1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth podcast. The back Home again in Indiana. Addition, 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: as we head to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: this week, the Bengals were permitted to meet with forty 5 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: five different players for exactly eighteen minutes. So what are 6 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: those meetings like? The team's director of college scouting, Mike Potts, 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: takes us inside the room. Have you ever tried a 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: mock draft simulator where your computer makes picks for the 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: other thirty one teams and then when it's your turn, 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 1: you see who's left and pick for the Bengals. I 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: enjoy doing three round mock drafts for Cincinnati and thought 12 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: it would be fun at the combine to have some 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: of the top draft gurus do that. Dane Brugler from 14 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: the Athletic is up first, but before we get to that, 15 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: I'll talk to a very special guest, Hall of Fame 16 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,839 Speaker 1: wide receiver James Lofton, who tells us why he's happy 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: to see Ken Riley joining him in Canton. The Bengals 18 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Booth Podcast is brought to you by Alta Fiber future 19 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: Proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed 20 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: to take your home, business, and community to a new level. 21 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: Elevate your connection with Alta Fiber. Now here's a quick 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: reminder that you can have the latest edition of this 23 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by 24 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing 25 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: since beer rankings. I'm not talking about ranking your favorite 26 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: beer brands or favorite beer styles. I'm talking about ranking 27 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: your favorite beer drinking occasions, like a tailgating beer, or 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: a beach beer, or a just finished mowing a lawn beer. 29 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: I bring up the topic because I recently got stuck 30 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: in the Charlotte airport for several hours, and the delayed 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: flight beer might be number one on my list. There's 32 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: something about shared misery and a frosty beer that turns 33 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: anybody and everybody from grumpy to friendly. So here's a 34 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: toast to the delayed flight beer. When your departure is late, 35 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: it tastes great. Now, let's get to football. On Saturday, 36 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: August fifth, Ken Riley will join Anthony Munio's as the 37 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: second player who spent most of his career in Cincinnati 38 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I recently 39 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: had the opportunity to visit with Hall of Fame wide 40 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: receiver James Lofton. We discussed the Ratler and much more. James, 41 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: you indorsed Ken Riley's case to join you in the 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: Pro Football Hall of Fame before he got voted in. 43 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: What was your reaction to the Ratler getting selected this year? 44 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: I was excited, you know, just but you go, man. 45 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: I wish he could be around to enjoy it, because 46 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: he really did earn it, and it just seems like 47 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: for some reason, once he got passed over the first, 48 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: second or third times, then people just he became an afterthought. 49 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: But as a player on the field, he was somebody 50 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: to contend with. He really was. You faced him when 51 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: you were a youngster, and he was toward the tail 52 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: end of his NFL career, but he was still getting 53 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: it done at the very end. But we had two 54 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: kind of head to head meetings, one in Green Bay, 55 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,119 Speaker 1: and I remember, because of the highlights, I always see 56 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: this highlight. I caught a pass maybe from about the 57 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: eleven yard line, a little fade route. He was stumbling, 58 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: and being the young player that I was, I kind 59 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: of turned and spiked the ball in his direction, you know, 60 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: and and spiked it hard, then putting my hands up 61 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: and ran back down to our sideline and took high 62 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: fives from all the players. And then fast forward and 63 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: it's the nineteen eighty three season and it's week nine 64 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: and I am leading the NFL in yards. After eight games, 65 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: I have eight hundred yards. So in my mind, I'm going, man, 66 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have fifteen hundred and sixteen hundred yards this season. 67 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: At the end of the game, when you picked up 68 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: the newspaper we had newspapers in those days, my stat 69 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: line was zero for zero, but there should have been 70 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: an asterisk there. I had two offensive passing affairs calls 71 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: against me pushing off on Ken trying to get to 72 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: the ball. He was all over me that day, so 73 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: he didn't forget that spike at all. We are visiting 74 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: with Hall of Famer James Lofton, another former Bengal AJ 75 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: Green recently announced his retirements. Injuries likely derailed his chance 76 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: of going to the Hall of Fame someday. But what 77 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: did you think of aj in his prime and his 78 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,919 Speaker 1: career as a whole. It's funny when you watch the game, 79 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: you watch players. You watch their mannerisms, the way they play, 80 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,119 Speaker 1: the way they moved. And he was a guy who 81 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: was built like I was and I and I always 82 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: looked at him and said, man, that's that's kind of 83 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 1: what I would look like in today's game, and obviously 84 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: today's game referencing when he played, you know, ten years ago. 85 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: But I looked at him and I just love the 86 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: way he played. He was beautiful to watch. And yeah, 87 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: it's difficult for him just when you start to look 88 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: at the numbers that guys are going to consistently put up, 89 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: and the injuries got the injury bug got him the 90 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: last couple of years, which was unfortunate because he was 91 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: really one terrific player. The Bengals obviously have a great 92 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: trial of wide receivers right now in Jamar, Chase te 93 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Do you think that's the best 94 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: group in the NFL. It's interesting. I think that they 95 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: are really up there. And as I was watching the 96 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: AFC Championship game, I remember when Tyler Boyd took over 97 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: from A. J. Green as the number one receiver and 98 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: now he slid down to that number three receiver. But 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: I'm looking at it, and I'm thinking about football, and 100 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about what makes a team and what holds 101 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: it together. Well, glue holds it together. And on the 102 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: defensive side, it said Nickel. Defensive back that comes in, 103 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: who can stop the third receiver? And the third receiver 104 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: is the glue that holds the offense together. Yeah, you've 105 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: got a good run game, you've got good starting receivers, 106 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: a good tight end, but who can cover that third guy? 107 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: And normally people could not cover Tyler Board. I think 108 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: he had fifty eight receptions, seven hundred and sixty two yards, 109 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: five touchdowns last year. And when he got hurt, I said, oh, 110 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: the Bengals are I said this to myself, I said, 111 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: the Bengals are in a little bit of trouble now. 112 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: And as it turned out, they really were because they 113 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: didn't have that third guy to go to and that 114 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: allowed coverage to shift and really slow down Jamar Chase. 