WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: I Want You 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.439 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:12.360 the Bengals Booth Podcast. The Won't You I Want You 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:18.000 So Bad? Addition, as we look ahead to the twenty 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:22.680 twenty one NFL Draft and discuss from a Sewell, Jamar Chase, 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:28.760 and other possible Bengals targets with the top NFL Draft expert. Plus, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:31.480 you'll get to know the person under the pads as 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:35.640 I do fun facts with quarterback Brandon Allen. The Bengals 0:00:35.680 --> 0:00:39.440 Booth Podcast is presented by bud Light. Seltzer refreshed the 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:42.120 game and here's a quick reminder that you can have 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:46.000 the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:50.880 or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:55.880 or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since the Mock 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:59.680 Draft Simulator. In just a bit, I'll be joined by 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:02.800 Tone Paul Leane, the chief Draft analyst for Pro Football 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:05.759 Network dot com and the co host of the Draft 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:09.880 Analyst podcast on the Belief podcast Network. If you go 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:12.640 to Pro Football Network dot com, at the top of 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:15.640 the home screen, you'll see a few tabs, including one 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:18.959 labeled draft, and if you move the cursor over the 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:23.000 word draft, you'll see a link to the mock Draft simulator. 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:27.080 Once you click that, you can play Bengals GM for 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:29.560 as many rounds of the draft as you want. The 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:33.080 simulator begins making picks in order, and then when it's 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.320 your turn, you will get trade proposals or can make 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:39.280 trade proposals and decide whether you want a wheel and 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:42.679 deal or go ahead and pick. I've been doing three 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:45.520 round drafts and it's a great way to learn some 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:47.640 of the players that are likely to be available to 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:50.280 the Bengals, as well as being a lot of fun. 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.120 So check out the mock Draft simulator at Pro Football 0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.280 Network dot com. If you're like me, you'll start to 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:01.480 believe that you are qualified to be an NFL LGM. 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:05.440 As I record this podcast, the NFL Draft is ninety 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:10.040 eight days away. Will the Bengals select Oregon offensive lineman 0:02:10.040 --> 0:02:14.360 pinay Sewell? Should they select pinay Sewell? I discussed that 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:19.680 and more with the NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline Tony. 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:23.679 For months, Bengals fans have been lusting after Oregon offensive 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:27.520 lineman Pinais Sewel. Just how good of a prospect is he? 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:30.480 He's a real good left tackle prospect, very athletic, flew 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:34.600 it off the edge. I mean, he's a smooth offensive 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.200 lineman who can adjust, can block in motion, get out 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:40.519 to the second level. I think the one problem or 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:42.520 the one issue I have with his game is he 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:44.560 doesn't have that nasty attitude when you watch them the 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:46.839 first couple of years you played at Oregon, he wasn't 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:48.959 the type of offensive lineman that was always looking to 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:52.720 bury opponents into the ground. So I think that's something 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:56.040 Sometimes it can be developed. Oftentimes it's just a matter 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:58.600 of attitude and it never is developed. Where do you 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:01.000 think the likelihood is that he's still there at number five? 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.440 I'd say probably less than fifty percent. I think the 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:08.840 Jets at tour possibility, maybe the Dolphins, maybe somebody trades 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:12.560 up to grab them. Especially if a team like the 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:14.840 Jets and the Miami Dolphins are looking to trade out 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:17.320 of that second or third spot, I'd say right now, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.920 you gotta think it's less than fifty fifty. Do you 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.000 think teams are bothered at all that he opted out 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.800 this year. I don't know if they're bothered by it, 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:26.960 but I think the fact that he wasn't on the 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:30.040 field to show some progress in his game, which allowed 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:33.880 other players from Oregon basically to step up and really 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.720 improve their game. I think that's that's something that's a 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:42.880 missed opportunity. I don't think listen to the remark was 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:45.240 made to me over the summer or for all the 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:48.800 opt outs you know occurred, was that Penny Sewell can 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:51.480 sit around in two twenty and do nothing, but he 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:53.360 cheese doodles and he's still going to be a top 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:57.000 ten pick. It may bother some, but I think it's 0:03:57.000 --> 0:04:00.880 a missed opportunity for Sewell. I do like cheese doodles, 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:02.960 so I wouldn't hold that against them. We're talking to 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:06.680 Tony Pauline, chief draft analysts for Pro Football Network dot com. 