WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Arms Wide Open 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:06.559 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:13.200 the Bengals Boot Podcast. UH with MS wide open. Addition, 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.040 as we speak to a guy that the Bengals certainly 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:18.439 hope will be wide open for many years to come. 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:22.319 Second round draft pick Te Higgins. Then after I chat 0:00:22.360 --> 0:00:25.720 with t it's forty five quality minutes with my broadcast 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.480 partner Dave Laplam, including a new round of ask Lap 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:34.120 questions that you submitted on Twitter. The Bengals Booth Podcast 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:37.600 is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan, travel and 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:41.080 hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. And here's a quick 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:43.480 reminder that you can have the latest edition of this 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:47.720 podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:52.600 subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:59.280 It's the greatest thing since Peyton's Places. Last year, Future 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.080 Hall of Fame Corps back Peyton Manning hosted a thirty 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:06.480 episode documentary series in conjunction with a celebration of the 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:10.560 NFL's one hundredth season. The series looks at key moments 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:14.880 in NFL history through conversations with former players, coaches, and 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:19.240 other key figures. I've only recently started watching Peyton's Places 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:25.000 on ESPN Plus and they are awesome. Manning is extremely 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:28.360 likable as a host, and his appreciation for the history 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:32.120 of the game shines through in every episode. You have 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:35.319 to pay for a subscription to watch on ESPN Plus, 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:39.240 but I've noticed that ESPN has been running episodes for 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:42.560 free on its various channels due to the absence of 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:47.080 live sporting events. So if you don't have ESPN Plus, 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:51.800 I recommend searching for Peyton's Places and setting up your 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:56.040 DVR to record any episodes that run on TV. I 0:01:56.080 --> 0:02:00.840 promise you won't be sorry. Now let's get to this 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:04.600 week's guests. My first conversation this week is with the 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:08.280 Bengal second round draft pick Te Higgins, the six four, 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:11.240 two hundred and sixteen pound wide receiver out of Clemson 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:16.120 with great hands and a ridiculous catch radius thanks to 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:20.919 his eighty one inch wingspan. Higgins was the seventh wide 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.440 receiver taken in what was considered to be one of 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.640 the deepest pools of wide receivers in the history of 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:30.560 the NFL draft, and the Bengals obviously hope that he 0:02:30.600 --> 0:02:33.840 will be one of Joe Burrow's top targets for many 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:36.720 years to come. See, we learned on draft night that 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:40.519 you are a Bengals fan and an AJ Green fanatic. 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:44.640 Four years ago you tweeted, I will meet AJ Green 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:48.520 one day. Have you had any contact with AJ since 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:52.639 the draft? We talked over the phone, but I haven't 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:56.400 met him at first yet. Now, were those phone conversations interesting? 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:58.440 You know, it was just, you know, more of a 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:02.359 congratulations and can't wait to get the work type phone call. 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.880 So it wasn't too much. We're chatting with T Higgins. 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:09.160 AJ is your favorite wide receiver, but you will wear 0:03:09.200 --> 0:03:13.079 the uniform number of another Bengals legend, Chad Johnson. Did 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:15.520 I read correctly that you reached out to chat about 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.359 wearing eighty five? Yeah, I definitely did. You know, just 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:21.240 how to respect, you know, what he's done with the 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:24.360 organism for the organization, and you know, I just wanted 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:26.360 to reach out to him before I even you know, 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:30.600 told to you know, the equipment guys that I wanted 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:32.960 to wear eighty five. Obviously I wanted to keep my 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:36.600 college number was in my number, whether it was either 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:39.640 fifteen or eighty five. You know, fifteen was already taken, 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:42.720 so eighty five was the only other option. But you know, 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:45.520 I had asked him and he was okay with us. 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.760 It sounds like he was more than okay with it. 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:51.640 He tweeted basically that he's honored that you wanted to 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:54.320 wear it. Just something that I gotta I gotta keep 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:57.920 the tradition going with that number, so hopefully I can't. 