Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The is on My List edition as we look at Pro Football Focus's recent ranking of the top rosters in the NFL with one of the guys that put that list together, Jim Wyman. But first five questions with fifth round draft pick Josh fig Newton, and I'll introduce you to an undrafted rookie who is
hoping to be the Bengals starting punter, Austin macnamara. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by all to 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 provider of the Bengals.
Now here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or can by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since popsicles. Roughly one hundred and twenty years ago, an eleven year old kid named Frank Epperson left a cup of soda with a stirring stick in
it sitting on the porch when he went indoors. The soda froze overnight like an icicle, and when young Frank discovered it the next morning, he decided to taste it, and thus the popsicle was born. I discovered a bunch of popsicles in our freezer the other day and I have been binging on them ever since. It is a great summertime snack. Oh and by the way, many years after Frank Epperson started selling his frozen icy treats, he patented his simple snack and his kids came up with
the name. They called them pops Sickles. Now let's get to football. I've been getting to know the Bengals draft picks this year by asking them five questions that are a little different from the norm. This week we meet a cornerback out of TCU. Time for five questions with fifth round draft pick Josh Newton. Your nickname is Fig, as in Fig Newton. When did people start calling you Fig? And did you like it?
Uh?
It was I think my wrist shirt freshman year.
So this is around twenty eighteen, I was like, fee had I even had a kitchen on myself. But once I caught on, I'm like, wish shit, let me just roll with it.
I ain't tripping. I want a post to it.
It just kind of heat me, like, you know, like kind of awkward, but I just still with it and now you know, is doing what it's supposed to do right now.
But do you like the fig Newton cookie.
A something before?
I'm not really a fan of it, but if they pay me to eat them, my wheel for sure.
All right, there we go. Endorsement deal hopefully coming down the road. Question number two. I heard you say in an interview that you are trying to find ways to turn football off. Do you think about the game NonStop?
Yeah, even when I'm not trying to, it's still just Jie Popbull. Just it's been it was my life now, So I mean, honestly, it's like you just gotta roll with it because it's doing it's helping my family, it's taking care of me my family, and you know, to be able to be a provider. So it's kind of like in the sense you really don't get to turn it off. But it's just like when I have time to downtime. Is just trying to find the things to just really calm me down, just set me down.
I could hear Joe Burrow saying the same thing. I mean, he just thinks all the time, how can I be the best in the world.
Yeah, I love a guy like that is running my team, the captain and just considering throwing them is throwing the ball. So shit, hey, I let Joe be Joe. If you don't want to turn it off, Hey, don't let him turn it off. So that that right there is gonna get us to what we want to be in February.
So I'm just.
I'm glad I'll have a quarterback this relatively young, but he has seen a lot and he didn't done it at the highest level of you Ain and the year up.
So question number three for Josh Newton. You are a great wide receiver in high school. At one point you had five straight one hundred yard games, but you only had one scholarship offer. From what I understand, Do you know.
Why I don't complain about nothing. I don't question God. Look what he done for me. Now, there's one thing I don't do. Question God. Look one man now with a whole nother position, with a whole nother route, a whole nother turn, and at the end of the day, I still seen the light I was supposed to see at the end.
So question number four. After starting out at Louisiana Monroe, you transferred to TCU for your final two college seasons and in your first training camp you made a speech that went viral to your teammates. I watched it on YouTube and it's awesome. I was ready to run through a wall. Do you think that had an impact on what the team did that year? Because you guys played for the national championship at the end of that year.
Everybody says it, so I'm gonna believe it. So from Lego as, from the trainers to the players and.
The coaches as well.
So if they if this what they're saying, then it gotta be truated because it was more than just me out there playing.
I just was the one to get the words.
They're the ones that felt it, so obviously, like my my energy was felt that day, and definitely I feel like it's sparkan us into what we wanted to be.
For sure, you talked about effort and teamwork and things like that, but You also spoke about gratitude, which resonated with me. It was obvious how much you appreciated the opportunity, the coaches, the teammates, everything about your experience.
Right, because you got to think all the coach's efforts in breaking field down, watching other teams shit, even giving us a game plan, all that is for us as players. So it's just be like, as a player, you gotta talk to other players to try to get them to help and to understand the bigger picture of things. Yeah, it's about us, but at the end of the day, we help the coaches too, but with our differences in
executing what they teaching. Because if we balling, Joe Burrow balling, we going to the Super Bowl, Zach Taylor don't go nowhere. We just keep getting extending, extending, extending. So it's like, you know what I'm saying, it helped me help you situation. So like once the players don't kind of take it like it's literally all about us, and it's like literally like.
Just work and helping and helping out.
When you think when you get when you get to think about helping out and tell yourself, if you're just helping out, you kind of like just you look at it from a different perspective and the bigger picture of things, like I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and some people get caught up in their presence and you can't let that your ego take over at the end of the day. Like I told the same team last year, like I need y'all just like y'all need me. So
it's like just just understanding, like everybody is. Everybody matters bro for sure.
Fifth and final question for Josh Newton. Tell me something about you that not that many people know.
I like to cook. I like to cook. I like to cook.
I've been growing for I said the last two years. I've grown like like I cook just whenever I feel like it.
So it's just that's the one thing I like to do. For sure. I'm a big griller. If you was gonna go to.
That too, any holiday, I'll slap some on the grill for sure. So I'm definitely gonna carry that.
For the rest of my life for sure.
And I just watching MAM's in the kitchenhen I was young, you know what I'm saying, just sitting there seeing her season and you know, at the end of the day, if your food is flavor, is gonna cook yourself. So you just cook for color, see what you like, see what you don't like, and you can really please yourself.
And it's it teach me patience.
It teaches me, you know, just just be yourself honestly too, because it's like you can't rush the meat and not gonna cook faster for you.
Just wait and you.
Gotta think about my story. Like I could have been asking God, bro, can you can.
You hurry up? Hurry up and get me to the lead.
But would if I would have got to lead unprepared or unseasoned or missed out on the flavor that it was supposed to be there, I probably won't be this real round or this real groom or this mature. So it's just like cooking is kind of like a way that I kind of like just released when you're trying to relax, Like but if they go back to question one, like that's probably if if I had one way to kind of like if you said, that'll kind of just ease me.
Like cooking for sure, because it forces you to do it.
Fourth of July is coming. Fake Newton is in charge of the grill.
Uh chicken Uh ribs sausage and maybe something whatever whatever else. The fan won't really do it, but you know, real chicken sausage, it's more to that's kind of like.
You really yeah you straight with that? Yeah for sure? Yeah you straight or that? Yeah for sure, you straight for sure. Yeah. Maybe some porchouses him like.
Yeah, fourth of July is gonna be good at the Newton Household.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, he's gonna be He's gonna be crazy.
We're gonna go, We're gonna have a good time, pop forwards. We're gonna we're gonna have a little Femily time before I have to come back.
In Locky in for for so this has been fun. I appreciate your time. It's great to have in Cincinnati.
Glad to be here.
Man.
I'll be telling coach Taylor thank you every other day, Lily.
It's easy to see why Josh was a team captain of TCU. Head coach Sonny Dykes called him the least entitled player I have ever coached. And here's one thing I noticed during the Bengals offseason practices. When the guys come out to stretch as a group, Josh is always a little bit off to the side away from his teammates. Trey Hendrickson does the same thing. When I asked Josh about it, he said he uses that time to get focused and locked in for practice. He is a very
easy guy to root for. When training camp gets underway in late July, one of the key battles will be at punter. Brad Robbins was inconsistent as a sixth round draft pick last season, so the Bengals brought in training camp competition in undrafted rookie Austin McNamara out of Texas Tech. There were three highly regarded punters in this year's draft class.
I was Tory Taylor, who was selected in the fourth round by the Bears, BYU's Ryan Rico who signed with Kansas City, and macnamara, who averaged nearly forty six yards of punt in his college career. He's a big guy at six ' five, and I talked to him after he arrived in Cincinnati. Austin, the Bengals have made no secret of wanting to bring in competition for Brad Robbins. How aggressively did they pursue you after the draft?
Yeah?
