was at Alabama, you know, a dominant player,
- 8:57Speaker 1: especially in the run game, Brian. The Bengals even't historically
- 9:01Speaker 1: been a big spender and free agency, but this year
- 9:03Speaker 1: they signed eight unrestricted free agents. They spent more than
- 9:06Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty million bucks. What did that say
- 9:09Speaker 1: to you? You got to be able to line up
- 9:12Speaker 1: with twenty two starters and so you know, I think
- 9:15Speaker 1: that you know, getting a DJ Reader is a guy
- 9:19Speaker 1: that I don't think Gino Atkins has had next to.
- 9:21Speaker 1: I mean, Dj Reader is a dominant, dominant defensive tackle
- 9:26Speaker 1: and he asked him a good pass rush too, just
- 9:28Speaker 1: ask Quinton Nelson. I mean, I think he gives Quintin
- 9:30Speaker 1: Nelson more trouble than anybody else out there. I mean,
- 9:33Speaker 1: I think that will make Geno Atkins better. I mean,
- 9:35Speaker 1: that's that's one player you know that they signed and
- 9:38Speaker 1: I think can make an immediate difference. Trey Waynes has
- 9:40Speaker 1: been a starter in this league. It's been a first
- 9:42Speaker 1: round pick. They eat corners right now, I'm still waiting
- 9:45Speaker 1: for William Jackson third to play at a high, high level.
- 9:49Speaker 1: I think he's got the ability to do it. I
- 9:51Speaker 1: thought Marvin Lewis thought that he could be as good
- 9:54Speaker 1: as anybody that had come into the league. So, I mean,
- 9:57Speaker 1: I just mentioned two guys, but look, you've got to
- 10:01Speaker 1: line up with twenty two starters. You've got to be competitive,
- 10:03Speaker 1: and you've got to create competition. And I think Zach
- 10:05Speaker 1: Taylor is creating a competitive atmosphere just within its own
- 10:09Speaker 1: team right now, and that's where it kind of starts.
- 10:12Speaker 1: Let's do a Baldies breakdown of the AFC North. What
- 10:15Speaker 1: do you think of the Ravens, Steelers and Brown's going
- 10:17Speaker 1: into twenty twenty. Well, I mean, I think the Ravens
- 10:20Speaker 1: are in a different level right now. They certainly have
- 10:24Speaker 1: built done a great job of building around Lamar Jackson
- 10:28Speaker 1: has only been in the one hundred year history of
- 10:31Speaker 1: the NFL, there's only been two unanimous MVP players, Tom
- 10:36Speaker 1: Brady in two ten of Lamar Jackson last year. We
- 10:39Speaker 1: haven't see anybody run the ball like that and really
- 10:42Speaker 1: commanded offense the way Lamar did last year. And you
- 10:45Speaker 1: know he's working with Markus Brown the entire off season
- 10:48Speaker 1: down the South Floor. They both from that neighborhood. And
- 10:51Speaker 1: you look, Hollywood Brown didn't have an off season, didn't
- 10:54Speaker 1: have a training camp with a foot injury. If he
- 10:57Speaker 1: gets timing down with Hollywood Brown, the way they run
- 10:59Speaker 1: the ball, I mean, they might be off the charts,
- 11:03Speaker 1: just really good. They restocked the defense. They're the class
- 11:06Speaker 1: of the SEC. North Pittsburgh. We got to see what
- 11:08Speaker 1: the health of Ben Roethlisberger is. We know when he's
- 11:10Speaker 1: healthy in the lineup, Pittsburgh's a different offense. Defensively, they
- 11:14Speaker 1: led the league in takeaways in his sacks. Those are
- 11:18Speaker 1: two pretty good, you know, statistical categories to you know,
- 11:22Speaker 1: to lead in. And I think Keimnis Stefanski is going
- 11:25Speaker 1: to be a good fit with what he wants to
- 11:27Speaker 1: do offensively, and I think it's going to benefit Baker Mayfield.
