WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Finish What Ya Started 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.320 I get everybody on Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:11.200 the Bengals Booth podcast the Come On Baby Finish, which 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:16.800 studed addition, as we wrap up our draft specific podcast 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:21.080 with two conversations. First it's Director of Player Personnel Duke 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:25.880 Tobin and then number one draft pick Dax Hill, Plus 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:28.640 we'll also share some nuggets about the players who are 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:32.320 expected to sign with the Bengals as undrafted free agents. 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:36.920 The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:40.280 Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty twenty two season. It's 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:45.080 free to play next level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:48.279 Get it now on the App Store and Google Play. 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:50.640 And here's a quick reminder that you can have the 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:54.080 latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.800 or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:04.440 the greatest thing since post draft phone calls. Here's what 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.400 happens for those of us covering the Bengals during the draft. 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:10.880 Within minutes after the Bengals make a pick, a coach 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:13.720 or two will do a news conference to discuss the player. 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:18.200 Then reporters all gather around a phone designed for conference 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:22.720 calls where the player answers questions. Those phone calls are 0:01:22.760 --> 0:01:26.720 awesome for a multitude of reasons. For starters, we get 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.640 to hear the joy in their voice moments after that 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:33.959 life changing phone call from Zach Taylor. For instance, here's 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:43.120 seventh round pick Jeffrey Gunter. I've I've been dreaming. I 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:44.560 was eight years old. I used to I used to 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:46.400 be a I used to be five. You know what 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.280 I'm saying. I would watch America's game like back to 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:50.600 back to back on insti one Networks, and it's just 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:52.640 like seeing my name go across that screen. It's just 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:56.080 everything I did was worth it. You know, as the 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.240 seventh round was winding down, were you getting nervous that 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:02.840 it wasn't going to happen? Was I get nervous? I 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.760 was almost sure it wasn't gonna happen, you know, But 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:07.000 you know, I can't feign the guy, and you know, 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:08.639 say he pulled through for me in the end, So 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:10.840 thank you, thank you all for taking taking an off 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:15.080 shot on me. Then there are the amusing anecdotes, like 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.480 first round pick Dax Hill admitting that he was in 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:23.000 the bathroom when the call came from the Bengals. It 0:02:23.120 --> 0:02:26.160 was crazy because I went to the restaurom. My family 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:27.680 told me not to go to the restaurants, so I 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.440 had to really I hear you get up about the bathroom. 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:32.480 So then I just picked up the phone and then 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:36.000 went downstairs and just told everybody that the bank was calling. 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:39.320 So that was kind of a funny moment I had tonight. 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:41.480 So how close read to not making out of the 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.400 bathroom in time to make sure that he got the call? 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:46.480 Oh't know. I made sure I had that car. I mean, 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:52.119 I just had to zip and then Car. I just yeah, 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.200 answered the phones. After that, I was like, yeah, it's 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:58.320 the Bengal st everybody was excited. Finally, there are the 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:02.720 interesting nuggets like round pick cam Taylor Britt being from 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:06.600 the same school as his new head coach. Your head 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:09.480 coach is a Nebraska Hall of Famer. Do you have 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:12.600 Do you have any knowledge of Zach Taylor's career as 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.799 a quarterback for the corn Oscars, I kind of do. 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:24.720 I can say, what did he share? He was probably 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:30.040 one of the best quarterbacks go through Nebraska. Dak wasn't lying. 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:33.760 He still holds Nebraska's single season record for touchdown passes 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:37.240 with twenty six back in two thousand and six when 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:41.720 he was named the Big twelve Offensive Player of the Year. Now, 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:45.440 let's get to this year's draft class. The Bengals chose 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:49.480 six players. Defensive backs Das Hill, Cam Taylor Britt and 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:54.680 Tyson Anderson, defensive lineman Zachary Carter, edge rusher Jeffrey Gunter, 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:59.520 and offensive lineman Cordelle Volson. I spoke about the group 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.720 with a guy who oversees the draft force, Incinnati director 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:06.800 of Player Personnel, Duke Tobin. To cap, of your six 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:10.840 draft picks or defensive backs, all three seem very versatile. 