115 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: They almost got back to the Super Bowl despite that, 116 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: after coming within a couple of minutes of winning the 117 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: Super Bowl the year before. How did this past season 118 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: impact your view of the Bengals and how close they 119 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: are going forward. I'm just I'm looking at the AFC North, 120 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 1: and they are what the AFC West was supposed to be. 121 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: Everybody talked about the Bengals and not the Bengals, but 122 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: they're talked about the Broncos. And you talked about the 123 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: Chargers and the Raiders and you said, Kansas, See, they're 124 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: all gonna have winning records. Well, they didn't all have 125 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: winning records. The team that almost the division that almost 126 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: did have winning records from top to bottom was the 127 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: AFC North with Cleveland finishing at seven and ten, but 128 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh nine and eight, the Ravens ten and seven, and 129 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: then the Bengals on top. And I don't know if 130 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: somebody can jump up from that division and move make 131 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: the move. Deshaun Watson, is he gonna be the ju 132 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: Saum Watson that we saw early in his career in Houston? 133 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: And as Lamar Jackson gonna be the MVP type guy 134 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: that he was early on in his career. Right now, 135 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: if you're looking at it and you're saying that this 136 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: is a quarterback driven league, Joe Burrow is at the 137 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: top of the class in that division. Well, you mentioned 138 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: two of the great ones in the AFC. Let's take 139 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: a closer look at the entire conference. You've got Patrick Mahomes, 140 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: You've got Josh Allen, You've got Trevor Lawrence, and obviously 141 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: the guys you mentioned in the north. Where does Burrow 142 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: rank on the list? And what do you like in 143 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,239 Speaker 1: respect about Joe? Well, you know I made my list, 144 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: and you know you throw Josh Allen in there, two, 145 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: Trevor Lawrence, Mahomes, justin Herbert Deshaun Watson Jackson, and then 146 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: Joe Burrow and each Sunday, each Sunday. These guys can 147 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: win games for you. Not that you win games with 148 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: them or you think that you need better they are 149 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: They are the guys that win games. And so now 150 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: of the supporting cast, and do you do the little 151 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: things during the course of the game. Do you protect 152 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: the passer well enough? Do you have a good edge rusher? 153 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: Can you run a game? Compliment this quarterback? So, Joe Burrow, 154 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: if you're stacking guys, you have to put Patrick Mahomes 155 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: there first, because he's won the Super Bowls in that group. Next, 156 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: it's kind of like a wedding when you throw the 157 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: guarter belt. It's a mad scramble. Number two, Joe Burrows 158 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: hed better dive on it because I mean, you could 159 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: have an argument with anybody at a bar in one 160 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: of those cities and they would put their guy in 161 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,319 Speaker 1: number two. They would be foolish to put their guy 162 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: above Patrick Mahomes, but to put their guy in number two, 163 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: they would have a legitimate claim for that. And so 164 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: I think it's that close with those guys. But when 165 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,839 Speaker 1: you look at clothes, you look at production, and production wise, 166 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: it's Joe Burrow because he's been to the Super Bowl, 167 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: He's played in AFC Championship Game two years in a row, 168 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: so he is kind of a clear number two. But 169 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: really just depends on who's buying. We are chatting with 170 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: the great James lofton, does Joe remind you of anybody 171 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: who played with or against? I know you got the 172 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: comparison with the Joe Tanna because of the demeanor, and 173 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 1: Joe Montana was like that. I was with him at 174 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: the Super Bowl at an event on Radio Row and 175 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: I just remember him being the guy that I felt like, 176 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: if I wasn't playing in Green Bay, I want to 177 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: be playing with Joe Montana. And I think a lot 178 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: of players around the league, if they weren't playing where 179 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: they were currently playing, they won't be playing with Joe Burrow. 180 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: So this is the first offseason where the Bengals can 181 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: try to extend Joe's contract, and obviously they will try 182 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: to do that. He's probably going to be making fifty 183 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,719 Speaker 1: million dollars a year or something like that. What did 184 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: you just say, fifty million dollars or something like that? 185 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: How does that sound? Sounds pretty good? Right? It does 186 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: sound crazy, but it's happened. I remember when it was 187 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: seventy five cents to go to the movies. So assuming 188 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: they get this done and they keep guys like Higgins 189 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,959 Speaker 1: and Chase with a salary cap ley, you know, I 190 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: don't I don't know if if you can do quarterback 191 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: friendly deals like Tom Brady did with New England, you know, 192 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: he still got paid a lot of money, but he 193 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: wasn't always the highest paid guy. He wasn't always making 194 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: what he deserved for what he was doing for his team. 195 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: So it's not my money. So what a quarterback? I 196 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: can't believe I'm about to say this, take a discount 197 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: and only take forty million a year as opposed to 198 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: fifty million a year. And would that really make a 199 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: big difference? Because I think with all the revenue sources 200 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: that the NFL has, the salaries are I guess they 201 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: really are justified. Whatever Joe makes is going to be 202 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: justified in Cincinnati, I can tell you that. So the 203 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: Bengals offensive and defensive coordinators got head coaching interviews this 204 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: past off season. They did not get selected. So the 205 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: Bengals will go into next year with Zach Taylor in 206 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: his fifth season and all of his coordinators with him 207 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: for that entire time. Lu and a Rumo on defense, 208 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: Brian Callahan on offense, Darren Simmons as the special team's coordinator. 