WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: On The Road Again 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.559 I get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:12.320 The Bengals Booth Podcast. The on the Road Again addition, 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:14.960 as the Bengals look for their first road win in 0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:18.160 more than two years as they face the Dolphins this 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:21.919 Sunday in Miami. Coming up, Dave Lapham joins me to 0:00:21.960 --> 0:00:24.720 discuss the latest Bengals news, including a pair of roster 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:28.280 moves that happened on Wednesday. My one on one player 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:31.440 interview is with second year running back Trey Von Williams, 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:34.120 who finally got a chance to carry the ball a 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:37.720 few weeks ago and is hoping for more opportunities over 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.920 the final five games. And in our Know the Faux segment, 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:43.400 we'll get the scoop on the seven and four Dolphins 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:48.159 from Cameron Wolff, who covers the team four ESPN. The 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:52.520 Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. Refresh 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:55.160 the game, and here's a quick reminder that you can 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:58.640 add the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:02.880 your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:07.080 google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:12.520 since Season two of Peyton's Places, So This is an 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:17.760 update of a previous Greatest Thing Since last year, future 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:21.360 Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning hosted a thirty episode 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:26.000 documentary series called Peyton's Places in conjunction with a celebration 0:01:26.040 --> 0:01:29.360 of the NFL's one hundredth season. The series looks at 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:32.640 key moments in NFL history, and if you love football, 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:37.520 you'll love this show. Manning is a fantastic host, and 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:40.399 his appreciation for the history of the game shines through 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:45.119 in every episode. Season two just started with an episode 0:01:45.120 --> 0:01:51.320 about Marshawn Lynch and it's hysterical. So look for Peyton's Places. 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:56.120 In my opinion, it's well worth a subscription to ESPN Plus. 0:01:56.800 --> 0:02:00.640 Now time for my conversation with Dave Lapham. We started 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:03.000 with a couple of roster moves that the Bengals made 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:07.440 on Wednesday. Offensive lineman Xavier Suaphilo is activated from the 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.600 injured list. He hasn't played since hurting his ankle in 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:14.320 Week one. Unfortunately, to make room on the roster for him, 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:18.520 wide receiver Auden Tate went on the injured list with 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:22.720 his shoulder injury that will require surgery. Auden's expected to 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:25.400 be back in time for training camp. But the Bengals 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:30.040 will obviously miss his contested catchability over the final five 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:33.000 games of the year, no doubt about it. Dan, he 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:37.680 is probably the guy that makes more fifty fifty players 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:40.920 than anybody in his mind. It's not fifty fifty, seventy five, 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:44.200 twenty five or better in his favor. He's got the length, 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:49.680 he's got vice grip hands, he's very very good one covered. 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:53.560 In today's National Football League a lot of times there's 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.200 not a whole lot of separation. So Auden Tape becomes 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:58.000 one of those guys where he's open when he's covered 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:00.880 kind of dealing. They are going to miss him. They 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.000 gonna miss him in on third down conversion possibilities, are 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:06.000 going to miss him in the red zone where he 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.079 can really step up and cause issues when there are 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:11.799 tight quarters, compressed field, all those sorts of things. So 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:14.080 that's a weapon that you'd like to have for sure, 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:16.839 as in the final five games of the season. Let's 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:19.320 turn to Xavier to a Philo. He signed a three 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:21.960 year free agent deal in the off season. He got 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.959 injured in Week one when he was starting at right guard. 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:27.399 What do you think happens with him for the rest 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.840 of this year. That's a great question. I think I 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:33.800 wonder if you know they're still monitoring how he's coming back. 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.080 Had a severe ankle injury obviously, and the guy like 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:39.640 that though, with the leadership that he has, and he 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.920 will provide consistency and level of play, and that's that's 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.120 what's been lacking a little bit. Redman just can't stay healthy, 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:50.080 you know, elbow and concussion and just he seems to 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.840 be one of these players that that just can't can't 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:56.040 stay healthy on a week a week to week basis, 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:58.880 and Sue A. Philo could be a guy to go 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:02.440 in there and provide and see at the position. You know, 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:05.080 the thought was that Michael Jordan was going to sit 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:07.280 down for a little while and just kind of collect himself. 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:10.640 And his play has been wildly inconsistent. One week he'll 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:12.360 look like a pro bowler and the next week he'll 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:15.120 look like he shouldn't be a starter, and everything in between. 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:17.520 So that that graph has going to level out a 0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:21.320 little bit into a good high level of play. So 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:23.880 there's there's options there. I mean, I think Sue Philo 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:27.080 would be the right guard, and then of course Quentin Spain, 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.560 mister versatile, he could he could be plugged in there 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:33.920 at left guard very easily. And if Redmund is still 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:37.360 nicked up with concussion protocol, and if they decide that 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:39.679 they still want to do what they were thinking about 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:41.720 doing with Michael Jordan, just let him sit back and 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:44.960 observe for a while and think about things. And the 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:46.760 thing he has to do. Dan playing as simple is 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:49.160 just lower as pads. If he plays with a lower 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:52.400 pad level, he'll be fine. But he gets he gets 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:54.240 a little bit sloppy, I think with his pad love 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:57.239 when it comes back to haunt him periodically. The Bengals 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:00.320 are obviously trying to figure out what they're line is 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.560 going to look like next year. They may use their 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:05.440 first draft pick on an offensive lineman, particularly if they 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:08.720 have the ability to draft Piney Sewell out of Oregon. 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:12.120 But I wonder, with five games left and then two 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:15.720 years left on Xavier sue Philo's deal, if they want 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:17.240 to try to figure out over the course of the 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:20.159 next five games, all right, should this guy be the 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:23.159 right guard next year when Joe Burrow is healthy and 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.680 back in there at quarterback. Yeah? I thought that in 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:28.080 training camp. I thought he was a little bit spotty. 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:31.719 I thought his best performance was the quote scrimmage that 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:33.920 they staged, you know, and then and then the injury 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:38.440 occurs and and there's there's problems. Um, so you know, 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:40.920 he may be one of these gamer type guys when 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.479 the when the whistle blows and you you start to 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:48.279 play full contact, meaningful games that count towards standings. He's 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:50.200 he's one of those guys that shows up and shows 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:53.120 up big, and you just don't know. You don't have a, 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:56.000 like you said, a category or a log of plays 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:58.680 to be able to evaluate from. And I mean you 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.800 can evaluate him from his time. I'm down in the 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:03.240 state of Texas with the Texans and the Cowboys, but 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:07.000 that's not up here in Cincinnati with the Cincinnati Bengals. 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:10.880 So yeah, it's I think they are gonna I if 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:13.159 he can go, if the doctors feel like he can go, 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:15.800 and obviously they do because they brought him off of 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:18.160 injury reserve and he's been he's been you know, on 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:21.960 that twenty one day UH protocol deal. And if they 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:24.039 feel like he's physically able to go, I think the 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:26.719 Bengals are gonna have to go evaluate some snaps. They're 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:27.960 gonna have to let him go out there and play 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:30.000 and see what he can do and make some decisions 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:32.680 like you're like you spoke of Dan So at some 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:35.800 point this week, possibly even today, Joe Burrow is having 0:06:35.839 --> 0:06:39.360 reconstructive surgery on his left knee. It's being done in 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:43.479 Los Angeles by doctor Neil el Atrotch. I have no 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:47.080 idea if I'm saying that correctly, but he has become 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:49.919 the go to guy for sports stars. Used to be 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:53.600 doctor James Andrews, but now it's doctor Neil el A Trotch. 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:56.600 He repaired Tom Brady's knee a few years ago. They 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.880 remained very close. He operated on se Quon Barkley's a 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.320 cl earlier this year. He did multiple surgeries over the 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.600 years on the late Great Kobe Bryant. So Joe Burrow 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:09.960 is clearly in good hands. Here is Joe's close friend 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:14.720 Sam Hubbard and Joe Burrow going forward. Joe's hanging in there. He's, uh, 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:18.360 you know, he's on his way out to West Coast 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:23.800 give the surgery and starts path recovery. Mentally, he's he's 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:27.440 staying up and you know, my heart goes out to 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:31.880 him as the surgery approaches and his recovery process begins. 