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:14.560 Is that more necessary now than ever? Or how much 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:16.080 does that have to do with lu and a Rumo 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:20.200 and his schemes. I think versatility is a hallmark of 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:23.000 any really good player on defense. It's hard to say 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:27.320 a guy can be a one trick pony at any position. Honestly, 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:31.239 when you're talking about versatility, it's one of the number 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:33.920 one traits we talk about, particularly on the defensive side 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:35.840 of the ball, but also on the offensive side. You 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:39.120 could talk about offensive lineman that play multiple spots and 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:43.120 can fill in at different spots. So it's really a 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.200 trait that comes with the high level player in today's 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.320 football is the ability to do more than just one thing. 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:53.080 And we were glad that the draft fell to us 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:55.960 and gave us a chance to find those high level 0:04:56.000 --> 0:04:58.719 players in our opinion, and they're high level players because 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.159 they're they're versatile. I think most people listening to this 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:05.479 know about the quarterbacks that are in the AFC. The 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:07.720 road to get back to the super Bowl not only 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:12.400 includes Patrick Mahomes, but Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, Justin, Herbert, 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:14.320 Matt Ryan. The list goes on and on and on. 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:18.159 Did that have anything to do with the emphasis that 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:22.320 you put on defensive backs in particular and defense in general? 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.799 I think we needed help on that side of the ball. 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:28.480 You know, we needed some young players coming on and uh, 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:32.159 you know, each each year, your team's a little different. Um, 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:34.880 if the players weren't up to it when our draft 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.000 spot came, we wouldn't have to. We would have taken 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:40.080 somebody else at a different position. But it just so 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:42.720 happened that that the players that we really liked also 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.600 fit some needs for us, and that and that was good. 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:48.560 You know, the road to the super Bowl also goes 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:51.480 through Joe Burrow and so other teams have to worry too, 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:55.400 and uh and and uh. So, yeah, you want to 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:57.279 be good in coverage, you want to be able to 0:05:57.320 --> 0:05:59.880 pass rush. I think when you look at the draft 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:04.320 and what team's value in the draft, pass rush and 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:07.760 coverage are two of the biggest things. You trade it 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.039 up twice and surrendered sixth and seventh round picks in 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.919 the process. How hard was that to do when you 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:18.480 only had eight picks to begin with. It mechanically it 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:23.200 was easy to do. From from my heart standpoint, it 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:27.000 was very difficult to do because I hate having to 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:31.760 give up picks. And this draft fell at a point 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.880 when we thought that we had a chance of getting 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:37.960 knocked out of the box and having to drop down 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:41.960 a level of player at our pick. And sometimes that 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:44.760 conspires against you, and you got to go get what 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:47.760 you gotta go get, and we felt like we needed 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:50.920 to go get that. But given up a pick, whether 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.400 it's a seventh round pick or a sixth round pick, 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:57.520 that's in my view, that's a chance at a real 0:06:57.560 --> 0:07:00.880 player that we're for going. And so it was very 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:04.839 difficult for me personally to do it, even though I'm 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:09.160 the one that wanted to do it, and so I'm conflicted. 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.000 You know, I've got a love hate relationship with myself 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:16.880 right now. When you trade up, how specifically are you 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:20.240 looking at the teams ahead of you and playing that 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:23.520 all right, this team needs a guy at that spot 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.280 and we have to do it. I think that plays 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:29.160 into it. We do go through the exercise of looking 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:32.360 at other teams needs, and we have specific needs for 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.360 each team, and as they go through the draft, we 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:38.680 cross off those needs as they satisfy them. And you 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:40.600 never know what other teams are going to do. You 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:42.600 never know if they have any regard for the guy 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:46.040 that you're thinking about now or not. But you have 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:48.120 to go through the exercise, and I think the more 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.680 you go through it, maybe there's diminishing returns because you 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:54.120 convince yourself everybody wants your guy, and maybe that's not 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:57.560 the case. But more often than not, the guy that 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:01.119 you're looking at is also a guy the teams ahead 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:04.800 of you are looking at. You know, we're we're pretty 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.800 there's a lot of very good graders around the NFL, 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:10.600 and so we don't believe we sit here and have 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:16.920 the magic bullet that nobody else has in grading these guys. 