Bengals Booth Podcast: My Opinions

Hi, get everybody.

I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.

B My Opinions.

Addition, has seven Bengals Beat reporters tackle five questions about training camp and the upcoming season, followed by my opinions on the same topics. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare

I think Dan, you know me well enough. I've always got some good takes loaded in the chamber.

For you, I would expect nothing less. Question number one, what is your biggest question going into training camp?

I think the biggest question for me.

I know that there's going to be the offensive line a lot of concerns, or how well they're going to play, you know, potentially throwing two new starters into the mixed rookie Dylan Fairchild who seems to be doing a good job of transitioning to left guard in the NFL, and then that right guards battle between Lucas Patrick Cody Ford, can Cordell Volson maybe throw his name in the hat? I think that's interesting. But for me, I think the biggest thing is how well can.

The secondary play?

And you know, I fear that I may be harping on the secondary a lot between now and the end of our conversation, but I think it's the most important thing because had they been a little bit better, had they you know, played to the level I think a lot of people thought they were capable of last year. I think last season looks vastly different than it did.

Judging by the names you just ran off, it sounds like you think that there is at least enough talent to potentially be good.

Yeah, I definitely think so.

And talking to guys in the building over the course of the offseason, I know that when Al Golden came in, they were pleasantly happy with what they had back there, and you look at what they did last year.

I know that there's been so much talk between the.

Talking heads and everybody kind of analyzing how that Bengal season looked last year. And what I like to point out to folks is you go look at the last five games of the season, I think that was probably more indicative of how that team should have played the whole year, and I don't think it really had anything to do with the personnel that was on the field. I think when you look at it, I think there were some schematic issues from time to time that really

Years here in Cincinnati.

But I think that I understand why they went to Al Golden and understand what he brings to the table.

I think Al's gonna have.

A very similar challenge that lou did and making sure that you can maximize a lot of young players without having the luxury of having really high priced defensive.

Players at your disposal.

We'll see what happens with Trean Hendrickson when training camp rolls around. But I do think that there are some really good pieces there. I think that they've used high draft picks over the years, and you expect them to play it that way. I know that when Dax got hurt, they felt he was probably the best quarterback that they had, and I think that DJ Turner and Camp Taylor Britna have shown.

Some really good flashes.

You know, Safety's probably the spot where we're looking at saying, Okay, what can these guys you know bring to the table. I've always liked Jordan Battle, not just because he's one of the best locker room personalities in there.

I was giving him a hard time last year about whether or not.

I think he had a little competition with Jermaine Pratt on how many turnovers he'd be able to force, and I think it extrapolated out to all the defensive backs. They didn't end up getting as many turnovers as they'd like. We could never figure out who two interceptions, three interceptions of what have you to. We're practic and maybe treat some of the younger defenders, But I think Jordan Battle, you know, the more that he's in, I think if he's in, you know, the closer replace of the box,

We move on to topic number two. Who is Ben Baby's breakout player in twenty twenty five.

You know, I've thought about this a good amount. I think that there are.

Some very good candidates. I will go with Josh Newton. I think him sliding in Again.

I apologize for the defensive back theme here, but I do think that that probably is one of the best and most pivotal pivotal groups in this whole on this whole roster, and Josh s Newton when they drafted him. I know that assistant coach Chuck Burks really like the mentality that Josh had, and you know, it's hard to come in and unseen a guy like Mike Hilton. But I think, you know, Josh might not has been been

And I think people.

Who are wired that way have a great chance of being successful, not just in football, but whatever it is. If you're willing to be a student of the game, you're willing to understand.

What it takes to be good at your craft.

Put in time when nobody's telling you to do so, which is such an underrated skill, you are able to be increase your odds.

Of really being good.

I think Josh being in that slot right there. I think having stability at outside corner, Josh has a really big I think he's got a high ceiling and can play at a really high level. Cam Taylor Britt would be my other option. I've been burned in the past

But I think you go and.

Watch the tape, he does a really good job of creating separation, having the understanding of how to win on routes at any other place, and people in the building will say this as well. Andre would be a number two somewhere else. So I think the Bengals have had a really strong luxury of drafting very well deep in the draft to find a guy like Andre and I think if he gets more targets, he could have a really nice year.

We playfully spar in the Bengals media room, but I think Josh Newton and Andre Yosi Vash are great calls great calls for breakout players. In twenty twenty five question number three, the Bengals defense will be better if.

Dot dot dot, Well, I.

Will, first of all, I want to make sure we go back to that previous point you just said, we don't always see eye to eye, so what we do that's a very good thing, Dan. And then going back to your question and instead of picking all the same canary again, let's switch it up a little bit. I think that the key maybe to everything when you talk about the defense, maybe one of the more underrated guys

You know, Chris Jenkins playing with the club was big. BJ Hills banged up from time to time. That was a big issue.

But when you look at how they attacked free agency, that always tells you what a front office thinks of its current roster and not just how it attacks, but who would attacks and how much money they invest in certain positions. And I thought the fact they went out and got TJ. Slayton was very big. You get a big body that you can't really move in the middle. You want somebody who can eat up those gaps inside. And it's not gonna be something that we talk about

Bring in year two.