209 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 1: How advantageous do you think that is? Well, it is 210 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: advantageous because you don't have any new learning, But then 211 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: on the other end, it's also disadvantageous because you don't 212 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: have any new learning. You're not bringing a new spice 213 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: into the building. Because everybody who's competing against you in 214 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: your own division, they're getting to know you a little 215 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: bit better, You're getting to know them a little bit better. 216 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: And then it really does boil down to the personnel. 217 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: And you mentioned about the quarterback getting the contract extension, 218 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: who does that chop off? That was really good, But 219 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: now you've got to bring in somebody and teach them 220 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: what this guy already knew. So having new the same 221 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:54,079 Speaker 1: coordinators helps in that fashion. So, but coordinators are important. 222 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: Head coaches are important, and I love coaches who have 223 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: smart gambles. So during the course of a game going 224 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: forward on third down, you know, having a third down 225 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: where you got third and one, throw that ball deep 226 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: because you know you can pick it up on fourth 227 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: down or you have confidence to do that. And you 228 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,839 Speaker 1: played to the strength of your players. What do they 229 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: do well? Don't ask guys to do things that they 230 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: don't do real well. And I think that the Bengals 231 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: have done that when I watched them play. They don't 232 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: ask guys to do things that they aren't capable of 233 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: doing exceptionally well. Final question for James Lofton. We've crossed 234 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: paths a few times over the years when you've been 235 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: broadcasting Bengals games. The last one you did was in 236 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty season, shortly after Joe Burrow got hurt. Yeah, 237 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: were you stunned that they were in the super Bowl 238 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: the next year? You know what? And you go back 239 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 1: to about week twelve and the Bengal I can't remember 240 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: who the Bengals had lost too, but it was a 241 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: loss and it might have been the Chargers. I don't 242 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: know if that sounds if that's correct, but there was 243 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 1: somebody that they lost to. That last quarter of the 244 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:03,839 Speaker 1: season is up, they're kind of done, and then they 245 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: won the next four or five to close out the season. 246 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: So it depends on getting hot at the right time. 247 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: And we're always talking about playing your best football in 248 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: December and January, and the Bengals have done that the 249 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: last two years. And that really does boil down to 250 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: coaching and the coach having that confidence in his players 251 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: that pushes them enough during training camp a little bit 252 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: during this course of the season, knows when to back off, 253 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: understands the bye weeks, understands the Thursday night games and 254 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: all of that, and makes it not that it's just 255 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: player friendly, but it's also coach friendly because you want 256 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: your coaches to be energized at the later part of 257 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: the season. So that's what I think Zach Taylor has 258 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: done exceptionally well. James, this has been great and on 259 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: behalf of Bengals fans, thank you for publicly endorsing Ken 260 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: Riley's Hall of Fame case before he got in. I 261 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: think the impact of legends like yourself and others who 262 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: spoke up and trying to make the case the cannon 263 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: is sixty five interceptions deserve to be in Canton made 264 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: a big difference. So thank you very much. Well, I 265 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: just got to tag the Ken Riley's story with this, 266 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: so we had the two head to head matchups. And 267 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: then he takes a coaching job with the Green Bay 268 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: Packers and he lives five houses away from me, just 269 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: to torment me even more. I couldn't get open to 270 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: even when he was coaching for the Packers. Well, that 271 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: bust is going to look great in Canton, and thank 272 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: you for the impact that you had in making it happen. 273 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: So again, thank you for your time. Greatly appreciate it, 274 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: and I hope our paths crossed in a broadcast booth 275 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: sometime soon. Great scene you get Dan. The Bengals Booth 276 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official 277 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred 278 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health 279 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit 280 00:15:55,800 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: Kettering health dot org. To learn more and by pay Corps. 281 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: More than twenty nine thousand customers trust paycre to help 282 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at 283 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: paycorps dot com. The NFL Scouting Combine has been going 284 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: on this week in Indianapolis, and while the drills are televised, 285 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: one thing we don't get to see are the meetings 286 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: that the teams hold with the players. What exactly are 287 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: those meetings like To find out, I caught up with 288 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: the Bengals director of college scouting Mike Potts. Mike, how 289 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: valuable is the combine and what do you value the 290 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: most while you're here? It's really valuable overall. I think 291 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: the medical is probably the thing that is the most 292 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: valuable at the end of the day for us. Just 293 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: having three hundreds some players all in the same place, 294 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: with all these doctors from around the league getting in 295 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: depth scans and everything that they all that information that 296 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: they need, that's probably, at the end of the day, 297 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: the most valuable thing that we get out of it. 298 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: But then also the workouts in the interviews are obviously, 299 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: um incredibly important as well. So it's it's just it's 300 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: just really really great. We've been scouting these guys all 301 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: year and um, it's it's great to have them all 302 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:15,880 Speaker 1: in the same location for a week and you get 303 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: to sit down and look them in the eye and 304 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: talk to him face to face and see him work 305 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: work out there on the field. So I love it 306 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: every year. I look forward to it every year. Um 307 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: coming to Indie and UM, it's just a it's just 308 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: a great event. I would love to be a fly 309 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: on the wall for the one on one interviews, or 310 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 1: not one on one because you have several people in 311 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: the room, but the interviews that you do with the prospects, 312 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: how many do you do while you're here? And how 313 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: long are they? So there's forty five interviews that we 314 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: get this year. They were spread out throughout Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 315 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,199 Speaker 1: Thursday this week. UM. Some some years that it may 316 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: be spread over five days or so, but they're eighteen 317 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: minutes long each. We get to we get to pick 318 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: the forty five guys that we want we want to 319 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: interview and they can be anywhere from starting at eight 320 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: am and then they can end as late as eleven 321 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: pm at night. So there's there's some long days, but 322 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: it's it's Uh, you know, probably my favorite part of 323 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,239 Speaker 1: it just you're you're talking to staff members from all 324 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: these colleges, all of their coaches and getting information in 325 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: their opinion on the player. But it's but it's nice 326 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: to then bring that full circle and meet the player 327 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: face to face. So it's a great process. We go 328 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: through it. Um, I have set questions that I ask everybody, 329 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: and then there's also specific questions tailored to that individual, 330 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: and then we let our position coach go through some 331 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: tape with them and and everybody in the room is 332 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: kind of free to shoot out questions at you know, 333 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: towards the end of it, if there's specific things that 334 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: pop up. So it's, uh, it's an awesome, awesome process, 335 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: and it's it's great for for some of the people 336 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: that aren't familiar with the player to really have a 337 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: strong baseline and introduction to some of these players. Is 338 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: that typically the first time you have ever talked to 339 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: the player, it typically is at some of the small schools. 340 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: They may bring if they only have one prospect or 341 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: one or two, they may bring them in to meet 342 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: with you. If you go on a scouting visit to 343 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: say a Division two school or something like that, and 344 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: then there's a handful of schools that they'll introduce you 345 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: to the player very briefly, but I would say probably 346 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: a good ninety percent of the time it's the first 347 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: real interaction with that player, and then that'll continue throughout 348 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: the spring. Obviously going to their pro days, you'll get 349 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: more face to face interaction with them, and then we 350 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: may well we get thirty guys that we can bring 351 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: in for visits to Cincinnati, so we'll get some more 352 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,479 Speaker 1: face to face interaction, but that typically most of the 353 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: time is the first time that you're talking to them 354 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: face to face. We're visiting with the Bengals director of 355 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: college Scouting, Mike Potts. Eighteen minutes isn't very long. Do 356 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: you have to stick to a tight script to try 357 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: to get as much accomplished as you can in those 358 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: eighteen minutes we do. We try to take advantage of 359 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: every second that we have, so some of it is scripted, 360 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: but there we try to make it a balance to 361 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: where it's not too scripted and it's it's somewhat casual 362 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: and conversational to where in that eighteen minutes you're not 363 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: going to find out everything, but you want to get 364 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: a feel for who they are as a person, get 365 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: a feel for their general personality, you know, just just 366 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: so you can go off of your scouting instincts and 367 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 1: compare them to guys that you've interviewed in the past. 368 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 1: And like I said, we ask a lot of the 369 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: guys the same questions, so we can compare even the 370 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: forty five guys that we interview this year, we can 371 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: compare some of the ways that they answer those same questions. 372 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: But yes, we try to make it as efficient as possible, 373 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: and we're constantly tweaking it every year if there's one 374 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: question we want to take out and a new question 375 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: we want to add. But like you said, it's you 376 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: can never get one hundred percent conviction on a guy 377 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: in eighteen minutes, But we try to do the best 378 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: that we possibly can. Are they taped? They We used 379 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: to do that, but we chose not to go with 380 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: that now. Like I said, it goes along with wanting 381 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:01,679 Speaker 1: to get a true feel or the person. And you know, 382 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: just how it is with anybody. If a camera's in 383 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: your face, you're probably not going to act exactly how 384 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: how you would be in a casual setting. You know, 385 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: you and I just sitting here having a conversation. So 386 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: we had done that at times in the past, but 387 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: we've kind of went away from that and we have 388 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: we've chosen not to record it, but we do. We 389 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: do take notes on everything. You know, all of our 390 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: scouts in the room or are taking different notes and 391 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: and we'll grade guys A through F in terms of 392 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: you know, what we what we thought of them in 393 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: the interview process. So it's it's, uh, you know, there's 394 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: it's documented in a certain way, but we don't. We 395 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: chose not to video or audio record it. If you 396 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,919 Speaker 1: have a quote unquote red flag on a guy, something 397 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: that's happened in their past, an incidents, something that happened 398 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: on their team, whatever that might be, is this a 399 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: major opportunity to get to the bottom of it? Is 400 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: that kind of when you address it? It is because 401 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: everybody has different opinions on the players. So I may 402 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: go into a school, one of our other scouts may 403 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: go into a school. You may get ten different sources, 404 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: ten different staff members that have an opinion on a guy. 405 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: Maybe five or six are negative and maybe the other 406 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: four or five are positive on the guy. And then 407 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: when you get a chance, give this player a chance 408 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: to tell his side of the story. Then maybe maybe 409 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: there's some discrepancies there between different opinions that other people 410 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: thought of the of the story. Sometimes maybe there's there's 411 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: things that players will own up to that they did 412 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: negatively that maybe some people on their staff didn't even 413 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 1: know about. So there it kind of works both ways 414 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: in that regard. So I do these fun facts interviews 415 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: during the course of the season. I always end with 416 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: the same question, if you could meet anybody in history, 417 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 1: who would that person be? And it leads to some 418 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 1: fun content. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not. But do 419 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: you have a question that you found over the years? 420 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: You know, I often get a lot of interesting responses 421 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 1: that help me understand these players. Oh man, there's there's 422 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: so many different questions. I don't know if I could 423 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: boil it down just to to one. UM. I always 424 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: like asking them what their what their drive is, what 425 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 1: their motivation is. Um It kind of gives us a 426 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: feel for how much they love football along with you know, 427 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 1: sometimes you you you ask about their family, you ask 428 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: about football questions we put the tape on. I just 429 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 1: love seeing a combination of that and certain moments in 430 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: the interview when the guy really lights up and you 431 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: can really see his passion, and then some guys are 432 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: just less, less emotional, you know, lower lower energy, and 433 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: more monotone throughout. So I think that not that we 434 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,199 Speaker 1: would eliminate a guy that that was that way, but 435 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: I think I think it does tell you a lot 436 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: about it. I wish I could boil it down to 437 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: one specific question, but if I had to pick one, 438 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: it's just kind of what their drive is. We're talking 439 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: to the Bengals director of college scouting, Mike Potts. In 440 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: racing years, you drafted a lot of captains. You talked 441 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: about the love of the game, guys that enjoy the grind. 442 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: Has it been by design that you've drafted so many 443 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: captains and guys that seem to fit that description or 444 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: is that just the way it's worked out. I think 445 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 1: it's a little bit of both. We're not going out 446 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 1: looking specifically for captains, but the type of guys were 447 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: looking for typically end up being captains, So it kind 448 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: of works hand in hand that way in terms of 449 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: we end up with the captain at the end of 450 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: our process because the guys that we're looking for, they're 451 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: displaying those traits at their college and then in turn 452 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: being you know that they earned the respect of their 453 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,199 Speaker 1: their coaches and their teammates, and then they're voted to 454 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: be captains at their school. So we're not specifically looking 455 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: for captains, because sometimes there are cases where guys are 456 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,479 Speaker 1: undeserved to be a captain at their college. They just 457 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: get voted, you know, because they're the best player, or 458 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: maybe they're the starting quarterback and the coaches want them 459 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: to be a leader and a quote unquote captain. M 460 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: But it's but they're not necessarily a great leader, and 461 00:24:54,080 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: they maybe didn't necessarily earn that captaincy. So it it's 462 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: not something that we seek out, but a lot of 463 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: times it ends up happening once we go through our process. 464 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: So back in twenty twenty, when you met with Joe Burrow, 465 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,239 Speaker 1: somebody who was in the room that day said to 466 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: me later, it was the most impressive combine interview that 467 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: I've ever seen. What stood out to you about that 468 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: initial meeting with Joe? Yeah, I would agree he was 469 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: very impressive. I had done a lot of work on 470 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: scouting him throughout the previous couple of years to that, 471 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: so I think I had a good feel for what 472 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 1: that was going to be like. But you never know 473 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: until you meet the guy for the first time and 474 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: look him in the eye. So it may have been 475 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,159 Speaker 1: a little bit more informative for the other people in 476 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: the room. But he struck you exactly the way that 477 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: his staff members at LSU and people we talked to 478 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: it Ohio State, people we talked to even prior to that. 479 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 1: The way everybody raved about him and described him, it 480 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: aligned with what we saw when we met him in person. 481 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 1: So it's always good when those two line up. Like 482 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: I said previously, sometimes it doesn't always align. There's different 483 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 1: opinions on guys and you meet a guy and you're like, 484 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: this guy's completely different than what he was described by 485 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: some people. But with Joe, it all lined up, and 486 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 1: you know, everything that I think we've seen in Cincinnati 487 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: in terms of his leadership, his drive, his intelligence, um 488 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: really everything that he brings to the table, and everything 489 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: that he's been for us in Cincinnati. UM, I think 490 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 1: I think you could see some of those traits. Even 491 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: though it's only an eighteen minute an interview. You you 492 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: got a glimpse of that U in meeting him here 493 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: in Indy. When you put on the tape. Is it 494 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: their tape? Is it Bengals tape? What are you asking 495 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: them to look at we put on their tape. We 496 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: want them to talk ball, We want them to tell 497 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: us what they know football wise. It's it's stuff that 498 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 1: they've been doing the last three to five years with 499 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: most of most of these guys, and they should be 500 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: really familiar with the terminology. Tell us what you're doing 501 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 1: on this play? Hey, coach me up here, if I'm 502 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: if I'm the right guard on this play, coach me 503 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: up in your scheme? M what are they asking you 504 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: to do? So it's