I mean Kushiamans and I had talked throughout this whole process from the Combine and prode up until to the draft and during the draft, and you know, I knew it was gonna be in a good spot regardless of what happens, you know, when I'm drafted undrafted, and so you know, Kaschhimman's obviously expressed his interest in me, and I'm glad he's interested in me and willing to kind of give me a chance and give me an offer to be able to come and and uh and can
come and compete and and you know, I'm so excited for the opportunity and can't wait to look forward to what's to come.
So how how extensively did he work you out or look at you before the draft?
Yeah, Like I mentioned, we he I first met with the Combine and he was at the Combine watching and then at my pro day in Dallas as well, and so we did those two and then we also had a Zoom meeting prior to the draft as well.
So uh, we talked, you know, just about different techniques.
Obviously, he was a punt of himself and so it's been great to learn from him and learn what he has to offer. And we can talk back and forth about the terminology and all that stuff. So that's been great to be able to learn from him and.
And uh, you know, get used to the get used to that as.
A abina as a coach, and so he's been great that way, and and uh looking forward to learning.
From him some more.
It is unusual for an NFL Special teams coordinator to have been a former college punter. Have your coaches in the past had playing experience at that level?
No, sirry, Yeah, this is my this is my first one. I mean, my dad kind of me and my dad kind of learned.
Together throughout my high school career and he's still coaches the specialist back in my high school.
But in college, I didn't.
Have anybody really that was that was We had one guy for a little while, but not especially as coordinator that knows as punted himself and kicked and kicked himself into college or at any point. And that's why it's great to learn from Coushimmons. And I'm really excited to get started.
Great with chatting with Austin McNamara. You had quite a college career a Texas Tech. You've got the tenth best hunting average in NCAA history. For anybody with one hundred and fifty punts or more, what do you consider to be your biggest strengths biggy strength.
Yeah, So my bigges strength, I feel like is my directional punting. So I work on that a lot. We did that Texas Tech. I've done it since high school. And so I thought my dressial punning in my ma hain time.
Since I'm a taller guy, I mean, we get through a little bit better than most that are shorter, and so kind of use that.
To my advantage.
She does my strengths and and really just try and you know, be consistent as I can.
And I thought my consistency is getting better and better.
And and you know, I have a lot of experience playing different wind conditions, being Loveac which is really windy, and and you know I've on the assets that kind of added my tool walks over the year.
So but those are part of my mainstraints.
Yeah, you mentioned hang time. You were fourth in the country last year according to Pro Football Focus. How much was that emphasized that Texas terribly Yeah.
I mean, you know, coach Perry, my socialscordinator, I mean, we really wanted to make that emphasis as well. As directional punting, and so I worked on those a ton and put those two together, you know, trying to limit return as the best we can put the ball, make the returner have to.
Move around a little bit and pin them in the.
Worst place possible so we can get the ball back and and uh, you know, defense go out there and make a stop. So you know, really trying to that's that's been my game. That's what I've been trying to emulate it and I will continue to do that.
You're six ' five, You've got offensive lineman sized hands according to the Combine. How did you become a punter? Yeah?
Yeah, I uh, you know, I grew up playing soccer, gri up playing basketball as well in high school, and so football kind of came my freshman year of high school. I started kicking and full time, and I really really enjoyed it. Like I said, I mentioned I played soccer. A lot of soccer players end up kicking or at least try it, and and so you know, obviously I'd love to do it, and you know, it was awesome, and and you had a great pre season, great experience
by football. I'm in general, and I want to keep doing it and then ended up I can maybe do some college, so I kept soon in and obviously end up to tax SEC and nowt here. So I'm really excited and obviously kicking punts my passion.
You know, it's give me, excuse me, a challenge I love.
I love the challenge of it and being able to miss it a ball, I know why, I kind of get it back and kind of face it.
And it's obviously great hand and good ball as well, so it goes hand in hand.
I think an NFL roster should say punter slash holder, because it's half of the job, it really is. Did you hold throughout your career at Texas Tech?
I didn't, sir, Yeah, I held for about three and a half, almost four seasons.
I hold.
My freshman year at Kittson High School, I fiegals kickoffs and I outs uponted, So my freshan year I learned how to hold. But then my sophomore year I kind of accept that I was able to jump into that role a little bit more and build a hold, and.
I held for the last three or four seasons at Texas Tech. So ready for it.
Yeah.
Chatting with Austin McNamara, you had an eighty seven yard punt at Texas Tech against West Virginia. I've seen the footage online. So your team's at your own thirteen yard line, you're standing in the end zone. You punted it to the other end zone. Explain the feeling of that punt.
Yeah, that was It was a crazy feeling.
You know.
I got hit right after I punted it, so I didn't get to see the ball flight.
You know, Usually you.
Look up and see how where it's going right away, but I was on the ground for a couple of seconds, looked up and it was still going to there. I could hear the crowd kind of like cheering. It's usually either the cheering. It's either really bad or really good. So I didn't know which one at the beginning. And and you know, obviously I worked obviously, don't do that every time, I wish, you know, but I uh, it
was abously. It's one of those confidence musters for sure, And you know, I know I have it in me and and obviously my consistency is my strength and that's what I'm going for.
But it's for good to hit a good punt, you know, big punt every once in a while.
So good what has Darren told you about the competition? Here is it? You and Brad best Man Wins.
We talked about it a little bit, you know, we we've been going back and forth.
You know, I haven't mad bradea.
I'm I was excited to meet him and learned from him and work with him and stuff through over the next few months.
And and you know, for me, it's just competition with me and with me and me.
You know, I'm just be against myself and enough if I you know, put the work in now and you know, do my best ever single day mile that all worked out one way or the other.
So I'm really just.
Kind of having that mindset going into this, going this whole thing, and oly happens.
So great chatting with you.
Welcome to Sincinnat, sir, Thank you so much for sid it.
McNamara was named the Big Twelve Special Teams Player of the Year last season. He was the first Red Raider to win a major conference award since twenty fourteen, when some guy named Patrick Mahomes was tabbed the Big Twelve Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. 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 provider of the Bengals. We know that the Bengals have a talented roster, but how does it stack
up against other NFL teams. Pro Football Focus recently had two of its analysts, Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman, rank all thirty two NFL rosters from first to worst. Jim did the write ups about the AFC teams, and I talked to him about the list. Jim, let's start with the methodology that you guys used for ranking all thirty two NFL rosters. Was it strictly data driven with PFF grades or was there some opinion and guesswork involved.
PFF grades was definitely kind of the primary focus on this. I mean, we do want to kind of emphasize our bread and butter more or less, but there was definitely some opinion thrown in there because we're also trying to project a little bit. As far as these rankings are concerned, they are purely on paper based, so coaching did not factor at all into this unless we were going into the over under. Otherwise it would just be a true power ranking and not just a on roster ranking, so to speak.
All Right, your number one rank roster in the NFL belongs to the San Francisco forty nine ers. I don't think anybody would be shocked by that. But eight of your top twelve rosters belonged to AFC teams, and you were responsible for the AFC ride ups. Is it fair to say the road to the super Bowl in the AFC is a gauntlet?
It absolutely is. It might even be trickier than last year, especially since two Kansas City the defending champs. I think on paper, got better team that won the super Bowl, even if Rashid Rice doesn't miss a single game from suspension this season. He added Marquis Brown, or Hollywood as people like to call him, Xavier Worthy. I know a lot of people are concerned that he's just a speed demon coming to the draft, but he's so much more
than that. I know people may be a little scared off after John Roston pan out, but Ross also had some injury concerns coming out that Worthy just doesn't have. And then you've got the Baltimore Ravens who just added Derrick Henry to a backfield include Lamar Jackson, and so that's gonna be something tricky to overcome for most teams. And then the Texans, there's surrounding your young cordock of talent.
And then there's what the Texans did by adding Stefan Diggs to a group that already included Nico Collins who just had a huge year last year, Tank Dell, who looks like a steal out of the third round. That Texans receiving group is pre stacked. And then we have Cincinnati up next at number eight, which we kind of went back and forth out where to place them because I could totally see Cincinnati being a little higher, especially
with Joe Burrow being back in the fold. I mean, last year they went nine to eight despite Burrow missing half the season, and even to start to start the season, he wasn't a one hundred percent because he had that leg issue that looked pretty scary in preseason with the non contact injury, and he didn't look himself the first few weeks. It wasn't until like maybe late September early
October that he really got going. So Cincinnati right in the mix of it, and then right behind them is Buffalo, Miami and Cleveland, which as far as those rankings go, we were splitting hairs for the most part. You could be just rearrange those teams in any order you want and have a strong argument for them. I know Buffalo had a lot of roster cuts recently, but they were a lot deeper than they seemed. The big thing with Buffalo is replacing Stefan Diggs, who they sent to Houston
for pennies on the dollar. I think if Keon Coleman, their top draft pick hands out, because he's probably the biggest wild card amongst in the NFL draft, because we have no idea. He had some separation issues in college, like there were times where like most of his catches, he's got a defender draped all over him, which sometimes that works out, like sometimes that guy becomes des Bryant, other times he becomes Nick hil Harry. So they're very hard to kind of figure out. But in his testing
was inconsistent too. But I'm a little more encouraged by the fact that despite running the slow as forty amongst receivers. He was the fastest guy in the gauntlet drill, which is the actual on field stuff, which is the stuff that might translate a little better to the league. So
I have confidence that Keon Coleman. We might not be the productive receiver that Stefan Diggs was, but he's if he's like show something promised by the end of season, Josh Allen's good enough that he'll he'll get his targets.
Jim Wiman from Pro Football Focus is our guests. We're going to get to the Bengals in more detail in just a moment, but I've got to ask you about the most shocking team on the list. In my opinion, your number four roster in the NFL belongs to a team that went seven to ten last year, the New York Jets. We know that the return of Aaron Rodgers makes a big difference, but the fourth best roster in the NFL.
Yeah, this one. We got killed for this one on social media. You're not the only one who seems dumbfounded by the rankings. Pretty much like to scroll through comments kind of get the pulse of what the fan are saying. Pretty Much every single comment has an issue with us. Placing at Jets at number four. And when we came to this discussion, I think it was first Dalton who pitched the Jets being number four, and I heard some surprise in his voice. It was like I had it
at five. So I was just as high on them as he was. And the main thing is one thing I want to kind of bring to the attention is, yeah, the Jets went seven to ten, but they did this with Zach Wilson at quarterback and Tim Boyle taking meaningful snaps. Even the Patriots, with as good a defense as they had, couldn't survive their bad quarterback play. The Jets did for the most part, I mean, as much as a seven and ten team can. And not only that, they made
some moves in the offseason that we really liked. At wide receiver. Last year it was basically just Garrett Wilson and a couple undrafted rookies playing some significant playing time. The Adam Mike Williams, who is He's not gonna catch a ton of passes every game, but he's consistently up
there in yards per reception. I think Rogers is gonna have fun throwing to him deep downfield, even just on a one year deal, and then Malachi Corley, who they took in a third round, being the exact opposite receiver in terms of He's probably gonna be a high volume catches, probably lower depth of target, but he's dying in white with the ball in his hands. He's me pretty fun. Offensive line is kind of where I was fifty to fifty because they did add Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses
at offensive tackle. Both guys have dealt with some injuries, Smith in particular, but when they've been on the field, they've been much more productive, especially considering what the Jets been thrown out there last year. And even if one of the two tackles I mentioned before falter, they drafted Olufashnu in the first round, who can step right in and he might even be the best tackle on the roster right now. We don't have him listen as a starter at the moment, but I wouldn't be surprised that
I'm starting from the get go. And one last thing by the Jets offense, they ranked dead last in EPA per play last season, worse than even the Patriots of the Falcons or other teams were talking about who had some struggles and they still won seven games as a results, So that goes a testament to how good defense is.
Even if Aaron Rodgers isn't like and four time MVP Aaron Rodgers anymore, even if he's just you know, kind of what we saw at the end of his Packers career where he seemed like he might have been turning downward, He's this Jets team is gonna be fine and they're going to be in contention with the AFC East title as long as he's at least healthy.
Jim Wiman from Pro Football Focus is our guest. He and Dalton Wasserman have ranked all thirty two rosters in the NFL, from San Francisco at number one to Denver at number thirty two. The Bengals, as you mentioned, check in at number eight overall, number five in the AFC, behind Kansas City at two, the Jets at four, Baltimore at five, in Houston at seven. What stood out to you is some of the biggest strengths on the Bengals roster.
Immediately what stands out as the wide receivers. I know there's some issues surrounding t Higgins, whether he's going to sign an extension, whether it's gonna be back, especially considering Jamar Chase is due next year for an extension. At the moments, we've got Higgins returning because we've heard nothing to the contrary.
Yeah, he'll I'll be there on the franchise tag. I don't think anybody, I mean, Tea has even said publicly he expects to play for Cincinnati this year.
Yeah, and that's gonna be huge for this Bengals teams if he comes back. I mean, Jamar Chase can do a lot for an offense, but just having a guy like T Higgins there, Like, even if you want to double Jamar Chase you want, you can't do that because T Higgins is going to kill you if you do that. And I know they let go of Tyler Boyd, but I think Jermaine Burton, the guy that took him the third round, at least on the field as an upgrade
over Boyd. This was a guy that we considered at PFF to be a first round talent who fell due to some character concerns. There was one incident in college I kind of raise some concerns and there's some reports of it maybe not being most levelheaded guy. But hey, if he is in a good situation in Cincinnati where he buys in. This is a dangerous player and a guy who even if t Higgins let Walk could step into that number two role opposite Chase What.
Do you consider to be the most significant question marks?
Probably running back at the moment and right now that so Joe Mixon took on a lot of the workload for the for the Bengals last year. The other three running backs on the roster combined last year couldn't reach three hundred snaps for the entire season, so losing mixing
kind of leaves a little of a hole. They added Zach Moss last year, who I put as a team's X factor on our roster just because this last year was his first year he got a significant workload and he showed some ability to kind of be able to be that guy. We haven't really seen it yet from a long term perspective, but he played pretty well in Indianapolis last year, set career highs pretty much across the
board in any category you can think of. So this is going to be his show in the backfield in Cincinnati because right now they're running with Chris Evans, who I think has mostly been used as a kick returner as well as tray Van Williams has gotten some look there as well. They drafted Chase Brown last year, who I kind of like, which I saw a little bit more of him last year, but we'll see how things
shake up this year. But he's definitely like someone I think could probably be the second back behind Zach Moss and kind of maybe be more the receiving guy of the backfield. But right now, I would say the room is paper thin just given the unproven depth behind a guy who himself we've only really seen him be productive one time. So I would say running backs probably the weakest group, But in terms of rooms to be weak in, running back might be the position to choose if you had to choose one.
So, Jim, one of the things you do in the article is list every team's projected starting lineup along with their PFF grades, and this caught my eye. The highest graded offensive player last year was Jamar Chase no big surprise there, but the second highest graded player was the new right tackle, Trent Brown. Between him and drafting Amrius Mims in the first round, do you see a significantly upgraded offensive line?
I do.
This office of the line is definitely a lot better on paper than spend in years past. I know the Bengals have thrown a lot of money at the unit the last couple of years with mixed results. Trent Brown's an interesting case because he played extremely well to start the season last year. I think against Miami, off top I head, he had a PFF grade of like ninety six, which I maybe seen like two games grades that were
higher than that. I can think, oh, it's top my head, and had another game I think against Buffalo and New England actually won one where he was in the nineties as well. Trent Brown think he's going to be productive once again. I know he's getting up there in age a little bit, but a guy in his size that moves as well as he does, he's shoring up the right side can be great for him. I think at
the right tackles his best spot. He played a little bit on the left side from New England and then Amarius Mims I can I think maybe Philadelphia is the only other place where I thought of where could be a potentially better spot for him to land. Cincinnati is a great spot and he doesn't need to start right away. He can kind of get seasoning kind of figure out the league a little bit and not be thrown to the fire like a guy with a similar profiles from
Tyler Goeyton and Dallas might be. And yet right now he's projected to start at left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys right out the gate. Whereas Mims gets to learn, he gets to get better as a player who in his craft, and it's an opportunity that he's being given rather than being thrown to the wolves like Geyiton might be.
So Jim, the highest graded Bengals player on defense wasn't Trey Hendrickson. It was rookie safety Jordan Battle, who probably won't start to begin this season after the Bengals picked up Geno Stone and brought back Von Bell. What do you think of the secondary after those changes at safety?
Yeah, so safety, I can totally see a sort of rotation between the three of them. I think Geno Stone is the only one who's a really true free safety
kind of play that deep center field role. I think Battle in Von Bell, who might be a little bit more of a rotation than as a player kind of a similar style of safety, I think Battle might get the edge there over Bell, just given battles younger and Bell isn't coming off the best season in New Orleans, but he's still like a quality player who will definitely see plenty of playing time. Daxon Hill is a guy
I was hoping it would break out last year. Actually an article last summer where I tried to predict a breakout player at every single position, and I picked Dax Hill as one of the safeties. So it was really his first year as a full time player. He was pretty much red shirted his rookie year, so I'm not ready to give up on him just yet. Same goes for DJ Turner, who was a second round rookie last year,
and he's another guy. Corner is a very, very tough position to transition from college to the pros, just because the quality receiver is so much different than what you're gonna face, and corners themselves is a pretty volatile position in terms of what you can expect from a year to year basis. So Dj Turner's another guy I could see potentially stepping in and playing well in his second
year despite a down rookie season. Cam Taylor Brits another guy who has shown some flashes as and I think He's gonna be quality starting this league for a long time. And Mike Hilton is the number one right now despite being about thirty years old at the moment. But he is coming off one of the better seasons that he's had in his career, and he's still got plenty left in tank despite his age. So the Bengals secondary I think could surprise some people.
Jim, let's talk about the AFC North. Every team has a roster that's graded in the top half of the NFL. I mentioned the Baltimore's fifth, Cincinnati's eighth, Cleveland is twelfth, Pittsburgh is sixteenth. I'm interested in the Ravens because they lost fifteen free agents, including Patrick Queen and three of their starting offensive linemen. They have added some good players,
led by Derrick Henry. But is it a top five roster because they had depth or because the guys that are still there are that good.
I would say it's a mix. They definitely had depth. I know losing Patrick Queen might hurt in the defense, but they still had roe qworn Smith. I think when we darraw rankings, we spent the longest time on Baltimore versus Detroit, with whom who had at number six. I think he spent, like I said, ten fifteen minutes trying to figure out between these two. My main hold up with the Ravens was losing some offensive linemen and they're going to have some unproven guys up front, and then
receiver is a little lacking in depth. Say four Howers had a really nice rookie year after him, though Rashad Bateman hasn't really been with the Ravens. Hoped and I got the third list of receivers, Deontay Party, who is mainly a kick return specialist, but who occasionally will come in and make some plays. I know he had a few plays when he was with the Saints that were explosive. They also drafted Tedes Walker out of North Carolina in early in the fourth round, which I thought was a
great value for them. He's a guy who can really stretch the field. And then Lamar Jackson Derek Henry might be the scariest backfield in football if you're trying to defend the run, so you're either going to get your ankles broken your whole body broken trying to tackle one of those guys.
We certainly know it from seeing him at least twice a year, Cleveland checked in at number twelve. The strength is the defense, arguably the best in the NFL. Where would Cleveland be on the list if they had more of a sure thing at quarterback than Deshaun Watson.
Yeah, Deshaun Watson was the real hold up about this Browns roster because the defense it might be my favorite on paper in the entire NFL, especially considering they were number one in EPA per play allowed last season by a comfortable margin, and everybody's back, including defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Deshaun Watson last year, he hasn't really gotten a chance to get it in a rhythm. Part about his own doing. Part of that is a freak injury that happened in
the middle of the season. Play on field looks like a guy who hasn't played football regularly in the year and a half and so. But the thing with the Browns is they've still won eleven games and probably would have won most divisions while starting five different quarterbacks. So I'm not super worried about their ability to be competitive once again for the playoffs. But if Deshaun Watson is twenty twenty, Deshaun Watson This team's a favorite in the division.
I think they even jump the Jets at number four, and they could be competing for their first Super Bowl if Deshaun Watson looks like he does in twenty twenty.
Well as a Bengals broadcaster, let's hope that he doesn't. The Steelers come in at number sixteen. Here's a team that won ten games last year. With Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph playing quarterback, is Pittsburgh a bigger threat to contend with Russell Wilson and or Justin Fields back there.
I think it's gonna be similar. I think they're going to hover around the same win total. The defense is I think they got a little bit better this year, especially with adding Patrick Queens the middle of that linebacking group. I think that was a big get for them. Defensive line is mostly the same what That's a good thing considering how good they were last year. I have some questions in the secondary, but in general, I think it's
pretty solid. I'm expecting a big leap forward from Joey Porter Junior this year after I saw some flashes last year. He was really good. Their first game against Baltimore offensively is kind of where all the question marks coming to play. The offensive line is gonna be pretty much half rookies coming in, which I love that they did that in the draft because offensive line was a huge issue for them and they recognize it and so they just hammered
it pretty much every pick. Imaginable wide receiver is very thin right now. After George Pickens, I think we have Van Jefferson, who rated is one of the words receivers in football according to our grading system last season, and then a rookie in Roman Wilson out of Michigan who he was productive at Michigan. I don't know if he's going to necessarily be a big play guy that's gonna scare you, but I think he's gonna be reliable possession receiver.
And then as far as Pittsburgh's quarterbacks go, I wouldn't be too surprised that Justin Fields takes over sooner than later. I know a popular pick in the off season was for Justin Fields to go to Atlanta because they feel like he would fit that kind of offense to a t well. Arthur Smith got canned and became the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, and so now he is going to be working with Justin Fields for a little bit, and I think this might be the best possible spot firm.
I do believe that Russell Wilson is going to start right out of the gate, but as far as long term prospects go, I think Justin Fields is more likely to be the guy for them going forward, even if Russell Wilson is the starter out of the gate with his more experience and more of a past history of success.
Jim on your list. Here are the bottom eight rosters in the NFL, starting from dead last, Denver, the New York Giants, Carolina, New England, Arizona, Washington, the LA Charger it's a bit of a surprise, and the Tennessee Titans. The Bengals play seven of those eight teams. Three is the result of finishing in fourth place in the AFC North last year. Is beating up on those box them of the barrel rosters a big key to Cincinnati's potential success this year.
I think it's truly going to help them cushion their win total a little bit. But you play who you play, so it's not really a knock against Cincinnati that they're going to be playing some lesser level teams. That being said, I think Cincinnati is very much in contention to go from worse to first this year. I actually wrote an article this past few months a couple months ago where I ranked every last place team by their chances of
going from worse to first. Cincinnati came into number one, of course, them being the first team in the modern era to finish in last place with the winning record. So as long as I mean, obviously this is a big if with any NFL team, but they stay healthy, Joe Burrow is able to be at full health from last season, and no major injuries happened or any kind of massive inconsistencies that we can't foresee, they should be right in the thick of things and even in the
running for an AFCA championship. So the schedule is certainly going to help them a little bit. But this team, even if it wasn't kind of a bottom feed or schedule, they still have success this season.
I think, following up on what you just said, your conclusion in the article reads as follows. One of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, is it as simple as a healthy Burrow for the Bengals to be in.
That mix, I really think it is. Jake Browning wasn't bad last year as Burrow's replacement. Actually their grades were kind of similar. I think Browning came in at sixteenth and Burrow at eighteenth in terms of qualifying quarterbacks. Even so, Joe Burrow, in my opinion, is the second best quarterback in football. I would take him over Josh Allen just because every now and then Josh Allen will go into
hero and lose you a game. What that being said, Joe Burrow, I think is much more reliable, and we've seen before to his two really healthy seasons. He went to an AFC Championship game with mostly a very similar roster to what we're seeing right now, and I think there's no reason to believe that if he plays the whole season, the Bengals won't be one of the favorites in the AFC from start to finish this season.
Jim, we all love lists. The list that you've put together with Dalton Wasserman was very entertaining, is great reading, and I appreciate you taking the time to discuss it with us. Thanks so much, and keep up the good work.
Thanks for having me.
If you would like to read the article. Just search for PFF Roster rankings and it should pop right up. It's worth noting that Jim and Dalton predict whether each team will finish over or under its projected win total in Vegas, and they have the Bengals going over ten
and a half wins. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by pay Core, 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 provider of the Bengals.
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