I think the reason they went out and drafted them they needed them to play a little bit better. They go out and invest the money in BJ Hill, I thought for me was the most one of the more telling moves of the offseason that they said, Hey, this is a guy that we really want to continue to reward where he brings a lot to our locker room. And I think, and Dan, you know this, and not just what he brings on the field, but that leadership quality that he has off the field something you can't

I've been saying about TJ.

Slayton, he will not have a lot of sacks, but he might help the team have a bunch by getting the opponent into second and third and long. So I think those were really good points, all right. Topic number four is Taylor made for ESPN's Ben Baby, give me your hot take about training camp and or the upcoming season.

I think that Joe Burrow will probably have the most camp interceptions he's ever had.

That's it if we're going hot time.

But I don't think it's going to matter because number one, I think we need a preface.

Training can't buy, and large does not matter.

Stats people who if you if you ever find a reporter taking stats at a practice, make sure you hold them immediately because it is a practice situation. And I think that what you saw on OTAs and and Joe at an interesting point, and that he was, you know, and I he was talked about, you know why he was out there throwing for so long. He says, you know, I want to get to get get in a good rhythm, getting a good feel of things, And that kind of

And I think that's what made last.

Year so spectacular, the fact that he looked like he did in the spring, didn't look great early in the season, and then a was able to put together an MVP caliber season. I think, quite frankly, does not get talked about enough, and he deserves a ton of credit. I had to eat crow. I told him, Joe, I'm gonna be honest with you. I did not expect you to look like this when I saw you in the summer.

The more he can push that, the more he can get out of this offense.

I think that's something he's always trying to make that calculation in his mind at all times. Joe's always trying to think about the risk reward of how he plays the game. And I think training camp is the perfect time to go out test your defense, give them good opportunities to go out and create turnovers, but see what you feel like you might be able to get away with. Especially early, that may the biggest thing to help them

So if Joe Burrow throws training camp picks, don't panic. According to Ben Baby, our fifth and final topic the upcoming season and your prediction for how the Bengals will do. What will their record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

I think that they end up going back to win the North. As we know, nobody's won the North three years in a row. It's something that everyone would like to do. It makes it one of the toughest divisions of football. That was something when I came from Dallas six years ago really underestimated just how good this division is, the quality of the defenses, how hard it is to win week in and week out, and really just the passion that you have with the fan base is how

And so it is so difficult to win.

And when you look at what the Bengals have, I think that if the offense can play well, I think the defense will take a step. When they figured things out at the end of last year, they were five to zero, and had they played just slightly better, they're

You want to go out and chase championship.

So I have them going twelve and five winning the division and we'll see how this looks. I think probably an AFC divisional loss is where I have things I don't know. When you look at where they stand between Kansas City and Buffalo and we'll see who else pops up in a very crowded conference. I think when you look at it, it's just so the depth is incredible. I think quarterback play across the NFL has never been better.

Once you're in.

You know, had the Bengals made it in last year, we could have been having a very different offseason because when they have a tendency to get hot at the right time, really figure things out. And when you put Burrow in the postseason, he finds a way to get things done. So I've will bet against him until I see for otherwise. I feel like I'm already out on a limb saying they're going to go out and win the division. I think it's just just me being on

All right, our conversations with Bengals beat reporters is off to a great start. You have set the bar very high for the next six to come.

Ben Baby, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Always a pleasure, Dan, thank you.

It is always.

Delightful to visit with Kelsey Conway from the Cincinnati Inquirer. Are you ready to tackle five questions here on the Bengals Booth podcast.

I'm so ready and thank you so much for having me on. I think this might be my first appearance on your podcast.

I think it is.

Does that mean I've made it?

It means something, but I don't know if that's it all right? Question number one, what is your biggest question going into training camp?

Are they going to have their entire team on the practice field, meaning all of their contract stuff is resolved. I think that I've been asked that a bunch the last two weeks, and I'm at a point at this point in June where it's just really hard to say.

One way or the other.

So I think that's my biggest question heading into camp. Heading into the season, I would have a different answer, but camp, all I want to know is is Shamar Stewart.

Going to be on the field, Trey Hendrickson going to be on the.

Field, and what does that look like with a healthy Burrow Chase with no contract drama.

Do you think Shamar and Trey will eventually be in training camp, even if it's not in day one?

Yes, I think I actually think Trey Hendrickson it feels like that situation is closer than Shamar Stewart.

And that's crazy to say because I.

Never would have thought that, Like a month ago, I kind of thought Trey might take it through camp, but it just really seems like, I mean, you've seen the pictures of him training at Black Sheep this week, and knowing Trey, I mean, both of us know like his work ethic, Like I think Trey would have a really hard time not practicing.

I think maybe if it comes down to him having to do it.

For a day or two, I just I have a feeling he's going to be like, you know what, this is the most important thing to me. I've got to get on the field. I can't stand watching anymore. Whereas

Right before camp, all right, who is Kelsey Conway's breakout player in twenty twenty five?

Chris Jenkins.

I think that he's gonna get a lot of playing time just because of the depth and the numbers at the interior defensive line room.

And I think that he's got a new position coach.

I think he's the type of person that is going to get better with more reps and he'll be healthy, and so I think I'm gonna put Chris Jenkins as my breakout player.

It's interesting because I think it's almost forgotten that the dude was a second round.

Pick, right right, yeah, I you know, I know they're excited about McKinley Jackson too, but like I just kind of look at what Jenkins' skill sets were when when he was drafted, they viewed him more as like the pass rusher. I think that the Bengals don't really have that, and you know, BJ like they're not. They got to regulate his snaps because he's older. So I just think Chris Jenkins is going to see the field a lot more. He's going to not have his you know, hand injury.

So I think that let's just say this, it'll be it'll be disappointing, and it'll be nobody's swall but Chris Jenkins if he doesn't break out this year, because he's going to get the opportunity.

If that makes sense, and he won't have a giant pad and club at the.

Club club on his hands. So let's go with a big year from Chris Jenkins.

All right, Conway says Jenkins question number three. The Bengals defense will be better if dot dot dot.

Their corners stay healthy throughout the rest throughout the entire year, which I know is a tall task because injuries happen especially.

I truly think that.

If Cam Taylor, Britt DJ Turner and Dax Hill are your mix of your three healthy outside.

Corners, and you have Josh Newton.

As you're starting, Nickel, I think people are not talking about the potential of that group being maybe the Bengal's biggest strength on defense. Talking about two second round picks in DJ Turner, Cam Taylor brit then a first round pick in jaxx Till, and a hungry Josh Newton.

Who last year you could argue was after memes.

Some people say like their favorite pick of the Bengals just because of the potential in what he showed. I think if they can stay healthy, they might be a sneaky good unit that's hungry and has some talent. But it's hard to It's hard to project that because I mean, DJ Turner's talked about it. He's got to stay healthy and he's got a lot to prove from a consistency standpoint. Cam Taylor Britt is a complete you know, we don't know what to expect, but when he's on, he can be really good.

So I'm excited.

I'm really excited to watch that battle in camp. I'm excited to watch it in preseason, and I'm I'm thinking that the Bengals. I'm not in love with the past rush situation. I true, I don't think it's semed enough to make that unit better. But if they are better on the back end, right, it will help take off some of that pressure. So I'm going to go with the Bengals defense will be better their corners stay healthy and play up to the level that they were drafted to play at.

I often say that cornerback is the position that has the highest injury rate because they're little guys tackling big guys. They're sprinting up and down the field on every snap. But at least in this case, you've got four really talented guys for three spots. So sure guys will miss games.

Here and there.

Hopefully you don't have season ending injuries or things that you know, wipe out multiple guys for extended periods of time.

And I agree with you.

I think talent wise, that's a good group and hopefully they stay on the field for most of the action this season. Question number four, give us Kelsey Conways hot take about training camp or the upcoming season.

You know, I'm not much of a hot take artists, so this might be a little bit of a challenge for me. My hot take is more about the season and that it.

Is arguably the most important season of Zach Taylor's career. I think that this season has been the one that people have been waiting on right like and you saw the clip from the fanatics Fest this past weekend with that little kid saying jobur or like make the playoffs?

Like this isn't it's no, the playoffs is the bare minimum.

I think that it is time for the Bengals to make the jump of not being ten and seven, Like, what does twelve and five.

Look like for this team, you know? Or thirteen and four?

Like, in my opinion, if it's an another middling season and they make the playoffs and get bounced in the first round, it's hard to you know, discount a coach when that happens.

They make playoffs. They cannot not make the playoffs.

With Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase and t Higgins making the money that they are, it's go time.

They cannot have another slow start.

And so, in my opinion, this is and I don't think it's much of a hot take, but this is the most important season of Zach Taylor's career as the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals because there's no excuses for him. He has all of his guys healthy. You know, knock on wood that everybody stays healthy. But I think they got to like step on the gas pedal here because you know, you saw.

The clip for Netflix's promo.

I'm sure where Burrow said like he blinked and he had been in the league for five years and then he's going to blink again and you know, be ten and like he's closer to thirty then he is twenty one. So and I'm not trying to, you know, say like he's near the man of his career. But you know what I'm saying, like how many more years do you think that you'll have these elite receivers the same continuity

Pretty hot take.

I like it.

Maybe not maybe not sizzling hot.

I prefer to.

Hot, not not surface of the sun, but pretty hot. I liked it all right.

Fifth and final question for The Inquirer's Kelsey Conway. What will the Bengals record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

Holy Moly, is the AFC North going to be a gauntlet with Aaron Rodgers now in Pittsburgh.

I mean, I think a.

Lot of people are just writing the Steelers off and it's like a two person to like debate in the AFC North with Baltimore and Cincinnati. But I gotta tell you, I think the Steelers will be right with those with those two teams. Yeah, I think the Steelers have a good team around Rogers and if he can just like I don't think he wants to end his career playing like garbage. So I think I think the Steelers are gonna and you know, they're always a difficult matchup for

Game against Patriots is gonna be lay up for the Bengals last year and it was not.

So I'm gonna stick with ten and seven, and I'm I'm picking ten and seven because I'd rather be under than.

Pick them to go of fifteen and two.

Like a friend of ours that will probably pick them to go fifteen and two on your podcast when he appears on later.

But I'm sure he will reveal his identity.

But I'm gonna go with ten and seven, and I am gonna have them finish second in the division behind the Ravens. I the Jayre Alexander moved for me in Baltimore kind of put them, in my opinion, like a head of Cincinnati, just because they got some dogs over there, and I was kind of hoping Bangals make a run for that guy. But so let's go with ten and seven, second in the division.

And make the playoffs and make the playoffs.

All right, Kelsey Conway has spoken, I appreciate your time and your sizzling hot take. Look forward to seeing in training camp.

Thanks kel thanks so much for having me on the athletics.

Paul Danner Junior has promised spicy takes, and I have no doubt he will deliver on this little exercise.

So here we go.

Question number one, Paul, what is your biggest question going into training camp?

It's going into training camp, it's going into the season. It's how are we talking about this?

In week eight?

Can Miles Murphy make the most of his opportunity? We heard Al Golden right, it's time. It's time. The Bengals have promised everywhere we have talked to the personnel department, to Zach Taylor. It has been Miles Murphy's getting this opportunity. He needs snaps, he needs to play. But yet we haven't seen the production when he has had that opportunity. Now it has to happen. There's others potentially in line, there are other options. How long can you hang with

I have heard you on your podcast and in other appearances express some optimism about this. You are cautiously optimistic that he can deliver correct I see it like.

I think a guy can learn to finish that more reps can get you there. I think you've seen it in flashes. But you only get so many opportunities, and at some point you have to prove that you can do it or they have to move on. You know, we've seen that, whether it's gonna be Joseph Osai or Shamar Stewart or Cam Sample or Trey Hennett, whoever it is. At some point you have to prove that you're better than those guys. And year three for a first round pick.

That's win.

Question number two for the Athletics, Paul Dater Junior, who is your breakout player in twenty twenty five.

I don't know if this is unfair to say this, but I'm gonna say because I think he's been my breakout player before and he's kind of broken out and then regressed. Cam Taylor Bred, I'm buying Cam Taylor brit. I felt like I remember talking to him multiple times last year between the benchings and then coming back. He admitted he was just in his own head so much last year and it was part of what was going wrong.

Years, Alice moving him around in the many camps. Do you think that happens the season or were they just cross training guys and experimenting because it didn't matter.

I think that it's probably less in the season. But I think there's a lot that we don't know about what's gonna happen in the season with Al Golden in terms of how much they're going to lean into certain things. I think trying guys out, seeing how they react, and if you want to learn about how a guy reacts, how about having to cover Mikeasicki in the slot and pulling off interception of Joe Burrow. That'll do in an ability to handle whatever Al Golden's gonna throw at him.

Time for question number three, The Bengals defense will be better if dot dot dot.

I don't know if this is an easy out because it's a little too general, but I can't get past it. Al Golden has to live up.

To his reputation.

He built a reputation on developing young players, whether it be what he did in the college ranks Temple Miami as a linebackers coach here, what he did with that

It's what Kansas City has done so well. Yep, they have developed young guys, not necessarily top one hundred picks, but they just keep oh over turning young guys that can continue to keep that defense at a championship level.

And I felt like the way the process that Duke Tobin and the personnel department have approached this was the right one, right, But the only thing that ends up at the end is their process can be great, but if the results don't hit, it doesn't matter if you did it the right way, you still end up with

You promise, spicy, So here we go give us Paul Danner Junior's hot take about training camp for the upcoming season.

Chase Brown leads the team in yards from scrimmage and does something only two other running backs in the NFL have done in the last five seasons. One thousand yards rushing, five hundred yards receiving. Okay, Christian McCaffrey and Jamier Gibbs are the only other two to do that since twenty twenty. The last week's nine to seventeen. Last year, when the offense evolved, he was fifth in the NFL in yards

So more than a thousand rushing yards and more than five hundred receiving yards. I just busted out my calculator to do a little math. If you go by what he averaged over the last eight games last year, that's more than twelve hundred rushing yards and more than six hundred receiving yards. So yes, he demonstrated the ability to do it. We'll see if he can do it over a seventeen game season. But I love that hot take.

I don't know why you do this to me, Dan, Why do we do this?

Why do we help it?

Why do we have to predict records on June twenty whatever we're at right? I hate doing this because I think that we are gonna obviously learn so much. But if y'all I'm here to play, I'm here to play. Your appreciate here for it. I'll say eleven and six second in the AFC North. I like the team and where they're at gotta see it defensive, you know, pass rush,

They were last year.

And if the Bengals would have gotten the kick and the two point conversion last year, they would have been the third overall seed and won the AFC North and have won five straight going into the playoffs. The margins are so thin in between Baltimore and the Bengals and the elite quarterbacks in those games. It's gonna be thin again, That's what it is. It's those margins in those two games that will probably decide whether the Bengals are hosting a playoff.

Game or in the playoffs.

But I don't see a world catastrophic injury situations that the Bengals aren't making the playoffs this year. I do think they have put together a roster and a team and an energy that you feel around them right now that is of a real championship contender.

I'm glad you clarified Baltimore number one, because when you said eleven and six second in the AFC North, I assumed Cleveland ysh, You're champions.

The year of Kenny Pickett storyline in the NFL is what it's gonna be.

There's no question.

All right, you promise spicy takes. He delivered.

Appreciate your time, Paul, look forward to seeing.

Your camp anytime.

Dan.

Jay Morrison is next on the list.

I don't know if Jay will have stats in this particular exercise. I guess we will find out. But let's start with question number one. Jay, your biggest question going into training camp.

I think everybody's is gonna be win. Is Trey Henderson going to show up? When was first practice be I don't want to be repetitive. I'm guessing you've probably already heard that from some other guys, So I'm gonna say, will Dylan Fairchild be ready? I think that's maybe the only thing that can derail this offense. If they've got

And obviously an injury could factor in there as well. I would say that if he doesn't pan out in training camp, or if he got hurt, it seems to me that Cordell Vohlson back on the left side would likely be the backup and you'd still have that Lucas Patrick Cody Ford battle on the right side. I feel a little bit better at least about Cordell. Have him heard him talk about his relationship with Scott Peters and how much he thinks Scott is going to help him.

I agree, And just his admission that, you know, he wasn't defiant like, oh, I don't think I played that. He knew he didn't play well last year, and he's excited about learning new things and trying to get better and embracing the new. So I agree with you just his comments this year, because it was right after he was asked to take the pay cut, and we a couple of us approached him and it's like, oh, how's

Who is your breakout player in twenty twenty five.

I'm gonna go Cam Taylor Britt.

I don't know if he's been picked, but I think there was a heavy, a healthy level of respect between he and Lou. But I also think there's a nice strong dose of frustration there, and I think he's the one that kind of was hamstrung the most by how much Lou was putting on their plays. He's such an instinctual, twitchy guy and it just seemed like he was out there thinking too much and getting himself in bad positions.

Britt Al Golden played a lot of pressman at Notre Dame. Maybe that's the simple fix for Cam. Assign him to a guy and let him be athletic and trust his instincts.

Yeah, and then he is athletic.

We see it on the football field, and I've talked about this on our podcast where I went to the Logan Wilson softball game, and it's so funny watching those guys because they look totally out of place on a softball field, the way they swing the bat, the way they throw a ball. And he was making leaping catches of line drives, and he's just a great athlete. And I think that's the way to go is just let him rely on that athleticism.

We are visiting with Jay Morrison from Bengals Talk dot com. Question number three, The Bengals defense will be better if dot dot dot.

The world keeps spinning.

I mean, it can't get much worse, right, So, so I do have some stats, and this is where I think is there's some reason for optimism there, even beyond

All Right, Jae, I don't necessarily think of you as a hot take artist, but that is the assignment here. Give us your hot take about either training camp or the upcoming season.

Yeah, so, what kind of piggybacks on the last question? I will say the Bengals will lead the league in takeaways this year. I think we're going to see a jump from Cam Taylor, britt Gino. Stone's done it before. It's not like you're asking him to do something he's never done. He had a seven interception season.

And even in a bad year last year, he had four.

Right exactly, and it came on late. The momentum is there.

They get Tray and Shamar Stewart figured out, the pass rush gets better. The big thing here is I think this offense is really going to hit the ground, run and break out of the gate fast. And I don't expect them to be playing catch up and back and forth a lot. I expect them to be leading a lot of games in the second half, and that's where a lot of those turnovers come from, where the other team is forced to throw. You know what they're gonna do.

That happen, all right.

Our fifth and final question is what will the Bengals record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

So right now, until I see Dylan Fairchild, until I see this defense, I'm gonna go eleven and six. I think they could be better, But right now I'm gonna go eleven and six and second in the North. They have to prove they can beat Lamar, and I think all those close losses against the Ravens, it's almost more of a hurdle than if they were getting blown out by them and you're like, Okay, we're gonna flip it. It's definitely in their head, and they won't say it's

It just shows that it is in their head a little bit.

And if they can find a way to just beat the Ravens once this year, they only need a sweep beat them once, I think they've got a really good shot to win the division. But until we see it happen, I'm going to go eleven and six, second place wild Card, make.

An overtime field goal at home, convert a two point conversion at the end of regulation on the road, they would have had at least one win over Baltimore last year, but they got to go out and do it. We'll see if they can. Jay, appreciate your time, great stuff and look forward to seeing you at camp.

All right, thanks Dan.

Mike Petrelli is up next. But first here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.

We are joined now by my.

Pal, Mike Petrelia aka Trags, host of the Jungle Roar podcast. You can read his work at CLNS Media. Are you ready to tackle five questions on the Bengals Booth Podcast? Shoot? Dan O, All right, here we go. What is your biggest question going into training camp?

I think who is going to step forward on the defense, specifically on the defensive edge and provide more pressure on the quarterback. That is the biggest question I have I think it's a question that most Bengal fans have had this offseason. It's why they went out and drafted Shamar Stewart in the first round with some of their pick seventeenth overall, they are trying to obviously bring more to the quarterback and I think that's the biggest question I have.

Do you expect Shamar Stewart to be signed by the start of camp or at some point during camp.

I expect him to be signed right before camp begins. I think you know, both sides know what they want. Both sides have made their positions well known about the moral high ground if you will, that they want to stand and that they want a stake, and they both feel it's very important. But to me, in the end, this does not feel like a protracted situation. This feels like in situation where both sides wanted to make a statement,

All right, Trags, who is your breakout player in twenty twenty five?

Boy, there's so many ways I could go on this Dan, and I'm going to go offense, and I was going to go Chase Brown, but I'm going to go andre Yosivash because I think the Bengals have made him a bigger and bigger role, made a bigger role for him in the offense, and he's actually physically bigger. When I think we saw him in the OTAs in the mandatory mini camp, he looks stronger to me, and I think if he already has the size, Dan, he already has the length, he has the physical gifts of being a

Choice for breakout player on the Bengals.

I think T Higgins might agree based on his comments during the mini camps. Bigger, faster, stronger, twitchier was what t Higgins had to say.

So I'm with you.

I think andre Yosibosh is going to take a big step forward. We'll see how many opportunities he gets with the other weapons that they have, but I would expect him to take advantage of those opportunities. Question number three, The Bengals defense will be better if can I answer this with two not just one, Lily, Okay? If they stop the run better.

The last couple of years, it's not any coincidence, Dan that they have allowed explosive plays in the run game, especially on second and third down. That can't happen anymore. They've got to be able to stop the run. I think certainly TJ. Slayton is a step in that direction. You know they have been looking for somebody to really fill the voids and DJ Reader left and I think bringing in TJ. Slayton is a terrific step forward in that regard. They've got to be able to stop the run.

Hands of Joe Burrow a few more times a game.

You know, one and two are not necessarily separate, because if you stop the run better and you get teams into second and third and long, right now, you can pressure the quarterback better, so they're actually tied together.

Yeah, I think so.

You know, I know that Al Golden has spent a lot of time this offseason trying to craft that defense into his own image. But part of that image has to be stopping the run.

I know that.

I mean, every defensive coordinator knows that you've got to be able to stop the run, but it's how they go about it. I think we're going to see, and we already saw this in some of the offseason practices, Dan that he's going to use players along the defensive line more versatile. He's going to use them in more positions, and I think that's one way the Bengals are going to go about giving offenses different looks along the defensive front.

Now give us Mike Petrellia's hot take going into training camp for the twenty twenty five season, all right, I.

Think that Joseph Osai is going to wind up in double digits in sacks.

Nice.

I think he is going to come out of nowhere, and I think he is actually going to respond to that one year prove it to me deal that he received from the Bengals, and he's got the physical ability. He stays healthy and he plays consistently. And I've said this on my own podcast a couple of times. We've seen in twenty twenty two, and we saw it last year, like the last five to six games of the season, he turned it on. I mean, he was a different player,

Pass rush for the Bengals.

All right, that's a clip, and save for Joseph Osai, we get to our fifth and final question. I'm going to turn the clock back a little bit here. I had the honor of being the first ever guest on the Jungle Roar podcast. This was prior to the twenty twenty one seasons Super Bowl fifty six season, and we did a predict the record for the upcoming season. You said thirteen wins, and while they didn't get the thirteen wins,

So here we go.

What will the Bengals record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

I think they will finish eleven and six, Dan, I think they will win the AFC North. I obviously think there were two strutches of this season that will be the telltale of what the Bengals wind up towards the end of the season and at the end of the season. But I think this time they get the hole. Let's start the season hot, Let's start the season better. I think they get that right this year. But the four games right after Jacksonville are going to tell me a

I think it's going to be the best offense in football this year.

So eleven wins first place in the AFC North, that probably means they are not the number one seed and not getting a playoff by but it would mean a home playoff game at pay Course Stadium and hopefully the start of another nice long postseason run. Trags, appreciate your time, appreciate the takes.

Thanks so much for joining me on the pod.

Dan, always a pleasure. Thank you very much for having me.

Nobody cranks out more Bengals content than my buddy James Rapeens. So I'm sure these five questions are going to be a breeze for you. Are you ready to tackle these five issues on the Bengals Booth podcast?

Absolutely, I'm ready to go.

I'm sure you are.

Question number one, what is your biggest question going into training camp?

There are a bunch of questions, right, and I think that the good news is as you're starting from a good spot where you're not asking about quarterbacks like other teams in the division or in the league that the Bengals are going to be competing with. But to me, it's high level. Did the Bengals do enough to address

So did they do enough in.

Those two areas to get by, not only get by, but be much better in both spots this season?

All Right? Topic two?

Who is James Rapines breakout player in twenty twenty five?

I don't think this is going to surprise many people, but I might be the biggest Dax Hill stand outside.

Of maybe a few people in the front office.

And I don't think he would even be eligible for this had he not gotten hurt last year because he was breaking out and it was it was happening right before our eyes. And the fact that this team picked up his fifth year option something that I'm not sure I would have done, honestly, and I'm I'm a big because it's just a lot of money to commit to and you don't have an extension in place, And yet

And if it's up to you, is he playing on the outside or is he playing in the slot.

I would play him on the outside some and then I would kick him into the slot some and I would put him on the edge and have him blitz, and I would use him as this versatile weapon that can do a little bit of everything, because I'm not expecting him to be a shutdown number one corner, not that he can't be your number one corner, but I don't know if he's going to be Drell Reevis, but I think he can be a really high end player in your secondary that does a bunch of different things.

Al Golden was moving corners around a lot during the OTAs and the mini camp practices that we saw. Can you do that in games?

I think so with a guy like Dax, you definitely can.

I think the thing that impresses me most about him, as much as it's the athleticism and all of those things, it's he never gets too high or too low. Didn't really get rattled when they moved him from safety to corner. Has handled all these situations he's been put in pretty well, I think, and it hasn't really impacted his confidence much.

All right, We are visiting with the president of the Dax Hill Fan Club, James Rapine, also from bengkalstalk dot com and the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Topic number three is the defense. It will be better if.

God dot God Al Golden is who Zach Taylor thinks he is, and based on all my interactions with Al, Zach is going to be right. But that's what the Bengals are saying, That's what Zach Taylor is saying is Al Golden is going to be a difference maker on defense for us. It's going to be a lot of the same faces, but we are going to get more out of these guys. We're going to put them in position to succeed. We're also going to get a big nose tackle in TJ.

Slayton.

That is going to matter.

Having a guy like that is going to impact things and change the way you have some of those lineups in the trenches.

But that's it.

That's what it's going to come down to, is Al Golden being exactly who Zach thinks he is. And I think Zach thinks he's one of the best defensive minds on the planet, and so we'll see if it rings true this season.

I respect it, Admirer lou Anarumo. I'm sure you do too, But it seems to me that Al Golden is the right guy for what the Bengals have to be on defense with the amount of money they're spending on offense.

No doubt.

And I think that when you look at a guy like Dax Hill or Miles Murphy or whoever else, it's finding how they fit in making sure you get something out of them. You can't go two years, Let's use Shamar Stewart for as an example, two years and not really know what Shamar is. And we're kind of that way with Miles Murphy and hopefully we get some answers this year.

But I think that's it is.

Al Golden isn't going to look around and say, well, why is my cupboard empty? He's going to say, all right, this is what's in the cupboard. Let's try to make the best meal possible.

All right.

You have jokingly been referred to from time to time as hot take James, So this question is ideally suited for you. Give us James Rapine's hot take about training camp or the upcoming season.

So in typical hot take James fashion, I have two, So I'm I'm bringing the flamethrower one that yeah, might not be that taky for those that believe in T Higgins, but I think T Higgins is about to have the best year of his career. And he had ten touchdowns last year I think twelve hundred plus yards. I think by the end of the season we're talking about him

They didn't. They paid him.

I think they'll reap the rewards of that and see them this year. Obviously, health is a factor, but I think he's going to maybe have the healthiest season of his career. Knock on wood. The other one in this I think is going to be considered the hot take. Shamar Stewart is going to have more sacks as a rookie than he did in his entire college career.

It now, that's not setting the bar all that high, but still I like it.

So if he ends up with five sacks and it's disruptive, and you know, I think what's interesting is the dialogue about everything contract wise, and I can't wait to see him on the field because he is going to matter. And I do think he's still going to be the favorite to start alongside Trey Hendricks and not that that matters, but yeah, I think five plus sacks and maybe I'm going a little light there, maybe he gets to seven or eight.

You never know. Well, I really like that take.

Joseph Osai expects to be the guy that starts on the opposite side of Trey Hendrickson, and that might be the case because of his because of his experience, but Shamar Stewart is certainly going to play a lot, and I'm with you, I expect him to have a very productive season. Hopefully he's practicing from day one of training camp, which would help. I don't know if that'll be the case or not, but I do think that he is going to be a significant part of this defense from day one.

Yeah, and they need him to be. And that's when they drafted him. The first hour or two it's like, man, is he going to be ready? Can he contribute? And the more I looked at that room and looked at what he brought, he's going to give them something that these other guys have pieces of. But he's just such a freak and he's so physically imposing, and I think he's going to matter. Even if he doesn't start, that

All right.

Our fifth and final question has to do with your prediction for the upcoming season. What will the Bengals record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

When the schedule came out, you always play the schedule game, and I did, and I'm sure everyone did, and you look at it, you go win loss loss, win, win loss. And i'd been in Those that have followed me know that I've been a bit underwhelmed with what the Bengals have added from a talent standpoint this offseason and have questions about the pass rush and offensive line and things

I like the sound of that finishing a game ahead of Baltimore a couple of games, winning a tiebreaker. What do you think in terms of that first place in the division?

Pick?

I had them sweeping Baltimore both. I think they're I think they're due. Everyone's talking about, oh, Thanksgiving and Thursday Night in one. I think Joe, yeah, he wants one of those here, but he's going to love that on that that that wins. Like the mindset of going in there and trying to slay the Ravens in Baltimore. He's played really well there over the past couple of years, so I obviously the one year he got hurt but was playing well and they had the lead when he

We'll see if they do.

But there's a reason teams haven't won the division three straight years, and I think it's Bengal and Ravens clearly ahead of the Browns and the Steelers in the North from a talent standpoint, and so I think the Bengals get it done and make sure that the Ravens don't make history in the North.

Great stuff, no surprise from James Rpaine. I appreciate your time. Look forward to seeing the en camp of course. Thanks Dan Richard Skinner. Are you ready to tackle five.

Questions on the Bengals Booth podcast?

I'm honored to tackle five questions, Dan Horden.

That is overstating it, but I appreciate your time. Here we go, Question number one, what is your biggest question going into training camp?

Now?

As we record this, it has to be what's gonna happen with Tray Anderson and Shamar Stewart. I mean, I think until that gets resolved, that's going to hang over everything in camp, and we'll continue to hang over everything. So as you record this, my hope would be it's who becomes the two starting guards, because then we're talking about what's happening on the field and not what's going on off the field. So as you record this, there's no doubt in my mind it's the contract issue with

Before I move on to any of the other questions, and you may tackle this in questions to come, but is it your feeling that Stuart and Hendrickson will ultimately participate in camp and or play.

Stuart seems awfully dug in that he won't participate until he gets that contract sign and it doesn't sound like he's gonna get that contract signed until they change the language to the way he wants it. I can also see Trey not participating in camp, but I'll save one of my takes for down the road here, I think.

All right.

Question number two, who is Richard Skinner's breakout player in twenty twenty five.

I'm gonna go Chase Brown based on that great finish from last year. He had nine hundred yards from scrimmage in the last eight games. If he keeps that pace up, and I think he actually add to that because I think they're gonna try to find ways to get him even more touches in dynamic ways. I mean, Dan, he could approach two thousand yards from scrimmage, that's probably a reach, but based on what he averaged last year over a seventeen gamespan, that's that's almost nineteen hundred yards. So I

Hello, that would be significant.

And as for Chase Brown, if you go back over those last eight games, as you mentioned, that computes to one nine hundred and seventy six yards combined rushing and receiving. So saying two thousand as a possibility is certainly not far fetched, all right. Question number three for Local twelve's Richard Skinner, the Bengals defense will be better if dot dot dot.

Mar Stuart and Trey Henderson's sign. I mean, I think it'll be better if they if they signed for sure, and if Al Golden does things tactically to get some strengths out of guys that needed seasons last year they didn't have. I mean, get more out of Geno Stone, get more out of the corners. You know, you saw the up and down play of Cam Taylor Britt. I'm not asking to come into a schematic genius. I mean,

Give me Skinny's hot take about training camp or the twenty twenty five season.

We will say this, and I guess I'll tie to Trey Henderson at the moment. I will say that Trey will hold out if he doesn't have an extension, But I don't think he misses a single solitary game check. I think when push comes to the shove, he is going to capitulate and un nderstand that he has to play. He has to play well. He has to put up sack numbers if he wants to get paid next year. You know, Other than that, there's not much to be

Joseph o Side double digit sacks was already fairly hot as well.

That's pretty close.

That's a good point, all right.

Our fifth and final question for Richard Skinner from Local twelve, the host of the Skinny podcast, what will the Bengals record be and where will they finish in the AFC North.

Yeah.

When the schedule came out, we all do this exercise, right, we picked the record of we just go down the list of why it's a win. I always put games in three categories, likely wins, likely losses, and swing games. Every year I've done that exercise, likely win turns into a loss, a likely loss becomes a win, and really the season is always decided by the swing games. Of the last year, a lot of likely win categories like New England and Washington turned into losses that you didn't expect.

I went eleven and six when they did it. I'll stick with that for right now.

I can see more if Al Golden does get some more out of the defense, if the Trey Hendricks and Shamar Stewart thing is into distraction, if the two starting guards are guys that actually can play and are capable and perform well, Dylan Fairchild Lucas Patrick the front runners there.

I'll go eleven and.

Six, and they finished second in the division, because I think twelve and five still wins this division. I still think it's Baltimore until you knock Baltimore off. But I can be talked into twelve and five once we get rolling. But I went eleven and six. I'll stick with eleven and six.

Pittsburgh third, Cleveland fourth.

Pretty simple and for the first time and the Mike Tomlin era of Pittsburgh losing record.

Oh well, there we go.

Let's add one final hot take before we wrap things up. Skinny, I appreciate your time, see it camp.

Thanks Dan.

It wouldn't be.

Fair to ask my friends and colleagues to answer those questions without sharing my answers, So here goes. My biggest question going into training camp is about camp itself. What exactly is going to be different in hopes of avoiding another slow start. The Bengals have started zero to two in each of the last three years and in five of Zach Taylor's six years as head coach. The record in September under Zach is seven fifteen and one. We already know some of the things that will be different