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:09.440 You released your new big board this week of more 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:14.280 than fifteen hundred prospects. It's pretty remarkable. I counted eight 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:17.919 offensive linemen in your top thirty two. Is there a 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:22.919 significant dropoff from Sewell to the next offensive lineman. I'd 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:25.240 say so, especially with the injury to why At Davis. 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:29.159 I thought maybe Why Davis, the offensive guard from Ohio State, 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.200 had an opportunity to be a top fifteen pick, depending 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.080 on what the situation is with that injury, You're probably 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.760 looking at Penny Sewell, and then your next offensive lineman 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:41.520 probably isn't going to come off the board, so about 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.680 pick eighteen, so you're really looking at about a half 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:47.760 round difference between Sewell and the rest of the offensive 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:51.280 line class. Interesting, we're talking to Tony Pauline. You can 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:54.920 follow him on Twitter at Tony Pauline pau L I 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.200 n E. Tony, you published a mock draft back in 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:01.039 December when the Bengals still had the number three pick 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:04.200 at the time, and you had them taking LSU wide 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:09.280 receiver Jamar Chase instead of Sewell. Why well number one? 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:11.760 At that point in time, Jonah Williams was actually playing 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:14.279 some pretty good football, and then Jonah Williams got hurt, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.560 as he often does. I mean, I don't think that 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.400 Penny Sewell is a guy that you're gonna draft and 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:23.840 just naturally slide into the right tackle spot. So I 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:26.520 guess at that point in time, I'm looking at Jonah 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:30.000 Williams playing some pretty good football living up the expectations. 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:33.320 A couple of weeks after that, after that mock draft 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.880 comes out, Jonah Williams goes down with his knee injury. 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:38.839 So it's a different, different set of issues now, different 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:41.480 set of questions right now. As far as Jamar Chase 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:45.200 is concerned, I just think that Jamar Chase being coupled 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.360 with Joe Burrow makes sense in so many ways. I mean, 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:52.080 the Bengals are going to need help at receiver, they 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:55.000 need a deep threat, they need a guy that's reliable. 0:05:55.680 --> 0:05:58.520 And you add to the fact that not only is 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:01.599 Jamar Chase all of those things, but he has a 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.800 history and he has a relationship with Joe Burrow during 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:10.000 Burrow's record setting senior campaign at LSU. So I think 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:12.120 it was the point that number one Williams was playing 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:15.039 well at left tackle. Number two, I am not a 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.839 believer Penny Sewell just being able to slide into the 0:06:17.920 --> 0:06:20.800 right tackle spot. And number three. With the need at 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:24.440 receiver that the Bengals also have, the coupling of Jamar 0:06:24.520 --> 0:06:28.240 Chase back with Joe Burrow just made an incredible amount 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.559 of sense. Tony, Let's stick with wide receiver. Last year's 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:35.799 crop was historically good. T Higgins was the seventh wide 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.640 receiver selected and he turned out to be great for Cincinnati. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.279 Is this year comparable? I actually think that this year 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:44.880 could be better at the top with Jamar Chase, who 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:49.240 you just mentioned, with the Davante Smith of Alabama, who 0:06:49.320 --> 0:06:52.240 is probably the best of all the Alabama receivers last year, 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:55.360 and you had two Crimson Tide receivers taken in the 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:59.120 first round in Henry Ruggs and Jerry Judy. I don't 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:02.240 think it's as I don't think you're gonna find real 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:05.479 good receivers in the fourth fifth rounds like you did 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.359 in twenty twenty. But I really think that in the 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.880 first sixty picture so you're going to be able to 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:13.840 get a quality receiver guy that can come in and 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:17.680 produce as a rookie develop into a starter. There's a 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:22.040 large versatility of receivers. You've got your possession type guys, 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:25.480 You've got your quick slot guys that can also double 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:29.000 as return men. So I think last year's was slightly better, 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.360 but I think the quality at the top in this 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:35.960 year's draft surpasses two twenty. Draft our guest is Tony Pauline, 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:38.880 co host of the Draft Analyst podcast on the Belief 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:44.120 podcast Network. The Bengals need defensive line help just as 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:47.120 badly as they need offensive line help. They had seventeen 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:50.400 sacks as a team this year. How high do you 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:52.920 have to draft a defensive lineman this year to get 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:56.320 an impact guy? I don't know that there are any 0:07:56.360 --> 0:08:00.200 true impact guys in this year's draft. I think you know, 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.640 you mentioned about how many offensive lineman I have graded, 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:06.240 you know, in the top forty five or whatever it was. 