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:01.200 T You were born in nineteen ninety nine, two years 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.280 before Chad was drafted. How much do you know about 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:09.520 his NFL career. I just know he was well, they say, hey, kn' 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:13.600 guard eighty five, so that's that's and he was real 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:17.479 quick with his feat. He was just unguardable. Ironically, you 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:20.960 have trained with his former college and NFL teammate TJ. 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:25.159 Hushman Zada, who recommended you to Bengal Scouts. What were 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:27.560 some of the biggest things you took away from training 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:31.839 with TJ? Just like the basic stuff, really, uh, you know, 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:35.039 at the top of routes, you know, releases and really 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:37.720 the knowledge of the game. You know, he's a really 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.359 great guy and he's a great coach, and you know, 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:42.080 I look forward to working to him in the future 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:45.520 more and more so we're chatting with t Higgins, what's 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:49.160 your schedule like these days? You know, obviously we have 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:52.159 you know, team meetings and stuff, but you know, other 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:54.400 than that, you know, I'm I'm on the field or 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:56.960 you know, in a workout room getting my grind on, 0:04:57.240 --> 0:04:59.640 you know, that's what I do best, and just working 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:01.200 on my draft, trying to get better and better each 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.760 and every day. What's been the best part of those 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:07.640 teams zoom meetings? Just getting to meet all the new teammates, 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.919 you know, all my new coaches, and really just learning 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:14.800 in the new playbook. Where you're living, have you been 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:17.960 able to do football activities? Yeah, definitely. You know, we 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:22.240 have a few quarterbacks out here and James is open now, 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:26.000 so definitely have that. How much interaction have you had 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:28.520 with Joe since the draft? Oh, you know, we've talked 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:32.520 a few times. We talked over to over zoom. Um. 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:36.000 You know, so we've been talking. What did it mean 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:39.159 do ut when Joe was among the first NFL quarterbacks 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:41.919 to show his support for the black community after the 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.080 death of George Floyd. You know, it means a lot. 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.880 You know, it's the guy with his platform. You know, 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:53.680 it's just showing that he really cares and and that, uh, 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:57.240 this is the guy that is showing his true colors. 0:05:58.240 --> 0:06:01.760 You faced him and LA in the National Championship Game 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:05.200 last year. What stood out about his performance in that game? 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:07.440 You know, he's guy that's never gonna give up. He 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:10.800 was obviously up on him and you know you can 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.880 see that he plays some poys and he brought his 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:15.960 team back and you know, one of the biggest game 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.840 shoot in college. Have you set any goals for your 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:23.360 rookie year, Oh, that's you know, obviously every rookie wants 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:26.520 to be Rookie of the Year, but you know that's 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.720 one of my goals. And really just go out there 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.600 and just you know, help my team come out with 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.400 a better season than we did, you know, the past 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.800 few years, and just contribute the best way I can. 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.680 You were the first pick of the second round, number 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:44.200 thirty three overall, but I read that you have a 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.280 bit of a chip on your shoulder from not being 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:49.320 selected in the first Is that accurate? You can say that, 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:51.760 but you know, with me, I just wanted to be 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:54.640 drafted no matter where I went. But you know I 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:58.080 can use that as a chip on my shoulder, So 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:00.560 I guess that's all I'm gonna do TJ hood Shmnzata 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.240 was a seventh round pick, and I remember that he 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:06.560 used to be able to recite every wide receiver selected 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:10.720 before him in the NFL draft? Are you motivated by 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:13.320 the guys that were selected ahead of you? You know, 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:16.760 I know those guys really well because you know, Um, 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.160 I'm real good friends with him, but you know those 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:24.080 guys deserved to be when they got picking. Um, I'm 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:27.160 happy for him, and you know, so just how I 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:29.000 go about it? Tell you what I watched footage of 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:32.000 you at Clemson. I see you running away from defenders, 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.880 but you didn't run a great forty yard dash time 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:38.320 before the draft? Did you have an injured hamstring? I 0:07:38.400 --> 0:07:43.000 wasn't running that. But you know there's there's no excuses. So, 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:47.240 I mean, you guys see my game film. The Bengals 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:51.440 organizations trusting me and they believe in me, so they're 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:54.760 gonna get the hundred. So Jerry Rice ran a four 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.800 point seven one forty and he's the best wide receiver 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.120 of all time. Michael Thomas and a four point five 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.920 seven and he might be the best current wide receiver. 