WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Stuck Like Glue 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:06.359 Hi, get everybody on Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:12.440 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Oh Oh's the Clue. Addition, 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:16.360 as the Bengals reached long term contract extensions with Jamar 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:20.000 Chase and t Higgins coming up, we'll hear from the 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:24.360 NFL's best receiving duo. Then Dave Lappham joins me to 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:29.400 discuss that news and answer your ask Lap questions. After that, 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:32.560 it's my conversation with a newcomer who has played in 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:37.120 the last two Super Bowls, linebacker Orren Burks. The Bengals 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.640 Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corp. Proud 0:00:39.720 --> 0:00:43.800 to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:47.519 Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:51.120 and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health 0:00:51.320 --> 0:00:54.440 the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:58.520 the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:01.160 quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:04.880 this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:09.399 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:14.800 thing since John Gruden Opening Boxes. The former NFL coach 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.440 is working as a content creator for Barstool Sports these days, 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:22.360 and in recent weeks, he's been posting videos that show 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.840 him opening boxes of swag that he's been getting in 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:28.959 the mail from college and pro teams. Now that in 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:33.000 and of itself doesn't sound that compelling, but Gruden turns 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:36.760 each box opening into a little history lesson as he 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.720 rattles off the names of his favorite players and coaches 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:44.000 from each team and often shares personal anecdotes. For example, 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:46.480 when John got a box of gear from the University 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.560 of Indiana football team, we learned how he used to 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:53.000 be a ball boy for Bobby Knight when his dad 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:56.880 coached the running backs there. I am under the impression 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:00.520 that Coach Gruden could be ripping open a Bengal box 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.080 sometime soon, and if so, it'll be fun to hear 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:08.560 him riff on some of his all time favorite Bengals. Now, 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:12.920 let's get to Jamar and T. When the Bengals franchise 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:16.160 tag T Higgins. Prior to last season, I'll admit that 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:18.040 I thought it would be his final year in the 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:21.720 Bengals uniform, and that remained my opinion for the first 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.400 three months of the season, but that changed on Monday 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:28.960 Night December ninth, after the Bengals beat the Cowboys on 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:32.120 Monday Night Football. That was the only game all year 0:02:32.160 --> 0:02:35.639 where the Bengals really got lucky, as a Cowboys blunder 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:38.720 and a block punt set up a game winning Burrow 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.959 to Chase touchdown pass with sixty one seconds to go. 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:47.079 Prior to that game, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins walked out 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:49.520 together for the coin toss for the first time ever, 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:54.040 and after the game, Burrow was asked about savoring moments 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:58.280 like that, with the implication being that Tea would not 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:00.359 be his teammate much longer. 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:05.040 You know, those discussions are ongoing, and I'm confident that 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:07.040 I think we're going to be able to do what 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:10.160 it takes to bring Tea back. You know, I know 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:12.399 that I'm going to do what it takes to get 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.280 him back, and so is he. We've had those talks, 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.400 so you know, those are those are going to be 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:20.040 off season discussions. But I think we're excited about that opportunity. 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:22.720 I can tell you that the reporters in that room, 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:27.120 myself included, we're saying, did Joe really just say what 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.239 I think he said? I think most of us always 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.040 assume that the Bengals would find a way to keep 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:36.600 Jamar Chase, but that seemingly out of nowhere comment from 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:41.520 Joe about t changed the narrative about the possibility of 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:43.880 reaching a long term extension with both. 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:45.320 A few days. 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:49.000 Later, Burrow made the case for keeping Tea. 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:50.280 It's very important. 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:54.200 I think you just look at Simon just his production, 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:58.800 it's his presence, It's Howry comes to work every day. 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:03.600 It's how the defenses have to play us when he's 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:06.440 out there. You know, he plays such a big part 0:04:06.760 --> 0:04:09.320 in what we do here and has for for five 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:13.920 years now that I don't think you can quite put 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:14.560 a value on that. 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.600 I would say, if the final office has been able 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:20.680 to make that work, would you be disappointed in him? 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:22.240 I'd be very disappointed in that. 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:25.600 Yet, we'll see after the season and talk have those 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:28.920 discussions about, you know, what we feel needs to happen 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:31.400 and the things everybody has to do to to do 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:33.279 what we want, keep the guys around that we need 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:36.480 and bringing the guys that we to fill some holes 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.520 that we need. So those discussions will will be had, 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:40.520 you know, at the end of the year. 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:46.000 Need, Yes, nobody wants to win more than Joe Burrow. 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.560 He didn't advocate for keeping Jamar and Tea because there 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.120 is buddies or he wants to put up numbers. He 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.880 did it because he believes it's the best path to 0:04:55.960 --> 0:04:59.520 winning a Super Bowl ring. It basically guarantees that the 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:02.440 Bengals going to be one of the top scoring teams 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.080 in the league. Now they have to build the defense 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:11.920 through the draft, player development, and shrewd free agent acquisitions. 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:15.640 Here are Tea and Jamar on the wisdom of trying 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:19.159 to build a Super Bowl champ by spending heavily on 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:20.919 two great wide receivers. 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:23.520 We believe, That's all I can say. We believe we 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:24.279 can get it done. 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:29.120 And I mean anybody that you know that has doubts, 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:32.720 we're gonna try to you know, you know, flip they 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.560 mind and believe in us just how just how we 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:36.480 believe in ourselves. 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:38.640 I mean, honestly, that's the whole goal behind signing this 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:40.160 at the end of the day, you know, signing both 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.320 of us together, that's the whole goal for us to 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.520 push this team, push each other, you know, as far 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:46.520 as we could go. And you know that one goal 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:49.960 is to be the best in AFC. First that's going 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:51.359 to give us the easiest shots to get to the 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.600 super Bowl, and if we win that first, then we're 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:54.520 going to take the next step. 