Bengals Booth Podcast: Feeling Good

columnist for CBS sports dot Com. Last year, after the Bengals draft to Joe Burrow, Pete said that the Bengals would win a Super Bowl maybe two with Burrow at quarterback. We'll see if he still feels that way after Joe's rookie season. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. Refresh the game, and here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing

on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since the Crosstown tip Off Challenge. It started in early January when a Xavier fan left a one thousand dollars tip on a fifty five dollars tab at Zip's Cafe and Mount Lookout and signed it Go Xavier. A few days later, a UC fan left a one thousand and one dollar tip at Keystone Bar and Grill

and Clifton and signed it Bearcats up by one. Ever since, fans of the best intercity rivalry in college basketball have been going back and forth, leaving huge tips and raising tens of thousands of dollars to help local restaurants that have been devastated by the COVID nineteen pandemic. Then Chad Brendall from the Bearcat Journal website and Rick Browing from The Musketeer Report challenged fans of the two schools to outdonate each other and raised more than thirty three thousand

bucks in a matter of days. The Bearcat fans won that challenge by about five thousand dollars, thanks in part to you see football players who have made the NFL like Jason Kelsey and Connor Barwin. In any case, it's been an incredible display of generosity and obviously doesn't have to be limited to UC then Xavier fans. If you have the means to leave a fat tip and add a who Day next to yours signature. The restaurant industry can certainly use our help. Now let's get to football.

The Bengals had a very productive two eighteen draft, selecting two cornerstone players in Jesse Bates and Sam Hubbard, as well as two productive late round picks in Darius Phillips and audentn Tate. But so far, first round draft picked Billie Price has not had the career that he or the team was hoping for. But Billy is only twenty six years old and has been reunited with a coach that was in his corner when the team selected Price twenty first. Overall, I spoke to Billy about that and

much more this week. So you moved to Dallas, where it's normally pretty mild in February, and instead Texas is experiencing historically bad weather with more than a million people without power. How are you, your wife and your dogs doing? Thankfully, we're doing okay. We're in the northeast part of the Dallas suburbs, which is an area it's doing well. We haven't had any issues with electrical issues. Water has been fine,

which is phenomenal for us. Actually, Hakimodenogy, who is in Garland, Texas. He was actually staying with me for the last couple of days just because they lost electricity. Power was going off, making sure you know that they had food, We were warm, Things were good. The dogs are definitely loving the snow because we didn't get any of that in Kentucky before we left, so definitely they're thankful. But everybody here is healthy,

safe and warm, so I appreciate that. So you move there after working with offensive line guru Duke manny Weather last year. Correct, Yeah, just that and just kind of getting away I think at the mental space after a long season, you know, a long tough two seasons the last two years again not the success that we wanted with the team, and it's just it's good to get

away mentally and really just kind of rejuvenate things. Take you a month to kind of let the body rest and then to get back then get back going with Duke. You know, right now, I haven't started training yet, and we're going to start ticking it up here with Duke here next week, just to get things going again, get

the body movements going. I know that offensive linemen take a lot of force and take a lot of brunt during the season, and so it's appropriate to take that time, let your body rest, get the information down, kind of research your metabolism again. You know, you're you're eating certain things to make sure you're maintaining weight during the season, So it's just nice to kind of get a refresher. You know, the economy down here is booming. The housing

market is going crazy. There are people move in from California and their tessa's doing a big investment down here. So it was a right move for long term financially. And again, I mean historically the weather is phenomenal down here at this time, So I'll take the sixty degrees versus the thirty that you guys got up north. So when you're working out with Duke, I'm picturing a bunch of NFL offensive linemen or top college offensive lineman they're hoping to be in the draft, you know, not only

working out physically together, but also sharing trade secrets. Is that kind of what it's like. Oh yeah, and again it all caps off with you know, the O line masterminds. The Duke has really taken over. With the next that ends up happening in June. It's just it's really really nice to be able to kind of, you know, pick each other's brains on playing certain opponents in certain men. But it's nice to be able to kind of just be around like minded people and with the same purpose,

in the same drive. And that's really really essential in the offseason for guys to be successful is to continue to keep those people around you, to keep you to keep your edge, and to keep you striving to be the best. Again, there's only twenty two all pro. There's only twenty two you know, all pro guys, those are the things you really want to strive for every year.

Biggest benefit physical technical or mental. Mental and technical for sure are the top two m I believe everybody lifts, you know, everybody's going to do their core exercises or

squads or benches and stuff. But that really for us is how you translate that lifting into some of the technique work, you know, and then once I get you know, for this year, you know, doing the technical work and the mental work with Duke to come back in with Coach Pollock here again, you're going to be able to see, you know, the refines that Coach Pollock wants versus what we were training for you know, last eight weeks, six weeks with Duke, and there's a lot of carry over

with it, which is phenomenal. Again, it's it's nice to be around like minded people who are all on the same page with the same purpose. So um. But it's also, like I said, mental, mental for me is always the thing. It's just getting refresh. Pick somebody's brain and you know, hey, this is how I see it, and somebody else might see it in a different way. Somebody might see it

the same way. So it's it's nice to kind of get it an all rounded view on what you're doing, who you're playing, how to attack that person again, I know we have we've had many conversations and how do you how do you stop Aaron Donald? You know? And that was Those are long conversations, a lot of different people, a lot of different ideas of how to do certain things. But it's like I said, it's nice to be around those people. So you mentioned the return of offensive line

coach Frank Pollock. You gave it an LFG and a bicep flex emoji on Twitter when that news was announced. Why it's just exciting for me. Again, that's the person who you know, helped draft me to this organization and to this franchise. Um. I had a lot of success my rookie year, did some really good things that you know, I was looking forward to growing on. Obviously took a pickup tour my plan or Fascia, you know, had a

couple of setbacks with that. So it's nice and it's very optimistic to look forward to what this offensive line did in twenty eighteen with Joe Mixon healthy, with five guys, they were pretty consistent. There wasn't a lot of lineup change with that, and just seeing the technique work and how the rejuvenation of the run game was in twenty eighteen, I know that that's something every offensive line puts their foot on, puts their stamp on. We are going to

run the ball at you. And when you have a phenomenal running back like Joe Mixon, you want to capitalize on that. So it's going to be again, I think the word rejuvenation is appropriate, and I'm so so looking forward to it. Joe Burrows said that after the news came out, Joe Mixon called him and was quote hooting and hollering, who's more excited, Joe Mixon or Billy Price. I gotta I gotta tip the half to Joe. I know I texted Joe as well, Um, you know, a

little inside joke that we had going on. But it was just just exciting. I think everybody in the room, everybody in the building is just exciting, excited to get back to it. I mean, you saw what we were able to do with the past game, and I know Coach Taylor really likes his the past game and what he does with Joe Burrow, Te Higgins, Tyler Boyd and all the accessory pieces that we have. But it's going

to be very nice to be able to compliment that appropriately. Again, Joe Mixon had one of his best years in two th eighteen. You know, I always bragged people he had a thousand yards or like three three games left to go in season, and that's phenomenal. And I know you see the numbers that Derrick Henry puts up. You know Joe Mixon is a guy who can do that same thing. It's just you've got to have the complimenting pieces and

the work to be done up front. And I know, again, I know everybody in the offensive line room is on the same page. Everybody's excited about it. For our guys to get healthy, get in the right direction, and just just attack this and get put some respect pack on our name as it was in two thou eighteen, because that was the standard. And every year you raise that standard, it's you know. You know Joe Mixon, I was like, hey, man, I told him and say, hey, let's get you another

thousand piece easy, and he goes thousand piece. Question mark, Let's go two thousand, you know, And that's the kind of thing. You want that standard to continue to rise and just have that have the pieces around you do what they're supposed to. We're talking to Billy Price. As you mentioned, Frank Pollock was a big voice in the room when the team drafted you number twenty one overall. Do you feel like he has extra incentive to help

you excel in the NFL? I'd like to think so. Again, every time a man or a coach, excuse me, a coach puts his name on a player, he wants to see that person succeed, you know. And when I talked to coach Pollock, and you know, I told him, hey, I was down here training with Duke and he got a little pitch in his voice, and it was like, oh, you know Brian Winners, because Brian Winners trains with Duke A manny. Whether Brian is a guard for Buffalo, Frank

personally picked McKay Beckton. McKay Beckton was training with Duke last year and he was a left tackle for the Jets. So having that familiarity of who you're training with and who the guy that drafted you, there is that sense of pride and I think that's it is a big deal. But again, I have to do the corresponding work. You know, the foundation may be laid, but it's time to go walk the path. Now, it's time to go and do those things and just be be the consistent piece and

that's how you attack this going forward. So Trey Hopkins tours ACL in the final game of last season. I think that probably makes him a long shot to be back for the start of this season. What does that mean for you? It's to be prepared and to show up day one and to be the anchor that I was drafted to be and be the person, the consistent piece and let everything else shake out where it may. You know, I give my best to Tray. I talked to Trey I've talked to him a couple of times

already this offseason. Just check him in on them and see how he's doing. Surgery went well, etc. But it's again again, be a piece of this room, be the consistent piece of the room, and do what I can do. You can't stress, you know, oh, wins Trey going to be back? Or am I going to not be the starter? Or what's going to happen in free agency or this that's to show up day one ready to go and be who I was that Frank drafted. You had to prepare last offseason for center or guard, and I'm sure

that still has to be part of the calculus. But because of that situation with Trey, is your mindset this year center? No, unfortunately, I shouldn't say unfortunately, but to continue to be to be a Swiss Army knife. I mean last camp I was. There was no two days that I was the same position. It was, Hey, okay, you're gonna go left this time, or at the end of practice, we're gonna put you it right this time.

You know, Trey take his shoe, his shoe fell off, go play center, you know it, just whatever is needed at that time to go do those things makes it tough. It does make it tough to kind of get in a rhythm and into a groove. But for this obviously, again I think that the first, the first drop of wood is at that center position. But again it's to stay refined and stay sharp during my training here with

Duke at both left end right. If a given, if need be, if they want to throw somebody in or we end up signing somebody, it's you've got to do what the team is needed, whatever is needed for the team, and an attack with the best mindset possible. Chatting with Billy Price, the one game you started at center last year, you got a game ball for the win over Tennessee. Coach Taylor said the following after that game quote, He's

everything we want our players to be about. He comes to work every day with a mindset of wanting to get better. His personality never wanes. That's pretty strong stuff. What was your reaction. I think it really really reaffirmed things I needed to hear within this franchise. Again, I was not I have not had the years that I was projected to have, and it gets to be frustrating and mentally it messes with you a little bit, But you have to take that mindset that again, whatever it

is needed for the team, you have to do. Again, as I said, I wasn't playing any position two days in a row during training camp, and that's just what was needed. We had a couple of injuries. Guys went down, you know, somebody you know, I know, Mike Jordan had to have an excuse, and so you had to go replace and filth in for guys. But to understand that there is a value for me in this franchise no matter what position it is. It was nice to hear that. Again.

You can't waiver, you can't change where you are in a personality. And again, if you're not having phone a football, you've got to go find it. You need to go find another job. And Yet, after that, and after hearing those kind words, and I'm sure they were hard felt from coach, you weren't in the starting lineup the next week. I mean to me, that would have been very difficult. Yeah, it was, But coaches have their own decisions and they make their own decisions based on what they want. You

can't control that. I can control my numbers called whenever a shoelace or an unfortunate injury is to happen. You know, you've got to be ready to go, you know, and those you take the most out of those opportunities, and you strive forward. When your foot hits that field, your hands on that ball, you've got to make a decision, and you've got to go and be the best you can.

It's not easy. I mean, it really is not easy. Again, I kind of it wasn't easy going into Wednesday practice and all of a sudden, okay, hey, but you're back down, all right, But I'm going to be ready no matter what. I'll be ready, you know, left guard, right guard, center, whatever is needed for that next week. So stuff. I know the fans and media people were a little bit more confused than others, but you block out that outside no ones, and you take care of the people inside

the building. You could not have had a better college career. Four years starter at Ohio State, National champion, All American, Remington Award winner. So how do you deal with the roller coaster ride of your first three years in the NFL. First year was good, a lot of stepping stones, a lot of good things are done, consistent marks to go into a projected better second year, and the one thing, the thing that I could control was, you know, obviously

your health. Your health in this league as wealth. I've heard many times there are things now that if I could have done my second year, I would have I've been down here training with Duke. I'd have been assessing, you know, your foothealth, your ankle, knee, elbow, shoulder health better throughout the year, and those things that you can control can help you, you know, continue to be healthy and be the consistent piece. I've got a great wife,

I've had a great, strong support system around me. It really that makes a difference with this and it's not easy. Cincinnati fans are not are not the easiest to please, I can tell you that, but again, they care. There's a passion behind this fan base. There's a passion for excellence within this fan base. But for myself as a player, you you're not satisfied with some of the stuff that happens.

You're not I'm not okay with, you know, giving up a sack at the end of the Philly game against Fletcher Cox, even though Fletcher is going to go down the Hall of Fame. You know, there's situations that, again, you can control certain things how you prepare and how you prepare all the year is going to pay dividends during the season. So that's really you reflect on it at the end of the season of Okay, what could I have done better? How do I assess things better?

And then how do I continue to grow for the next year. So you're getting ready to get back after it would Duke, what about Bengals offseason activities? Do you guys know yet if it's all going to be virtual

with the OTAs and the mini camps. No, And I'm waiting for a start of leage year to happen here in March, because again for me, I've got to travel, you know, thirteen hours back up north to come back up to Cincinnati with two dogs and looking beautiful wife, and you know, continue to figure out what the best

timing is for that. I know our off season packet we have received from coach Bose, Garrett and Todd in the strength style, but as far as whether it be virtual or not, still waiting for the beginning of the league year just to have those conversations and then our NFLPA president to figure that out. So looking back at last season, Joe Burrow is having an excellent rookie year before his injury. What impressed you about your former Buckeye's

teammate first game LA Chargers. We're going five wide and he's throwing that ball around like it's a backyard football. I think that was probably one of my most impressive because again we had an Xavier had an unfortunate injury, and you know, you know, Joe's running five wide against some of them an NFL defense, really an NFL defense, and he's just making decisions real quick and easy. You can see his brain moving around. He's his first game

as an NFL player. I mean I was there and I just said, hey, man, just play your game, player game. We're gonna handle it up front. Everything was good, didn't get hit, walked right down the field. I think that was that was a special moment for me, just to kind of see him be able to do those things, and then as the season gone has gone on, just to continue to see him grow. And Joe's got some swagger. Everybody knows it. Everybody knows that kid is calm. He's

collected back there, and he is Houdinia. I was just watching the clip against the Tennessee last thing of him just ducking and diving and just missing it. All of a sudden he dumps it off to Higgins. Actually, no twenty plus yard game. And that explosiveness is something that makes it very difficult to defend, as you see people trying to defend Levark Jackson and you know, having that

explosiveness at elusiveness. I mean, Joe is a very very very special athlete, and again I'm glad that he's behind me and we're protecting them. So wrapping this up with Billy Price. People are hearing this as a podcast, they're hearing the audio, but we're doing it as a zoom call. So I can see you on my computer screen. I can see the excitement in your facial expression, just how eager you are to get back with Frank as the offensive line coach and try to have the year that

you know you're capable of having. Am I accurate in seeing that in your face? Absolutely? I think I know. When Jay Morrison gave me a call a couple of weeks ago, he could. He was like, dude, you just you've seen this rejuvenation, and I'm like, it's just it's time, It's time. It's it's a very optimistic offseason. It's a very optimistic time in the Bengals franchise right now. Again, you've got a phenomenal quarterback, You've got excellent skill positions.

You've got a defense that's continuing to get better, an offense that has continued to develop, continue to find its identity and really be able to take that next stride next year. Again, you don't listen to the media, I'm gonna hear reading who's gonna get cut, Who's this, Who's that? You know, who's projected to be in the super Bowl

next year? Who cares? It's the excitement within the building, the excitement with what is going to develop as I was able to see it and witness it, and it's just I'm just excited finally going to be a piece to be a part of that and whatever whatever facet that the team needs. Have a great offseason, look forward to getting back after it when you guys are back up here, and really appreciate your time today. Thanks so much, Billy,

appreciate your dame. Shortly after Frank Pollock returned to the Bengals, I asked him about Billy Price and he said the following quote. I'm excited to work with Billy. My job is to ring every ounce of ability out of all of those guys, and Billy is no exception to that. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. Pete Prisco, the senior NFL columnist for CBS sports dot Com.

It's been one of our favorite guests over the years on Bengals radio shows, and I reached out to him for the podcast this week to get his take on what the team should do in the draft and free agency. Let's start with your first mock draft, which you published on Tuesday. Trevor Lawrence number one to the jag Zach Wilson number two to the Jets, Jamar Chase to the Dolphins, number three, cornerback Patrick Surtan to the Falcons number four, and Piney Sewell to the Bengals number five. Is that

the ideal scenario for Cincinnati in your opinion? If I was running the show, that's what it would be, and not necessarily that player, but that position, because I think this has still got a flesh out a little bit. When who is the number one tackle and who's the best tackle, and how much better is number one than number three? Because I think the three guys, the three top tackles are all really good players, and we saw

that played out last year. Remember Tristan Wirfs ended up being the best of all of them, and he was the guy who went after right. So I do think that, you know, twitter hot draft Colt is more in love with Penny Sewell than I think most people are in the league. They like them, don't get me wrong, but

they think there's a clear line. I think the kid from Virginia Tech, and I'm just now getting into the tape watching process from guys I've talked to, Christian Darisaw is the real deal at left talk tackle and I did watch Slater last year. Remember he opted out, but he did a good job against Chase Young. So I think any one of those three guys would be good for the Bengals. You got to protect that quarterback. If the Super Bowl taught us anything Dan, it's that you

protect the quarterback and you're gonna win the game. They protected the quarterback in Tampa and all throughout the playoffs, and that's why Tom Brady was able to stand in there and make those throws. Yeah, that was the game. Right. Once the Chiefs had their injuries on the offensive line,

that offense was nothing. Yeah. And on the other side, you're like when they played Washington in the first round at Washington up a Bay that remember, the one thing was all that front four will be able to get after Tom Brady and influence them. Well they didn't. And then they went to New Orleans and they said, remember they beat him up in the first in the second meeting and they said, oh, they'll get after them, and

they didn't. And then Green Bay couldn't rush them. I mean, they hit him a couple of times, but they didn't. They didn't influence them like you want to. And then the Super Bowl was what it was. If your quarterback's protected, you're gonna be able to do a lot of things. And Joe Burrows a valuable asset. They got to be able to protect them. We're talking to Pete Prisco from CBS Sports dot Com. Do you expect the Bengals to

sign a starting offensive lineman and free agency. I think they'll look at it, and there's some good ones out there. I think, you know, if you want to look for a guard, there's some good guard. Shurf is a good guard from Washington. Now whether he gets tagged to be determined. Joe Tooney from New England is a good guard who could fit in there as well. So, and there'll be some veterans players on the market that get released here in the next couple of weeks. So yeah, I would

imagine they would nose around some of those players. But if you draft, you've come into the draft and say you're gonna draft a tackle, you get one there and Joah Williams, I think you can go play right tackle, and that solves two spots because look, Bobby Hart, they've talked him up enough enough with that you need to get a right tackle in there to play. You mentioned Christian Derrissaw and in your mock draft that I referenced.

The next pick after Cincinnati was Philadelphia taken Christian Derrisaw from Virginia Tech. And then after that you had seven, well, you had a total of seven offensive lineman I think in the first round. So it sounds like, based on some of the conversations that you've had, teams seem to think that there are a lot of good offensive linemen in this draft. Yeah, it's a good offensive line draft. It is, and you can get a lot of good

players at at all the positions. I think there's some interesting guards in this draft then, and like I said, I think the tackles are really the top three tackles are really good. Then there might be a little drop down. You don't have the kid from from Notre Dame, the left tackle, he probably go in the first round. You have the kid from Oklahoma State will probably go in the first round. Then you have the Mayfield guy from Michigan. I think it's a good group. And again, when in doubt,

go big. I mean that that should be the motto if you have your quarterback. And the Bengals have their quarterback. By the way, I'm firmly convinced they have their guy for the long run. I've been bullish on him. I actually get rid of killed by some of my guys because I said they would win a Super Bowl in ten years and so I think they have their guy. Now go fortify the offensive line in front of them

and get better and faster on the defensive line. But actually, people want to know if you are sticking with that prediction after Joe's rookie year, do you still believe a Super Bowl or maybe two in the next ten years with Joe Burroid quarterback. Yes, I do. Everything I saw from him was what I expected to see from him, and he was getting beat up, and the best thing

about him is he kept getting up. You know a lot of guys get broken in their rookie years when they get hit like that and get beat He kept getting up. I think Joe Burrow is going to be a start quarterback in this league for a long time. And look the knee, Yes you're concerned about it, but the way technology is a medical in the medical profession is these days he'll be fine, and so he'll be back being playing at a high level, which is why, Hey, you need to protect him, but you need to get

him some more weapons too. I mean that is an

important thing. Get him some more weapons. Well, let's talk about that, Pete, because I spoke to somebody from Pro Football Focused last week for this podcast who said that Sewell is a great offensive line prospect, but based on their data, the value of a true number one wide receiver is even greater than an offensive lineman, and that the Bengals should take Jamar Chase if he's still there or even DeVante Smith or Jalen Waddle before an offensive lineman.

How would you respond to that. I think the value of the number one wide receiver has gone up greatly. I used to have a theory back twenty years ago was the four pronged approach to building a team, which was quarterback, the guy who knocks the quarterback down, the guy who keeps the quarterback from getting knocked down, and the guy who knocks the quarterbacks passes down, which is the top cover corner, top cover player. I still believe that that's the formula you want to build successful teams,

but it's now a five proNT approach. With the way the game is played, you have to have a number one wide receiver, and not necessarily a number one, but two high end twos or a one A and a one B and not a star Number one is also just as good. So I agree that there's more value to that position than there used to be. Would I take one hundred and seventy pound wide receiver over a bonafide left tackle. No, I would not, and DeVante Smith's a great player. But look at the history of one

hundred and seventy pound wide receivers in this league. It just isn't very good. Can he get bigger? Sure he can, But how much did John Rossway when the Bengals picked them. Probably one hundred and seventy pounds. Yeah, maybe a little more than that, but not much, right, and that didn't work out for him, So you gotta be careful with that position. Should I think Chase is the number one wide receiver in this draft, then Smith. But Wattle's not a big guy either. I mean, I think they need

to get weapons. I think you can get weapons in the second round. What about Kyle Pitts because a lot of Bengals fans are intrigued with the notion of getting the great receiving tight end, which the Bengals don't have right now. Yeah, I like Kyle pits a lot. I think he's going to create some real mismatched problems for defenses. The problem with him is the positional value. Yeah, and

you look around the league. Okay, Kelsey is a difference maker in their offense, but their offense is different and part of the reason their offense is so different. Yeah, he's a special player, but they also have Tyreek Hill and Veggick Mahomes doing the throw. He's doing the throw and he's doing the stretch of the field. So I think he got to be in the comparison is Waller with the Raiders, and that's a good comparison, But luke where Waller came from, and so from position value, I

don't think it's that the value isn't there. Plus he hasn't block, He's not gonna be an in line tight and it's not going to help you in the run game at all. But yeah, I like him as a player. I don't think I would pick him where the Bengals are picked up. Pete Prisco is our guest. You can follow him on Twitter at Prisco, p R s c O CBS Pete. I'm trying to figure out free agency.

We're a little less than a month away. My guess is that the best players out there are still going to get huge deals, and then with a cap going down, you're gonna have a bunch of guys that sign short term bargain type deals. Do you feel the same way, Yeah, And I think before we get the free agency, you're going to see a lot of guys released. I think you're going to see some of these guys with Captain.

I'm more so than in the past. You're gonna see a lot of players, you know, just get released and make the market even deeper than it is. And I'm in the process of rank in the top one hundred free agents, and I don't think it's a great market. There's a lot of players there, but there's not a lot of impact players there. So if you're looking for a receiver, the receiver market's good, you know, and I'll give you you know, Bengals looking for a receiver. It's

a good receiver market. But again, is Corey Davis a number one wide receiver. He's a good player, but he's not a number one wide receiver. What do you pay him? Alan Robinson? Alan Robinson has had a hell of a last couple of years. He's never played with a real quarterback and he'd be good in that offense, but he doesn't run that fast. And so all of them at flaws. But the receiver market's going to be very robust. I think there's gonna be some top offensive lineman that move on.

You know, what do you do with Trent Williams If you're the forty nine ers, you get him at left tackle? He plays well, he has some COVID issues, but he still plays well and now he's thirty three, So will a team that's left tackle needy decide to pay him. I mean, there's a lot of dynamics, but I agree

with you. The top guys are going to get their money, and then you're gonna have a middle class that gets like two year deals and stuff like that that are capped from The Bengals two top free agents are Will Jackson and Carl Lawson. Do you have a feeling for which of those two they should prioritize if they could only sign one. Yeah, it's I would try and sign both of them. To be honest with you, good premium positions, and I think Carl Lawson's one of the most underrated

players in the league. I really do. I think he's a good player, and so I would if I had to pick one. I'm in the minority the way things are flowing nowadays, because people say coverage is more important. I disagree. I probably picked the pass rusher, but I like both players. I would try and bring them both back. To be honest with you, I think those two should be brought back. Yeah, I think the Bengals will try. They certainly have historically tried to resign their own whenever possible.

Any prediction on where J. J. Watt is going to wind up. I thought Buffalo would make a lot of sense, and you know there's some interest there. Green Bay's a possibility as well, since he grew up there. But I think Buffalo needs him. Buffalo was really good on offense last year. They struggled against the run in a lot of ways. They need more pressure up front. We saw

that in the championship game. So as much as Green and Greenbank could use them too, those two teams really need him to try and amp up at two defenses that need a dominant player that puts his hand on the ground. A couple more questions for Pete Briscoe from CBS, how far away are the Bengals from being good in your opinion next year? Not this year, but the following year they should be. If they're not, it's a problem. And again that all is predicated to the fact that

Joe Burrows healthy and the same guy. If he's the same guy and they get help around him, I think they'll be good on that side of the ball, really good, because I think the running back is a good player and sometimes I think they don't even use them enough. MIXI is a good player. And then you go to the other side of the ball, there's some good young

players there, but they need to get better. They need that's where they really need to get better on that side of the football, top to bottom on defense, line, linebacker, corner, take your pick. Yeah, I mean, Bates is a good player in the back end, really good player. You know, he's he's probably one of their better defense defensive players. But yeah, I think all the way across, go back, start in the front and work your way back. You could use help with all those positions. But they do

have some young guys at linebacker. They're intrigued by some of those guys. The kid they drafted from Boise last year, right, he's the guy that they're intrigued by a lot or no Wyoming not boys. And the kid from Wyoming, right yeah, Logan Wilson from Wyoming. Yeah, yeah, I mean, and I liked him coming out. I just think that when you look at it's a lot of youth on that side of the ball. But again, you gotta get bigger, stronger, faster, bigger, stronger, faster.

You have a quarterback, if you build it around the quarterback, and you go bigger, stronger, faster, You're gonna have a good football team. Well, I know that my audience will be happy to have heard that you still think the Bengals are going to win a super Bowl in the Joe Burrow era. And when you are right, because I agree you will be right, I'm going to have you on immediately afterwards so that you can gloat. Yeah, I will. I will gload on that one and one other thing

about the Bengals. I don't think their scouting staff gets enough credit for being who they are. I think I think they do a good job. And you know it used to be trendy and chic and cool. Rip the Bengals. They're cheap, they don't spend money. Look, they do a good job in that front office, and for whatever reason they don't get to do they deserve. Yeah. I mean you've probably pointed out more than any other national media member the things that they've done. Well. Yeah, and I'm

you know, Toby's done a good job with them. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves. And I think they are headed in the right direction. And think about it, Pittsburgh's probably going in the other direction. Cleveland flashed last year. But again, would you rather have Joe Burrow or Baker Mayfield? I know the answer to that question for me is an easy one. And Lamar Jackson's got to prove to people that he can throw the

football from the pocket. So you know, if you look at it from a quarterback standpoint, if you ask everybody on the outside. Right now, let's just say we're saying we're assuming Burrow's going to be back to what he was, because again it's just me, which of those quarterbacks would you want more the most? Would it be Lamar Jackson or Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow or whoever Pittsburgh trot's out in the next year or so. Yeah, Joe Burrow. I mean,

obviously I'm biased, but I'm with you. And Lamar Jackson has to learn how to throw the football better. And again he's another guy though fairness to him, they don't have a lot outside, they don't really try to throw the football that much. So I let Joe Burrow will be a big time NFL quarterback in this league. Pete, always appreciate your time. You're the best. Thank you, all right, Dan, take care of and that's going to do it. For this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you

by bud Light Seltzer, refresh the game. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe, and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thank you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast