WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Remember When 0:00:03.760 --> 0:00:04.600 I get everybody. 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:08.360 I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. 0:00:08.560 --> 0:00:12.640 The Remember When addition. 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:15.480 As I look back at roughly twenty five years of 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:18.960 Bengals draft history with a guy who knows the stories 0:00:19.040 --> 0:00:23.520 behind the selections, Bengals dot Com editor Jeff Butch Hobson. 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:28.000 You'll also hear from local draft prospect Juwan Briggs out 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.960 of the University of Cincinnati, who got quite the surprise 0:00:31.080 --> 0:00:35.200 this week, from Bengals team president Mike Brown, and last 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.360 but not least, it's my third attempt at a three 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:42.360 round Bengals mock draft. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:44.479 to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:49.400 official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:52.800 Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:56.440 a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:00.000 for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official health 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:01.320 healthcare provider. 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:01.960 Of the Bengals. 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:04.640 Now here's a quick reminder that you can have the 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:08.520 latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, 0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:12.720 or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:17.640 the greatest thing since Zach Taylor randomly treating Bengals fans 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:20.640 to breakfast. There was a letter to the editor last 0:01:20.640 --> 0:01:23.440 Sunday and the Cincinnati Inquirer that told the story of 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:26.319 a couple having breakfast at a local diner who were 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:29.520 wearing Bengals gear. When they went to the counter to pay, 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:33.200 they were told that Zach Taylor, who was there with 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.680 one of his sons, had picked up the tab. On Monday, 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.640 I asked Zach if he had seen the letter and 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:41.000 remembered the encounter. 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:45.279 My neighbor Bart sent me that, so I was aware 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:45.520 of that. 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:46.039 I do know. 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.120 The interaction was my son was in abast my other 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.920 son was in a basketball tournament in Batavia, and so 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:53.800 I was with my younger son, Luke, and we were 0:01:53.800 --> 0:01:57.000 just trying to find some breakfast, and so we went 0:01:57.040 --> 0:01:58.760 into the diner there and had a great time, and 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:00.960 there was just it was smaller dinner, and there were 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:04.120 several people wearing gear like you are right now, and 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.520 it's it's fun interacting with people seeing them wear Bengals gear. 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:12.800 So it just I just felt felt like I wanted 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:16.919 to show my appreciation. It does lead me to, hey, 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.400 if I see people wearing Bengals gear. You never know 0:02:20.680 --> 0:02:22.480 that may continue to happen. It may be something we 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:25.760 stumbled upon there that is fun. But again, I just 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:27.320 like being out and about in the community. I think 0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:30.239 you guys have heard me say that, and interacting with people. 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:33.919 It's it is amazing. It's always one hundred percent positive. 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:36.280 I know there's there's a lot of negativity in the 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:38.720 world that can happen online all that stuff, but face 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.000 to face interactions that I've had with with people in 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:45.360 the community is one hundred percent positive and supportive and 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:48.200 always appreciate that. Love driving down the road and just 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:50.760 seeing people wearing Bengals gears are out jogging or walking, 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:53.359 and so when I get a chance to go into 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:56.400 these restaurants and see those people, it's it's it's just 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:58.000 fun to interact with them. 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.160 The moral of the story is out, if you live 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.960 in the Cincinnati area and you're going out to eat 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:08.359 where Bengals gear, your meal could be paid for by 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:13.200 a generous and very kind Bengals head coach. Now let's 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:16.680 get to my first guest. In the Broadway musical Hamilton, 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.480 the Aaron Burr character sings about wanting to be in 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:24.359 the room where it happens, referring to places where powerful 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:28.560 people make important decisions. Well, when it comes to the draft, 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:32.800 Bengals dot Com editor Jeff Hobson has been there, the 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:36.480 so called war room where Bengals picks are discussed and 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:40.480 ultimately made. Jeff joined me this week to discuss some 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.000 key decisions in the past and what we might expect 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:48.000 next week. Which let me start by wishing you a 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:51.280 happy anniversary. It was twenty four years ago this week 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:53.560 that you joined the Bengals to write for the website, 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.520 and it was unheard of at the time. No team 0:03:56.560 --> 0:03:59.280 had ever hired a local beat writer who at times 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.560 had been critical of coaches and ownership, et cetera, to 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:03.960 be their website reporter. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:06.840 So twenty four years ago this week. 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:09.360 Thank you for saying at times, because it was a 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:10.560 little bit. There was a lot of. 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:13.960 Times in the nineties when you know, a lot of 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:15.920 things were written, and I think there were some people 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:19.000 in the building looking at Mike like he was nuts. 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:23.080 But I actually even told him, I said, you know, Mike, 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:26.400 I'm not too sure, you know, I said, I you know, 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:29.200 you might want to look for a younger person who's 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:32.320 got a background in computers, because you know, I didn't. 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:34.839 I didn't know anything about the you know Internet. They 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.279 could barely operate my own laptop, which is, you know, 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:41.560 best known for losing a space bad during Tim Pughes 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:43.880 near no hitdring San Diego. 0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:48.279 So I thought that perhaps that. 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:50.719 But he said no, He said, I want somebody that 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:52.760 the fans know when they trust and will give them 0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:54.200 the you know, give them the information. 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:56.239 And I always knew. 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:58.600 The best contract in sports was a handshake with Mike 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:02.000 Brown because a loyal guy, and if I was loyal 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:04.320 to him, it would be Ah, I. 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.320 Think it would be a it was. 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:07.680 It was you know what I mean, it was a 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:09.880 it was a I knew it was gonna be an 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.719 honest deal. Sometimes the newspapers, you never know was gonna happen, 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.640 and I knew I didn't. But I think Mike could 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:19.520 see a little bit that uh he had he had 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.000 seen what had happened to the afternoon paper. You know, 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.000 I had seen what had happened in the afternoon paper. 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:25.640 And I think we were you know, I think he 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:30.120 kind of sense that something was happening with the Internet, 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:32.479 and he was he was exactly right. I I like 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:37.039 a couple of months after I joined, Mike Eisen, the 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:40.400 Giants dot com guy called me wondering what the Cincinnati 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:44.000 Inquirer was going to do to fill the beat job, 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:47.159 and I told him about my job, and like he 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:49.360 hung up the phone with me, and he called John 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:53.039 Marra and now he's he's been over there, uh since 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:57.040 since then too, So it's uh, you know, I I 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:00.960 credit Mike to me. It was Mike kind of seeing 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.320 ahead before a lot of us, including me, and I 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:07.520 would It's the best decision I ever made in the business, 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:10.560 and keep doing it for as long as I can. 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:12.960 I'm thrilled, and I hope Mike is too. 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:16.320 Happy anniversary. Mike was ahead of his time, and so 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.600 were you. Your office here at Peykor Stadium is right 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:22.360 around the corner from the Bengals quote unquote war room 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:26.400 for the draft. What's going on a week before the draft? 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:30.159 I think they're still going by positions. I think that's 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:32.839 probably gonna finish up. If it hasn't finished up already, 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:38.000 and we're talking Wednesday, eight days out, then it's gonna 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:40.760 be finished up tomorrow, or it'd certainly be finished up 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:44.400 by the time Duke meets the media on Friday, and 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.600 then I think next week is reserved for stacking if 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.080 they haven't already done some of that stacking the board 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:56.720 ranking just purely ranking the players who's uh, you know, 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:02.960 who's who they see has better than the guy blow 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:05.720 why's better? And I think a lot of goes into that. 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:09.920 It goes into you know, feedback and coaches. Obviously the 0:07:09.960 --> 0:07:15.400 scouts and Duke are are at the helm, and I 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.040 also needs, I think, you know, needs go into it two. 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:22.000 So I think that's what's happening right now. They're on 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:24.600 the verge of stacking it if they haven't already. 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.320 Your first draft for Bengals dot Com was two thousand, 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:30.040 the Peter Warwick first round draft pick a draft, but 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:32.600 the previous year you were covering the team for the 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:36.560 Inquirer when the Bengals turned down multiple picks from the 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:40.600 Saints and selected Akilee Smith. Of all of the topics 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:44.400 that I have ever discussed with Mike Brown, that was 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:48.360 probably the one he was least interested in revisiting. I 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.200 guess for obvious reasons. The Bengals weren't the only team 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:52.960 to turn down that deal. They were one of four 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:54.640 that said no to the Saints. But do you think 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:56.800 if the Bengals could have a mull again on just 0:07:56.840 --> 0:08:00.360 about any decision in franchise history, that would be high list. 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:01.160 You know. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:03.280 It's it's interesting because Mike, as you know, is so 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:06.160 fought right about you know, about talking about things, and 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:09.880 I it's funny, I think because that is at the 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:13.160 core of Mike's philosophy. I think, is how important quarterback is, 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:14.960 you know, And I just think he. 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:16.920 Felt like a kill. And again I think he had 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:17.600 a I think he. 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:20.760 Knew that Achilles Smith was at least he was kind 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:24.280 of had the traits of the modern guy, you know, 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:27.920 he was a very athletic guy, didn't really you know, 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:31.200 obviously he struggled for many reasons and it was not 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.080 a good pick. But I think the core is, you know, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.719 you need the quarterback. I don't need the nine guys, right. 0:08:37.760 --> 0:08:40.840 It was like nine draft picks, right, And he says, 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:42.880 but if you get a quarterback, if you get a 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:46.800 franchise quarterback, that's more important than nine picks. So which 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:48.559 is at the crux? And I think that's at the 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:50.800 crux of philosophy now. And I think it's at the 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:53.160 crux at the philosophy of the league now because in 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.360 those twenty five years it's become a it always was 0:08:56.400 --> 0:09:00.480 a quarterbacks league. It's really a quarterbacks league after Radiant 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:05.040 Manning and the rule changes. You know, so my kind 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:07.080 of but was you know, he could see it there too. 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:10.040 It just didn't have the right guy. I later went 0:09:10.120 --> 0:09:13.360 back and you know who did the the nine guys 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:18.200 who did they become well, nobody that changed the game. 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:21.160 There was one really good player, Champ Bailey. The other 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.079 guys didn't really work out for what right, Yeah, I'm 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:24.839 talking yeah, right. Bailey was a Hall of Famer. 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:29.440 Yeah, and uh but the other you know, uh uh 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:32.959 And would Champ Bailey have turned around the Bengals at 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:34.640 that point more than a good quarterback. 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:35.720 Probably not. 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:38.640 The Bengals turned down a lot, or at least we 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:40.839 believe they turned down a lot. When Joe Burrows the 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:43.960 number one overall pick, that one worked out pretty well, Joe. 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:46.960 And that's Mike's philosophy right there, in a nutshell. And 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:49.440 he wasn't budget he uh you know, he met the 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.719 guy at the combine and his coaches loved them. 0:09:53.760 --> 0:09:55.200 It's another big piece of it. 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.880 And the coaches just thought he was you know, remember 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:01.959 Dan Pitcher then the quarterbacks coach, and that was his 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:05.440 first That was his first assignment really as quarterbacks coach, 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.040 was to go to the combine and walk Joe Burrow 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:13.520 through about fifteen clips in their eighteen minute interview and 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:17.880 picture now the offensive coordinator. But you know, he was 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.960 great talking about how you know, he just knew when 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:24.520 the guy never minded he had the greatest you know, 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:25.960 he went in and everybody knew what in he had 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.239 the greatest college season anybody had ever had. His accuracy, 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:31.880 you couldn't value with it, his performance in big games, 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:33.880 couldn't argue with it. But when you talk to him 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:36.600 about the game and how it just seamlessly. You know, 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:41.240 that's why I think sold everybody was. It wasn't just 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:43.840 those eighteen minutes, but it was you know, I think 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:47.360 I think that sealed it because they had known what 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.120 they were getting, but then to see the guy up close, 0:10:49.160 --> 0:10:53.520 and I think, you know, like I said, that's that's 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:57.839 the philosophy at work, and the Brady Manning decade did 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.040 nothing but to amplify it. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:01.320 It is a quarterbacks league. 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.320 So your second draft for Bengals dot Com was arguably 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:09.480 the best draft in franchise history. Five time Pro bowler 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:12.360 Justin Smith in round one, six time Pro bowler Chad 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.720 Johnson in round two, the Bengals single season rushing record 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:18.200 holder Rudy Johnson in round four. He was a pro bowler, 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:21.120 the single season receptions record holder TJ. 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:23.800 Hushman's ot in round seven. He was a pro bowler. 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.480 Does anything stand out to you about being around the 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:28.760 team for that two thousand and one draft. 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:34.520 Yeah, the it started out with Mike would get back 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:38.600 to Mike about how this guy he knows his stuff, right. 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:41.880 I think you'll recall with just coming off the Achilles 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.480 Smith thing, he wasn't the answer. They were a month 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:48.480 out after signing John Kidnap, who was They felt like 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.360 he was a guy they could fit in and they 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:52.280 had They felt like they had a really good defense, 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:56.160 and if you get a quarterback with their running game, 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:57.960 I think they felt like with with you know, with 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.880 Donay Scott and Peter war I think they felt like 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.480 they had the weapons they had. You know, Corey was 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:05.880 at the top of his game, Corey Dillon the running back. 