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.760 So we assume that the guys we really like are 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.160 high on other people's boards too. Your first round pick, 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:26.320 Dax Hill spent three years at Michigan, three starts as 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:29.640 a freshman, Honorable Mention All Big Ten as a sophomore, 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:31.960 one of the best players in the conference last year. 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.720 When did he start to be on your radar? Is 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.920 that a guy that you've started to think highly of 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:41.320 of the course of a couple of years. Yeah, you know, 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.520 we normally focus on the draft class that's eligible for 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:48.000 the draft. That's our initial process. We do have awareness 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:51.520 of guys who can come out early, and a lot 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:53.840 of times the schools will help you with that list, 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:56.000 and you're when you're in there, But when you're talking 0:08:56.040 --> 0:09:00.520 about major programs and players who have played with him 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.320 for three years, we're also college football fans like everyone else. 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:07.200 So we don't we don't live under a rock somewhere. 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.280 And who's this. He wasn't on my list of seniors. 0:09:10.559 --> 0:09:13.520 I don't think. You know, you can't watch tape without 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:17.480 noticing people that might not be eligible for the draft. Um, 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:20.400 but you know, yes, we had a we had a 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:23.960 firm awareness of him throughout the process. We knew that 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.520 there was a possibility he would want to leave early 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.000 based on what he had done. And um, you know, 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.120 I love the love the guys that produce big at 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:37.200 big level programs, and and you know, all things equal, 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:41.120 Why not that he's been listed as a safety, but 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:44.640 last year the majority of his snaps came as a 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:48.160 slot corner. What position should we call him? Is he 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:52.840 like old school defensive halfback? We will, we will, we 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:57.360 will see. He'll play what he earns. You know, the 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.280 draft round and the draft number and everything that's all 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.760 in the past. Now we just have he's gonna I 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:07.200 don't know what number he's gonna wear, twenty So now 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:09.760 he's number twenty three for the Cincinnati Bengals, and number 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:12.400 twenty three will get what he earns, just like everybody 0:10:12.440 --> 0:10:15.320 else on our roster. They'll they'll grow their role at 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:17.880 the pace that they're able to grow their role, and 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:20.719 the coaches are, you know, it's it's nice to have 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:22.400 a guy that can grow the role in a few 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:25.439 different areas. And he can do that, and I look 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:29.079 forward to seeing his progression with us. So I love 0:10:29.160 --> 0:10:32.040 draft gurus, and they love me because I buy all 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:34.440 of it, all the magazines all of the stuff that 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.440 you can download. It's good reading leading up to the draft. 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:40.079 I know that doesn't mean anything internally to you guys, 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.760 but I want to look at offensive lineman Cordell Wolson 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:46.000 because you took him in the fourth round. These gurus 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:49.320 typically had a later grade than that, and they cited 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:52.440 his athleticism. He's got the size and strength, maybe not 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:56.760 the footspeed or whatever. Why did you feel he was 0:10:56.800 --> 0:10:58.640 worthy of the spot where you chose him. Well, I 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:03.319 guess we disagreed. You know, we think he does have 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:06.440 the movement to play in the schematics that we want 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:09.080 him to play in, and we think he's got versatility 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:13.960 to play tackle and guard. We think, really his true 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.320 upside might be inside and uh and that'll be up 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.080 to Frank to determine that the more he gets to 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:23.160 work with him