- 11:31Speaker 1: I think the division got better and tougher and more
- 11:34Speaker 1: competitive this offseason. Yeah, unfortunately, I agree, Brian. This is
- 11:39Speaker 1: the third year of the Film Session series that you
- 11:41Speaker 1: do with Kurt Warner. For those who have not seen it,
- 11:44Speaker 1: described film Session. We sit in a film room with
- 11:47Speaker 1: star players and coaches around the NFL and we let
- 11:51Speaker 1: them analyze their play within their scheme to us, and
- 11:56Speaker 1: you know, I've done forty five of them now, Dan
- 11:58Speaker 1: and I keep learning from everybody. This week, we sit
- 12:01Speaker 1: down with Amari Cooper, the number one receiver of the
- 12:04Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys, and he takes us through route running and
- 12:07Speaker 1: what he does to get open and how he fits
- 12:09Speaker 1: into the scheme and what they do, and it's eye
- 12:12Speaker 1: opening of what he sees and the way that he
- 12:16Speaker 1: plays the game. Ste Find Gilmore was in the film
- 12:19Speaker 1: room with me last year, the Defensive Player of the Year,
- 12:21Speaker 1: And when you sit down and listen to Stefind Gilmore,
- 12:24Speaker 1: you realize why he was a Defensive Player of the Year.
- 12:27Speaker 1: I mean, just smart, intuitive, and they take their film
- 12:31Speaker 1: studies very seriously and they take everything they learn and
- 12:34Speaker 1: they apply it to the game, film out to the games,
- 12:37Speaker 1: and it makes their job a lot easier on Sundays
- 12:40Speaker 1: when they do the work during a week. The first
- 12:43Speaker 1: five episodes will air in primetime on NFL Network, and
- 12:46Speaker 1: you can see all the episodes online on NFL Game Pass,
- 12:50Speaker 1: NFL dot com slash game Pass, and the NFL is
- 12:53Speaker 1: offering complimentary access to that through July thirty first. Brian
- 12:57Speaker 1: have one more question. From your playing days. You played
- 13:01Speaker 1: in Indianapolis with a quarterback who has drafted number one overall,
- 13:05Speaker 1: who had a long career but not a particularly great
- 13:07Speaker 1: career in Jeff George. Based on that experience, what advice
- 13:12Speaker 1: would you give Joe Burrow, knowing the kind of pressure
- 13:15Speaker 1: he's going to face is the number one overall pick.
- 13:18Speaker 1: To take your job extremely serious. It's the most important
- 13:24Speaker 1: thing there is. The preparation week in week out cannot
- 13:29Speaker 1: be undermined just how important it is. You're the leader
- 13:33Speaker 1: of the whole team. Everybody's looking at you to help
- 13:36Speaker 1: turn things around. I would just tell Joe to be
- 13:39Speaker 1: a complete pro from day one. There are no off
- 13:43Speaker 1: days during the season. You can enjoy your off season
- 13:46Speaker 1: in February, go enjoy the Pro Bowl, Go make the
- 13:51Speaker 1: Pro Bowl, enjoy Las Vegas since it's now in Las Vegas.
- 13:55Speaker 1: But take their job extremely serious. Be the leader of
- 13:59Speaker 1: the team and lead by example. That's what I would
- 14:01Speaker 1: tell Joe Burrow. That's what I think Jeff George could
- 14:04Speaker 1: have been better at as talented as he was, he
- 14:07Speaker 1: could have been a better leader, and he could have
- 14:09Speaker 1: prepared harder. It's good advice. Sounds like the type of
- 14:13Speaker 1: person that Joe Burrow is coming into the NFL, and
- 14:16Speaker 1: ultimately we'll see if he makes some of those Pro
- 14:18Speaker 1: Bowls going forward. Brian, I appreciate you time looking forward
- 14:22Speaker 1: to watching film Session on Saturday night and throughout the season,
- 14:25Speaker 1: and I hope you have a great twenty twenty. The
- 14:29Speaker 1: pleasures all mine Laporta joining again in a joy Film
- 14:32Speaker 1: Sessions A great show appreciated This Saturday night at eight
- 14:36Speaker 1: NFL Network will They're a film Session show with Packers
- 14:39Speaker 1: wide receiver Davante Adams and you can see all previous
- 14:43Speaker 1: editions on NFL Game Pass. If you don't already subscribe,
- 14:47Speaker 1: you can sign up for free access through July thirty
- 14:50Speaker 1: first at NFL dot com. Before we get to our
- 14:53Speaker 1: next conversation, here's a quick reminder that you can take
- 14:56Speaker 1: your Bengals prior to the next level in twenty twenty
- 14:59Speaker 1: with an afficial Shold Bengals fan package from Prime Sport.