it's it's all their tape. It 505 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: could be from any point throughout their career, freshman all 506 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 1: the way up to to senior year. And there's it's 507 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: we're restricted for time, so sometimes we may only get 508 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: to five to ten clips. But then it kind of 509 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: gives us a direction to go later in the process 510 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: in terms of if we meet them at their pro 511 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: day and we can sit down for an hour and 512 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: watch tape with them, or we do a zoom interview 513 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:29,199 Speaker 1: with him, or we bring them into our facility, it 514 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 1: kind of is able to point us in the right 515 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: direction for the questions that we still need to answer 516 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: in terms of our football intelligence. A couple more questions 517 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,160 Speaker 1: for Mike Potch. You've been with a Bengal since twenty fifteen, 518 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: I believe working very closely with Duke Tobin. What do 519 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: you admire and respect about Duke. Duke's great to work for. 520 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: He doesn't micromanage us whatsoever. I think he's very even 521 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,959 Speaker 1: keeled in his personality. I think he's a you know, 522 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: a guy who is just looking to do what's best 523 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 1: for the organization. And I really respect that about him. 524 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: Love working underneath of him. Um. He's taught me a lot, 525 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: you know, just about scouting, about the whole process, you know, 526 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: from from the salary cap thought side of things, some 527 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: of the analytics things that we do, you know, pro 528 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: and college scouting. And he's he's given me a great 529 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 1: opportunity here to put a ton on my plate. You know, 530 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: my my job duties may be more focus mainly on 531 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 1: college scouting, but that may only be seventy percent of 532 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: what I do. There's a lot of other things that 533 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: he's given me to put on my plate and that 534 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: helps me get better, um, and develop more experience in 535 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 1: different areas to you know, be able to add more 536 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: value to the organization. So I really really love the 537 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: way he has everything is set up here. And again 538 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: he's he's a great guy to work under. The draft 539 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: is a very imprecise science, but the Bengals have been 540 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: on at least I think a bit of a role 541 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: of late. What do you think that you and the 542 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 1: entire Cincinnati staff have done well bringing in the right 543 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: people character wise, And there's different phases to it. You 544 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: talked about the interviews, you know, we we've talked about 545 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: scouting and talking to people at their colleges, you know, 546 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: in their in their life growing up before college, their 547 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 1: family background. So you just have to put it all together, 548 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: you have to. We have a we have a lot 549 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: of hard workers on our staff that really embrace the process, 550 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: are really detail oriented and thorough in everything that they 551 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: do from an evaluation standpoint. And then really at the 552 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: end of the day, I think it's not overthinking it. 553 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: We're looking for good players. Everybody's looking for good players. 554 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: But sometimes you may overvalue a certain a certain trait 555 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: whatever whatever it could be speed, it could be size, 556 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: you know, it could be intelligence. I think at the 557 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: end of the day, we're looking for the guys that 558 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: that can bring the most well rounded um games to 559 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: Cincinnati in all aspects, it's not you know, it's easier 560 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: said than done, especially picking late in the drafts as 561 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,239 Speaker 1: we have been here the past couple of years. It's 562 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: gonna it's gonna make it a little bit more difficult, 563 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: and it's gonna make our process that much more important. 564 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: But um, at the end of the day, and I 565 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: don't think it's it's rocket science. It's it's uh, we're 566 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: evaluating football players and uh, and we're not going to 567 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 1: overthink it. But but I do think we've done a 568 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: good job, and I at the same time, I think 569 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: I still think there is room for improvement, to continue 570 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: to get better with with our processes and continue to 571 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: just to just bring in the right type of players 572 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: that we want. Again as people and as football players, 573 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: these are busy, long days. You are running on coffee 574 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:38,719 Speaker 1: and adrenaline. I appreciate you taking some bud time with 575 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: me and best of luck when the draft approaches. Thanks 576 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: a lot, Dan, I appreciate it. The Bengals Booth podcast 577 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: is brought to you by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. 578 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: They're free to play with tickets and signed merchandise up 579 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: for grabs. Find both inside the Bengals app. As I've 580 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: mentioned before on this podcast, I am a big fan 581 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: of mock draft simulate. If you're not familiar with what 582 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: I'm talking about, you can find good ones for free 583 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: at Pro Football Focus dot com and Pro Football Network 584 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: dot com. The Mock Draft simulator allows you to play 585 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: Bengals GM for as many rounds of the draft as 586 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: you want. The simulator begins making picks in order, and 587 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 1: then when it's your turn, you can decide whether you 588 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: want to wheel and deal or go ahead and make 589 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: the Bengals pick. I've been doing three round mock drafts 590 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 1: for several years and it's a great way to learn 591 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: some of the players that are likely to be available 592 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: to the Bengals. So this week at the combine, I 593 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: came up with a fun idea. I asked several NFL 594 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: draft experts to join me in front of my laptop 595 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: and make the Bengals first three picks by using the 596 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: Pro Football Focus mock Draft simulator. Up first, Dane Bruegler, 597 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: who covers the draft for the Athletic All Right, we 598 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,959 Speaker 1: fired up the PF mock draft simulator with my favorite 599 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: draft guru, Dane Brugler from The Athletic. Always great to 600 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: catch up with Dane at the combine. We're not gonna 601 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: be allowed to make any trades. We don't know how 602 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: accurate this is going to be based on your board, 603 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: but in any case, I'm going to hit start and 604 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: when the Bengals pop up at number twenty eight, we'll 605 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: look at the options available, we'll see which guy's just 606 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: got picked, and we'll see what you would do. So 607 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: here we go. All right, the picks are flying off 608 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: the board. This goes very very quickly. We are at 609 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, twenty eight. Dalton kin Kaid, who has 610 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: frequently been mocked to the Bengals, just went at twenty 611 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: seven to the Buffalo Bills. I'll show you a few 612 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: of the previous picks. Yea Mozzi Smith at the board 613 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: of twenty six of the Cowboys. That's interesting, Zay Flowers 614 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: at twenty three of the Vikings. Now we're going over 615 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: to the guys still available side right, So we have 616 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: Collijah Cans. This is the best available Cordin at PFF. 617 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: So we've got Collige Kanci, Dante Banks, drinks way too early. 618 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: Fron Jack Carter Nolan's myth who had such a big 619 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: workout last night at the Combine. Okay, Anton Harrison, that's 620 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: a good name to keep on the radar. Luke Musgrave 621 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 1: who they might name rename the combine after him when 622 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 1: he's done with it. You had him going to the 623 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: Bengals in your most present mock. I did, and and 624 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: you know, I think that got mixed reaction from Bengals fans. 625 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: But uh, he's a weapon, He's he's a really athletic player, 626 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,959 Speaker 1: so I think he should at least be in that conversation. 627 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: H B Gigi Larry. I think that makes uh if 628 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: if we're talking about best player, he's someone that you know, 629 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: you always try to get strength on the edges, even 630 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: if it's not your number one need. So I like that. Um, 631 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: you know, I keep going back to the top and 632 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: there's a corner there, Deontay Banks, who if they were 633 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: to go in that direction, Uh if if they wanted 634 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: to look at a cornerback at that point, I think 635 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: Deontay Banks would be a really good value. This is 636 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: a player that throwing the Ohio State tape and watching, 637 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 1: you know, cover Mervin Harrison. That was a fun battle 638 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 1: to watch between those two big athletic He covers well 639 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 1: to the top of routes if as long as he 640 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 1: trusts his technique. He is an NFL starter and a 641 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: guy that I think you feel comfortable leaving on an 642 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 1: island in the NFL. So, Jonte Banks, that's awfully appealing there, 643 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: twenty eight. I think that might be the direction I 644 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: would go all right with the twenty eighth pick in 645 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty three NFL Draft. The Athletics draft guru 646 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:33,879 Speaker 1: Dame Bruegler has selected Maryland cornerback Tante Banks. So here 647 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: are some things to know about Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks. 648 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: He's six feet tall, one hundred ninety seven pounds and 649 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: ran a four three five forty at the combine to 650 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: rank third fastest among the cornerbacks. His forty two inch 651 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 1: vertical leap was number one in their most recent mock drafts. 652 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 1: ESPN's Mel Kiper and the NFL Networks Daniel Jeremiah both 653 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: had Banks going twenty third to the Kings. Now time 654 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: to move on to the Bengals second pick, number sixty overall. 655 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: Now the draft simulator will zip to the Bengals pick 656 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: in the second round. Okay, we'll take a look at 657 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 1: some of the most recent selections. Jamie Robinson him off 658 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,359 Speaker 1: to the Bills safety from Florida State. Matthew berg Ern 659 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: tackle guard for the Cowboys at fifty eight, which that 660 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: would have been a nice pick for the Bengals. Josh 661 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 1: Down to the Giants, Steve of Vila to the Jags, 662 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,640 Speaker 1: Big Dwan Jones from Ohio State. Your second round pick 663 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,760 Speaker 1: in your most meat recent draft to the right. Yeah, 664 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: so okay, let's look go ahead and look at the 665 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: best available at this point. Then Andre Carter is still there, 666 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: not surprising. Nathaniel Dell still a little early for him. 667 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 1: Dan Henley, he's on his way up. I like that. 668 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: Oh at a barre from Northwestern who unbelievable combine before. 669 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: I've never seen a human being two eighty pounds or 670 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,560 Speaker 1: more run as four or five forty until last night, 671 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 1: so I thought to be the fastest ever by a 672 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: guy to at the combiner. Unbelievable. Um. Now the question is, okay, 673 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 1: how do you Because he was great at the Singer Bowl, 674 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,280 Speaker 1: great here at the combine because it was the positional 675 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,200 Speaker 1: stuff was great too. So how do you apply that 676 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: now to the evaluation? How how does his grade change? How? 677 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:21,839 Speaker 1: You know, how do you see it on tape? So 678 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: that's what teams are kind of scrambling to figure out. 679 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: I mean, you love it for the kid. It's good 680 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 1: for him. He's gonna go much higher than we thought 681 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: in December. But uh, you know what point do you 682 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: take him? Um? Okay, Luke Whippler from Ohio states a 683 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: little early for him. Carl Brooks from Blowing Green and 684 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:41,280 Speaker 1: Nick Herbig interesting kind of a hybrid rusher. Sam Laporta 685 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,880 Speaker 1: from Iowa I like quite a bit. Um the Iowa 686 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: tight end. Just a rock solid player. I'll tell you what. 687 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: At a barre. Uh, you know he gives you a 688 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,319 Speaker 1: little versatility, can be that three technique? Can you know, 689 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:57,840 Speaker 1: can rush off the edge. Um, he's got a different 690 00:36:57,840 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: body type because he's a little shorter, but he's got 691 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 1: their four inch arms. So let's go without a bari here. 692 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:06,919 Speaker 1: Strengthen the defensive line both inside outside. You've got someone 693 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:08,680 Speaker 1: that you can mold. And you know, you look at 694 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: the Bengals draft last year with a guy like you know, 695 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: Dax's Hill in the first round. You know who you 696 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,279 Speaker 1: pick for the future at a barre is a guy 697 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:17,960 Speaker 1: that's going to help you right away, but also a 698 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 1: pick for the future on that defensive line. Now some 699 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:26,239 Speaker 1: more details on Northwestern defensive lineman at a Tommy Wah 700 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: at a barre he's six two, two hundred eighty two 701 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: pounds and ran a four four nine forty with a 702 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 1: thirty seven and a half inch vertical. The previous record 703 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: for the fastest forty time at the Combine by a 704 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: player two hundred eighty plus pounds was four to six 705 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,920 Speaker 1: to eight by somebody named Aaron Donald. Again at a barre, 706 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: ran a four four nine. His stats weren't off the 707 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 1: charts at Northwestern, with five sacks last year and four 708 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: and a half the year before. Pro Football Focus has 709 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 1: him ranked forty fifth. It's top one hundred board and 710 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,840 Speaker 1: that came out before the Combine. Now time for the 711 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:10,839 Speaker 1: Bengals next pick number ninety two. Overall, we are just 712 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: about at Cincinnati at pick number ninety two. Alight, first, 713 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:19,760 Speaker 1: we'll see the guys that went just before the Bengals. Okay, 714 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,360 Speaker 1: so Devin eh Chain to the Bills, I don't you know, 715 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: and maybe they could have taken a running back. You know, 716 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: we'll see how that plays out. Tucker Craft, one of 717 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,120 Speaker 1: my favorite players in the draft. Southdkota stayed at ninety 718 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:32,919 Speaker 1: to the Cowboy, that's a tremendous value there. Um Tank 719 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: Dell Houston receiver, the Giants, Sydney Brown, Illinois safety, decent value. 720 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: There's what was the last time or the less tackle 721 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 1: drafted here? Let's see what's a because the tackle class 722 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: really thins out on day two. And you know, we're 723 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 1: seeing this here, you're scrolling not a lot of tackles 724 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: off the board. Um, okay, Tyler Steen at sixty sixty, 725 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: that's and that's possible. It might be an example of 726 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 1: because tackle there's so few tackles. Uh, you know, once 727 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 1: you get to day two, So a guy like Tyler 728 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 1: Steen maybe gets pushed up a little bit. I think 729 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: it's pretty pretty rich for him. But you gotta do 730 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: what you gotta do. So that that's interesting that how 731 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:12,960 Speaker 1: the Bengals are sitting here with what's available. Should I 732 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,800 Speaker 1: filter the remaining guys and look at tackles? Would you 733 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: like me to take a shot at that? All right? 734 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 1: So we are hitting that little tackle button here, all right? 735 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 1: So at this point, Blake Freeland, Luke Haggaroof I like 736 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: Bradon Daniels. Brandon Daniel is a good player. UM, I 737 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: think this is right around the range where you start 738 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: thinking about Bradon Daniels. Carter Warren maybe as well, But 739 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: the rest of these tackles are not guys that you're 740 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: getting excited about here in the third round. UM, I 741 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 1: did see a tight end that caught my eye there, 742 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: and if you were to be available at this point, 743 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,399 Speaker 1: I don't know how you're passing UM talking about Sam 744 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: Laporta from Iowa, who, in my opinion is and this 745 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,359 Speaker 1: is a really deep tight in class. And that might 746 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: be the reason why you don't draft a tight end 747 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:06,239 Speaker 1: in the first round, because you feel good about who's 748 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:08,799 Speaker 1: gonna be there for your second, third, fourth round, and 749 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 1: case in point right here, late third round, Sam Laporta 750 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: is here. Luke's schoonmaker I think is a third round player. 751 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:19,239 Speaker 1: He's still available, but Sam Laporta, I'm not passing up 752 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,640 Speaker 1: this value. Give me Laporta, who you know. You talk 753 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,839 Speaker 1: to scouts and they'll say he's maybe not quite as 754 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: athletic as a Noah Fan or t J. Hawkinson, but 755 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: he's got the grit of George Kittle talking about those 756 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 1: Iowa tight ends, so Sam Laporta pick ninety two, loving 757 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:40,040 Speaker 1: that value there. The Bengals reportedly met with Sam Laporta 758 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,960 Speaker 1: at the combine. Iowa listed him at six four, two 759 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: hundred forty nine pounds, and he had a very productive 760 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,760 Speaker 1: career with the Hawkeyes, finishing with one hundred and fifty 761 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:54,480 Speaker 1: three catches for nearly eighteen hundred yards. Among Iowa tight 762 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,520 Speaker 1: ends all time, Laporta ranks first in catches and second 763 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: in yards, and he was a team captain last year. 764 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 1: After you do a mock draft on the Pro Football 765 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 1: Focus simulator, PF gives you a grade. Let's find out 766 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:14,000 Speaker 1: how Dane Brogler did. Here's how PF has graded your 767 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,439 Speaker 1: picks A in round one, B plus in round two 768 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,839 Speaker 1: as in round three. For an A overall grade, you're 769 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: the highest highest anyone's graded so far. I'll take that. 770 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:29,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't you know, the grade means little, 771 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:33,479 Speaker 1: But if that's the three players the Bengals come back 772 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 1: with picking later in each round, I think you got 773 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 1: to feel great about that. You got guys that can 774 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 1: help right away but also building for the future. So 775 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:45,000 Speaker 1: I like that. Haul a lot for Cincinnati. This was fun. 776 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 1: I always appreciate your time. Keep up the great work. 777 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 1: Can't wait to see the Bible. All right, thank you, 778 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: I said the Bible, I meant the Beast. That's the 779 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,760 Speaker 1: name of Dane's annual draft guide, which is the most 780 00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: comprehensive of any more three round mock drafts using the 781 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,799 Speaker 1: PF simulator in the weeks to come. On this podcast 782 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 1: with Charles Davis from the NFL Network, Pete Prisco from CBS, 783 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: and Austin Gale from The Ringer. That's going to do 784 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:15,879 Speaker 1: it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast brought 785 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 1: to you by Cattering Health, the official healthcare provider of 786 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:22,600 Speaker 1: the Bengals, by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free 787 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: to play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs 788 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:30,520 Speaker 1: by pay Corps, the official HR software provider of the Bengals, 789 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:35,200 Speaker 1: and by Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet elevate your 790 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:38,800 Speaker 1: connection with Alta Fiber. If you haven't done so already, 791 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:41,480 Speaker 1: please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, 792 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: give it a rating or share a comment. Matt helps 793 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,600 Speaker 1: more Bengals fans find us I'm Dan Horde. Thanks for 794 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,160 Speaker 1: listening to the Bengals Booth podcast