and see where he fits best. But 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:29.880 he's a big, tough, strong, smart, productive at a school 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:33.680 that is a productive school. It might not be the 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:39.120 biggest level, but those kids are being coached as well 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:43.600 as any any players in the country. He's got four 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:46.400 national championship rings. It'd be nice. It'd be nice if 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:49.079 he got a Super Bowl ring as well. When Frank 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:53.120 Pollock spoke about him after the selection. He really emphasized 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:56.280 the intangibles, the toughness, the blank in his neck, they 0:11:56.360 --> 0:12:01.680 expression that de Frank likes to use. How important is 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:05.640 that thought process from Frank and do you share it? 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:08.880 I do? I think that unit has to play as one. 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:12.040 And when you get guys that are all bought in 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:16.640 and have similar temperaments, similar mentalities, similar love for the game, 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.200 I think they can gel and play well together. That 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:24.080 group is never just five individuals playing. And if you 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:26.240 get a little better at this spot, you're a little better. 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.040 Doesn't mean that just because you have a different trait 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.360 at a spot that the unit is going to play 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:34.520 as well together. And so we're trying to find guys 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:38.440 that all have the same temperament, the same love, desire 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:42.640 and passion for the game and love the grind. I 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.640 mean those guys, that's that's all they have, you know. 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:47.920 I mean you could ask Lap That's that's what they have. 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:50.120 They have the passion and the love of the grind. 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.360 That's they don't get to score touchdowns, and you know 0:12:53.400 --> 0:12:56.280 they're normally not the ones doing the advertisements and all 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:59.520 that stuff, except for Lap, who who's figured out a 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:03.200 path way. But but you know, they're they're the guys 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:05.559 that are there for the love of the game. If 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:08.160 they're playing because of what the game gives them, that 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:10.960 is not the position for you, because there's a lot 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:13.640 of work that goes into it. You obviously have a 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:17.920 Super Bowl roster. Did that make it easier for you 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:22.319 to only wind up with six picks? Um? Again, I 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:26.560 would rather have eight. I'd rather have ten, um. But yeah, 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:29.360 you know, we didn't feel like we had a bunch 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:33.080 of an immediate starter needs right now, so we had 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.520 some freedom to pick guys that can come on at 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:38.920 their own pace. Um, if they earned starting roles, they 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:41.800 earned starting roles. We're not going to rule that out 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:45.960 by any stretch. But um, they're they're guys that we believe, 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:49.360 you know, can supply us good snaps in the present 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:52.920 and grow their role in the future. And so it's 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:55.400 nice to have a team that that you don't have 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:59.959 to plug and play rookies. Based on their social media posts, 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:04.560 You've got at least thirteen undrafted free agents that intend 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:06.839 to sign with the Bengals. It doesn't become official here 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.360 until they've had a physical and been in town and 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:13.240 actually physically signed the contract. But how important is that 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:18.400 group considering the limited number of draft picks. It's hugely important, 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:20.040 and it's something that we put a lot of focus 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:25.080 on throughout the entire draft process, but certainly throughout April, 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:27.880 we're trying to identify guys that we like that may 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.560 go through the draft, try to build a relationship with them, 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:36.000 get them comfortable with our coaching staff, our city, our team, 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:39.920 try to give them an idea of what their role 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:42.320 would be if they end up here. So when you 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:45.240 do get to call them and start talking to them 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.920 about coming to Cincinnati, you know, when it's finally time 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.800 to do that, they have that in the back of 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:55.720 their mind. They know exactly who's going to coach them, 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:57.680 what the role is going to be, and what my 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:01.240 opportunity to make the team is. And those guys, you know, 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.360 a lot of times, you know, will make the back 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.880 end of your roster, your fifty second, fifty third, fifty 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:12.680 first player, and then they'll also populate your sixteen man 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.640 practice squad and have to be ready to come up 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:18.400 and play at a moment's notice. So with the rosters 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:22.720 expanding like they have, those guys are really important. Between 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.400 the three offensive lineman you signed in free agency and 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:29.240 tight end Hayden Hurst and injured players coming back like 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:33.160 Joseph Osai and this year's draft class. How much better 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:37.360 is your roster. Well, we'd like to think it's better. 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.520 I mean, if you stay the same, you're getting worse 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:45.360 and we could not afford to not improve our team. 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:47.320 If that's the case, you're not going to make it 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.320 back to where you want to go. You always have 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:52.320 to get it better. And so that was a focus 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:54.800 in free agency, that was a focus in the draft. 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:57.640 And we think we're there. We think we've got guys 0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:00.960 that can improve our team. We think existing players that 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.120 got the taste of success last year will improve their 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:07.440 games even and the new players that came in will 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:11.400 elevate the rest of the unit. Final question, I appreciate 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:13.920 your time. This is the Monday after the draft. It 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.600 also happens to be the first day that the veteran 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:20.080 players are back in the building. It has come along 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:24.360 really quickly since that Super Bowl. What is the excitement 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.840 level like in this building to get rolling again. Well, 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.160 it's definitely exciting to see the guys back in the building. 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.920 I walked in this morning, fully anticipating to go down 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:36.280 and get a sauna in and get a workout in, 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:38.720 and the first thing I saw was all the players 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:40.720 down there, and I guess I'd forgot they were coming. 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:42.520 And that's so I got to I guess I gotta 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.000 put that off until this afternoon. So I was a 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:49.120 little irritated at first, and I realized that, damn, it 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.080 is good to see the guys, and so yeah, it's 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:54.000 it's fun to get them back. It'll be really fun 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:57.040 to see our rookies come in, you know, in a 0:16:57.080 --> 0:16:59.840 couple of weeks, and see them in our helmets and 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.920 moving around on our field. That that's always an exciting 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:05.960 time for scouts. It was really fun to interact with 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:08.080 the guys that you drafted over the course of the weekend. 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:10.399 Some great personalities. We look forward to getting to know 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:12.800 them better. And again I appreciate your time, you bet Dan, 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:16.399 thank you. In that conversation with Duke, I mentioned that 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:19.880 at least thirteen undrafted free agents have tweeted out their 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:23.119 plans to sign with the Bengals. Now that number is 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:25.560 up to seventeen. And here are a few of the 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:29.919 names that I find most intriguing. Let's start with Ben Brown, 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:34.440 an interior offensive lineman from Ole Miss. The Athletics draft 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:37.959 guru Dane Brugler rated Brown is the seventh best center 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.520 in this year's draft and gave him a fourth or 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:45.280 fifth round grade. He had a torn biceps last year, 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:49.120 which probably explains why he wasn't drafted, but Ben started 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.640 forty games at ole Miss, thirty at guard and ten 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:57.640 at center. Another interior offensive line worth noting is Desmond Noel, 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:01.240 who played his college football at Florida Atlantic. But he's 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.119 a local kid out of Colrane High School. I like 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:08.679 his Twitter handle, I go hard sixty five. There's a 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:12.120 local college player in the group in Miami University wide 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:15.280 receiver Jack Sorensen, who had a huge year for the 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:19.160 RedHawks last season with seventy six catches for one thousand, 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:23.240 four hundred six yards and ten touchdowns. Sorensen had one 0:18:23.320 --> 0:18:27.359 hundred plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. On the 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.160 defensive side of the ball, keep an eye on Colorado 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:34.480 linebacker Carson Wells, who got a seventh round grade from Brugler. 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:37.639 Not only was he a four year starter for the Buffalos, 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:41.879 but he was his High school's valedictorian. And finally, the 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:46.080 Bengals signed the highest rated long snapper in this year's draft, 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:49.840 cal Adamitas out of pitt who was the only long 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:53.199 snapper invited to the Senior Bowl this year. He'll compete 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.160 in training camp with Clark Harris, who turns thirty eight 0:18:56.359 --> 0:19:01.720 in July. The Bengals did not sign any undrefted punters. Instead, 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.760 they reached a deal on Monday with fourteen year veteran 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:07.600 Kevin Huber, who will compete in training camp with Drew 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:11.800 Chrisman out of LaSalle High School and Ohio State. The 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:15.560 Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free 0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:19.439 to play fantasy football game. This past season, Ultimate Bengals 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:21.560 awarded a weekly winner during the course of the year 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:26.200 with tickets, autograph merchandise, and money can't buy experiences all 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:29.359 up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the app Store 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:33.199 and Google Play. Before I play my one on one 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:36.320 interview with Dax Hill, let me tell you about his 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:40.200 schedule leading up to it. Dax got drafted on Thursday 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:44.560 night after eleven PM and finished up his media obligations 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.320 around midnight at four thirty in the morning. He was 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:50.480 on his way to the airport to catch a six 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:53.720 am flight to Cincinnati, and I sat down and talked 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:58.880 to him in the Bengals locker room that afternoon. Tax Congratulations, 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:01.400 you were one of the top recruits in the country 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:03.919 coming out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and you got to choose 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:07.520 then in the NFL Draft, You're waiting for somebody to 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:13.840 choose you. How nerve wracking? Was that very very nerve wracking? Um, 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:16.280 Like you said, you don't really get to choose, so 0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:18.760 they choose me. So I was really just waiting for 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.720 someone to choose me, and that kind of took a while, 0:20:21.920 --> 0:20:23.600 you know, to wear the back end of the you know, 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:26.200 the first round. So all in all, I'm kind of, 0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:28.600 you know, excited, you know, for the opportunity and glad 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:31.760 that you know, the Cincinnati Bengals, you know, pick me up. 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:35.240 We often hear players talking about how they see an 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:37.920 area code pop up on their phone, and that's kind 0:20:37.920 --> 0:20:40.959 of when they have the first indication of who's calling. 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:43.800 Did that happen with you? I saw the city pop 0:20:43.880 --> 0:20:46.439 ups I think it said Cleveland, Ohio something like that, 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:50.720 so I already knew it was Cincinnati Fisher. So the 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:53.359 Bengals are obviously coming off a trip to the Super Bowl, 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:56.800 and I'm sure, like any avid football player or fan, 0:20:56.960 --> 0:20:59.719 you were following that during the postseason and into their 0:20:59.720 --> 0:21:02.320 game against the Rams. Did you start to learn things 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:07.160 about the Bengals Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, etc. I mean, 0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:10.119 I know they are a cohesive team. Um, you know, 0:21:10.200 --> 0:21:12.239 they're kind of bringing back the culture, you know from 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:16.000 years ago. I'm really just changing it the entire you know. Um, 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:18.359 I look at the team, so I felt like I 0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:20.399 didn't really know too much about them until you know, 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:23.080 the back end of the season. But um no, they're 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:25.639 close group. I've heard a lot of good, good things, 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:28.520 you know since I've been here. Um, close, close knit 0:21:28.600 --> 0:21:30.880 the team. So looking forward to, you know, to working 0:21:30.880 --> 0:21:33.399 with those guys. I think at the NFL Scout income 0:21:33.440 --> 0:21:36.200 Buying teams are allowed to meet with forty five guys 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:38.880 if I'm not mistaken, for eighteen minutes apiece. So it's 0:21:38.920 --> 0:21:40.760 a bit of a whirlwind. I'm sure you met with 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:44.320 a lot of teams, But in that meeting, did you 0:21:44.480 --> 0:21:48.040 form any impressions about the Bengals? Um? I knew they 0:21:48.080 --> 0:21:51.119 were you know, high on me. Um. I knew I 0:21:51.160 --> 0:21:53.280 had a great relationship with the coach, you know, leaning 0:21:53.359 --> 0:21:56.520 up to you know, the combine and then some area scouts, 0:21:56.520 --> 0:21:59.840 So definitely knew going into it that I was confident 0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:02.520 they believed in what I could do. So it wasn't 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:07.040 really too too low about that that conversation. So definitely 0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:10.640 a good, good experience. This franchise over the past few 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:13.880 years has put a heavy emphasis on guys that love 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:17.240 the grind. Is that a description of you? Oh? Yeah, 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:19.919 I mean I definitely enjoy the grind at Michigan. I 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:22.800 feel like they've had me very prepared, you know, for 0:22:22.840 --> 0:22:25.600