- 15:03Speaker 1: The Bengals have a linebacker on their roster this year
- 15:06Speaker 1: who earned a seventy six point six grade last year
- 15:09Speaker 1: from the film watching gurus at Pro Football Focus. So
- 15:13Speaker 1: just how good is seventy six point six. Well, it
- 15:17Speaker 1: was better than the grades earned by Pro Bowlers Bobby
- 15:20Speaker 1: Wagner and Jalen Smith, as well as Devin Bush and
- 15:24Speaker 1: Joe Schobert, among others. That linebacker is Josh Bindes, who
- 15:29Speaker 1: signed a one year deal with the Bengals as a
- 15:30Speaker 1: free agent after spending his first nine years in the
- 15:34Speaker 1: league with Baltimore, Detroit and Arizona. Josh. I had linebackers
- 15:38Speaker 1: coach Al Golden on my podcast a few weeks ago,
- 15:41Speaker 1: and here's what he had to say about you. Experienced,
- 15:45Speaker 1: proven winner leader, very bright, a vocal leader of the
- 15:50Speaker 1: line Struman. So I think from that standpoint, he brings
- 15:54Speaker 1: a lot to the room. He's been tagnal in the
- 15:58Speaker 1: standard that he setting and what he demands of the
- 16:03Speaker 1: younger guys. So here's my question for you, how are
- 16:06Speaker 1: you doing that when you haven't even met these guys
- 16:09Speaker 1: face to face. It's just being vocal, just in the
- 16:13Speaker 1: meetings and just like uh from the beginning, Uh, Like
- 16:17Speaker 1: I asked a million and one questions and I'm just
- 16:20Speaker 1: like that, And if I don't know anything, I want
- 16:22Speaker 1: to ask as many questions as possible so I can
- 16:24Speaker 1: get a clear understanding what it is. And what asked
- 16:27Speaker 1: of us and um, and just trying to you know,
- 16:30Speaker 1: set the standard for the our room and just you know,
- 16:32Speaker 1: trying to bring everybody along. We've got some young guys
- 16:34Speaker 1: in the room, so you know that they get involved
- 16:37Speaker 1: quickly and and you know, got to be ready to
- 16:40Speaker 1: play and be ready to go. So and uh, it's
- 16:42Speaker 1: just it's the way the lead goes. It's you know,
- 16:45Speaker 1: and I'm just in a position enough to you know,
- 16:47Speaker 1: have so much experience and uh and you know, just
- 16:50Speaker 1: one the past, all that knowledge as much as possible
- 16:52Speaker 1: down to the younger guys. Do you relish the opportunity
- 16:55Speaker 1: to be the veteran leader of this group? Oh yeah,
- 16:58Speaker 1: Oh yeah, for sure. I'm I just feel like it's
- 17:02Speaker 1: I guess it's one of the natural things about me
- 17:04Speaker 1: are just you know, very uh you know, forward and
- 17:08Speaker 1: just you know, uh, just dictator at the same time
- 17:12Speaker 1: and just knowing how to lead and just put the
- 17:13Speaker 1: people in the right direction. And at the same time,
- 17:16Speaker 1: I'm always open to listening and you never know where
- 17:18Speaker 1: great ideas come from. I don't turn out rookies from
- 17:20Speaker 1: bad ideas or anything like that, because everybody has a
- 17:22Speaker 1: great idea and you never turn your nose up at anything.