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:08.920 Do we put too much emphasis on the forty yard dash? Yeah? 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:11.320 I really don't think, you know, because a lot of 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:15.480 football guys don't run track, so they don't they would 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:18.240 have like two to three months to say stance and 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:22.120 starts right. So I mean forty times really don't matter 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:24.920 to me, obviously, the guy the organizations want to see 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.240 if you're fast or not. But you know your game film, 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:31.560 it just takes you to a whole another level, you know, 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:33.800 so because it's actually competition on the field with you 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:36.600 and you can see how you separate from defenders and 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.240 stuff like that. So how eager are you to get 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:43.560 up to Cincinnati and have some sort of practicing with 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:47.720 your teammates? Can't wait. So it's gonna be fun. Just 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:50.360 can't wait to go out there and compete with those guys. Hey, 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:53.240 we're looking forward to seeing you here. Congratulations on a 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:55.600 tremendous college career, and I look forward to meeting you 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:59.840 in person soon. Thank you. See at fifty nine catches 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:03.680 for one hundred and sixty seven yards and thirteen touchdowns 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:07.320 at Clemson last year, and according to Pro Football Focus, 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:12.199 Higgins is probably the most complete big wide receiver we've 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:16.440 seen come into the league in quite some time. Before 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.600 we get to Dave Lapham. Here's a quick reminder that 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.880 you can take your Bengals pride to the next level 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.600 in twenty twenty with an official Bengals fan package from 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.960 Prime Sport. I'm posting this podcast on Friday, June fifth, 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:32.840 the first day that NFL coaches have been allowed back 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:36.000 into their team facilities since mid March when the league 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:39.600 shut things down due to the coronavirus. Zach Taylor and 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.240 most of his staff were back at Paul Brown Stadium 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:45.120 on Friday morning. A few coaches are still out of 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:49.120 town and we'll return next week. It's a hopeful sign 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:51.720 that the league will be able to begin on schedule 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:55.280 this season, and that was my first topic of conversation 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:59.199 this week with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Lap it's 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.680 the first week of June. How confident are you that 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:05.080 there will be an NFL season. Well, I'm confident there'll 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:07.960 be an NFL season in some way, shape or form, 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:11.360 you know, I'm not I'm not confident that the early 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:13.920 stages of it will be played in front of crowds. 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:17.319 Um and if it is played in front of crowds, 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.959 that they'll be sparse, to say the least. And I 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.920 just wonder about the preseason. I mean, you know, if 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:28.000 it would not surprise me, would not shock me if 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.960 they lost a couple of preseason games in the process 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:33.920 of all this and had a couple of preseason games 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:36.600 to tune up and and and get ready for the season, 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:40.320 And you know, at that point you wonder, is it 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:43.640 doesn't even make sense to have ninety guys in training Canadon. 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:45.400 I mean, how you're going to be able to make 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:49.000 a truer evaluation. You haven't You haven't been able to 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.400 watch them in OTAs, in mini camps where you make 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:56.440 your first and probably most important decision on guys on 0:10:56.520 --> 0:10:59.520 the field, watching them run, watching them, do they take 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:02.680 proper angles? Are they coachable? And you think they have 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:05.920 a chance, and then and then it's it's solidified by 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:08.720 action in the games. But a lot of times, you know, 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:12.880 decisions are made on guys during OTAs and mini camps 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:17.120 or good percent decision is made there. And they're absolutely 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:19.600 this season. So it's going to be very, very tough 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:23.000 for guys that you know, are just coming out of 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:27.120 college and haven't transitioned to the NFL at all, and 0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:29.560 you're trying to decide can they and you don't really 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:33.640 have a measuring stick. I get signing veteran free agents. 