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:36.440 He's still pretty upbeat. I think he's just ready to 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.360 get this process going and uh, you know, get healthy 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.800 for next year. He's he's as about as positive and 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:45.280 upbeating as you could be with the circumstances and the injury, 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:49.520 and he's being strong and you know, like I said, 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:53.200 I'm thinking about him, We're all thinking about him. Lap 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.800 It's only been a week and a half since Joe 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.920 Burrow's injury. Do you take it as a good sign 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:02.080 that they are planning do surgery this quickly? I do? 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:05.680 You know? They're swelling obviously is the big issue. So 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:07.920 you have to get the swelling out of there. That 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:11.400 could complicate matters. So the fact that that his body 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:14.440 has reabsorbed a lot of that issue, I think is 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.360 a positive sign. And I think that speaks to his age, 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:21.680 his condition of his body, and his conditioning overall. I 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:25.200 think all those are positive signs. And he's represented by 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:29.800 um CAA creative athletes and artists, and a lot of 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:34.120 times these agencies have relationships with orthopedic surgeons and it 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:37.680 becomes you know, that's that's where the political ping pong 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:41.280 might say, Okay, the organization wants their orthopedic surgeon to 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:46.080 do the do the job, and the representative of the agency, 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:48.440 the agent wants somebody else to do the job, and 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.960 they have to settle those kind of those kind of 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:55.640 political volleyballs. But it's not unusual that there's a there's 0:08:55.640 --> 0:09:00.400 an orthopedic surgeon on another team that is highly guarded, 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.680 and everybody goes in that direction. This isn't the first time, obviously, 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.920 as all the littan you guys that you mentioned that 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:09.360 he's operated on, Andrew Wortworth has just had a procedure 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:11.199 done with him as well, and speaks very highly of 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:15.040 of course, he's the RAMS team orthopedic doctor, which is 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:17.800 a different situation. But he's going to go out to 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:21.079 LA have the surgery and probably the early early rehab 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.080 part of it will be out there in LA and 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:25.480 then he'll work his way back here to Cincinnati and 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:30.000 continue that rehab process. It's interesting reading about his relationships 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:32.440 with some of the patients that he's had over the years. 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:34.800 He and Tom Brady remain very close. They are frequent 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.959 to golfing buddies. Apparently when he did Cooper Cups acl 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.360 and as you mentioned, he has the RAMS team doctor, 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.240 so there's a relationship there. But Cooper cup and his 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.720 family lived his house, lived at his house for a 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:50.439 while in and around the surgery. So he sounds like 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.800 a guy that players definitely have a lot of trust in. Yeah, 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:57.040 Andrew Wortworth quote was, this guy's a great man. And 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.920 in my opinion, if Andrew wort Worth gives you that 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.440 that kind of thumbs up, and that's good enough for me. 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:05.800 That's all I need to know. Because Wit knows people 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.320 and he understands people, there's no doubt about it. That 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:10.400 is an excellent point. So this week we have the 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:14.239 two eight and one Bengals against the seven and four Dolphins, 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:17.680 and let's turn the clock back to last year because 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:22.040 Miami got off to the worst four games start in 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:26.360 NFL history last year. They lost to Baltimore in Week one, 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:29.000 fifty nine to ten. They lost to New England in 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:32.280 Week two, forty three nothing. They lost to Dallas in 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:35.280 Week three thirty one to six. They lost to the 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:39.120 Chargers in Week four, thirty to ten. That is the 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:43.120 worst four game deferential at any point in any season 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:47.960 in NFL history. Both of these teams started the season 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:52.600 oh and seven last year, but Miami finished five and four. 