- 17:26Speaker 1: And I think that's just you know, it's just called
- 17:29Speaker 1: growth and evolving, knowing you can get lessons from everybody,
- 17:32Speaker 1: no matter where they are in life. How challenging is
- 17:35Speaker 1: it to learn a new defense without OTAs in mini camp,
- 17:39Speaker 1: I think it's it's childhood. Depending on the kind of
- 17:42Speaker 1: guy you are, I think a lot of guys have
- 17:43Speaker 1: different you know traits. Some guys maybe like learn better
- 17:46Speaker 1: with you physically going in and some guys can pick
- 17:49Speaker 1: it up easily by just you know, talking about it
- 17:51Speaker 1: and seeing in here and there or you know, and
- 17:55Speaker 1: it all depends on your learning style. And I think, uh,
- 17:58Speaker 1: just so happens to uh, you know, the zoom meetings
- 18:00Speaker 1: and anything like that. It's just you know, pivotal from
- 18:04Speaker 1: a just a mental standpoint and just trying to remember
- 18:07Speaker 1: and play everything together without having to physically do it.
- 18:09Speaker 1: And that thing is gonna make you that much of
- 18:11Speaker 1: a better player, because when physically do it, that's gonna
- 18:14Speaker 1: all tie together and make it all whole. And soon
- 18:18Speaker 1: enough we'll get to that point of doing that. We're
- 18:20Speaker 1: chatting with Bengals linebacker Josh Bynes. The season that you
- 18:24Speaker 1: had last year is remarkable to me. You weren't in
- 18:27Speaker 1: an NFL training camp. One Sunday in late September, You're
- 18:31Speaker 1: playing golf. The next Sunday, You're starting at linebacker for
- 18:34Speaker 1: the Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And at the end
- 18:37Speaker 1: of the year, if you had enough snaps to qualify.
- 18:40Speaker 1: Pro Football Focus graded you as the eleventh best linebacker
- 18:43Speaker 1: in the NFL. How was that possible? Honestly, just waiting
- 18:50Speaker 1: on an opportunity, just taking one game at a time
- 18:54Speaker 1: and just and being ready. One name is called I
- 18:57Speaker 1: think this just I could credit to my trainer, Lillian
- 19:01Speaker 1: after Malick. She's just done a great job working with
- 19:04Speaker 1: me for the last six years or so, and I've
- 19:07Speaker 1: just been amazing. Just make sure I'm staying and ready
- 19:10Speaker 1: and in shape and just prepared to, you know, whenever
- 19:12Speaker 1: I got the opportunity to play, and just so having
- 19:15Speaker 1: obviously I got a call and I was had to
- 19:17Speaker 1: start and play with fifty somethings snapped my first game back,
- 19:20Speaker 1: and uh, and I just think it's just you know,
- 19:24Speaker 1: just some just very resilient and just looking forward to
- 19:26Speaker 1: just always proving people wrong and and proving myself that
- 19:29Speaker 1: I can still play this game. I mentioned that Pro
- 19:31Speaker 1: Football Focus great from last year two years ago with Arizona,
- 19:34Speaker 1: they had you as the fourteenth best linebacker in the NFL.