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:09.480 I think you know, really there's there's a lot to 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:12.360 be desired this year if you're looking for an edge rusher, 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:15.200 even if you're looking for an interior defensive tackle. I mean, 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.320 who is the top pass rusher in this year's draft? 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.720 I like Ronnie Perkins of Oklahoma, A lot of people 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.160 like Gregory Rousseau of Miami of Florida, some people like 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:27.840 Quitty Pay of Michigan. But the fact is all of 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.440 those guys at best at the earliest or mid first 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.320 round choices. In fact, they're probably bottom half of Round 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:37.440 one guys. So you don't have a lot of quality 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.080 at the top. You do have some players on Day two, 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:44.640 Patrick Jones of Pittsburgh, Hartless Basham of Wake Forrest, Jones's 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:49.439 teammate Rachard Weaver of Pittsburgh, Jalen Phillips of Miami of Florida, 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:52.280 who basically took the opportunity that was presented to him 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.240 after Gregory Rousseau decided to opt out and had a 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:58.679 terrific year. It's not a good year for pass rushers. 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:02.640 It's an even worse situation at the defensive tackle class. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:05.040 Not great news for the Bengals since they have needs 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.640 on the edge and in the middle. I'm a big 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:10.560 proponent of trading down in general. The Bengals have the 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.280 fifth overall pick, should they trade down in your opinion? 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:17.920 And if so, how far every fan wants their team 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:20.240 to trade down because every team you know feels that 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:22.240 it's better if you have you have more picks and 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:26.560 more players than the high pick and take a player 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:28.199 with it, with those top in the top day of 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:31.240 top five whatever. I don't think you can broad brush it. 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:33.600 I think you have to look at what options are 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.240 presented to you at the time. You don't trade for 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.080 the sake of trading. You trade because you're getting good 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:43.040 value in return for your pick. So if the Bengals 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:46.640 so happens that one of the quarterbacks is still on 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:48.520 the board, when the Bengals a quot of the clock 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:51.079 at five, and there's a team that's clamoring to get 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:54.000 up to get one of those quarterbacks, and they're offered 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.560 a good package, then if I'm in the Bengals, I 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:59.600 consider it. But I'm just not trading down for the 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.439 sake of trading down and collecting more selections. That never 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:04.920 made any sense to me, Tony. There's kind of a 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:09.320 common argument around here these days that drafting offensive lineman 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:12.600 has become too unpredictable and that the Bengals would be 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.400 better off to sign a proven starter in free agency 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:20.000 and then draft another position. Do you agree with that concept? 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:24.240 It depends on who's that veteran is, and the veteran's 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:27.160 history depends on you know, what kind of contract you're 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:28.959 going to offer from I mean, let's be serious, the 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.960 Cincinnati Bengals as an organization are not known to basically 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.400 open the checking account for players. They're a little bit 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:38.040 tight with those purse strings. So I don't know what 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:39.960 kind of a veteran you're going to get. Are you 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:41.920 going to get a veteran tackle? What are you going 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:45.400 to pay him? You know? And what is the value 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:48.160 of the player that you're looking at? You know, everyone 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:50.840 talks about Penny Sewell at the top of round one. 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.959 There are some real good offensive tackles that will be available. 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:57.240 I would suspect to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second 0:10:57.240 --> 0:10:59.920 and third round. So it's not just first round players. 0:10:59.880 --> 0:11:02.280 You talked about te Higgins. T Higgins was the second 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:04.600 round Church. You can get good players in Day two 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:06.680 and Day three of the draft, and I happen to 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:10.160 think there'll be some very good right tackle prospects available 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:13.280 to the Bengals in the second and third round, which 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:16.400 is definitely a position of need. Last year they had 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:20.200 the first pick in every round. We mentioned Burrow, Higgins, 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:25.040 Logan Wilson, Kim Davis Gaith or a Keem Identagy. All 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:26.920 of these guys got on the field this year. What 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:30.480 did you think of last year's Bengals draft. I thought 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:33.920 it was good. I thought Joe Burrow exceeded my expectations 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:37.120 before the injury. I thought he played fantastic. Same thing 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:40.160 with te Higgins, but they worked hand in hand. Logan 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:43.760 Wilson not surprised. I mean, they basically revamped their entire 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.080 or it looks like they revamped their entire linebacker unit. 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.520 And last year's draft, I mean it looked good on paper. 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.520 I think what looked good on paper, was transitioned into 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.800 production on the field. Tony, what did you think of 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.360 Bearcat's quarterback Desmond Ritter's decision to return to college for 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.640 his senior year. I thought it was a terrific decision. 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.480 I mean, Ritter right now grade is a fourth maybe 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:12.199 third round choice. He's got a great amount of upside. 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:15.439 He needs just a bit more seasoning and more development 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:17.960 in this game, which I'm sure he'll get in two 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:20.840 twenty one. I thought it was the right move. I 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:23.240 thought if he entered the draft it would have been 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:25.120 a struggle for him at the next level because it's 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:28.479 such a steep curve, not just you know, the competition, 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:31.560 the learning and the conditioning everything. Thought he made a 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.880 great decision. I thought maj Sanders also made a real 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.160 good decision going back to school. I was a little 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:39.880 bit surprised by James Hudson's choice. I thought he would 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:41.840 have been better off returning, although there were some in 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:45.080 the scouting community who feel Hudson is a potential top 0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:49.320 forty two choice. All right, Tony, last thing, you did 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.679 a mock draft in December. As I mentioned, Jamaar Chase 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:56.200 going number three to Cincinnati at that time they wind 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:58.560 up with a fifth pick. Do you have somebody in 0:12:58.600 --> 0:13:00.760 mind at this point that you think would be ideal 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:04.160 for the Bengals at the fifth spot. You know, I'm 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.600 still gonna stick with the receivers. I don't know if 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.240 it's going to be Jamar Chase or Davanta Smith. Devanta 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.840 Smith has made a major move up draft boards. Just 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:14.880 watch his film, watches the way he's played and got 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:18.240 better week in and week out against better competition. I'm 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.680 still right now. I mean, obviously, we have to see 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.120 what the situation with Jonah Williams is and what they 0:13:23.160 --> 0:13:26.079 think of Jonah Williams. If Penny Sewel's there and there 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.679 they feel they can move Jonah Williams inside to one 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:33.080 of the interior offensive line positions, maybe even to write tackle, 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:38.480 then I could understand them selecting Penny Sewell. Otherwise, if 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:41.920 they're satisfied with Jonah Williams at left tackle, I still 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:44.880 think a receiver has got to be an option, Tony. 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.199 For people who aren't familiar with your work, what can 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:49.800 we look forward to on Pro Football Network dot com 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.240 and on the Draft Analyst podcast on the Belief podcast 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.200 network next week is Senior Bowl week, and we have 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:58.520 plans to be in mobile for all three days of 0:13:58.559 --> 0:14:02.080 Senior Bowl practices, so the wal to wall information on 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:04.640 SA Bowl practices will have a breakdown of every single 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:07.560 player how they do every single day. We'll have some 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:12.200 nightly recaps, and then moving towards the draft, obviously we'll 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:15.400 have information on the workouts, assuming we have some pre 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:18.760 draft workouts, and it'll all culminate with probably more than 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:22.400 eight hundred individual scouting reports. So Bengal fans will not 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:24.360 only be able to find information on the players at 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:26.800 the team drafts, but the players at the team sign 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.640 as free agents after the draft. Tony, great staff. F 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:32.200 really appreciate your time, thanks for joining us, Thanks for 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:35.880 having me. Tony's big Board at Pro Football Network dot 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:39.120 com is pretty remarkable. Among other things, you can pick 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:42.600 out a position such as quarterback and see where Tony 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:47.360 has them ranked among the top fifteen hundred draft prospects. 