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:57.640 Jamar got a four year, one hundred and sixty one 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:02.000 million dollar extension that's forty point two five Mili a 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:05.720 year and it kicks in after this season, so he's 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:09.800 actually under contract for five more years. T got a 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:13.280 four year, one hundred and fifteen million dollar deal that's 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:15.960 twenty eight point seven to five milli a year, And 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:18.520 while the Bengals have been criticized for not getting a 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:22.000 deal done with Te earlier by tagging him last year 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:25.720 and extending him this year, they do wind up having 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:30.480 him for an additional season. T is twenty six years old, 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:34.680 Jamar is twenty five, and they will be spending their 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:36.839 primes in Bengals stripes. 0:06:37.279 --> 0:06:37.479 Man. 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:41.760 I grew up a Bengals fan, and to have the 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:47.200 opportunity to sign a four year deal with my favorite 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:50.960 team that I grew up watching is I mean, that's 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:52.800 a that's a dream come true, you know what I mean? 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:57.000 And then you know, once I guess the announcment was out. 0:06:57.240 --> 0:07:00.640 My favorite player I grew up watching, Congratu laying and 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.520 congratulating me on that is it's even more crazy. So 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.000 I couldn't be at a better place for me. 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:10.480 I like Cincinnati because it gives me the opportunity to 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:13.400 come here and focus. You know, I'm not distracted out here. 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:16.400 It's not too much too many things to get me, 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:18.520 you know, off pace out here, you know, and it's 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:21.040 strictly what I'm focused on. That's really tunnel vision for 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.920 me to play football. So I mean, at the end 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:25.240 of the day, the food's not the best. We could 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:31.440 work on that. But the Orleans I'm not used to 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.840 the food yet. But you know, overall, I mean, honestly, 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.280 I just I just think that's the biggest picture for me, 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:39.120 is that is, you know, I don't have no distractions 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:41.320 here and I can just play football in my quarterbacks 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:42.360 here here. 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:45.880 If Jamar needs to run down on great Cincinnati restaurants, 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.040 I can take care of it. For more on Today's 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:52.480 news and to answer the questions you submitted on X, 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:55.920 it's time to bring in my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham. 0:07:57.400 --> 0:07:59.880 I want to start with something simple that I think 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:04.720 is not being emphasized enough. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, and 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:09.480 t Higgins want to be here. Sure, they got paid, 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:13.040 but they like playing in Cincinnati. They believe they can 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.720 win a super Bowl here. These guys are telling everybody 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:19.720 around the NFL that, at least to them, Cincinnati is 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:23.160 a great place to play. How important is that message 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:25.440 in your opinion, I think. 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:30.360 It's very important. You know, I do think that. You know, 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:35.880 individual performance is rewarded by money, but money does not 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:40.360 win championships. And these guys understand that it is a business. 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:43.200 So when you perform at the level that they perform, 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:46.360 the expectation is you're going to get compensated. And they 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.319 have been handsomely and the Bengals have realized that they 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.079 needed to do that. But the fact that they did 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:58.640 keep them all intact states that not only do you 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:01.280 expect to win a champion I mean or hope to 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.679 win a championship, the expectation is you're gonna win a championship. 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:08.360 I mean, they've been to the Super Bowl. It didn't 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:11.120 quite get it done, but they got a taste of it. 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:15.200 And we talked about this before, Dan, you know, I mean, 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.400 the money's great, the money will take care of their 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:23.600 families for generations. But the big reason they're playing the 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:27.760 football game is to win championships and to you know, 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:32.000 be part of maybe a record breaking trio. And they're 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:36.600 they're already already that in terms of Bengals history in 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:40.720 NFL history, but they that elusive ring is what they're 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:42.800 what they're looking for right now. And I agree with you. 0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:45.760 I think that they feel like, you know, the city 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:50.439 of Cincinnati fits them, all three of them fits. Their 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:55.199 lifestyle fits the you know, the the big city distractions 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:57.360 and all that stuff is not what these guys are about. 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:01.680 They're about focusing going out and uh and getting the 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:05.440 job done and winning football games, I think. And they 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:08.680 really do like each other, you know. I mean it's 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:13.120 it's it sounds corny, and but not not only are 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:17.600 they do they like each other's performances on a football field, 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:20.480 they like each other as human beings off the football field. 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:24.600 And that that's that's powerful. That can be uh, that 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:28.040 can be a synergistic thing, you know, and what all 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:30.679 is said and done, And I know it sounds cornball, 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:35.480 but you know, you're looking for a legacy, and guys 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:40.480 play to win championships and maybe when they're done now 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:43.240 they can look back and say, ah, man, remember when 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:46.840 we signed those deals twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty. 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:47.800 Eight, did we kick some tailor? 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:48.000 What? 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:48.880 Man? 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:50.600 Did we get it done? Look what we did and 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:54.280 look what the team did. The individual stuff is great, 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:58.120 and again you're gonna get compstated based on that. But man, 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:02.120 the team, folks, winning that championship is what it's really 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:02.600 all about. 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:07.360 Let's turn the clock back to December ninth, after the 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:10.240 Dallas game. That was the first time that Joe, Jamar 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:12.560 and T walked out together for the coin toss and 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:15.120 when Joe was asked about it after the game and 0:11:15.200 --> 0:11:18.040 how it felt to, you know, savor a moment like that, 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:22.160 he made headlines by saying that he thought that they 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:25.559 would be able to retain Tea. He was confident that 0:11:25.640 --> 0:11:27.640 T would be back, and then a few days later 0:11:28.040 --> 0:11:32.880 he said that T was in need. Did that twenty 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:36.200 second comment after the Dallas game change everything? 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:39.600 I think it was the beginning, I really do you know, 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:45.000 I mean, I think, uh put it out there, geez, 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:47.960 I wonder what Joe's thinking about this. Joe put it 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:50.640 out there. Joe left no doubt what Joe was thinking 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:54.640 about this. And when you look at it, that Trio 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:59.000 is is so much fun to watch, you know. 