- 19:38Speaker 1: Are you playing your best football ever? And if so, why,
- 19:44Speaker 1: I don't know. I just think everything you just started
- 19:46Speaker 1: to click and make sense more. And and I'm just
- 19:48Speaker 1: taking care of my body so much, a lot, whole
- 19:51Speaker 1: lot better than I obviously, you know, a younger guy,
- 19:54Speaker 1: and just and just trying to make football makes sense,
- 19:58Speaker 1: and just you know, trying how to do anything you
- 20:01Speaker 1: know that's not asked to me, and just trying to
- 20:03Speaker 1: do the best of my ability and and and that's
- 20:06Speaker 1: just really isn't pretty much not doing too much. I
- 20:08Speaker 1: just occurred it to a lot of studying and just
- 20:10Speaker 1: you know, and just be being in the right position
- 20:12Speaker 1: and uh and just going and just playing football. I
- 20:15Speaker 1: love this game to the end of the the end of time,
- 20:17Speaker 1: and I'm just trying to give it my hole as
- 20:20Speaker 1: while as long as I can play it, because I
- 20:22Speaker 1: love it and as long as I feel good. My
- 20:24Speaker 1: body feels great and amazing, so I want to continue
- 20:26Speaker 1: playing it at a high level as much as possible.
- 20:29Speaker 1: We're talking to linebacker Josh Bines, you spent your first
- 20:32Speaker 1: three years in Baltimore playing with guys like Ray Lewis
- 20:34Speaker 1: and Ed Reid. What did you learn from each of
- 20:37Speaker 1: those guys? Oh Man, just read is just about far.
- 20:41Speaker 1: It's it's just super amazing just learning the game and
- 20:45Speaker 1: just learn learning little little details as far as alignments
- 20:49Speaker 1: and what kinds are ad and everything like that. I
- 20:52Speaker 1: just try to remember those things when I'm studying film
- 20:54Speaker 1: to look to give me clues, to give me a
- 20:56Speaker 1: little knowledge, okay, what may happen, and you know what
- 21:00Speaker 1: is about to happen before it actually happens. And obviously
- 21:03Speaker 1: Ray as well, being in room him for two years.
- 21:05Speaker 1: It's just you know, knowing how to see things and
- 21:09Speaker 1: knowing different types of running backs, receivers, tight ends. It's
- 21:12Speaker 1: just knowing that you know pretty much studying and understanding
- 21:15Speaker 1: your opponents weekend and wink out week week in and
- 21:19Speaker 1: week out. It's just you know, it just makes it
- 21:21Speaker 1: you know that much better, so it's easier and faster
- 21:24Speaker 1: our game day. And of course you'll get new things
- 21:26Speaker 1: here and there, but for the most part, you're gonna
- 21:27Speaker 1: get what you know what teams like to do. Josh,
- 21:30Speaker 1: you won a National championship at Auburn and the Super
- 21:33Speaker 1: Bowl in Baltimore in your second NFL season, You're the
- 21:36Speaker 1: only player on the current roster with the Bengals with
- 21:38Speaker 1: a Super Bowl ring. Does that give you added credibility
- 21:42Speaker 1: with the rest of the guys. I never knew that,
- 21:46Speaker 1: but I don't necessarily I don't know. I just think
- 21:50Speaker 1: I think that's that's a good guy. I've never thought
- 21:53Speaker 1: of that. But that's the thing is just coach Zack
- 21:55Speaker 1: and uh just trying to bring in against a winter
- 21:58Speaker 1: culture to the team and bartering all from all over
- 22:01Speaker 1: winning organizations and guys knowing how to play play the
- 22:03Speaker 1: game the right way. And I think he's just trying
- 22:05Speaker 1: to set a new standard for what we're trying to
- 22:08Speaker 1: do an accomplish in Cincinnati. And I think we got
- 22:10Speaker 1: the guys now to do some do some damage in
- 22:13Speaker 1: the league, and we're just look looking forward to it.
- 22:15Speaker 1: And I'm looking forward to actually being around the guys
- 22:17Speaker 1: physically and being able to get a facility and and
- 22:20Speaker 1: you know, finally put it all together to work, because
- 22:22Speaker 1: I know for sure we'll wait way better team this
- 22:25Speaker 1: year than we were last and just can't wait to
- 22:27Speaker 1: get started. Josh, the Bengals made a big splash and
- 22:30Speaker 1: free agency. You're one of eight unrestricted free agents they signed.