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:55.760 Now they're seven and four this year. That's twelve and 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:59.600 eight combined, whereas the Bengals during that same twenty game 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:04.160 span our four fifteen and one. So one team has 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:08.160 learned how to win, the other team hasn't yet. Dolphins 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:12.760 coach Brian Flores says, that is a real thing. Yeah, 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:14.560 you do need to learn how to win in this league. 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:19.480 I think there's there's something to that. Um, I'm not 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:21.360 sure if I wish I had, if I had the formula, 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:26.319 i'd probably you know, bottle it up and but I don't. 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:28.480 But I think it is. You know, part of that 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:34.080 is just working every week, preparing every week, good good 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:38.880 good meetings, good walk through his good practice, good routines, um, 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:42.040 you know, on the field, off the field, and then 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:44.920 you know, let the chips fall away fall What stands 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.959 out to you about Brian Flores and this Miami team. 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:52.480 Brian Flores is ready for his opportunity. Four years in 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:58.320 the scouting department, special teams coach, defensive coach, defensive coordinator, 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:01.600 now head coach, and all of his time spent in 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.640 New England, the best organization that you can spend time, 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:07.880 and I think to have an apprenticeship as such. And 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:10.760 the thing that stands out to me, Dan in that 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:14.600 process that you're talking about, that nightmarish process. This guy 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:17.640 is all about defense. He's a defensive oriented head coach, 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:21.760 the first one they've had since Nick Saban and his patience, 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:27.400 no panic, so Brian Flores. He has answers. You know, 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:30.600 when problems arise, he's got an answer. He's got a plan, A, 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:34.280 B C. He's ready. The guy. The guy is very, 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:38.120 very smart. He's very honest with his players, very tough 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:41.120 on his players, extremely disciplined. It sounds like a mini 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.160 Bill Belichick. This may be the guy of all the 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:47.480 assistance that Bill Belichick's coaching tree has produced. This may 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:50.040 be the guy that has the brightest future. Yeah, bell 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.480 O'Brien did well for a while in Houston, but most 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.000 of those Belichick disciples have not done well as head coaches. 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:59.240 I want to follow up on free agency because you 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:02.559 alluded to that the Bengals were the number two free 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:06.520 agent spending team this past offseason. They spent almost one 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:09.880 hundred and thirty five million on free agents from other teams. 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:13.839 The Dolphins spent more than one hundred million more than that. 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.600 They were the number one free agent spender. They spent 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.400 more than two hundred thirty nine mill on free agents. 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:24.280 And what they did was they said, it's an organization. 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.600 As an organization, we are ripping it up and starting over. 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:32.600 They just shredded it and had obviously more cap space 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:35.840 than anybody in so doing. And they said, we're going 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.120 back to square one and we're gonna build it block 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:41.360 by block from square one. So again they had a 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:43.520 plan and they thought, okay, it's tank for two a time. Look, 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.800 they're getting rid of everybody all they're good players, they're 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:48.560 getting rid of them. They're moving guys. They had players 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:51.640 that they let go, you know, quality players, wide receiver, 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:56.880 running back, different players, defensive pass rush guys, and Flores whole. 0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:59.720 His whole philosophy is you want to be good on 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:01.240 the back end, and you want to be deep on 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:04.559 the back end. And he has the most expensive tandem 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:07.439 at cornerback in the National Football League. They got Byron 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:12.440 Jones from Dallas fifty seven million guaranteed. Howard, they've got 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.839 an expensive tannem back there, and they've got death back there. 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:18.640 He'd rather have outstanding back end and not have that 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.200 premier pass rush guy and just get pass rushed from 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.760 a lot of different ways. With his pressure packages and 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:30.240 good solid football players. Twelve different players have a quarterback sack. 