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:00.520 I mean when you when you. 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:05.760 Watch a a ballet that's the top of its top 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:08.679 of its profession and you look at those people performing, 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:11.680 it's like, oh my gosh, man, these there's they're the 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:13.880 best in the world. That's what these guys are. These 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.800 three guys are really the best in the world at 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.880 what they do. And they compment each other so well. 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:24.040 You know, T Higgins skill set Jamar Chase the skill 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:29.800 set is different. They're both different, but they're both equally effective. 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:33.160 And man, they feed off each other so perfectly. 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:33.480 You know. 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.880 It's like, man, it's you couldn't go out and and 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:42.080 and and find a pair that compliments each other. It's 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:46.080 like peanut butter and jelly. I mean, separately they're good, 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:50.240 but together, man, they're really good. They're better together. And 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.160 and that's what that's what Jamar Chase and t Higgins are. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:56.280 They're they're the peanut butter and Jelly in the NFL. 0:12:56.320 --> 0:13:00.160 I guess since the news broke that the Bengals were 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:02.680 able to get this deal done, I found some of 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:06.199 the commentary coming from the national media to be laughable. 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.480 But it's not unfair to ask if it's wise for 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:14.240 a team to spend that much money on two wide receivers. 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:16.480 What is your response to that argument. 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.199 You know, when the three of them have been healthy 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:23.400 since they've been in the league together, what are they 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:25.520 like thirty four and eighteen, I think it is or 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.880 something like that. It's almost two wins for every defeat 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:31.680 when all three of them are on the field together. 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:36.959 They are a dynamic force. You know, there's no question 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:40.520 about it. And right now, you know, I feel like 0:13:41.120 --> 0:13:45.120 with Brown and p Ryan in the backfield, you know, 0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:48.040 I feel like they've got they've got other weapons. And 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:51.320 let's not let's not forget about Mike is Sticky, kind 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.280 of like the youngsung hero of this whole thing. 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:54.800 He was key. 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:58.560 I mean, Joe mentioned him too, that Mike is Sticky 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:01.000 is an important part of what they're what they're getting done, 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:04.760 and he is and and they I think Mike Gisiki 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.880 probably took a little bit of a hometown discount. I 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:10.880 think t Higgins took a bit of a hometown discount. 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:15.280 I think guys basically said, look, I will leave money 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:19.280 on the table as such for the for the the 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:24.200 the right and the pleasure of playing with each other. 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.360 You know, we want to get back and do what 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.720 we did last year. Run it back, and run it 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:34.000 back to even a higher level. I mean, Kasiki is is. 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:37.880 He's a talented dude. I mean he's he's long, tall, 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:38.960 He's got long arms. 0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:39.720 Uh. 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:43.000 With that, with that long body, he can sink his hips, 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:45.120 get in and out of cuts like a guy much smaller, 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:47.560 like a guy under six feet tall, and he's almost 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:51.120 sixty six. He can separate when he gets in and 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:55.040 out of cuts and gets some separation, he can make 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:58.480 the contested catch because of his his height and uh 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.840 you know, his his length in his hands like t Higgins. 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.040 I mean they have two of the better contested catch 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:06.760 guys on the same football team. And then of course 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:10.320 Jamar Chase's strength is see you later. You know, I'm 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:13.080 after the catch. When i have the ball in my hands, 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:16.400 I'm a running back man, I'm gonna get yards after catch, 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:18.160 yards after contact. 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:21.840 You know, he led the league as we know catches, 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:23.280 yards and touchdowns. 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:27.640 The fourth area was yards after catch seven hundred and 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:29.640 eighty seven yards after catch. There are receivers in the 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:31.600 NFL would love to have seven hundred and eight seven 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:34.720 yards receiving and he got that after the catch of 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:38.680 the football man and as a result, you know, since 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:42.800 he's been in the NFL, the big play eighteen touchdowns 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:45.800 are forty yards of more thirteen or fifty yards of more, 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:47.360 twelve or sixty yards of more. 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.680 Are you kidding me? That's freakishly good. 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:55.440 Yeah, those are some crazy numbers. My feeling on this 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:59.440 subject has evolved and changed. I don't think it's ideal 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:02.760 to spend that much on two wide receivers, but the 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.840 bottom line is keeping your best players. Yeah, Jamar is 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:10.120 the second best player on the team, behind behind Joe Burrow. 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:13.120 T is probably in the top four or five certainly, 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:17.720 so you have to go cheaper somewhere else. But that's 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:19.800 kind of how it always works, isn't it. I mean, 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:24.120 if you are paying a cornerback, say twenty five million 0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:27.160 dollars a year, then you probably can't pay a second 0:16:27.200 --> 0:16:31.280 wide receiver that much. So it's all about keeping your 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:35.160 best guys and figuring out the rest. I mean, that's 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:37.400 kind of the way I've come to feel about this. 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:40.520 Yeah, I agree with you, Dan, In a perfect world, 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:45.640 would you love to have you know, like it may 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:47.840 be a little bit more balanced from a position group 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:51.360 where your best players exist. But if your best players 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:53.920 to have them exist at the same position group in 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:56.840 today's NFL, you got to pay them both. I mean, 0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:02.000 that's the bottom line. Let's face it. The list I saw, 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:04.960 T Higgins was the number one free agent a wide receiver. 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:07.720 Mike Kasiki was the number one guy at tight end 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:11.720 on a few lists that I saw. Uh. BJ Hill 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.600 was the number one interior defensive lineman on some lists 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:19.080 that I saw, never lower than number three. So now 0:17:19.240 --> 0:17:23.920 you know, the Bengals have always had, you know, developed 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.920 and and retain, you know, draft, develop and retain your 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:33.600 your own. And these players, they weren't all drafted by 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.359 the Cincinnati Bengals. BJ Hill and get sick he weren't. 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:40.280 But you know they they developed with the Cincinnati Bengals 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:43.439 to another level. And when you've done that, keep them. 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:46.200 If you can keep them. I mean, they're they're amongst 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:48.840 the best players in the National Football League and free agency, 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:50.879 and uh, go ahead and sign them. 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:51.000 You know. 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:55.000 I think the other thing Dan that strikes me about 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:57.680 all these guys, you know that the Bengals have resigned 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:02.280 the resigning their own before worrying about other people's players. 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:07.440 They do that. And then also the second component is 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:11.000 the versatility. All these guys play more than one position. 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.399 You know, they're capable of doing multiple things for you. 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.280 Jamar Chase can line up anywhere and run any route 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:23.080 and not make mistakes and decipher coverage is just on 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:25.880 the same page as Joe Burrow. T. Higgins can line 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:29.240 up multiple places. Mike Kasiki can line up at the 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:31.040 end of the line of scrimmage or in the in 0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:34.000 the detached or in the slot or in a bunch 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:37.320 formation as a receiver. He gives you all that versatility. 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:40.159 Bj Hill can line up as a three technique, you 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:41.800 can line up as a nose guard. He can kick 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:44.960 out as a defensive end and a pinch. They signed 0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:47.000 Cody Ford, you know, another guy who can play all 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.760 five of the offensive line positions as well as be 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:52.600 a big tight end for sure, arnage goal line. So 0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:55.520 it's a combination of are they not only they're not 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:59.640 only retaining their own but the versatility that their own 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.000 provide for them, I think is a valuable commodity in 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:05.200 this era of free agency. 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:07.640 No doubt about it. You know, it's kind of an 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:11.120 odd twist to this whole thing, and the Bengals retaining 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:14.119 T Higgins. If you are thrilled about that, you love te, 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:16.639 you're excited that he's going to be a Bengal for 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.520 at least four more years. You should probably thank Jermaine 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:24.760 Burton for being immature as a rookie, because if he 0:19:24.840 --> 0:19:27.119 came in last year and was a total pro and 0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:28.720 looked like he was the guy that was going to 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:31.840 be able to replace t in twenty twenty five, this 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:34.560 deal probably doesn't get done. 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:34.880 Right. 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:38.879 That's a value, that's a valid point, There's no question 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:42.600 about that. I think that you'd have to put Jermaine 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:46.040 Burton's performance in the disappointment category, you know, as far 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.800 as the organization is concerned. You know, not to say 0:19:49.840 --> 0:19:55.840 that hopefully he finds himself both as a football player 0:19:56.359 --> 0:20:00.520 and continues to mature and develop as a player as 0:20:00.560 --> 0:20:03.320 a person, not only a player, because the guy. 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:04.399 Does have a skill set. 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:08.760 But yeah, there's no way that they could they could 0:20:08.920 --> 0:20:12.159 justify to the fan base in their own minds, to 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:15.280 anybody that this wasn't the way to go, you know 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:20.120 T Higgins. And the thing is, both guys went out 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.800 and proved it. Both guys went out and had seasons 0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:26.480 that Okay, franchise tagged me. 0:20:27.280 --> 0:20:29.719 Yeah, all right, I'm gonna put up numbers. 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:33.200 And you know, the numbers combined from these two guys 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:37.439 are ridiculous. Two hundred catches, two six hundred and nineteen yards, 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:42.880 twenty seven touchdowns. I mean, that's that's crazy, it really is. 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:46.359 And he's eighty nine yards short of a thousand and 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:50.080 missed five games. And that's that's the thing with Tea. Now, 0:20:50.480 --> 0:20:52.879 you know a lot of people, I know people that 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:55.679 I've talked to, why would you pay a guy like 0:20:55.760 --> 0:20:57.120 that that kind of money. 0:20:57.200 --> 0:20:58.479 It's like, what are you talking about? Man? 0:20:58.560 --> 0:21:00.720 His skill sets phenomenal. Yeah, but he's hurts so much 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:03.959 now he does. He has the quad problems, the hamstring problems. 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:07.480 I mean, he's a he's a big, big human being 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:11.800 with you know, long muscles in those in those muscle groups. 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:14.720 Got to figure out a way to, uh to maybe 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:17.480 prevent prevent some of that. But this guy, when he's 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:21.239 on the football field, I'm telling you, man, he is. 0:21:22.320 --> 0:21:25.960 The Bengals have so many ways that they can create mispatches. 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:30.240 You know, they're they're they're such a difficult group to 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:34.679 handle because of the physical abilities that they have. They have, 0:21:35.119 --> 0:21:37.199 you know, guys that aren't that big, that play bigger 0:21:37.240 --> 0:21:40.320 than they are, like Jamar. Jamar plays like he's a 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:43.040 you know, two hundred and fifty pound you know, four 0:21:43.080 --> 0:21:46.520 to three tailback, That's what he plays like. And and 0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:49.439 t Higgins, you know, he'll run routes like he's a 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:53.000 five ft ten inch receiver, you know, with all kinds 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:56.280 of ability to sink his hips and the flexibility to 0:21:56.280 --> 0:21:58.600 get in out of cuts. And I mean, these guys 0:21:58.600 --> 0:22:05.280 are our gift a man. And I think Joe Burrow, Jamar, Chase, 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:09.960 T Higgins, Mike is sicky. They're gonna. I think they're 0:22:09.960 --> 0:22:12.040 gonna put on a show. I mean, it's gonna be 0:22:12.080 --> 0:22:13.480 exciting to see what the heck they do. 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:17.640 So the most significant free agent additions off other rosters 0:22:17.680 --> 0:22:21.199 so far have come on defense linebacker Orrin Burks and 0:22:21.280 --> 0:22:25.240 defensive tackle t J. Slayton. Any thoughts on the addition 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:26.080 of those two. 0:22:25.880 --> 0:22:31.159 Guys obviously have a need for that that big body 0:22:31.200 --> 0:22:36.119 guy and that that's exactly what they got by signing this, uh, 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:40.320 this this massive defensive tackle. Now this this guy, he's uh, 0:22:40.400 --> 0:22:45.439 he's a force, and he's he's a He's not a stiff, 0:22:45.480 --> 0:22:47.760 you know what I mean, He's he's got some athleticism 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:50.359 to him, he's got some ability ability to move. 0:22:50.400 --> 0:22:53.240 But he will he'll stuff it up. Now, there's no 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:53.960 doubt about that. 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:57.680 This this guy, he will uh he will he will 0:22:57.720 --> 0:23:01.720 cause uh cause problems for the opposition when they're trying 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:04.840 to establish that running game on the inside. There's there's 0:23:04.840 --> 0:23:07.239 no two ways about that that he is. He's a 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:14.159 factor and need need help it linebacker. I mean, you 0:23:14.720 --> 0:23:18.840 lose a team Davis Gather who is a pretty you know, 0:23:19.400 --> 0:23:23.119 versatile guy to Arizona. I think they found one to 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:25.600 uh to fit right in there and and take the 0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:29.720 place of So I think both of those signings are legit. 0:23:30.560 --> 0:23:30.679 Uh. 0:23:31.640 --> 0:23:34.359 My understanding is that that both of these guys are 0:23:34.520 --> 0:23:37.160 are very intelligent people, you know, I mean they they 0:23:39.280 --> 0:23:42.840 not only in general just raw intelligence, but football IQ 0:23:43.680 --> 0:23:46.880 and coaches are going to love that, you know. It's 0:23:47.920 --> 0:23:51.960 I think I think both signings are are going to 0:23:52.040 --> 0:23:56.280 help this football team. So I do think they did 0:23:56.280 --> 0:24:00.359 a pretty good job obviously of keeping their own, but 0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:02.240 then when they went out and had to had to 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:06.160 make some moves and and get somebody else's they went 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:09.280 out and did that pretty darn well. I mean TJ. Slayton, 0:24:09.480 --> 0:24:12.080 I think is a good a good deal. Two years 0:24:12.119 --> 0:24:17.520 for fifteen million dollars. The thing is the defensive line 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:20.640 coach worked with him at Green Bay, knows about him, 0:24:20.800 --> 0:24:22.960 know those are the things that he can do. Jerry 0:24:22.960 --> 0:24:27.240 Montgomery is familiar with what TJ. Slayton's all about. I 0:24:27.480 --> 0:24:31.040 think there's something to be said for that. Orrin Burks 0:24:31.720 --> 0:24:36.760 is a guy who just when when he had to 0:24:36.760 --> 0:24:38.760 play big, when there were injuries and he had to 0:24:38.760 --> 0:24:42.160 go and and and play, he had his best games 0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:44.520 down the stretch, in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. 0:24:44.800 --> 0:24:46.680 I mean he just kept getting better and better, making 0:24:46.680 --> 0:24:49.600 more and more plays. So when the season was on 0:24:49.640 --> 0:24:53.720 the line, he stepped up. You gotta like you gotta 0:24:53.800 --> 0:24:55.960 like both of those signings, Dan, I think it makes 0:24:56.000 --> 0:24:56.919 the defense. 0:24:56.560 --> 0:25:02.040 Better, especially TJ. Slayton. They have needed that gigantic, immovable 0:25:02.320 --> 0:25:05.480 run stopping force in the middle of their defensive line 0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:08.520 and and I think that's exactly what the doctor ordered. 0:25:08.520 --> 0:25:10.520 He's not going to get after the quarterback much, but 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:13.000 you got to have somebody, particularly in the AFC North, 0:25:13.680 --> 0:25:16.440 that prevents teams from just stuffing it down your throat 0:25:16.440 --> 0:25:17.080 in the run game. 0:25:17.400 --> 0:25:18.000 Absolutely. 0:25:18.040 --> 0:25:22.240 I mean, fans are still moaning about the loss of 0:25:22.359 --> 0:25:25.000 DJ Reader, you know. I mean, and rightfully star. I 0:25:25.000 --> 0:25:29.720 mean DJ Reader was a force in the division stopping 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:31.680 the run. And like you said, everybody can run the 0:25:31.680 --> 0:25:35.840 football in the AFC North TJ. Slayton will give you 0:25:35.920 --> 0:25:39.959 that close the closest thing to that body type with 0:25:40.160 --> 0:25:43.280 those type of movement skills. To think DJ Reader, it 0:25:43.440 --> 0:25:49.160 was unbelievable watching him with the athleticism he played with. 0:25:49.600 --> 0:25:50.000 This guy. 0:25:50.040 --> 0:25:51.920 Look you look at him and you think, oh, man, 0:25:51.960 --> 0:25:55.400 this he can't move? Are you kidding me? This guy 0:25:55.520 --> 0:25:57.760 was an athlete. Man, he could move. I mean he 0:25:57.840 --> 0:26:01.480 was hard to get off his feet. He he had 0:26:01.880 --> 0:26:04.040 he had sweet feet. Man, he had great balance. I 0:26:04.080 --> 0:26:05.800 mean he was hard to he was hard to get 0:26:05.800 --> 0:26:09.159 off his pins. And Slayton has has that kind of 0:26:09.200 --> 0:26:11.879 ability too. I mean he's hard to get on the ground. 0:26:12.840 --> 0:26:15.080 And they haven't had a guy you know like that 0:26:15.160 --> 0:26:18.320 with that kind of size that will you know, hold 0:26:18.320 --> 0:26:22.760 the fort and uh you know when when offensive and 0:26:22.800 --> 0:26:25.360 defensive line and come off the ball, where's the line 0:26:25.480 --> 0:26:26.520 is the line of scrimmage moving? 0:26:26.520 --> 0:26:28.400 Which way is it? Moving or is it moving at all? 0:26:28.960 --> 0:26:29.200 T J. 0:26:29.400 --> 0:26:31.640 Slayton will make sure that it's not moving at all, 0:26:32.240 --> 0:26:36.480 or if it's moving, it's moving in the uh negative direction. 0:26:36.560 --> 0:26:39.000 For the offense, he'll make sure he's knocking guys back 0:26:39.400 --> 0:26:41.880 and holding down the fort all right. 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:44.720 Earlier today, I shined the Bengals logo into the sky 0:26:44.840 --> 0:26:49.600 above pay Corpse Stadium and solicited some ask lap questions. 0:26:50.160 --> 0:26:52.520 So here we go. We've got several questions about the 0:26:52.560 --> 0:26:56.640 offensive line in general and the guard position in particular. 0:26:57.160 --> 0:27:01.119 This question from SB eighty five. Are the angles interested 0:27:01.640 --> 0:27:02.840 in Brandon Sheriff. 0:27:04.000 --> 0:27:04.879 I think they should be. 0:27:05.320 --> 0:27:08.439 You know, I think he's a guy that, uh, you know, 0:27:08.520 --> 0:27:13.000 that is on everybody's list. I mean, he's of the 0:27:13.040 --> 0:27:14.720 guys that are left at the interior. 0:27:15.240 --> 0:27:15.439 You know. 0:27:15.480 --> 0:27:18.240 I I have Brandon Sheriff, uh you know, rated right 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:23.440 up there. I've also, you know, there's there's a couple 0:27:23.440 --> 0:27:30.120 of guys from the Chicago Bears, Tevin Jenkins. There's mixed reviews, 0:27:30.160 --> 0:27:35.200 mixed reports on him. There's I guess additional film study 0:27:35.240 --> 0:27:37.240 that I'm gonna have to have to do on him. 0:27:37.240 --> 0:27:39.720 But he and Matt Pryor are both there at the 0:27:39.720 --> 0:27:46.359 guard position with Chicago. Uh Will Hernandez out of Arizona 0:27:46.840 --> 0:27:51.440 as well as Cologne, Uh Tristan Cologne out of Arizona 0:27:51.560 --> 0:27:54.520 are both guys that I think, you know, you could, 0:27:54.640 --> 0:27:58.400 you could, you could really think about Evan Brown out 0:27:58.480 --> 0:28:01.919 of out of Arizona as well as is somebody that 0:28:02.720 --> 0:28:05.720 deserves I think a little bit more film study Lake 0:28:05.800 --> 0:28:08.560 and Tomlinson with Seattle. I mean, there there are there 0:28:08.600 --> 0:28:12.199 are bodies there, There are people there. And should the 0:28:12.200 --> 0:28:17.720 Bengals get one of them or two? Yeah, I'm all 0:28:17.760 --> 0:28:20.919 I'm all for that. Uh you know, you got to 0:28:21.040 --> 0:28:23.879 they they obviously have a have an opening with with 0:28:24.040 --> 0:28:27.160 Kappa being let go. And how about Kappa signing right 0:28:27.160 --> 0:28:30.080 away with the Las Vegas Raiders. God, that's good, really 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:34.600 good for him. You know, the Bengals said, uh, you know, 0:28:34.680 --> 0:28:37.480 no Moss and they part ways and he gets a deal, 0:28:37.880 --> 0:28:38.840 a deal right away. 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:41.400 But you know we mentioned Cody Ford. 0:28:41.400 --> 0:28:44.640 I think Cody Ford deserves the right to battle inside 0:28:44.680 --> 0:28:48.360 for one of those guard spots. He's got the position versatility, 0:28:48.360 --> 0:28:51.280 but I I think he's proven that that he belongs 0:28:51.320 --> 0:28:54.960 in that in that competition. And and yeah, Dan, I 0:28:54.960 --> 0:28:58.760 would I would definitely say that if you if you 0:28:58.840 --> 0:29:02.240 come out of free agency without signing one veteran guard, 0:29:03.640 --> 0:29:06.600 it would be a disappointment, I would think. I mean, 0:29:06.920 --> 0:29:08.640 if you him signed too, all the better, But if 0:29:08.640 --> 0:29:11.440 you don't, that's going to be addressed in the draft 0:29:11.440 --> 0:29:11.880 as well. 0:29:12.480 --> 0:29:15.560 I have not seen any reports about what Sheriff is 0:29:15.600 --> 0:29:18.600 asking for. His last contract as a free agent was 0:29:18.640 --> 0:29:21.600 a huge one, so he may be really looking for 0:29:21.680 --> 0:29:24.880 big bucks. Still, he's not that old. He's thirty three. 0:29:24.960 --> 0:29:26.960 He was the fifth overall pick in the draft. He 0:29:27.040 --> 0:29:29.200 was a five time Pro bowler, although the last time 0:29:29.280 --> 0:29:33.320 was twenty twenty one. His PFF grades last year weren't great, 0:29:33.360 --> 0:29:36.240 but they were still good. He was number thirteen among 0:29:36.280 --> 0:29:39.280 guards in pass Pro, number thirty nine overall. That was 0:29:39.360 --> 0:29:41.640 much better than the Bengals starting guard. So again, I 0:29:41.640 --> 0:29:44.040 don't know what his price tag is, but to me, 0:29:44.360 --> 0:29:46.840 the guys that are still out there, if you could 0:29:46.880 --> 0:29:49.240 work out a short term deal with him, I think 0:29:49.280 --> 0:29:51.120 that would be a home run. It'd be interesting to 0:29:51.120 --> 0:29:52.240 see if they can pull it off. 0:29:52.520 --> 0:29:55.200 Yeah, I agree, Dan, I mean, I think he obviously 0:29:55.280 --> 0:30:02.200 is a salary cap casualty with Jacksonville, and you know Jacksonville, 0:30:02.480 --> 0:30:04.760 they're moving on from some of their interior players and 0:30:04.760 --> 0:30:08.480 they're signing other people's interior players, and it's it's just 0:30:08.560 --> 0:30:11.360 kind of a kind of a shift and a lot 0:30:11.400 --> 0:30:14.400 of its economically driven. And I guess you know that's 0:30:14.480 --> 0:30:18.520 that's one thing that that we know the Cincinnati Bengals, uh, 0:30:18.640 --> 0:30:21.880 they always try to try to get done, is the 0:30:21.960 --> 0:30:25.440 fact that they don't let their cap get out of whack. 0:30:25.880 --> 0:30:27.440 And if a guy is not going to be on 0:30:27.480 --> 0:30:30.400 a football team, it's not going to be because of economics. 0:30:31.160 --> 0:30:34.720 He may not cut the mustard anymore. His skill set 0:30:34.800 --> 0:30:37.720 may have diminished, but I mean if he's still if 0:30:37.800 --> 0:30:40.360 you have a player that can still play in this 0:30:40.440 --> 0:30:43.280 league and you have to let him go because you 0:30:43.320 --> 0:30:46.560 didn't hinder your salary cap properly, and to me, that 0:30:46.600 --> 0:30:50.480 would that would just be that would be criminal. And 0:30:50.320 --> 0:30:54.440 they do have a you know, a a history of 0:30:54.960 --> 0:30:58.760 keeping everything even Steven pretty pretty flat lined in terms of, 0:30:59.280 --> 0:31:02.000 you know, on a year to year basis with with 0:31:02.680 --> 0:31:05.720 cap hits with these players and not have pushed to 0:31:05.760 --> 0:31:08.600 the back end all this money where it's it's ludicrous 0:31:08.800 --> 0:31:10.360 and you got to get rid of the guy. I mean, 0:31:10.800 --> 0:31:13.440 they're probably not even Hall of famers that would warrant 0:31:13.680 --> 0:31:16.760 to be paid that that kind of money. So the 0:31:16.760 --> 0:31:19.000 Bengals have done a great job of that and I 0:31:19.040 --> 0:31:21.280 think that'll continue all right. 0:31:21.400 --> 0:31:25.520 Jarno and Chuck have both asked questions about Matt Lee, 0:31:25.880 --> 0:31:27.960 the center out of the University of Miami that the 0:31:28.000 --> 0:31:31.440 Bengals drafted last year. Jarno asked, what is the status 0:31:31.440 --> 0:31:33.320 of Matt Lee could be? Could he be in the 0:31:33.360 --> 0:31:39.160 mix at guard? Chuck asked, is matt possibly the next 0:31:39.160 --> 0:31:42.280 center with Ted Karris moving to guard? What are your 0:31:42.320 --> 0:31:45.000 overall thoughts about Matt Lee and the possibility that he 0:31:45.040 --> 0:31:46.959 has a more prominent role this coming season. 