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:35.680 You already know that, all right, I get taped them. 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:38.200 I can see how they performed at the NFL level, 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:41.880 but not so with the college kids. You mentioned the 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.600 possibility of games being played in front of no fans 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.600 or a limited number of fans, particularly early in the season. 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:52.680 How much would that negate home field advantage tremendously, you know, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.600 and uh, you know, I guess, I guess you try 0:11:55.679 --> 0:12:00.559 to take every advantage you possibly can. And the schedule 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:03.839 first came out, I mean four of the six four 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:05.560 of the first six games for the Bengals are on 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:14.520 the road, and you know, in boisterous places, vociferous crowds. Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Indianapolis, 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.079 and the Dome. Those are the four road games and 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:19.680 their first six games of the season. Well, you know, 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.319 I think if there are are limited crowds or no 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:25.920 crowd at all, man, that that that's a that's a big, 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.880 big difference maker, particularly offensively. I mean, that's where you 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:32.080 know you have to go with silent counts and hand 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:35.520 stignals and there's no verbal communication, and uh, you know, 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:38.040 there's a there's a real good chance for false starts 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:41.160 and guys not being on the same page, and all 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:43.600 those kinds of things where nearing those in those environments, 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:46.440 and I've been in those environments, it is very difficult. Uh, 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.280 you eliminate the reason that it becomes difficult in those environments, 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:54.200 that being the rabid fan base, and all of a sudden, 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.040 what could have been a difficult start seems to be 0:12:57.080 --> 0:13:00.760 a lot easier with respect to the conditions and environment 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:04.280 that you're planning. Would you enjoy being able to hear 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:09.800 everything being said on the field as an announcer I 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:11.719 worked because I remember back in the day there was 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:14.760 a lot of stuff being said. Uh, some of it 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:17.680 you could hear and some of it you couldn't. But um, 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:20.679 that would that would be interesting, and you know a 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:24.199 lot of it would obviously be x rated. It have 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.440 to be for mature audiences only. Uh that that would 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:29.920 be The problem that I could see is is some 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:31.880 of these young kids' heroes just cuts them up a 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:35.640 blue street. You know, it's like mom and Dad are like, 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:40.640 you know, we don't want you can you can respect athletes, 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:43.480 but don't make them your heroes. Well, if they listen 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.600 to one football game. They may not be as big 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:47.959 a hero as they might have been before they listen 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.199 to them participate in that football game, because I mean 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:53.840 it's it's obviously raw and emotional, and you know a 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:56.600 lot of things are said, that's for sure. Um, but 0:13:56.679 --> 0:13:59.439 it would it would be interesting, you know, and you 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:03.800 really have to I think, um, it would add an 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:06.400 extra burden to both sides of the football in terms 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:10.240 of changing signals every week because you get you get 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:13.120 a tape of that of that game and you you 0:14:13.280 --> 0:14:15.400 just take the TV tape and you get all the 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:19.320 audio and you can match up alignment's configuration. Blitz is 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.680 to calls. You know, the guys are making an adjustments 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:24.560 they're making and audibles they're making all that sort of thing, 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:27.760 and uh, that makes it, that makes it very interesting, 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.960 That makes it very intriguing. So you know, um, that 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:35.280 might add another layer to preparation during the course of 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:38.240 the week. You know, not having the same the same trigger, 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:42.400 the same uh color keyword that you know, right after 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:46.240 I say in my cadence the lave color this week 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:48.640 is black. Well the following week it's on the week 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:50.640 got that it's going to be white. We got that 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:52.720 it's going to be perful. You know, you have to 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.120 change it up for sure, because teams will get a 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:57.240 you know, beat on it, no doubt about that. With 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:01.280 h you know, with with having no trout boys to 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:03.480 impede what they might be hearing on the audio part 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:06.720 of their tape. It seems like a strong possibility at 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:08.600 this point that there isn't going to be an off 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:12.600 season program, that the first time the team's practiced together 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:16.760 would be training camp. If that's the case, is there 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:21.200 a position group that would suffer the most, or a 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:24.960 particular type of player that would suffer the most from 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:29.040 no off season program? Well, I think I think, you know, 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:33.760 the young player obviously probably suffer the most trying to 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.120 make that jumped to the National Football League. I can remember, 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.560 you know, and back in nineteen seventy four when I 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:42.520 was a rookie deal and we only had like like 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:46.600 a four week called mini camp as such after the draft. 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:49.160 Then there was nothing until training camp. Now mighty training 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:52.600 camp was nine weeks long. It was ridiculous. There were 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.920 six preseason games, you know, right out to the fourth 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:57.760 of July. We were in Willikee College. Until you know, 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:00.880 it seemed like Labor Day. I mean there's crazy after 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:04.160 Labor Day. It was it was nuts but gotten and 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:08.640 guys literally played themselves into shape. Um. But so this dynamic, 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:10.720 the way the guys take care of themselves. You're around 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:14.160 guys don't necessarily have off season jobs like veteran players 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.200 had to have back then, and you know, work out 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.240 at lunch time and try to catch a workout and 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:20.760 keep yourself in shape and nutrition. And I mean, it's 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:23.320 it's such a different game now that was back then. 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:27.640 But I do think that they'll show that. Okay, just 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:30.400 if you get the training camp and get plenty of 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:34.240 reps and somehow scheduled practices where you try to catch 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:36.400 up on reps. That's the thing that you're that you're 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:41.080 missing is the physical repetition, repetition breachs comfort level. You 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.560 can talk to your blue in the face about when 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.320 this defense has been penetration, this tackle loops around them 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:49.359 all right, right, tackle you you got to stop the penetrator. 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:51.360 Make sure you stop and pass them off to your 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:53.480 guard and then you know, take a drop step and 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:55.520 take the looper. And you can talk about that all 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.040 you want to go out there and do it physically 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:00.880 and get some kind of muscle memory, repetition of doing 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:04.000 it over and over again. Because tackle step differently. One 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.040 guy you work with might set a little deeper than 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:08.360 the other guy who sets more shallow. At the last scimes, 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:10.760 you have to get a feel for all of your teammates. 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:13.320 And that's why I think offensive line play dan Honestly, 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:16.280 it's the it's the biggest number of players in a 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:19.160 position group. There are five players, and I always talk 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:21.760 about you know, solid offensive line players, like making a 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:27.000 fist becomes an involuntary reaction. You curl four fingers and 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:28.919 wrap your thumb and you don't even think about it. 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:32.560 It's just involuntary. Well, when an offensive line has been 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.520 working together and understands each other and all the repetitions, 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.840 all the muscle memory, all the being on the same 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:41.240 page mentally, that's that's how it plays. It's almost like 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:43.479 making a fist. But when it's not, you know, then 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:45.920 if one's just joining it, you can't make a strong 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:49.280 fist and the line player suffers, you know, as a 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:54.080 results of that from an analytic being an analogy there, 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:58.040 so you know, it's it's that that position group takes 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:04.320 a lot of repetition camaraderie, understanding each other, you know 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:07.360 in the meeting room. On the football field even more 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:09.720 so than in the meeting room might be. So i'd 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:13.040 say offensive line players is a big, big part of it. 