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.960 Now Ogba has eight, you know, and that puts him 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:36.240 tied for seventh in the National Football League. But he's got, 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.960 you know, twelve guys total. Seven different guys have a 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:43.200 quarterback sack or less. So he's bringing them from everywhere, 0:14:43.440 --> 0:14:47.400 everywhere and anywhere. And third down, man, you want to 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:49.680 stay out of third down against them. They lead the 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:52.520 National Football League. And that's when he does all of 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.760 his crazy stuff. He's real aggressive. He'll have a bunch 0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:58.720 of people up at the line of scrimmage. He'll bring 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:02.080 small bodies and then he'll he'll rush his big guys. 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.280 I'll notice he'll rush his big guys for a step 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:06.680 or two into the offensive lineman, engage him, and then 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:10.240 disengage and drop back into coverage. And that's really tough 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:13.120 on the quarterback. You don't know which four or five 0:15:13.160 --> 0:15:15.400 of the seven are coming because these guys are engaging, 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:17.440 and then the big guys drop back and the little 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.560 guys come and everything else in between. I mean, that's 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:25.280 when third down, that's when it gets crazy. Against the Dolphins, 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.840 just like it does against Billy B. Billichick. Dolphin's rookie 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.800 quarterback to a Tungo Vyla, the fifth pick in this 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:35.160 year's draft, did not start last week four Miami due 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:38.120 to an injured thumb. At their practice today, he wore 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:41.600 black tape around his wrist and his thumb, but no 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.520 word on whether he'll be the starter on Sunday against 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:48.120 Cincinnati if he can't go. Thirty eight year old Ryan 0:15:48.200 --> 0:15:53.000 Fitzpatrick will start the NFL leader in combined beard and 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:58.360 chest hair. Here is his head coach, Brian Flores on Fitzy. 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:04.760 You know, Ryan's a very good leader, um, talented player, smart, gritty, 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.760 you know, tough and it really embodies a lot of 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:13.320 the characteristics we're looking for in a Dolphin. Can handle adversity, mentally, tough. 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:17.040 You know, it's been it's been, you know, great working 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:20.680 with him, I would say these last two years it's 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:22.880 been a great mentor to tour and a lot of 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.960 other young players. So, you know, it's one thing, you 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:29.600 know as a coach to try to teach you you know, 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:33.520 these young guys and mentor and teach them how to 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:35.280 be a pro. It's another thing when you have a 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:38.080 guy like Ryan in the locker room, in the huddle 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:39.840 with them, you know, really saying a lot of the 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:43.280 same things. So you've been a very, very valuable piece 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.800 to our to the growth of some of our young players, 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:49.160 I would say, lap Since the injury to Joe Burrow, 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:51.280 I've heard a lot of people say, why didn't the 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.840 Bengals go out and sign a better veteran quarterback than 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:58.480 Brandon Allen And many have brought up the name Ryan Fitzpatrick. Well, 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:01.400 fitz he wasn't available prior to last year. He signed 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:04.000 a two year, eleven million dollars deal with the Dolphins 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:07.440 that is up at the end of this season. You 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:10.200 know him from his time with the Bengals in two 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:12.320 thousand and eight, and knew of him before that from 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:15.359 his days at Harvard. If he wants to keep playing, 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:20.000 should the Bengals try to sign Ryan Fitzpatrick? Absolutely, if 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:22.720 he wants to keep playing. And that's the key. In 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:26.440 conversation with him down there before the Miami game last year, 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:30.720 he said that that you know, he's got seven kids, 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:32.440 He's got one for every day of the week. So 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:36.680 and now and now they're they're getting of an age 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:39.560 where he doesn't want to hop scotch them around to 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:43.120 different places. You know, he's interested in stability of education 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.400 and all those sort of things, and he really likes 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:48.400 it down there. So, um, he was you know, he's 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:50.760 trying to make a decision about whether we would come 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:53.359 back to Miami or not. So if he's trying to 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:56.240 make that kind of a decision, I wonder how much 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.639 it would you know, he'd have to be guaranteed playing 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:02.040 time in my opinion, because he was looking to be 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:05.520 guaranteed playing time for Miami to come back, you know, 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:10.560 after last season. So uh, it's it's it's an interesting dynamic, 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:13.760 you know. And would he leave his family down there, 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.520 because that's the thing that he loves is that he 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:19.200 doesn't have to hit his family's with him all the time. 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:22.760 You know, he doesn't have to relocate to be somewhere 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:24.840 else as a player at this stage of his career, 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:28.600 and he doesn't want to necessarily relocate that entire family, 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:31.040 the size of the family we're talking about. So there's 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:33.760 a lot of circumstances. There are a lot of extenuating circumstances. 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:36.200 But I will say that he does have a high 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:38.960 respect from Mike Brown being a you know, an Ivy 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.159 League grad himself and the Brown family, and he had 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:46.960 a good experience with his first day in Cincinnati. So 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.600 there are a lot of positives there. It'd be interesting 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:51.679 if if both parties could come to some kind of 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:55.320 an agreement that would make sense economically and all the 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:58.600 intangibles that we just talked about. Fitz he doesn't need 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:02.000 the dough made seventy one point five mill over the 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:05.400 course of sixteen seasons, So this Harvard grad has done well, 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:09.560 like many Harvard grads. I just wonder, because of the 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:14.280 uncertainty over Joe Burrows timetable, if maybe something can be 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:17.560 worked out where, hey, we may need somebody that's starting 0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:20.560 for us at the beginning of next season. Would he 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:24.000 be willing to sign on with the possibility that, you know, 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:26.120 he could be the starter at the beginning of the year, 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:28.920 and then if Joe comes along at a great rate 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:31.120 and is ready by the beginning of the season, he could, 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:33.800 you know, take whatever chunk of guaranteed money he gets 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:37.080 and sail off into the sunset. Yeah. I think those 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:39.960 are the kind of the parameters we're talking about, because 0:19:39.960 --> 0:19:43.040 that's what he was I think talking about with Miami, 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:46.680 and he wants to play at this stage, he wants 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:49.159 to play. He doesn't want to be separated from his 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:53.200 family and not play. That's that does that doesn't ring 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:55.520 true to him. And on top of the seventy one 0:19:55.560 --> 0:19:58.040 million you're talking about, he's got a bunch of Harvard 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:00.080 buddies that may have doubled or tripled his money in 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:02.959 terms of investments and things that they're they're involved with 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:07.639 around not only the United States, but worldwide. There's no 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:10.080 telling how much money fits he has made at this 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.240 point because he's a very intelligent guy with his money 0:20:13.240 --> 0:20:16.600 as well. So yeah, it's he still has the burning 0:20:16.640 --> 0:20:20.159 desire to play, and I think he still does. He 0:20:20.280 --> 0:20:23.680 was he was pretty vocal, kind of unfits you like, 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:26.480 you know, when Brian Flores decided to sit him, It's 0:20:26.520 --> 0:20:28.360 like I have to go to a meeting and sit 0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:30.960 across and look at a guy who fired me. I 0:20:31.000 --> 0:20:33.760 don't like that, you know, I mean, that's that's very 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:37.280 very strong statement coming from Ryan Fitzpatrick. But I think 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:41.160 coach Flores respected it. You know. He basically he likes 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:45.120 his competitive fire. Um, he likes his his toughness and 0:20:45.520 --> 0:20:47.520 all that sort of thing. So it wasn't an issue. 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:51.320 And uh, like you said it, there'd have to be 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:56.040 um parameters involved. If this occurs, that occurs, if this does, 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:58.640 that does, there's gonna have to be a lot of stages, 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:01.320 I think, and levels and to any kind of a 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:04.399 deal that might be struck. Head coach Zack Taylor often 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:07.720 talks about building a winning culture in Cincinnati, but at 0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:11.879 some point, every coach has to win games. Zach is 0:21:11.920 --> 0:21:15.800 four twenty two and one as Cincinnati's head coach. So 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:18.119 how does he convince the players that they are headed 0:21:18.359 --> 0:21:20.879 in the right direction. We show him the tape, we 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:22.680 show him where the mistakes are, we show him that 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:26.320 the directions we're headed in the right way. Oftentimes this 0:21:26.400 --> 0:21:28.520 thing has come down to one play and we got 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:30.920 we gotta find that way to make that one play 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:32.680 at the end of the game, and we just haven't 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:35.680 done it yet. But again, all I can say is 0:21:35.680 --> 0:21:37.000 that when you stay in front of the team at 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:39.840 the end of the game, winner lost, and you preach 0:21:39.920 --> 0:21:43.119 those guys, you know that they're all in it together 0:21:43.359 --> 0:21:44.959 and they believe in what we're doing and they can 0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:46.919 see it because they see it every day in practice. 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:48.720