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:08.160 So I think they felt like we Kittna could couldn't 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:10.640 manage it, could manage, you know, could could win games 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.600 for them and make them contenders. And so they weren't 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.440 thinking about a quarterback, but you know, Mike was. You know, 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:19.160 if it was if Mike had his brothers at number four, 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:21.680 they had the fourth pick, he would have taken Drew Brees, 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.080 you know. And so what I remember about that draft 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.640 is you remember the Bengals took Justin Smith hell of 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:34.480 a pick, and then but as Breeze kept dropping, you know, 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:40.280 people were getting uncomfortable because as Breeze kept getting close 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:42.360 and closer, they knew Mike would not pass him in 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:43.120 the second round. 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:45.000 You know that that they knew that was not going 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:45.480 to happen. 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:46.880 So they were getting little you know, we get Kit 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:48.240 and they were just signed Kitt and there we can 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.600 of get hey, you know, they're not. I don't think 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.680 many people were. You know, they thought that they thought 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:56.440 the kid was too short. They thought that was kind 0:12:56.480 --> 0:12:58.280 of high form, I think, you know, going back and 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:01.280 trying to place, but you know, the they it was high. 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:03.840 It was regarded for Breeze in the room. But I 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:05.400 you know, I think they felt like they had had 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:07.360 their plan here and that he wasn't the kind of 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:10.400 guy who was gonna make you rip it up. I 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:13.480 think they knew that Mike would though, and as it 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:14.000 you know. 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:14.760 And then of. 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:18.959 Course we know history tells us the Chadgers took breeze 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.160 I think at thirty. 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:23.439 Two perhaps, uh. 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:23.960 And then. 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:30.000 Three four five picks later, Chad Johnson worked worked out, 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:33.040 worked out pretty well, you know, and then to get 0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:35.360 t J. Huschmanzada, which I'm gonna write about later in 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:39.719 the week. You know, Bob Bratkowski making a call as 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:42.679 to pick up closer in the seventh round, uh, making 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.959 a call to uh Dennis Erickson, who was a good 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:48.200 coach a long time with Bratt. 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:50.560 Uh and Uh. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:54.920 He made a quick call because Bratt liked tushman Zada, Uh, 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.320 I think on tape, but he wanted to you know, 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.240 he wanted to get more from Ericsson. And I think 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:02.040 that was what put him over the top there and 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.440 that that was a good call as well. 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:08.120 And that was a good you know, it was a. 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:09.720 Practice had a few questions and Eric's had answered them 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:11.520 and that's the way it should be done. 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:14.800 And then TJ answered them in the affirmative. That's for sure. 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.800 I think you can make the case that since two 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:21.560 thousand and eight, when the Bengals drafted Andre Smith, Ray 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:25.080 Maulaluga and Kevin Huber. They've drafted as well as just 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.680 about any team in the NFL. They've landed impact players 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:31.000 in fourteen of their last fifteen drafts. 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:33.760 I would say only the Cedric Oboahi Jake Fisher year 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:35.000 was the exception. 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:38.720 Have they done anything differently since two thousand and eight 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:40.360 or better in your opinion? 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:43.120 Well, I mean, all you can look is at the changes. 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:47.040 You know, Duke Toben has taken over the draft pretty much. 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.320 You know, Mike still cheers the meetings, and Mike's still 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:52.640 you know, heavily involved running the thing, but it's Duke's 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.760 Duke's run in the draft room. I think that's a shift. 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:58.520 You know, you've obviously had a change in coaches and 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:02.280 coaching philosophy. Uh And I think probably, you know, it's 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:08.400 probably you know, it's it's probably more the process is 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.920 probably more scouting centric than than coaching centric. I think, 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.480 probably than it has been in the past. But I 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:16.360 still think the coaches are are involved here as much 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:19.520 as they are anywhere in the league. Any Paul Brown team, 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:22.600 Mike Brown team will make sure to that that the 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:25.160 coaches are involved on the and on the same page. 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:27.080 You know, I just think there's probably a little bit 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:31.480 more directions from the scouts and you know, Duke, Duke 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:35.520 is running the thing so with you know, with heavy 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.720 input from Mike. And you know, Duke's been here a 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:39.560 long you know, Duke's been here since I think ninety 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.000 nine and I think the ninety nine draft I think 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:46.440 was his first draft, and so he's got a good 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:50.400 feel for the family and uh for what Mike's looking for, 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:55.240 what the team needs, and so you get that experience too. 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:57.480 So if there's a difference, I just think it's probably 0:15:57.520 --> 0:15:58.320 you know, Duke. 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:04.360 Is Duke is is running it, has more of a 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:07.280 has more of a hand with Mike now. And I 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:09.720 think the draft rooms more streamlined too. 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:11.560 That's a change. I think that. 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:14.720 Probably came from COVID, but I think that's the way 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:16.640 Duke was headed any way, to kind of cut down 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:18.680 the people in the room a little bit. The position 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.160 coaches are no longer in the when when the clock 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:22.960 is ticking, the position. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.480 Coaches are no longer in the room. But they've had 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:24.960 their say. 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:26.760 I mean they've they've already had their say in the 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:27.880 meetings leading up to it. 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:30.280 So those are just a few of the changes. 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:31.800 But I think, you know, you talk about the two 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:34.840 thousand and one draft, I think that two thousand you know, 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.840 the two thousand and six draft was was huge too, 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:41.800 because those guys, I think five of those guys. 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:43.440 Draft that played at least twelve years. 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.840 You're talking about, uh, you know, Jonathan Joseph, Andrew Whitworth, 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:51.000 Frosty Rucker, Domito Peigo, and then the supplement will picking 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:51.360 that draft. 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:53.240 I'm on Brooks I think played a dozen years. 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:54.920 The other guys sort of the the other guy's played 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:57.320 more than a dozen years. I believe that's a hell 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:00.720 of a draft. And then any discussion the best draft 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.560 in franchise history is going to be twenty twenty and 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:10.160 twenty twenty one. You know, Burrow Higgins, Logan Wilson, top three. 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:13.160 That's as about as impactful as you get. They might 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:16.000 not have the awards the one people had, but certainly 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:19.720 the impact. And then the next year you got Jamett Chase, 0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:23.680 the greatest rookie receiver of all time and Evan McPherson 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.200 the greatest rookie kicker of all time. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.040 That's a pretty good draft too. 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:33.040 The Bengals have never allowed live network TV cameras into 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:34.760 the war room, but you've. 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:35.160 Been in there. 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:39.080 Is there drama? Are there knocked down dragouts? 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:42.840 What's it like as nobody's standing on a table? You 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:44.280 know a lot of these. 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:48.000 Decisions have been made. Well, no, they aren't made. They're 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:49.959 being made now. You know, like you talk, what are 0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:52.560 they doing now? They're having those exact discussions. 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:56.120 You know, it's Mike. 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:59.600 Is chairing it, you know, two command on the phones. 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:02.040 It's like I said this, I think I wrote this 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:05.919 the other day. It's like you ever watch the series. 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:08.040 Banded Kind, you know, for all Mankind. 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:11.560 The series about space. It's like these guys are looking 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.000 at console. They're trying to they're trying to land a 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:15.760 man on Mars, you know what I mean. 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:16.680 It's very quiet. 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:19.800 It's very you know, there's the word of computers or 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:21.040 they've had these discussions. 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:23.960 There's the board, you know, it's it's in there. 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:26.840 As you get closer, there's discussion about yeah, this is 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.359 how we thought it was gonna happen, you know, and 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.720 there might be ah, you know, LOUI you like this 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:35.639 guy right, and you know, or something like that. I mean, 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:37.960 it's a it's pretty it's pretty made up. There's no 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.280 there's no scrambling, Oh my god, we got to trade 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:42.760 up or trade down or yeah, you know, here's our guy. 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:47.359 And if and if you know, the board is the 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:50.960 board is done, and that's pretty much. Yeah, it's not 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:54.720 the you know, I hate to hate to say it, 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:55.280 but it's. 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:57.480 Not you know, it's not madness. 0:18:57.560 --> 0:18:57.720 You know. 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:02.600 I think one of the lesser known significant figures in 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.720 Bengals draft history was Pete Brown, Mike's brother who passed 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:09.600 away back in twenty seventeen. Well before there was a 0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:13.159 mel Kiper or a Dane Brugler. Pete Brown was the 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:17.159 guy who you could name anybody in the upcoming draft 0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:19.840 and he had his bio down inside and out. 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:23.920 This guy was the ultimate personnel guy. 0:19:24.520 --> 0:19:27.919 I mean he was what a great man too, just 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:33.880 a great guy, just a great personality. And he he knew. 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:37.080 I mean, you know, I always thought if you gave Mike, 0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:39.840 I mean, if you gave Pete a you know, a 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:43.760 six pack of a sprite and a Subway sandwich and 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:46.720 just saying going to the draft and draft force to 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:49.080