0:31:47.480 --> 0:31:49.720 Yeah, I think I think Matt Lee is is probably 0:31:49.800 --> 0:31:54.560 another guy that if I'm an offensive lineman that was 0:31:54.560 --> 0:31:59.520 a member of the group last year, the offensive line 0:31:59.560 --> 0:32:02.400 coast and the assistant line coach have moved on and 0:32:02.440 --> 0:32:05.920 there are new ones, so it's wide open. I mean, 0:32:06.040 --> 0:32:11.160 everybody is out to win a job, so, uh, you know, 0:32:11.160 --> 0:32:14.240 Matt Lee, Unfortunately, he doesn't have a whole lot of 0:32:14.280 --> 0:32:17.480 tape that the coaches can watch in terms of snaps 0:32:17.600 --> 0:32:20.000 last year in the in the regular season, but the 0:32:20.000 --> 0:32:22.680 preseason he does and they can go back and look 0:32:22.680 --> 0:32:26.200 at his college tape again, which I'm sure they already 0:32:26.240 --> 0:32:29.840 did because they were evaluating him coming out of school 0:32:29.880 --> 0:32:32.120 when you know they were with the New England Patriots, 0:32:32.120 --> 0:32:34.640 so I'm sure they know about him. 0:32:35.320 --> 0:32:37.280 You know, Matt Lee has he has as good a 0:32:37.400 --> 0:32:38.000 chance as. 0:32:37.960 --> 0:32:42.320 Anybody of securing more playing time or maybe winning a 0:32:42.400 --> 0:32:44.720 job at the in the teri of the offensive line. 0:32:44.920 --> 0:32:49.240 I do think that. 0:32:47.640 --> 0:32:52.480 That is an area of improvement that is is very 0:32:52.480 --> 0:32:57.880 obvious in terms of keeping that pocket from collapsing. The 0:32:57.920 --> 0:33:00.760 protection pass protection has to be firming the pocket up. 0:33:01.480 --> 0:33:06.680 And I remember Paul Brown and Tiger Johnson first to 0:33:06.960 --> 0:33:08.240 my first year in the league. 0:33:08.960 --> 0:33:12.000 Men give ground grudgingly on that inside. You know, don't 0:33:12.160 --> 0:33:15.280 don't get bull rushed, don't get knocked back, give ground grudgingly, 0:33:15.560 --> 0:33:16.680 make a stand. 0:33:16.800 --> 0:33:19.480 And that's you know, you have a guy like Joe Borrow, 0:33:19.480 --> 0:33:22.720 a quarterback you just want to keep people out of 0:33:22.760 --> 0:33:26.080 his face. Quarterbacks at any level, high school, college or 0:33:26.120 --> 0:33:28.120 the NFL will tell you if you ask him, what 0:33:28.320 --> 0:33:32.480 is the biggest the biggest problem to deal with pressure 0:33:32.520 --> 0:33:35.000 in my face when I can't see down the football field, 0:33:35.440 --> 0:33:38.680 and then you have the yips potentially about following through 0:33:38.720 --> 0:33:41.840 and you know, having an injury on somebody's helmet, be 0:33:41.920 --> 0:33:45.080 it your teammates or the opposition. So give these guys 0:33:45.160 --> 0:33:48.840 room to operate. Give these guys space sometimes, you know, 0:33:49.880 --> 0:33:53.440 it's not only time, it's time and space. What kind 0:33:53.480 --> 0:33:56.320 of space you're giving your quarterback to operate in that 0:33:56.360 --> 0:33:58.640 pocket and feel comfortable in that pocket, because man, if 0:33:58.680 --> 0:34:02.480 you do that for Joe Burrow, bo no telling the 0:34:02.640 --> 0:34:04.920 yards and the production that that guy will put up. 0:34:06.040 --> 0:34:09.160 Mark has a question about Cordel Volson. Cordell, by the way, 0:34:09.320 --> 0:34:12.160 was graded fifty fifth among guards last year out of 0:34:12.160 --> 0:34:15.120 eighty three according to Pro Football Focus. Here's the question. 0:34:15.200 --> 0:34:18.920 Scott Peters says he thinks he can help Cordel Volson. 0:34:19.000 --> 0:34:20.719 What exactly can he help him with? 0:34:22.000 --> 0:34:25.279 You know, Cordell Volson has got some length and h 0:34:25.680 --> 0:34:28.359 Coach Peters is real good with that long arm, you know, 0:34:28.440 --> 0:34:30.920 and foot placement's a little bit different. 0:34:30.960 --> 0:34:32.000 Maybe it's a little more. 0:34:31.880 --> 0:34:35.359 Parallel than staggered, and it length lengthens the arm, and 0:34:35.360 --> 0:34:39.960 and Cordel Volson has some long, strong arms to work with. 0:34:40.640 --> 0:34:42.480 The biggest thing I think that he has to do 0:34:42.600 --> 0:34:48.880 is is uh is is bend get his pad level lower. 0:34:49.600 --> 0:34:52.200 You know, he has to he has to bend at 0:34:52.200 --> 0:34:54.400 the knees and not at the waist. He has to 0:34:54.400 --> 0:34:57.759 get get get that body down a little bit and 0:34:57.760 --> 0:35:01.200 and you know, get his his targets everything lower and 0:35:01.480 --> 0:35:04.400 player play at a lower plane. Because I think he 0:35:04.480 --> 0:35:07.160 does have ability. I think he does have athletic ability. 0:35:07.920 --> 0:35:10.080 I think he's plenty strong enough to play in the 0:35:10.160 --> 0:35:11.240 National Football League. 0:35:11.280 --> 0:35:14.320 And again, you wipe a slate clean. 0:35:16.440 --> 0:35:20.960 You know, there's if he ended up going the year 0:35:21.080 --> 0:35:23.680 ended up going tough for him last year, Frank Pollack, 0:35:23.680 --> 0:35:27.040 who drafted him, ended up sitting him down. And you know, 0:35:27.080 --> 0:35:29.759 Frank's not the start that does that lightly. You know, 0:35:29.920 --> 0:35:32.960 somebody that he drafted make that kind of decision with 0:35:33.080 --> 0:35:35.919 So Cordell is going to have a bounce back year. 0:35:35.960 --> 0:35:37.200 I think he's got it in him. 0:35:37.800 --> 0:35:42.160 And with coach Peters, he's got a clean slate, new techniques, 0:35:42.760 --> 0:35:46.960 new things to learn. And again, everybody's everybody's a square one. 0:35:47.640 --> 0:35:51.320 It's best man wins. Let's just go compete. 0:35:52.200 --> 0:35:56.279 From chastin besides guard, what other position would you like 0:35:56.320 --> 0:35:58.360 to see the Bengals addressing free agency? 0:36:00.080 --> 0:36:04.080 You know, I mean, I think they've already done. They've 0:36:04.080 --> 0:36:07.800 already gotten a defensive tackle. But I'd go multiple guards. 0:36:08.280 --> 0:36:12.320 I'd probably go another defensive tackle. I'd like, there's always 0:36:12.400 --> 0:36:14.640 room for an edge rusher. I mean, if in the 0:36:14.680 --> 0:36:18.319 secondary market, there's an edge rusher out there that you 0:36:18.360 --> 0:36:20.400 know that becomes affordable and viable. 0:36:21.120 --> 0:36:23.040 And honestly, Dan, when I'm when I'm. 0:36:22.960 --> 0:36:26.040 If I'm a free agent out there now, and you know, 0:36:26.120 --> 0:36:29.719 I haven't maybe my price tag was too high and 0:36:30.239 --> 0:36:32.400 some of these guys did get the big dollars, but 0:36:32.440 --> 0:36:35.000 you're still out there. You know, you have to lower 0:36:35.000 --> 0:36:38.640 your sites. You and your representative of your agent, your lawyer, whatever, 0:36:38.920 --> 0:36:42.200 or trying to figure out what to do. Why the 0:36:42.239 --> 0:36:45.400 hell not consider the Cincinnati Bengals. I mean, look what 0:36:45.440 --> 0:36:47.960 they've done in free agency. Look at the football team 0:36:48.000 --> 0:36:51.120 that they're putting together. If you're a defensive tackle or 0:36:51.160 --> 0:36:55.040 an offensive guard, or an edge rush guy or a corner, 0:36:55.080 --> 0:36:58.919 whatever the case may be, why why wouldn't you say, yeah, man, 0:36:59.000 --> 0:37:02.400 let's let's uh. You know, they need help at the 0:37:02.400 --> 0:37:05.600 position I play. They they need some help to to 0:37:05.680 --> 0:37:06.719 fill that roster out. 0:37:07.040 --> 0:37:08.759 They do, they do have a good roster. 0:37:08.880 --> 0:37:10.960 They believe in their roster they brought a lot of 0:37:10.960 --> 0:37:13.400 that roster back, and they paid them, you know, second 0:37:13.440 --> 0:37:18.480 contracts in some cases even more than that. But you know, man, 0:37:19.320 --> 0:37:24.040 I think when when the Bengals did what they did 0:37:24.400 --> 0:37:27.000 in terms of paying Joe Burrow good money for the 0:37:27.040 --> 0:37:31.600 long term and then signing both Jamar and t I 0:37:31.600 --> 0:37:33.360 think you showed the rest of the league we're serious. 0:37:33.400 --> 0:37:33.600 Now. 0:37:34.120 --> 0:37:35.880 You know we're serious. We're going to try to put 0:37:35.920 --> 0:37:39.400 together as good a roster as we possibly can, and 0:37:39.440 --> 0:37:42.080 we're not going to let our stars that we've developed 0:37:42.080 --> 0:37:46.000 into potential superstars walk. So if you want to be 0:37:46.040 --> 0:37:49.600 part of this, yeah, let's talk. And I would think 0:37:50.160 --> 0:37:55.399 that Cincinnati here in this era of the Joe Burrow era, 0:37:56.280 --> 0:37:59.759 is talked about in the free agency circle as much 0:38:00.040 --> 0:38:03.960 differently than they were before his arrival. I think it's 0:38:04.280 --> 0:38:08.080 it's uh, from travel agency standpoint, is probably one of 0:38:08.080 --> 0:38:10.640 the better destinations. Now, let's let's see we get done. 0:38:10.800 --> 0:38:12.600 How about arranging a trip to Cincinnati. 0:38:12.719 --> 0:38:16.640 Let's go from mister B what changes do you recommend 0:38:16.640 --> 0:38:20.880 to reverse the devastating trend of terrible starts to seasons. 0:38:21.480 --> 0:38:24.520 Yeah, man, boy, if I had an answer to that, 0:38:24.880 --> 0:38:28.200 I mean that that that one it's almost like a 0:38:28.239 --> 0:38:31.320 self fulfilling prophecy. Now, sometimes you get in that situation 0:38:31.480 --> 0:38:35.360 and it just, you know, it can it consumes you 0:38:35.520 --> 0:38:37.799 when you don't even realize it's consuming you. You know, 0:38:37.880 --> 0:38:42.320 it's a it's a an odd dynamic that way. They've 0:38:42.440 --> 0:38:46.640 tried to have these you know, controlled scrimmages with other 0:38:47.040 --> 0:38:49.799 other teams and be a little bit more physical because 0:38:49.800 --> 0:38:53.000 they're not playing guys very many snaps during the course 0:38:53.000 --> 0:38:55.160 of the preseason that that they're going to be relying 0:38:55.200 --> 0:38:59.239 on right away to start the regular season. But if 0:38:59.239 --> 0:39:02.319 you don't, I mean, that becomes a major issue, and 0:39:02.360 --> 0:39:05.479 it has been a major issue. The lack of sure 0:39:05.560 --> 0:39:09.239 tackling are a big part of the equation of those 0:39:10.440 --> 0:39:13.680 slow starts. But you know, even offensively, I mean, you 0:39:13.960 --> 0:39:16.640 look at the Bengals offense in the first three or 0:39:16.640 --> 0:39:19.120 four games of the season as opposed to the last 0:39:19.120 --> 0:39:22.319 five games this past year. Oh my gosh, man, it's 0:39:22.320 --> 0:39:24.840 like night and day. You know, you'd like to you'd 0:39:24.840 --> 0:39:27.920 like to get off to a better start at the 0:39:27.920 --> 0:39:31.200 beginning of the year, closer to the efficiency and the 0:39:31.480 --> 0:39:34.000 level of execution you're playing with. You know, at the 0:39:34.080 --> 0:39:37.200 end of the season, it's going to be natural, barring 0:39:37.239 --> 0:39:39.160 injury and all that, that you are going to progress 0:39:39.480 --> 0:39:40.640 during the course of the season. 0:39:40.640 --> 0:39:43.080 But man, it was a stark contrast. 0:39:42.920 --> 0:39:45.040 From the start of the season offensively to the end 0:39:45.040 --> 0:39:46.279 of the season offensively. 0:39:47.239 --> 0:39:49.480 And you know, I don't know. 0:39:49.800 --> 0:39:55.080 Maybe it's as simple as playing biting the bullet and 0:39:55.080 --> 0:39:57.640 then play more snaps, man, and let them bring people 0:39:57.680 --> 0:40:01.719 to the ground and start that, start that bond of 0:40:01.760 --> 0:40:04.040 what it's going to be like at all three levels. 0:40:04.960 --> 0:40:08.279 Realizing you know how to play with each other, get 0:40:08.320 --> 0:40:09.799 a feel for each other, get a feel for the 0:40:09.800 --> 0:40:13.120 guy that you're playing next to, have an understanding what 0:40:13.160 --> 0:40:17.279 the coordinators his expectations are. And the only way to 0:40:17.320 --> 0:40:19.520 go out and do it is to do that, go 0:40:19.560 --> 0:40:23.160 out and physically do it, mentally know what you're doing, 0:40:23.200 --> 0:40:25.480 and physically accomplish what you're supposed to do. 0:40:26.800 --> 0:40:29.360 All right, We've got about two minutes left for a 0:40:29.520 --> 0:40:33.520 final hard hitting question. It comes from p d y. 0:40:33.800 --> 0:40:39.400 Are you ready, yes, describe your perfect Sunday morning breakfast. 0:40:42.280 --> 0:40:44.840 Perfect Sunday morning breakfast. Man. 0:40:46.280 --> 0:40:50.840 You know, I'm really not a huge breakfast guy, but 0:40:51.800 --> 0:40:54.280 if I had to, it would be some form of steak. 0:40:54.280 --> 0:40:56.640 Would be in there. I'm definitely a steak. 0:40:56.400 --> 0:40:58.040 Guy, steak an eggs kind of guy. 0:40:58.239 --> 0:41:01.239 Yeah, steak and eggs would stay, can scrambled eggs with that, 0:41:01.320 --> 0:41:06.040 dog would hunt. I think I think I'd probably probably 0:41:06.160 --> 0:41:10.880 lean in that direction. I'm, you know, not necessarily toast, 0:41:10.920 --> 0:41:13.000 maybe more like an English s muffin or a Danish 0:41:13.120 --> 0:41:15.920 kind of guy, you know, rather than just toast, you know, 0:41:16.080 --> 0:41:18.520 get a little a little bit of something like that going. 0:41:18.880 --> 0:41:21.399 I am definitely an orange juice guy, gonna have that, 0:41:22.120 --> 0:41:25.520 but no coffee. I don't never tasted coffee. I don't 0:41:25.560 --> 0:41:28.240 drink coffee, but I'd go for a couple of glasses 0:41:28.280 --> 0:41:28.799 orange juice. 0:41:28.840 --> 0:41:29.080 Though. 0:41:30.120 --> 0:41:33.160 I can describe my perfect Sunday morning breakfast because I 0:41:33.200 --> 0:41:35.560 feel like I have it about eight times a year. 0:41:35.760 --> 0:41:42.000 It's on the road at the Bengals game day. It's you, Me, 0:41:42.760 --> 0:41:45.280 Mike Brown, his close friend Jack Schiff. 0:41:45.480 --> 0:41:45.719 Yeah. 0:41:45.760 --> 0:41:49.080 I don't really care about the food. It's the conversations 0:41:49.120 --> 0:41:51.239 that we have on those Sunday mornings on the road. 0:41:51.320 --> 0:41:53.279 That's the perfect Sunday morning breakfast for me. 0:41:53.680 --> 0:41:56.200 What a great call that is, Dan, There's no doubt. 0:41:56.239 --> 0:42:03.400 I mean the conversations football and it evolves to evolves 0:42:03.400 --> 0:42:06.200 to life in general in some cases, but a lot 0:42:06.200 --> 0:42:09.879 of football chat and uh, you know it is it's 0:42:10.000 --> 0:42:12.040 very interesting, very interesting. 0:42:12.080 --> 0:42:13.920 I think I think the fan base. 0:42:13.719 --> 0:42:19.000 Would be very pleasantly surprised to be able to tune 0:42:19.040 --> 0:42:22.839 into some of those conversations and listen to uh, you know, 0:42:22.960 --> 0:42:26.040 to Mike and uh and then when Katie and Troy 0:42:26.120 --> 0:42:29.879 come and when Paul Brown comes and everybody starts, uh 0:42:30.160 --> 0:42:35.240 starts talking football. It's really pretty enlightening, pretty very interesting, 0:42:35.280 --> 0:42:35.839 it really is. 0:42:36.120 --> 0:42:38.920 If we could make that a podcast, it would be 0:42:39.080 --> 0:42:41.200 like the Kelsey Brothers. We would sell it for one 0:42:41.239 --> 0:42:41.799 hundred mil. 0:42:44.800 --> 0:42:48.480 You're right, man, I mean I think, uh, I think 0:42:48.520 --> 0:42:53.680 it would definitely it would definitely uh disproved, you know, 0:42:53.800 --> 0:42:55.640 I don't know, maybe prove the fact that Mike Brown 0:42:55.719 --> 0:42:58.880 might be as misunderstood as almost anybody in the National 0:42:58.880 --> 0:42:59.600 Football League. 0:43:00.160 --> 0:43:02.040 But Mike Brown knows his football. 0:43:01.680 --> 0:43:05.600 Now he does. And his laugh is tremendous. 0:43:05.880 --> 0:43:09.120 It is, There's there's no question about it. 0:43:09.200 --> 0:43:13.200 And and as dry a sense of humor as I've 0:43:13.200 --> 0:43:17.960 ever as I've ever known, and uh at an extremely 0:43:18.040 --> 0:43:21.200 high intelligence, as we know, Dan, Mike Brown is like 0:43:21.320 --> 0:43:23.759 that dude is Menza he's mensa in a lot of 0:43:23.800 --> 0:43:26.600 areas that might be. That might be a smart as 0:43:26.640 --> 0:43:30.440 smart a human being ron intelligence as I've been around, 0:43:30.520 --> 0:43:31.440 he's something else. 0:43:31.920 --> 0:43:34.440 All right, so I said. The Sunday Morning Breakfast question 0:43:34.560 --> 0:43:36.520 was our final question, but there was actually one other 0:43:36.560 --> 0:43:39.560 interesting thing that came in on ask Lap. Somebody wants 0:43:39.600 --> 0:43:42.320 to know that when the Bengals win the Super Bowl 0:43:42.560 --> 0:43:45.279 in Santa Clara this coming year, will you add an 0:43:45.440 --> 0:43:49.600 extra bam to coffin nails? Bam bam bam? Will you 0:43:49.640 --> 0:43:51.280 go with a fourth for a Super Bowl? 0:43:51.600 --> 0:43:55.040 At least I might go for ten? I mean I 0:43:55.120 --> 0:43:56.839 might just be bamming my butt off. 0:43:56.920 --> 0:43:59.920 Man. All right, that's what we got to look forward. 0:44:00.640 --> 0:44:02.919 Appreciate you time, my man. Hope to see you soon. 0:44:03.640 --> 0:44:05.160 Same here. Dan, enjoyed it. 0:44:05.239 --> 0:44:08.839 Appreciate your man, you haven't done so already. Be sure 0:44:08.840 --> 0:44:12.279 to check out Laps in the Trenches podcast presented by 0:44:12.280 --> 0:44:17.480 First Star Logistics. Recent guests include BJ Hill and Mikeasicki. 0:44:18.120 --> 0:44:20.720 The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, 0:44:20.800 --> 0:44:24.799 proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider. By 0:44:24.840 --> 0:44:28.239 Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, 0:44:28.600 --> 0:44:32.040 business and community to a new level and by Kettering 0:44:32.080 --> 0:44:35.840 Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health 0:44:35.920 --> 0:44:40.319 is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now time 0:44:40.360 --> 0:44:45.040 for my conversation with a Bengals newcomer linebacker and special 0:44:45.080 --> 0:44:48.359 teams ace or In Burks signed a two year deal 0:44:48.400 --> 0:44:51.240 on Monday and joins the Bengals after earning a Super 0:44:51.280 --> 0:44:56.399 Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles. Berks had quite a postseason. 0:44:56.800 --> 0:45:00.239 He forced to fumble on the opening kickoff in the 0:45:00.280 --> 0:45:03.760 eagles first playoff win over Green Bay. He forced another 0:45:03.880 --> 0:45:07.879 fumble in the NFC Championship game against Washington, and after 0:45:07.920 --> 0:45:10.560 getting most of his snaps on special teams during the 0:45:10.600 --> 0:45:16.560 regular season, Berks started at linebacker in Philadelphia's last three 0:45:16.800 --> 0:45:21.560 postseason wins. Or You have had quite a twenty twenty 0:45:21.640 --> 0:45:25.160 five so far, A couple of forest fumbles in the playoffs, 0:45:25.560 --> 0:45:28.400 starting role in a Super Bowl champ and now a 0:45:28.440 --> 0:45:30.680 new two year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. How would 0:45:30.760 --> 0:45:32.200 you describe your year to date? 0:45:32.520 --> 0:45:34.040 Man, it's been amazing. It's been amazing. 0:45:34.440 --> 0:45:37.120 Definitely looking forward to the opportunity here in Cincinnati for 0:45:37.280 --> 0:45:38.640 me and my family. I feel like it's a great 0:45:38.680 --> 0:45:41.200 fit for us, and I'm just excited to see what 0:45:41.200 --> 0:45:41.880 the future holds. 0:45:42.360 --> 0:45:45.480 I want to go back before the playoffs began, the 0:45:45.520 --> 0:45:47.879 final game of the regular season, it was big news 0:45:48.000 --> 0:45:51.800 nationally when the Eagles rested Saquon Barkley when he possibly 0:45:51.840 --> 0:45:54.239 had a chance to set the rushing record. Some other 0:45:54.239 --> 0:45:56.960 guys rested in that game as well. You stepped into 0:45:57.000 --> 0:46:00.440 the starting lineup and had seventeen tackles to kind of 0:46:00.480 --> 0:46:03.640 set the stage for the great postseason that came after that. 0:46:04.160 --> 0:46:07.400 What do you think that game did for you your 0:46:07.440 --> 0:46:08.760 reputation around the NFL. 0:46:09.600 --> 0:46:11.440 For me, it's just a big confidence piece, you know, 0:46:11.520 --> 0:46:13.160 for the whole year, I hadn't had, you know, a 0:46:13.200 --> 0:46:15.439 huge opportunity to play, you know, the majority of the game, 0:46:15.560 --> 0:46:18.160 So just was ready when the opportunity came up to 0:46:18.280 --> 0:46:21.560 you know, show showcase my talents and that that rang true, 0:46:21.600 --> 0:46:23.520 you know when I got the opportunity in the playoffs 0:46:23.560 --> 0:46:26.680 and throughout. But for me, it's always preparing like a 0:46:26.719 --> 0:46:28.920 starter no matter what my role is and teams has 0:46:28.960 --> 0:46:31.279 always been a big point of emphasis for me. So 0:46:31.640 --> 0:46:34.240 exceling that role, adding value and being a great teammate 0:46:34.280 --> 0:46:36.200 and like I said, ultimately just being ready when the 0:46:36.200 --> 0:46:37.080 opportunity comes up. 0:46:37.600 --> 0:46:40.279 Nikobe Dean suffered an injury in the first playoff game. 0:46:40.560 --> 0:46:42.440 You stepped into the starting lineup for the rest of 0:46:42.480 --> 0:46:46.320 the playoffs for Philly and the defense didn't miss a beat. 0:46:46.920 --> 0:46:49.200 How big of a source of pride was that for you? 0:46:49.440 --> 0:46:51.759 Yeah, it's huge. Like I said, like I prepare like 0:46:51.800 --> 0:46:52.120 a starter. 0:46:52.239 --> 0:46:55.920 That's that's been my point of emphasis, and that's allowed 0:46:55.920 --> 0:46:57.160 me to play in the league for a long time. 0:46:57.200 --> 0:46:58.920 This is going into year eight and I played a 0:46:58.960 --> 0:47:01.719 lot of games in terms of playoff games. You know, 0:47:01.760 --> 0:47:03.719 I've been on been in the playoffs every year except 0:47:03.719 --> 0:47:06.520 for my rookie year. And you know that that rings true, 0:47:06.520 --> 0:47:09.400 Like that experience, you know, speaks for yourself and looking 0:47:09.440 --> 0:47:12.560 to you know, increase that role and just I feel 0:47:12.600 --> 0:47:14.680 it's a great opportunity to come here and compete and 0:47:14.880 --> 0:47:15.719 this this team is. 0:47:15.719 --> 0:47:16.480 You look at the roster. 0:47:16.480 --> 0:47:18.879 You got talent up and down the roster and two 0:47:18.880 --> 0:47:21.239 big ones you know yesterday with the war receiver duo, 0:47:21.360 --> 0:47:23.400 and that's going to help us a lot to win games. 0:47:23.440 --> 0:47:24.680 So looking forward to it. 0:47:25.160 --> 0:47:29.040 That playoff track record's pretty remarkable. Six straight years with 0:47:29.120 --> 0:47:31.920 three different teams. Five of those teams went to the 0:47:32.000 --> 0:47:35.319 league championship Game, the last two teams went to the 0:47:35.320 --> 0:47:38.480 Super Bowl, and you won the Super Bowl this past year. 0:47:38.640 --> 0:47:41.240 What have you learned over the course of the last 0:47:41.239 --> 0:47:43.960 six years about what it takes for teams to make 0:47:43.960 --> 0:47:45.200 it that far in the postseason. 0:47:45.480 --> 0:47:48.000 Yeah, one thing I've noticed the biggest The best teams 0:47:48.000 --> 0:47:49.920 I've been a part of have been the closest teams 0:47:49.920 --> 0:47:52.200 in the locker room. So that's gonna be an emphasis 0:47:52.200 --> 0:47:54.279 for me, you know, just to connect with the guys here. 0:47:54.320 --> 0:47:57.759 And I'm a vet now, so like just being able 0:47:57.800 --> 0:47:59.960 to lead in that role is going to be really important. 0:48:00.280 --> 0:48:02.600 But at the same time, just the mentality that it 0:48:02.640 --> 0:48:05.800 takes to win it all. It takes a lot of 0:48:05.840 --> 0:48:08.080 hard work, but ultimately you got to be There's a 0:48:08.120 --> 0:48:09.480 lot of highs, a lot of lows. You got to 0:48:09.480 --> 0:48:10.880 find a way to stay somewhere in the middle, and 0:48:10.960 --> 0:48:12.680 I feel like that's where the work gets done. And 0:48:13.000 --> 0:48:15.080 looking forward to, you know, seeing what that looks like 0:48:15.120 --> 0:48:15.600 with this team. 0:48:16.200 --> 0:48:18.960 I'm sure Philly didn't want to lose you. What appealed 0:48:18.960 --> 0:48:20.000 to you about Cincinnati? 0:48:20.480 --> 0:48:23.120 Yeah, just opportunity, you know, the last couple of years, 0:48:23.120 --> 0:48:25.759 they haven't you know, gotten over the barrier. I feel 0:48:25.800 --> 0:48:28.960 like we're right there at it to make a run 0:48:29.000 --> 0:48:31.960 at it again. So I feel like it was the 0:48:31.960 --> 0:48:34.359 best opportunity for me and my family and a great 0:48:34.360 --> 0:48:36.560 fit here. We're in Nashville, so right down the road, 0:48:36.600 --> 0:48:39.279 so not too far. But yeah, just looking forward to 0:48:39.280 --> 0:48:39.799 the future here. 0:48:40.280 --> 0:48:43.160 What have you been told about the opportunity? What potential 0:48:43.239 --> 0:48:45.000 role do you think exists for you here? 0:48:45.400 --> 0:48:47.800 Yeah, just to come in and compete always. 0:48:47.840 --> 0:48:51.040 You know backburner's gonna be special teams, but you know 0:48:51.080 --> 0:48:54.160 it's coming to compete and play at linebacker here, and 0:48:54.840 --> 0:48:56.600 I just want to be part of a great defense. 0:48:57.120 --> 0:48:59.960 You spent your first four years in Green Bay Jerry Montgummer. 0:49:00.040 --> 0:49:02.840 He was on the defensive staff. He wasn't your position coach, 0:49:02.920 --> 0:49:05.840 but obviously you were around Jerry a lot during those years. 0:49:06.080 --> 0:49:08.680 Did that connection have anything to do with you winding up. 0:49:08.560 --> 0:49:09.759 Here, Yeah, it definitely does. 0:49:09.840 --> 0:49:13.480 You know, familiarity with somebody on staff, a good relationship 0:49:13.480 --> 0:49:15.719 with Jerry, and know his kids and his family very well. 0:49:15.760 --> 0:49:17.640 And I feel like he's going to be a big 0:49:17.640 --> 0:49:19.399 piece for our d line. And I love playing with 0:49:19.440 --> 0:49:22.080 great defensive lines man, that makes my job a lot easier. 0:49:22.120 --> 0:49:24.400 So knowing that they're going to be well coached on 0:49:24.440 --> 0:49:26.120 that front is a big piece to that. 0:49:26.239 --> 0:49:28.080 So I'll look forward to working with him. 0:49:28.480 --> 0:49:30.560 The Bengals got close to a Super Bowl title in 0:49:30.600 --> 0:49:33.520 the twenty twenty one season. You got there last year. 0:49:33.600 --> 0:49:35.480 You got to experience what it was like when the 0:49:35.520 --> 0:49:38.480 confetti is falling around you and it's your team Colors. 0:49:38.800 --> 0:49:40.480 What was that high like for you? 0:49:40.880 --> 0:49:42.160 Yeah, it's a surreal experience. 0:49:42.200 --> 0:49:44.000 You know, all the work that you put in, you know, 0:49:44.040 --> 0:49:45.799 your whole life to get to the pinnacle of the 0:49:45.800 --> 0:49:48.560 sport and just being able to showcase it at at 0:49:48.560 --> 0:49:51.520 the highest level is a great honor. And just going 0:49:51.560 --> 0:49:53.640 to war, you know, with guys that you can create 0:49:53.680 --> 0:49:55.320 a bond with over the year. I'm looking forward to 0:49:55.400 --> 0:49:57.000 doing that this year with this team. 0:49:57.600 --> 0:50:00.680 You've had a tremendous track record on special teams throughout 0:50:00.719 --> 0:50:04.120 your NFL career. Do you anticipate playing a significant role 0:50:04.200 --> 0:50:05.600 in that department Cincinnati? 0:50:05.880 --> 0:50:06.080 Yeah. 0:50:06.080 --> 0:50:07.919 I mean I feel like I always try to find 0:50:07.920 --> 0:50:11.320 ways to add value wherever I am, special teams or defense, 0:50:11.360 --> 0:50:14.880 and I take a lot of pride in that, you know, 0:50:15.400 --> 0:50:17.440 just just being a pros pro and being able to 0:50:17.480 --> 0:50:19.920 you know, be ready to go when the opportunity comes up. 0:50:20.360 --> 0:50:23.719 You overlapped with TJ. Slayton briefly in Green Bay your 0:50:23.800 --> 0:50:26.200 last year there, his first. What can you tell us 0:50:26.200 --> 0:50:28.080 about what the Bengals are getting in TJ Slayton. 0:50:28.200 --> 0:50:30.560 Yeah, you're getting a young guy with a lot of potential. Man. 0:50:30.600 --> 0:50:32.960 I feel like when I was there with TJ, like 0:50:33.000 --> 0:50:36.080 you just showed so much athleticism and his ability to 0:50:36.120 --> 0:50:38.280 you know, just replays and get to the ball, and 0:50:38.560 --> 0:50:40.560 that's to nasty is going to help us on defense. 0:50:40.600 --> 0:50:42.319 So excited to get back to work with him. Having 0:50:42.400 --> 0:50:43.640 reunited with him in a little bit. 0:50:43.680 --> 0:50:47.520 So you've faced the Bengals each of the last two years, 0:50:47.600 --> 0:50:49.759 would have been your impressions of Cincinnati being on the 0:50:49.760 --> 0:50:50.759 opposite side of the ball? 0:50:51.040 --> 0:50:54.120 Yeah, Man, a high powered offense obviously, Joe leading the way. 0:50:54.200 --> 0:50:55.960 I mean, I see him as a great leader, a 0:50:55.960 --> 0:50:57.879 guy that can get the ball out and get into 0:50:57.880 --> 0:51:03.640 playmaker's hands, and for me is just. 0:51:02.080 --> 0:51:03.680 Just don't know, just a great opportunity. 0:51:03.680 --> 0:51:05.799 Like I'm really like seeing this team from the far 0:51:05.840 --> 0:51:07.520 as the first time being the AFC for me, so 0:51:07.520 --> 0:51:10.279 a little bit different, but UH known them as a 0:51:10.360 --> 0:51:12.759 contender the last couple of years. So that's what I 0:51:12.760 --> 0:51:14.560 was looking for in free agency, is an opportunity to 0:51:14.600 --> 0:51:16.520 come and compete with the contender. 0:51:17.239 --> 0:51:20.160 We joked before I turned on the microphone that based 0:51:20.200 --> 0:51:23.920 on my research, nobody has played in three straight Super 0:51:23.960 --> 0:51:27.920 Bowls for three different teams. They're having guys that have 0:51:27.960 --> 0:51:30.279 played in three for three different teams, but not three 0:51:30.320 --> 0:51:31.120 years in a row. 0:51:31.520 --> 0:51:32.160 What do you think? 0:51:32.239 --> 0:51:35.600 I mean, I imagine you joined this team thinking that Cincinnati 0:51:35.920 --> 0:51:37.600 gives you a legitimate chance to do that. 0:51:37.840 --> 0:51:39.920 Yeah, I think it's definitely on the table. And it 0:51:39.960 --> 0:51:42.200 starts with OTA's coming up here soon. Just building that 0:51:42.280 --> 0:51:44.480 foundation that leads into the camp and leads, you know, 0:51:44.560 --> 0:51:46.680 to the to the ultimate, the big one in the 0:51:46.719 --> 0:51:47.239 super Bowl. 0:51:47.320 --> 0:51:49.080 So we got to take it one day at a time. 0:51:49.120 --> 0:51:50.760 But you know, we got all the pieces that we need. 0:51:51.320 --> 0:51:53.840 Who do you know on this roster if anybody? 0:51:54.560 --> 0:51:57.040 Yeah, so Logan we have the same Logan Wilson, we 0:51:57.080 --> 0:51:59.200 have the same agent, so I've kind of known him 0:51:59.000 --> 0:52:02.560 from that. And Tanner Hudson he trains in Nashville every 0:52:02.560 --> 0:52:04.200 once in a while, so have good relationship with him. 0:52:04.200 --> 0:52:05.960 He was with the Niners when I was out there 0:52:06.000 --> 0:52:09.080 as well, so in Devin Conquering as well as office 0:52:09.080 --> 0:52:10.640 a lineman that was at Vandy when I was there 0:52:10.719 --> 0:52:11.239 for a little bit. 0:52:12.080 --> 0:52:15.160 Your thirtieth birthday is coming up in a matter of days. 0:52:16.200 --> 0:52:19.960 You seem like a very young thirty. You've played in 0:52:20.000 --> 0:52:22.520 a lot of games, but haven't necessarily played a ton 0:52:22.560 --> 0:52:25.440 of snaps on defense. Do you feel like you haven't 0:52:25.680 --> 0:52:27.839 been exposed to as much wear and tear maybe as 0:52:27.840 --> 0:52:29.360 some guys with your experience in the league. 0:52:30.000 --> 0:52:30.360 Yes, and no. 0:52:30.600 --> 0:52:32.400 I feel like we did physicals earlier today and that 0:52:32.480 --> 0:52:34.160 was in and out for thirty minutes. So I was 0:52:34.239 --> 0:52:36.120 joking with them like going into your a if you 0:52:36.160 --> 0:52:38.920 got a quick physical, that's a great sign. So hopefully 0:52:38.920 --> 0:52:40.840 I can crank out a couple more years. 0:52:40.640 --> 0:52:41.200 Here in the league. 0:52:41.239 --> 0:52:43.319 And it's about longevity, you know, like I said, and 0:52:43.400 --> 0:52:45.000 just find a ways to add value taking care of 0:52:45.040 --> 0:52:47.959 your bodies and just being a pro, you know, taking 0:52:47.960 --> 0:52:49.520 care of everything that needs to be taken care of. 0:52:49.920 --> 0:52:51.920 Great to have you here in Cincinnati. Hope that Super 0:52:51.920 --> 0:52:53.480 Bowl Street continues next year. 0:52:53.640 --> 0:52:54.000 Let's do it. 0:52:55.120 --> 0:52:57.160 N Thanks to Warren Burks, and that's going to do it. 0:52:57.200 --> 0:52:59.560 For this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to 0:52:59.560 --> 0:53:02.480 you by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals Official 0:53:03.000 --> 0:53:07.120 HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet 0:53:07.160 --> 0:53:09.680 designed to elevate your home, business and community to a 0:53:09.719 --> 0:53:13.759 new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for 0:53:13.800 --> 0:53:17.400 the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider 0:53:17.640 --> 0:53:20.760 of the Bengals. If you haven't done so already, please 0:53:20.800 --> 0:53:23.400 subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, 0:53:23.400 --> 0:53:26.360 give it a rating or share a comment that helps 0:53:26.480 --> 0:53:30.880 more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks 0:53:30.880 --> 0:53:34.040 for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast.