Bengals Booth Podcast: Nothing Holdin' Me Back

level fantasy football with fantastic Bengals prizes. Get it now on the App Store and Google Play. 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 wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Vin Scully, the incomparable voice of the Dodgers, passed away this week at the age of ninety four, and I remain in awe of his talent. He was eloquent, funny, smart, poignant,

and a master storyteller. Here's a personal memory. Several years ago, I filled in on TV on a Red's Road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. It began at Dodger Stadium, and the final game of the series was not televised in Cincinnati, so TV analyst Chris Welsh and I decided to drive to San Diego one day early to play golf. I'm the drive south. We listened to Scully called the final game of the series, and he told an amazing story about Red's outfielder Adam Dunne that I had never heard.

When then finished, I turned to Chris and asked if he knew the story. He laughed and said no. We had been around Adam dunn every day for several years and Scully had a fantastic anecdote that neither of us knew. That's one of about a million reasons why I consider Vince Scully to be the greatest broadcaster in history, not sportscaster, broadcaster. Now, let's get to football. The Bengals have practiced half a dozen times so far, but two of their most important

players haven't suited up yet. Joe Burrow as he recovers from his appendeck, to me at new right tackle El Collins, who's on the non football injury list due to a sore back. I caught up with ELC in front of his locker this week. How you doing physically? I guess that's on the mind of Fall Bengals fans right now. I feel pretty good, man, just you know, taking them one day at a time. He gives myself ready to go and just continue to do everything I need to

do for my body. Just tweaks something lifting weights or something like that, or what happened, well just I mean didn't even really feel another happened. It's just something just trying to flat up. But you know, I think we've got it on troll. You got a good plan trying and stuff, doing a great job and shooting. Man, just as forward. You're a vet, he've been through this a million times. Do you feel like it's no big deal for you if you have to miss a few raps

early in camp? Oh yeah, I don't think it is. You're getting all the mental reps I can, watching all the film that I can. I mean, the fields a good part of the game. I mean that's what I live for. So I know once I get right out there, you know, and get moving and everything like that, I'll be ready to ruck. I talked to Frank yesterday he said he's got you sitting next to Kappa in the meeting room. He's kind of like sitting where you would be playing. Do you guys pick up a lot from

each other even just from doing that? Absolutely? I mean anytime you're sitting next to the guy that you're gonna be playing. Within the games and practice and everything like that, able to kind of communicate and talk to each other while we're watching films, saying hey, how would you do this? How would you do that? And you know, it just helps builds that chemistry, gives the start of a camp in a new place convigorating for you. It's it's awesome.

You know, it's awesome being here. You know, something new. This locker room is great. The guys on this team, that's great. A lot of selfless individualism. I think with the mentality and the mentality, understand what we're doing, put the work in, we're gonna be right. We want to do Do you have any sort of timetable for when you think you'll be able to go? Not necessarily, but just focusing on keep taking the one day at its own.

Collins has been doing some work on the rehab field during practice and has also been offering pointers to some of the young offensive linemen during drills. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the Freedom play fantasy football game. This past season, Ultimate Bengals awarded a weekly winner during the course of the year with tickets, autograph merchandise, and money can't Buy experiences all up for grabs. Find

Ultimate Bengals in the App Store and Google Play. Peter k from NBC Sports was at training camp this week and took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss the defending AFC Chaps Peter, for a defending Super Bowl team that attacked it's one glaring weakness in the offseason, I don't see a lot of people outside of Cincinnati liking their chances of making it back. Do you agree with that and why do you think that might be the case. Well, I think when you look at the

way the Bengals won, everything was narrow. You know, everything was close. You know they benefit from a late Ryan Tannehill interception and beat the top seeded team in the divisional game on the road on a long field goal. You know, they benefit for Mahomes mistake, you know, and win on another long field goal, and then they get to the super Bowl, and you know, it's the kindy year that you look at it and you just say,

it's justice that they got to the super Bowl. But you know, not necessarily the Raiders game, you know, the wild Card game, but the other two games definitely the wrong word is luck. But you know, football is such a game, such a game that's decided by very narrow margins, and both of those games were you look at him and you say, anybody could have won. Now, good for

the Bengals. They won. I think they won because they had, you know, one of the all time clutch postseason performances by a kicker that you know, a month before he did all this stuff nobody ever heard of. And then you know, Joe Burrow just you know, he's got this I don't care gene in him, you know, and not I don't care what's the right gene. But he's got this, this this attitude that you know, we're just gonna let

the chips fall. I'm gonna play hard. If we win, that's what I live for, and if we don't, we'll live to fight another day. But I think when I look at this team, the reason that they're so so much trouble really for the opposition is that they have a kicker who is Vinitari esque in terms of his ability to kick great in the clutch. And then they've got a quarterback who so far has shown no nerves

whatsoever when he plays this game. Those are the two most important positions in terms of playing at your best when the best is required. Not to say that other guys on this team don't, but I think if you've got a clutch kicker, if you've got a clutch quarterback, both of whom have great ability, you're going to be able to be in every game. I just think the AFC is so narrow. I think the Bills are the best team, not just in the AFC but in football.

But we'll see. You had the opportunity for a private meeting. That's Zach Taylor. I don't want to spoil anything that's coming up in next Monday's Football Morning in America column, But did you have a question in mind coming into Cincinnati about this team that you really wanted him to answer. I was really curious about the end of the game, the end of the Super Bowl and samajp Ryan being in the game and mix and not and you know, the inability of the line to keep Burrow clean at

the end. And I mean za Zach's point is, I think is a good point about especially about Burrow. You know, he basically I said, just look at every team that plays that has played the Rams, and you tell me how they all block two good edge guys, you know, including von Miller, And then how do you block you know, the greatest defensive lineman in football in Aaron Donald. And that to me is I think he's a pragmatist about the game. You know, first of all, things happen in

real time. It's good, I guess to be able to sit back at the end of a practice or at the end of a game rather at the end of a season and basically say, point man, I wish we did this. The unfortunate thing is, especially as it really pertains to the offensive line. You have what you have, What are you gonna do. There's a lousy offensive line last year. They had a chance to fix it. And we'll see if Collins, Carras and whom I for, Kapappa,

We're going to be good enough. But they have to be good enough because everybody else if you look at the improvements that have been made in the rest of the AFC. I think all the teams have gotten better, other than I would say Kansas City. Kansas City really hasn't gotten a lot worse, because look, I'm a you know, obviously, I think the Tyreek Hill thing was interesting, you know, the trade, But you know, Patrick Mahomes will figure it out.

It's like the really good quarterbacks, they figure it out. So I think Mahomes will, But I don't know. I look at this I look at this conference and it's one of the best. It's one of the most top heavy with really good teams conferences that I've ever seen. Peter King is our guest. A little more than two years ago, from his basement, Roger Goodell announced that the Joe Burrow was number one pick in the NFL draft. And now here we are with a Cincinnati team that

really doesn't have a glaring weakness on the roster. What do you think of the job that Duke Tobin's done and building the roster, and Zach Taylor's done in coaching it. Well, I think, you know, first of all, you can never fix everything at once, and so I was a little dubious when they made the Jamar Chase pick in the first round, and quite frankly, I was totally wrong because I just thought that Burrow had enough weapons, and I was most concerned with keeping Burrow. I would be most

more concerned with keeping Burrow upright than giving him another weapon. Now, even though I think I forget, it's a pro football focused stat somewhere that he that he basically was hitting more than any quarterback in football last year and that

has to stop. But I just can't imagine, you know, Zach Taylor's sitting down with his staff and making a game plan and not having Jamar Chase, you know, to be the key guy, especially because looking today's football, you have no idea how long you're gonna have te Higgins and Tyler Boyd. You just don't, you know, somebody could throw stupid money at him one day. You just you don't know that. So I think they made the right decision with Jamar Chase. And then, you know, the one

other thing I'll tell you. I remember this, At the time they signed Hendrickson, everybody in the league thought they overpaid for Hendrickson and they didn't necessarily see him translating into an outstanding player in the NFL. You know, outside of New Orleans, he was a good player in New Orleans. There were times last year where he was t J.

Watt great here. And so if you take just those two decisions and look, a guy in Duke Tobin's position has to make a lot of decisions, but those two decisions encapsulate in a big way why this team got as far as it did last year. And they were both right on. So you know, there's a lot of other things. You know, what happens with Jesse Bates and and you know, could Dax He'll be ready if he has to. I personally think Bates will be in before

Labor Day weekend, but we'll see. But I think a lot of the decisions and you know, Dan, one of the other things about about the way this team operates, as you know, if you're Mike Brown right now, one of the reasons it's hard to pay Jesse Bates a lot of money is that you're kind of thinking, if I have to have a lot of guaranteed money put in escrow for Joe Burrow. And I think the way

the NFL does contracts is prehistoric. It's dumb that Mike Brown is going to have to put whatever it is, one hundred and thirty one hundred and fifty million dollars in escrow to guarantee the guarantee in Joe Burrow's contract. Obviously, in a place like Cincinnati, that is going to have an effect on how much Jesse Bates can be paid. And it's a shame, but it is also the reality of the NFL. Knowing Mike as well as you do, are you surprised that the Bengals are investigating selling naming

rights to Paul Brown Stadium? You know, I don't know anything about it, really, Dan, but it strikes me that, like many teams have done, it won't be that they're going to take down the name of Paul Brown Stadium. It strikes me that it's probably more likely that it'll be Greater's ice Cream Field at Paul Brown's Stadium or something,

you know, whatever it is. But you know, if you're Mike, the reality of the situation is you got to start looking in the couch cushions and getting all the money together that you can, because whether it be this contract with Burrow or the next one, you're just gonna need an awful lot of guaranteed money, probably not Deshaun Watson kind of guaranteed money, but a lot of money. Last

thing I'll let you go. I appreciate your time. There's a lot of star power on this roster right now, with Mix and Higgins, Hendrickson, etc. The guy that you want to talk to here in Cincinnati is Jamar Chase. Why Jamar, I don't know him at all, and I just thought that be good to get to know the guy who, over the next five years might be the best receiver in football. You know, times change and great players,

you know, phase out over time. You know. I've been thinking Brady turns forty five this week, and I've always been able to sort of talk to Brady if I really need him. And my thought was, man, he's forty five years old. I'm not going to have Brady much longer, you know. And so I don't know. You're in a position like mine, and you start to think that you really want to get to know some of the younger guys who were great. That's one of the things I do when I go around on my training camp tour.

I try to meet guys who are really bright but really kind of very young stars and that's part of what I do on this trip. And I think the other thing is, I mean, I'm not going to get to the bottom of Jamar Chase in twelve minutes. I understand that, but I just think he's had a very interesting career to this point in college and in the pros, and I'm just really curious about the bond he formed with this quarterback at LSU and how it's paying dividends today,

because it sure seems like it is. You're the best. Thank you, all right, Hey, thanks, Dan, appreciate it. Peter has a podcast, it's the Peter King Podcast, and the latest episode includes an interview with Jamar Chase. It also includes an anecdote about my next guest, Bengals dot Com editor Jeff Butch Hobson, describing how Jeff helped Jamar Chase after practice last week. I suspect you can also read about it next Monday in Peter's Football Morning in America column.

Now here's my conversation with Jeff but for six practices in you pick a player of the day every day at practice, the coveted Jeff Hobson player of the day. Do you have a few players of the camp so far that it stood out to you. Yeah, I guess you gotta gotta start with number one, right, I mean, start number one with number one. I mean, he's been great, you know, as as much as he dropped the ball

last year as a rookie. I mean, he's just it seems like he's caught everything and then always and then number two behind Chase, pick any of the corners because they're right there with him and Tyler Boyd and some of these young receivers. There's I mean, every ball seems contested almost. I was talking to Brandon Allen about that, and he was saying, you know, Lou, I guess throw in a couple of you know, wrinkles, and that makes the coverages a little bit tough reasons. But that's you know,

that's some u some tight windows in there. So you know, Chase is my leader obviously. But then after that, not five behind the Woozier Apple in Hilton, and then I think, uh, I think after that, I I kind of like the young long snapper. No, I'm just kidding, Bay, I'm just gonna have we had it because it's really which is going to be interesting. I think I'm more intrigued I am intrigued by that battle because how do you how

do you judge it? You know, you're really getting into the nuance of it, so kind of keeping an eye on Darren and what he does there. But you know, you look at Admitas and Clark, you know, kind of hard to you know, McPherson's making everything, So how do you tell you know? So it's it's kind of an interesting camp. Yeah, I mean, cal Adamitas, if he wins that job, would have to win it based on his ability to get down the field. They can both snap

the football. I don't think that there's a real noticeable difference between how they snap it. But Clark Harris is a bigger man. That's an advantage in terms of blocking up front, and then at least to this point of his year and to his career, and he's obviously getting up there in years, but historically he's done a nice job of getting down the field and making plays. And cal has to adjust to h he has to he has to block now he didn't have to block the

last two years he was a pit. I mean, I guess Darren was saying his first two years pit did have a pro style thing. But now it was in college. I guess you can just snap and run down a field. Well that's not going to happen against Arizona, so that will be you know, I never thought I'd be watching chott and long snappers, but here we go. I want to circle back to the corners for a bit because if I had to pick a star of training camp, excluding Joe Burrow last year, I think I would have

gone with chitube O Wouge. I thought he was just tremendous. From day one of camp it was like, Wow, what assigning this guy is? And he's been very good so far this year. But I would say Eli Apple might be the guy. Yeah, he's been beaten by Chase a few times. That's going to happen. Plus a few of those times the catches have been unbelievable. But he's been extremely competitive. It looks like the decision to resign him and bring him back as a likely starter was a

very good one. He's an interesting guy, Hordy. I. In fact, I wrote about him today and about how you know that wasn't an easy thing to overcome. I don't think you know, you get uh kind of a tough deal. You get you know, they win the Super Bowl thrown at you. But you know, people forget that Eli was a big reason they got there. I mean, how many teams could have survived, you know, uh losing you know, losing their starting quarter for the second year in a row.

And Trey Waynes and he stepped in and uh, you know, made a huge play in Tennessee to win a playoff game in a road arguably turned the AFC Championship game around with a tackle on Tyree Kills. So this guy, it's it's it's weird because you know, he's just he just gets you know, he he talks a lot. He's on Twitter. He admits it, you know, and that just opens him up some total to so much criticism. And I asked him, why do you do that? Why do

you why do you go on Twitter? And he just said, Look, he says, I'm used to this stuff, you know, and if you look, you know, he says, everything that's bad it could happen to me in the NFL has happened. He get traded, he gets suspended, He you know, he u tough tough baptism in New York as it first, there's nothing tougher in the league. Than me in the first round picking New York, you know, and so uh,

you know this guy is uh, he's bulletproof. Carry comes the former Cole Ryne High School coach who was an assistant coach at Ohio State when Eli Apple played there, then went and coached in the NFL. Now he's come back and he's coaching at UC. He loves Eli Apple, believes in him. And you know, I have a lot of faith in Carry's opinion, and I think he lies backing it up. I thought, I agree. And Jamar Chase is a very uh he's much older than his twenty

two years playing and also just observing. And he had a great line on Eli. He said, uh, he's a villain with with with a big heart, you know, because he said he said he told the media, you know, he said, Uh, he pisses me off. He talks a lot, he's aggravating. But I think they know that he's down deep, that he's this guy's a he's a team to me. He strikes me as a team guy, you know. And uh, yeah,

you know, and Eli and Jamas said it. Yes, they talked about how how the difference, but Woozier and Apple and Eli is long. You know, he's one of those those guys don't grow on trees, you know, those long, lean corners that can run. So it's interesting that you have carry as carry that you know you have as a resource because I'm sure nobody knows him better than him. Let's talk about a couple of guys who I think would fit in the everything you could have hoped for

category at least through one week of training camp. Hayden Hurst, who's been making several catches every day. And Ted Carriss, who's really established himself as this year's version of a Mike Hilton or a Von Bell, just a total pro from winning programs that comes in and carries himself exactly the way you would want him to. That's a great call. Three years in a row, right with Bell came in in twenty Hilton came in in twenty one, and you're

exactly right, Carris is Carris fits that mold. It's interesting. You know, obviously Carris was raised in the Brady belichickle culture locker room, so it's interesting to him talk about It's very interesting for me to talk about get his feedback on this team. He said, you know something interesting about Jonah Williams and who I didn't realize this until he said it, but Jonah Williams was the first pick at his Zach Taylor era, and he's the most senior

Bengal in the offensive line room. That's how much internals has been over there. And Carris, as Joan, has been a terrific leader. So it kind of takes a guy coming from the outside to give you some perspective on that, and Carris is that kind. He's also got the greatest name. He's got the greatest nickname I've heard in a while, Mongo, which is, of course, was that that was the name of his great uncle's character in Blazing Saddles. So Mark

Duffner has been calling a Mongo. And then I asked him about it, and he said, always since I get that all the time, you know, So I think, I guess. I guess Blazing Saddles is still watched by this generation, which is a good thing. Well, at least Mark Duffner, I mean, might might cue it up in a team meeting, who knows. Let's talk about the left guard spot. Jack Carmen has been getting the reps so far with the first team for the most part, saw a little bit

of Cordell Volson towards the end of the week. When do you think that that's going to come down? Is that going to be one of these things that will play out through preseason games or do you think they'll they'll kind of try to get that locked up so then get these five guys playing together. Well, it short looks like Jackson's their guy over there. You know, we're in there there, we're going to be going head into the sixth seventh practice. I don't think he's rotated him.

I think he's uh, I think he's rotated Cordell with over there at right guard with you know, with energy. It looks like they're sticking with him. You know. Now, obviously we'll see what happens in the game. But I know, talking to some guys around, I think they they really think Carmen hasn't you know, improved massively. You know. So it's an interesting question. When will they get these five

guys locked up and ready to go? I think, you know, and when well, I guess the other question is, you know, the other shooter falls Vile Collins, when will he be healthy and up and going? Because I think I figured Frank Frank Paul at the offensive line coach probably figures, you know, until Collins is ready, he might as well rotate as you know, as much as he wants. But it doesn't. You know, it looks like Karis Carmen. You know he went to cat when once Kappa was healthy,

he went right the right guard. So I think they're there, Hordy, I think you know it would to me, would it would be barring a three mile island in the game, you know, a disaster in the games. I think that's your five. Yeah. They asked Jack Jackson Carmen to show up at three hundred and twenty five pounds. He did. His effort and attitude had been great. We know about the physical tools. So I think it's fair to say

at this point it's his job to lose. As long as he doesn't mess things up, he'll be the guy in week one. I would think, no question. And I think we underestimated last year. And I think you know,

people wrote this the other day. People were upset that he was not the reincarnation of Max Montoya right away, and people really didn't realize he was changing tackled, he was changing positions, he was changing sides, and he was coming off back surgery, you know, So I mean that, you know, uh, And I still thought he played pretty well with the Super Bowl on the line, in the last drive in Kansas City, I thought he was terrific, you know, And I was kind of surprising in super Bowl,

but I thought he was good when it mattered. And so I I, yeah, I think, um, you know, now, clearly he can't have any you know, he can't fall back to any habits or anything. I mean, I think, but I agree with you. I think he's there. I think he's there guy, and you know, you get you get Joan over there. I know Jan has been criticized down through the years, but you know, he just he's a smart guy, and I think they looked to him, and um, you know, I think he's a little underrated

as well. We talked a little bit about long snapper. Let's talk about punter. Those guys punted quite a bit on Tuesday. Didn't appear to be a very good day for Kevin Hubert, but obviously he's proven over the last fourteen years. When Drew Chrisman hits one right, there's no question he's got the stronger leg at this point. But Darren Simmons wants it between the numbers and the sideline with good hang time, and that will be decided in the preseason games. I don't think practice is going to

determine which of those two guys wins the job. And he said, uh, talking to Darren, you know, he's going to rotate them during a He's not going to give one guy a game and the other guy the next game. He's gonna They're gonna rotate during the game so they can see them, so they can compare them. And I think that's that's the only way to do it. And it's interesting. And again, this is another thing. You know,

McPherson is such a weapon. How much of the is the holding thing going to be come into a factor? Drew hasn't. I don't think, you know, obviously, clearly he doesn't have as much experience as Hubert does. Nobody does probably in the league when it comes to holding. You know, he's been doing it for fourteen years. And I think, you know, it's how big of a factor is that because you better make sure this kickers, You better make sure this guy's is happy. You know, I was here.

I I date back to uh, you know, the Great Depression. But no, I mean, I mean, I go back a few years and I remember in nineteen ninety nine, Doug Pelfrey, one of the finest kickers in the league, and they just come off a pretty good contract, and yet he lost his long snapper Lee Johnson left. He was the punter. They couldn't find the punter, they couldn't find a long snapper, and next thing you know, Pelfrey's out of the league. But he was the same guy. He was the same kicker,

but they couldn't get the ball to him. So, you know, I just I just think the whole I think the holding thing is a that's a big deal. Every player and coach that I've talked to says that they fully expect Jesse Bates to be here. Most people seem to think it's going to be in time for for Week one of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Is everybody just saying that, or do you think everybody truly believes that that Jesse's going to be here and good

to go for a Week one? Yeah? I think they. I think I don't think they're trying to talk themselves into it, because I think they know Jesse, and I think they I'm sure they've been talking to him, you know what I mean. I certainly his teammates have been talking to him. So you know, you know, Jesse, you've talked to him. You know, he's a terrific kid, um and and a fine player, and it just be hard for me to see him not wanting to be out there in the opener. So yeah, I don't think they're

trying to talk themselves into it. I think they believe it. Um, will he be able to walk in here? I mean, I will he be able to walk in here? Whenever he walks in here and be the statter I would, I would think. So, you know, he's a smart guy.

I'm sure he's going to be in shape. But that's interesting, you know, Uh, it's uh, I can't remember the last time that's that's happened around here, but it has happened, So, you know, I I think, uh, you know, particularly the way they play the game now you know they don't they really don't practice as much, you know, they don't. You know, there's a lot of a lot of mental

reps that they like to say. So I think he'd be you know, I think he'd be all right, you know, no matter when he gets in, I do honestly think that it's going to be helpful for Dax Hill. He's getting all of these reps with the first team, and what exactly does that mean. I talked to safety's coach of Rob Livingston, and he said eight more snaps a practice being with the first team, which I thought was really interesting that you know, you can pin it down

to a number. So now multiply that over practice over several weeks. You know, that's a lot of reps with those first team guys, and more reps in general that your number one draft pick wouldn't get otherwise. Yeah, I think of what if Jesse was here, would he be I guess he'd be, you know, he'd be getting the reps with the second team. I wonder if they'd be

working him a corner. I think they will. I think they eventually see him as a you know, I think he'd be potentially in nickel, but I think he could probably play. I think he's one of these guys he could put him anywhere in the second day be able to play. But given that you know they've put I think they don't want to. They don't want to crowd his plate. He's a rookie, and uh so they're just having him since he is getting all the snaps. There's

having them focus on safety. But I could see a situation where Jesse Base comes in and they'll you know, louis not adverse to playing three safeties, and I think you know, they like him as they want to see what he can do a corner. You know, look at that December Horyu Mahomes Brady Josh Allen on January second. You can use another corner and hopefully he would have gotten you know, by then, Jesse be in in a couple of months. I'm sure that Dax would have get

some snaps a corner. So maybe he'll have a little coming out party there. Joe Burrow is back this week. I'll be on the back of a golf cart watching practice. But obviously he lifted everybody's spirits just by being back in the building. Do you have a gut for when you think he'll be out there practicing. I don't you know this guy, he's he's a phone booth guy. He's one of these guys. He goes into a phone booth

and he's just he's gonna. You know, it just seems like he's got it and whenever he wants to do what he can do it. It's like it was like last year when he kind of struggled early on and then went the phone booth and he was Borrow. You know, So when's the phone booth? I don't know, but I do think whenever it is, he'll be you know, he's just he'll answer the bell. You know. It's like we'll

be next week, we'll be the week after. I don't know, but I don't think it matters either, do I. It's interesting to think back to last year and just how bad he was and the offense was in week one. It's totally been for gotten because of how well he played and the run to the super Bowl. But at this time, one week into training camp last year, we were all saying, oh, good lord, it might take half a season for Joe Burrow to be good again. He couldn't throw, Chase good and catch. So I wonder what

exactly are we doing out there watching? You know, maybe we should watch Blazing Saddles instead of this, because it certainly wasn't it certainly wasn't a foreshadowy Yeah, that's for sure. He turned out to be pretty good, to say the least. Any thoughts on the coaching staff, the comfort level that they seem to have with each other, We've we've often mentioned that, you know, it's really unique that they've got the coordinators back. That's been the case for the entire

time that Zach Taylor has been the head coach. But they do have a few changes on the staff, a few new guys and the position coaches, with Chuck Burks coaching cornerbacks, James Betcher coaching linebackers, how does they the fifth scene to you with all these uh these changes? Well, I talk to you know, I think I think Betcher is a obviously we know he's a he's NexTable guy. I think I've been around the league at a couple of stops. I remember bumping into Bruce Arians at the combine.

You couldn't say enough good things you know about the guy, and that that means something. I think, you know, and I and you talk to people about Chuck Burks rising star, this guy's you know, this guy's you talk to the guy who spent three minutes with him, and you know he's you know, he's on the ball. You know It's interesting. I did a story on him when he get hired, and he was when I walked into his office, he had like he had nothing. He was just starting from scratch.

But he had three books and one of them was Atomic Habits. And I just saw where Eli Apple is reading Automic Habits now, which is basically a self help book about if you change a little bit of your routine, it can you can make a big impact on your life. And so obviously Burks is you know, had had some impact on some of his players, which is interesting to watch. So I think Burkes is a rising guy to watch.

I think Betcher is a you know, to get a guy who's been a two time defensive coordinator coach in the position is a big is a big thing, I think. I think even a thing like hiring Adams Zimmer as a as like a consultant on the offensive side of the ball. I mean, you know, he was a defensive you know, he worked with his dad. He worked here

with his dad for a year. He's been his uh he broke in with Sean Payton on the Super Bowl Saints and oh nine, he's he's uh, you know, um been a like I said, he's been a coordinator under his dad to sort to have him in that role. Uh, you know, on the I mean on offense. I mean, I think something that might seem like a little thing, but I mean I think that shows that. H I mean,

I think that's I think that's helpful. I mean I think they you know, I think they really get some they get some interesting guys working here in you know, beyond that, those solid core of guys, and you wonder how long that's going to be. You know, Brian Callahan interviewed for a job last year, so to lou in a rumo. Uh, Darren Simmons is one of the best kept secrets in the league. I mean, if John Harbaugh is successful, you know, and it was going to open

the door for a special teams coach. Here's here's a guy, you know, going into his twentieth year and it just continues to produce. Uh, you know, but that's good. That's good if if if it's if if they go into the radar, that's good for Cincinnati. Right. So, but it's a you know, it's it's a it's certainly unique to have all three coordinators and your play caller. Yeah, intact, they're also grooming the next wave of guys that could step up if some of those guys are to get

head coaching opportunities down the road. Ian Rappaport was here from NFL Network a few days ago. He said one of the reasons he wanted and wanted to come to town was to get to know Dan Pitcher because he's hearing things from around the league. This guy's going to be a future coordinator or maybe someday head coach. I mean, and look at Troy Walters. Let's I mean, look at the year that m Chase had as a rookie. Uh, you know, coaching's got something to do with that too.

And he's a guy who was a well thought of offensive coordinator in the college. He's a Stanford guy. His his his futures, you know, to me is limitless because of even before we saw what he did with Chase. So you know, it's a you know Pitcher, you know Pitcher, Troy Walters, you know the Craigthorpe who's helping out helping out Walters with the receivers. You know, you might want to get a good look at these guys because this is what happens when you win. That's That's the tough

thing about winning is can you keep your coaches? Final thing? A little bit of a change of subject. You've been working for the Bengals for quite a long time, you know Mike Brown extremely well. What was your initial reaction when someone told you in house, Hey, Jeff, I don't know if you've heard this yet, but they're considering a naming rights deal. Yeah, I was. That took me. That

took me by surprise. But uh, you know, the great Kerry Hobson when a big fan of your podcast, she wanted to know what was going on, you know, and I said, well, I said, look at it this way, more money for burrowing Chase and uh, okay, you know, so you know what I mean. So I I you know, I mean the thing about Mike is that and I and I have learned this since really i've known him. He's always looking ahead, you know. And hell, when he

hired me, he was looking ahead. We didn't no, I didn't don't even know what the team website was going to do, you know. And how there's thirty two of them so or thirty two writers anyway, But you know, I think, you know, I mean, I think he said it best really And you know, Mike, he's got a great he's got a great ability to some something some something up in a few words. And when he said,

he goes, I'm sure you know, he goes. My father was off of doing it what's best for the team, So I think he'd be I think he would agree with me with this, and I think I think he's probably right. I mean, this is a whole new you know, there's stadium improvements, there's these monster deals, um, you know, there's the indoor facility. I mean these were not you know, these were not these were not issues when when the thing was named. So I think it, you know, I

think it. Also it's just another example if you if you put if you, if you try to put a label on Mike Brown and do the Mike Brown stereotype not a good idea because he's usually a step ahead. Appreciate your time as always. Thanks Push forty. You're the best way to work. That's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth podcast presented by Ultimate Bengals. Download Ultimate Bengals ahead of the twenty twenty two season. It's free to play next level fantasy football with Fantastic

Bengals prizes. Get it now on the App Store and Google Play. And if you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth podcast