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.040 Since we mentioned you sees Desmond Ritter in the interview, 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.440 I looked him up on Tony's big board and he 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:58.080 has das ranked eleventh among quarterbacks and number one fourteen overall, 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:00.880 which projects Ritter to be if they're round draft pick. 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.480 Dez is hoping to improve that by returning to Cincinnati 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:08.640 for his senior year. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:12.320 by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light and refreshing with a 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:15.960 hint of fruit flavor for ten years now. One of 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:18.520 the segments on the radio pregame show each week is 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:21.800 my fun Facts interview, where the objective is to get 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:25.240 to know the person under the pads. I later share 0:15:25.280 --> 0:15:28.480 those segments on this podcast, and for the final game 0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:31.880 of this season, I was joined by the Bengals starting 0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:35.000 quarterback time for some fun facts with quarterback Brandon Allen 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:38.520 from Fayetteville, Arkansas. That's where you grew up, It's where 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:41.520 you played high school football, it's where you played college football. 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:45.600 For somebody who has never been to Fayetteville, describe your hometown. 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:49.600 It is a hidden gym, is the way I would 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.560 describe it. I think a lot of people just here 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.560 Arkansas and think you know one. I don't know where 0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:57.560 that is and to why would I want to go there? 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:02.200 But I think we've been ranked ranked the top top 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:04.840 three at least in SEC schools to go to, So 0:16:06.000 --> 0:16:07.920 I'd say hidden gem. There's a lot to do. It's 0:16:07.920 --> 0:16:11.200 a it's a beautiful, beautiful area, and it's it's it's 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:13.880 grown a lot since I first got there. You are 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.320 a coach's kid. Your dad has been part of the 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:19.640 staff at Arkansas for twenty years. How did that impact 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:22.960 you growing up? I was always around football, so um, 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:25.480 you know, being out at the practices and playing on 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:28.720 the dummies and all that stuff, and you know, just 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:30.960 before a game, you know, he'd bring us all early, 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:32.720 all all the brothers, We get out there early and 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.400 playing the field. So I think just growing up around 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:39.240 it so much kind of sparked our love for the game. 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:41.760 And uh, you know, I think that's just kind of 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:44.680 where it came from. We're doing fun facts with Brandon Allen. 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.480 Was there any doubt that if you were good enough 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:51.320 to play college football that you would play for the Razorbacks? No, 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.720 I don't think so. Um. I think growing up there 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.640 always being a fan of Arkansas football, and and we 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:01.800 didn't have any really pro sports, you know, too close 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:06.240 to us, so um, it wasn't ever a huge you know, NFL, NBA. 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:08.320 I didn't have a team to root for, so it 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:11.439 was always just the Hogs in Arkansas, and um, so 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:13.440 I think when I got the opportunity to go play there, 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:16.920 that was a no brainer for me. The early portion 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:20.919 of your Arkansas career was tumultuous. Three head coaches in 0:17:20.920 --> 0:17:23.520 your first two years. You saw the ugly side of 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.880 fan passion. You had your truck egged one time. How 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:29.040 difficult was that and how did it shape who you 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:32.440 are now? Yeah, it was tough obviously, going through all 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:36.280 those coaching changes and having down years, and um, you 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:38.200 know it was. It was hard. It was hard to 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.399 try and fight through it and stick around a lot 0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:42.960 of guys you know, transferred in one other places, and 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:44.440 and you know, I really just want to see it through. 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.080 I wanted to see us through, um those hard times 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:49.879 that we were going through, and we did. Um for 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:52.280 a part, I think we started winning a lot of games. 