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:17.040 And um, you know, quarterbacks and receivers obviously timing, timing 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:21.760 things out. It's uh. Sometimes you'll see receivers that quarterback 0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:23.840 throws the football, it's like, why, how do you know 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:26.480 to throw it there? And when he threw it and 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:28.399 how he threw it and where he put it. Well, 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:32.000 it's because they've done it a million times. And you know, 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:35.919 if you haven't had that dead luxury, Um, you know 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:38.080 that all of it, all of it's going to suffer 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:40.080 a little bit. It'll be interesting to see how quickly 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:43.639 you know, guys can come up to speed and uh 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:47.280 and and make the game. Look, I'm I'm not saying 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.800 the game is gonna look terrible, But if there's only 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:52.960 a couple of preseason games, they go to training camp 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:55.720 later and there are a couple of preseason games and 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:58.800 then they get into started the regular season. You know, 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:01.359 it's it's gonna take a well a little bit before 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:03.399 the product gets up to what you know, up to 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:05.919 stuff to what people are used to seeing, you know, 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:08.879 so many years and quality NFL line play and and 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:12.240 football in general. Do you think it's important for Joe 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:16.240 Burrow to get together with the wide receivers before training camp? 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:21.159 I do? I do? You know? I know? Uh, I 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:23.800 mean you look at two thousand and eleven though, that 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:27.159 was such an aberration in such a such a you know, 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:30.960 a difference. That was a lockout. So Andy Dalton couldn't 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:33.960 he couldn't get together with his teammates. The first time 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:36.840 you get together is you know, um, when they when 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:42.800 they basically um called practices. You know they basically I 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:45.760 shouldn't say couldn't get together because Andrew worked on the 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:49.520 top packle those guys put together practices offense against defense 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:53.480 and and and I think that was very very very instrumental, 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:57.000 very very major. And Andy Dalton, you know, being ready 0:19:57.119 --> 0:20:00.920 when training camp unfolded. Um, you know he's a intelligent guy, 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:03.760 and he is, and he picked up the offense very quickly. 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.000 The word is Joe Burrow is at least that and 0:20:07.359 --> 0:20:10.440 maybe one. I mean he's a Menza, he's a football savant, 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:15.120 picks things up extremely quickly. But again, the physical repetition 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:17.080 you know, you can talk about him. You can talk 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:19.239 about and look at tape and say, oh yeah, when 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:21.920 the safety does this, you know, you have to look here, 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:24.639 or when they line up in this configuration, you have 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:27.280 to check to this. You can talk about it all 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:29.040 you want, but you have to go out and wrap 0:20:29.080 --> 0:20:31.000 it and everybody has to be on the same page 0:20:31.119 --> 0:20:34.040 and hear the quarterback do it and see him execute it, 0:20:34.640 --> 0:20:37.080 you know, and and then start to get a feel 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:39.879 for where he likes to put the football. If I 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:43.000 have a defensive player in this position, I know he's 0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:45.399 going to back shoulder me, or he's gonna high point me, 0:20:45.680 --> 0:20:47.000 or he's going to do this, or he's going to 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:49.760 do that. Those kinds of things happen, you know, just 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:52.399 over time, you know, getting used to each other and 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:55.879 realizing each other's strengths and weaknesses and and you know, 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:58.520 proceeding accordingly with with how they're going to you know, 0:20:58.600 --> 0:21:02.480 play and how they're gonna execute against various coverages, various techniques. 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:05.040 And you people think it's so simply you just go 0:21:05.080 --> 0:21:06.760 out there, and hey, you know, just go like out 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:09.320 in the backyard. It's pitching catch. You know, you're just 0:21:09.320 --> 0:21:11.679 playing catch out there. That's it's so much different than that. 0:21:11.800 --> 0:21:14.600 It's you know, it's it's a it's a very complicated 0:21:14.640 --> 0:21:17.840 puzzle that has to be put together. For sure, the 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:20.600 NFL is going to have a loss of revenue this year, 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.040 there's no doubt about that. And that will affect the 0:21:23.040 --> 0:21:25.919 salary cap next year since it is based on the 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:30.119 percentage of revenue. Is that going to impact extensions for 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:33.239 aj Green and Joe Mixon? Boy, you know you have 0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:35.679 to you have to wonder about that. Um. You know, 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:38.320 you look at it and you say, all right, well, 0:21:38.320 --> 0:21:41.359 there's a there's a massive TV contract. It's going to 0:21:41.400 --> 0:21:45.000 be done here shortly, and that's going to be a huge, 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:49.639