- 22:34Speaker 1: They spent more than one hundred and thirty million bucks.
- 22:36Speaker 1: What appealed to you about joining this organization just the
- 22:40Speaker 1: fact that they're ready, you know, to win. And obviously
- 22:43Speaker 1: we got to a barrow the first pig and then
- 22:45Speaker 1: some of some great pigs and great linebackers as well,
- 22:48Speaker 1: and it's just trying to you know, bring a different
- 22:50Speaker 1: dynamic than what we what they had in the past.
- 22:52Speaker 1: I think this coach's first full time all season stuff
- 22:55Speaker 1: like that, he know what he wants and he know
- 22:57Speaker 1: he wanted to break it in and and that's what
- 22:59Speaker 1: he's just setting stay in it from now because you know,
- 23:01Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it's all by winning
- 23:02Speaker 1: in this league, and it starts when we when we
- 23:04Speaker 1: get back in training camp and this end of July
- 23:06Speaker 1: and in one game at a time going forward after that,
- 23:10Speaker 1: and uh, coach Zacher just looking forward to just to
- 23:12Speaker 1: you know, prove that he's done a great job this
- 23:14Speaker 1: all season and season's going forward. You've spent four of
- 23:18Speaker 1: your nine seasons in Baltimore, so you've obviously faced the
- 23:22Speaker 1: Bengals many times. What was your impression about Cincinnati from
- 23:25Speaker 1: the opposite sideline, So I was in press just as
- 23:29Speaker 1: far as just you know, the transition of course, what
- 23:31Speaker 1: the coach is trying to do. And and I'll just
- 23:34Speaker 1: impressed obviously Joe mixing up being on the Devons side
- 23:37Speaker 1: of to see the officers so much and Mixing I
- 23:39Speaker 1: told him after the end of the two times, played
- 23:41Speaker 1: like you hell of a running back because he's like
- 23:43Speaker 1: by far one of the top backs in the league
- 23:45Speaker 1: and especially up and coming and gonna be a start
- 23:48Speaker 1: in this league for sure. Uh it's now already a
- 23:50Speaker 1: start in this league. Again, he just doesn't get a
- 23:52Speaker 1: recognition he deserves. And and I just you know, and finally,
- 23:56Speaker 1: you know, being obviously in the same mock of Roman
- 23:59Speaker 1: and you know, being able to you know, show that
- 24:02Speaker 1: experience and you know stuff like that related to you know,
- 24:05Speaker 1: the guys and you know, offensive side and just trying
- 24:07Speaker 1: to you know what I mean, just trying to bring
- 24:09Speaker 1: in some knowledge and abilities so we can all get
- 24:11Speaker 1: on that same page. Because of the day, we're all
- 24:14Speaker 1: trying to win games and that's all that matters. Is
- 24:17Speaker 1: it exciting? To be with this franchise as Joe Burrow
- 24:21Speaker 1: comes aboard after the year he had last year at LSU. Oh. Yes,
- 24:25Speaker 1: it's really exciting. I think we're all excited, especially you know,
- 24:29Speaker 1: on the defensive side of the ball. We have some
- 24:31Speaker 1: guys and we all can't can't wait to get together.
- 24:33Speaker 1: I think Joe is Joe Burrow is definitely it's a
- 24:36Speaker 1: hell of a quarterback and I'm so glad we have
- 24:38Speaker 1: got him. And uh, I just can't wait to see
- 24:40Speaker 1: what he you know, what he has in stores for
- 24:42Speaker 1: us this year and bringing to the dynamic to the offense.