0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:55.639 They're late in late in my career, and um, you 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:57.439 know it was it was fun to be able to 0:17:57.440 --> 0:18:00.199 go through that. And I think, um, you saw a 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:03.520 lot of adversity during that time, and so to be 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:05.520 able to handle that adversity and come out on the 0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:09.119 other side, I think was really beneficial for me. You 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.760 played a big role in helping get things turned around. 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:13.840 You went back to back Bowl games. You went down 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.480 as one of the great quarterbacks in school history. What 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:19.679 was the highlight of your college experience? You know, I 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:23.640 don't know that there's really one in particular highlight all 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:25.920 through calls, but just the people I met at the 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:29.040 university and the teammates I had, I think, you know, 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:31.879 kind of shaped everything about the joy I had planned 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.480 for for the state of Arkansas and at that university. 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.920 And so I don't know that I can pinpoint one 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.480 certain part that was a highlight, But I think just 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:43.239 the relationships you built through college athletics and all that 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.320 I think was the best. And I still got, you know, 0:18:45.320 --> 0:18:48.280 so many teammates that are still some of my closest friends. 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:51.359 Today we're chatting with Brandon Allen, you got drafted by 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:54.919 Jacksonville in the sixth round in twenty sixteen, described that 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.680 life changing phone call. It was a long waiting game 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:02.320 for me. You know, you hear certain things and different 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:05.119 stories on draft day, but for me, you know, you 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.520 just sit around you hear you know, all these names 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:09.240 getting called, his names getting called, and it kind of 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:10.760 creeps in the back of your head. You know, maybe 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:13.200 I won't get my name called and then when they called, 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:16.080 you know, it just kind of, um, you know, everyone's overjoyed. 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:18.040 I was at my parents' house with a lot of 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:21.360 family and friends there, and you know, we just we're 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.680 all very excited, obviously just to hear your name called 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:26.320 in a draft and just a real special moment for 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:29.280 me and for my family. After a year as a 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:31.760 backup in Jacksonville, you got claimed by the Rams and 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.400 spent a couple of years as a backup there, including 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.840 the Super Bowl season in twenty eighteen. Sean McVeigh was 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:40.880 the head coach, Zach Taylor was an assistant. How much 0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:43.119 did you learn in those two years with the Rams? 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:46.399 I learned a lot, you know. I think just the 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:51.120 way that that Sean details everything from the quarterback position 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:54.679 and how much how much defense he actually teaches the 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.800 quarterbacks to understand what you're looking at when you get 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.080 on the field. Um, I think those two years in 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:05.320 LA we're definitely my biggest learning experience to date. So 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.320 you know, there's there's certain things you can't replace, like 0:20:08.440 --> 0:20:10.800 actually getting in the game and getting the actual reps. 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:13.960 But I think being there for two years and learning 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:16.439 as much as I did under Sean and Zach and 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:21.000 everyone that was there really helped me to be a 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:22.840 better quarterback and be a better player in this league. 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:25.800 So you joined the Denver Broncos last year and finally 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.360 got that opportunity to play in a regular season game, 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.920 beating the Cleveland Browns in your NFL debut with a 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:34.000 passer rating of one twenty five point six. It had 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:38.000 been nearly four years between starts. What were your most 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:41.080 vivid memories of that day? You know, I think there 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:44.120 was a lot of nervous energy for me, Um, just 0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:47.479 from the from the first snap, and you know, it's 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:50.680 been it had been such a long time. You know, 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:52.639 obviously there's preseason games and all that, but it's just 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:55.240 not the same really, and being able to get into 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:59.000 n actual regular season game, I think was it was 0:20:59.040 --> 0:21:01.960 extremely exciting for me. Obviously, I was, you know, very 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:04.960 pumped to play and obviously get the win too was 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:07.560 the best feeling. But um, you know, like I said, 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:08.800