- 24:44Speaker 1: And I think we're all looking forward to it and
- 24:47Speaker 1: we do. We really can't wait. And uh, definitely a
- 24:49Speaker 1: givest Joe Warrigle whenever I see him. Well, speaking of Auburn,
- 24:55Speaker 1: the quarterback of your National championship team with the Tigers
- 24:59Speaker 1: was Cam new and obviously he's been in the news
- 25:01Speaker 1: in the past week. What was your reaction to him
- 25:03Speaker 1: signing on with the Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Yeah,
- 25:07Speaker 1: I think it's just awesome. I think it's definitely a
- 25:09Speaker 1: great opportunity for Cam and and he's just a hell
- 25:12Speaker 1: of a quarterback. NFL MVP, and he's just you know,
- 25:15Speaker 1: super talented, and I just know he can't wait to
- 25:18Speaker 1: go out there Russ's opportunity and show the world that
- 25:20Speaker 1: he's still capable of being started quarterback and a dynamic
- 25:24Speaker 1: star in this league, because that's we all know what
- 25:25Speaker 1: he's capable of. And I just approved the doubters and
- 25:28Speaker 1: everybody else wrong about him out there in the field.
- 25:31Speaker 1: And of course I know he's hungry as all all
- 25:34Speaker 1: get out and he can't wait to go out there
- 25:36Speaker 1: because he's been at this point before, been at this
- 25:38Speaker 1: point knowing that everybody doubted him and his abilities and
- 25:41Speaker 1: what he can do. And for sure, when he's going,
- 25:43Speaker 1: you know, going to New England, he's going to show
- 25:45Speaker 1: that and and improve everybody wrong, one game at a time.
- 25:48Speaker 1: A couple more questions for Bengals linebacker Josh Bynes. You
- 25:51Speaker 1: grew up in Fort Lauderdale, and I saw an old
- 25:54Speaker 1: newspaper story about you that made it clear that you
- 25:56Speaker 1: are from a family of linebackers. Correct. Yeah, Yeah, My
- 26:04Speaker 1: grandfather played linebacker and my dad played linebacker. Hell my
- 26:08Speaker 1: dad was my coach and pretty much lily for the
- 26:11Speaker 1: most part in high school. For sure, all throughout and
- 26:14Speaker 1: he should show you know how to play the game
- 26:16Speaker 1: and how you know, well you know what it takes
- 26:19Speaker 1: to be a linebacker. He taught me my first like
- 26:20Speaker 1: you know, like steps and just a little basics and
- 26:23Speaker 1: like knowing it take your first initial step and how
- 26:25Speaker 1: to get downhill and things like that. And I credited
- 26:29Speaker 1: him a lot because we we've grown so close through
- 26:32Speaker 1: that whole process throughout a high school. And even for
- 26:35Speaker 1: he's you know, I love my dad of death, and
- 26:38Speaker 1: and I just you know, just so half as unable
- 26:40Speaker 1: to I was able to pass. He was all passed
- 26:42Speaker 1: on that knowledgeability had for me. And and I don't know,
- 26:45Speaker 1: maybe one of my boys might play linebacker and I'll
- 26:47Speaker 1: be having the same conversation with them later on. Well,
- 26:50Speaker 1: you got three of them, including one that was born
- 26:53Speaker 1: earlier this year. What had the last several months been
- 26:56Speaker 1: like for you with those three young boys. Oh, it's
- 26:59Speaker 1: been amazing. I'm not gonna wow. This is because both
- 27:01Speaker 1: my other boys are born in January, so I had
- 27:04Speaker 1: a little time, but then I had to go into
- 27:05Speaker 1: all season training. You know, OT's all this stuff. But
- 27:08Speaker 1: this one, I mean, he's been pretty much spoiled by
- 27:10Speaker 1: me for the most part being home this whole time,
- 27:13Speaker 1: spending time with him and and just my other two boys.
- 27:16Speaker 1: Just it's just it's just they love me being home
- 27:19Speaker 1: and we work out together sometimes and you know, play
- 27:23Speaker 1: video games. We just have so much fun and playing
- 27:25Speaker 1: football in the house, you know, and make a lot
- 27:28Speaker 1: of noise in the house and wife got to tell
- 27:29Speaker 1: us to calm down for the most part. But uh,
- 27:32Speaker 1: but you know, it's just great because you know, there's
- 27:34Speaker 1: the boys experienced this whole process. He molded so he's ten.
- 27:37Speaker 1: So this is my tenth year, so it's experienced every
- 27:40Speaker 1: year since I've been in the league, and you know,
- 27:42Speaker 1: to go throughout this whole process with me, it's just
- 27:44Speaker 1: been amazing. And not many kids can actually say that,
- 27:47Speaker 1: and especially moved for a while from it just doesn't
- 27:50Speaker 1: happen that often. And it's just a blessing to be
- 27:54Speaker 1: able to be in this position. And it's just to
- 27:56Speaker 1: have my boys being able to watch, you know, me
- 27:58Speaker 1: playing on Sundays and me playing football to long. That's
- 28:01Speaker 1: special for you and for them, I'm sure. Last thing,
- 28:04Speaker 1: from reading about you and talking to you today, you
- 28:07Speaker 1: remind me a lot of a former Bengals linebacker named
- 28:09Speaker 1: Vinnie Ray, who was undrafted, went on to have a
- 28:12Speaker 1: great NFL career, and he often talked about how he
- 28:16Speaker 1: never took anything for granted. He was always out to
- 28:20Speaker 1: prove himself every year. Is that your mindset? Oh for sure?
- 28:24Speaker 1: If anywhere is my guy and trust me, and he
- 28:28Speaker 1: has a right mindset this as well as me. I mean,
- 28:30Speaker 1: you're on draft. You already have this little chip on
- 28:32Speaker 1: your shoulder because you know everybody he didn't get drafted.
- 28:35Speaker 1: So there the doubted you, whatever ability they thought you
- 28:37Speaker 1: didn't have or one didn't have enough of to be
- 28:39Speaker 1: able to play in this league. And some way, somehow,
- 28:42Speaker 1: you always got to find that way to separate yourself,
- 28:44Speaker 1: to realize to show teams that, Okay, this is why
- 28:47Speaker 1: you know he's been a league this moment, this is
- 28:49Speaker 1: why we need him on a team, and showing you
- 28:51Speaker 1: improving your worth. And I think that's what it comes
- 28:54Speaker 1: with this league. Each and every year. You got to
- 28:55Speaker 1: prove why you should stay, why you're worth it, and
- 28:59Speaker 1: that's what it's all about, each and every year. And
- 29:01Speaker 1: I'm like, that's why I said, I'm like a kid
- 29:03Speaker 1: still playing the game, because you know, I don't look
- 29:06Speaker 1: at us like I'm a vid, but I got his
- 29:07Speaker 1: young guys. It's just so they're gonna just, you know,
- 29:10Speaker 1: be starters and know I'm looking at us like, hey man,
- 29:13Speaker 1: you know I'm starter. I'm this guy. I'm the guy
- 29:15Speaker 1: you gotta you know what I mean. I'm trying to
- 29:16Speaker 1: put myself to them and to our coaches and to
- 29:19Speaker 1: everybody that you know, why I should be on the field,
- 29:22Speaker 1: and this is what it's all about each and every
- 29:25Speaker 1: year in this game. And you take that for granted.
- 29:27Speaker 1: The NFL will show you really quick why it's not
- 29:30Speaker 1: for long rather than just you know, the NFL as
- 29:32Speaker 1: it says, you know what I mean. Absolutely, Hey, I
- 29:36Speaker 1: really appreciate your time today. Enjoy the next few weeks
- 29:38Speaker 1: before camp begins, and I look forward to meeting you,
- 29:41Speaker 1: I hopefully face to face when that's allowed. Yeah, I
- 29:44Speaker 1: appreciate it. I'm looking forward to the opportunity seeing you
- 29:46Speaker 1: as well. I thanks to Josh Bines and Brian Baldinger.
- 29:50Speaker 1: And that's going to do it for this episode of
- 29:52Speaker 1: the Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by Prime Sport,
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- 30:08Speaker 1: find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening
- 30:12Speaker 1: to The Bengals Boot Podcast