Bengals Booth Podcast: One-on-One

joining the Bengals and his insane daily schedule. The second conversation is with national radio talk show host Adam Shine, who also writes a column for NFL dot com, and he recently wrote the following about the Bengals after they drafted Joe Burrow. I envisioned Cincinnati turning into a consistent winner. Seriously, you will like what Adam has to say. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan,

travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. And here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since the Home Court App. I have a fourteen year old son, that loves basketball, and he recently started using the home Court App. It uses your iPhone or iPads camera to analyze your shot.

Just download the app, point your device toward the court, shoot the ball, and get real time shot tracking, analysis and statistics. There's a free version and a premium version, So if you have a hoop in the driveway or a court somewhere nearby, I highly recommend checking out the

home Court App. Now, let's get to football. My first conversation is with a Bengals newcomer, safety Von Bell, who signed a three year, eighteen million dollars deal with the Bengals after spending the last four years with the New Orleans Saints. Vaughan was a second round draft pick back in twenty sixteen after a great career at Ohio State, where he was one of Urban Meyer's most highly touted recruits. I caught up with a twenty five year old former

Buckeye this week. Von Did you enjoy the free agency process or was it stressful? It's a little bit of both, but I could say it's a pleasing to be in it, and man, really just being optimistic and really just find that shit to you and your family and really just beginning new chapter and I'm excited about it. And a

guy has a plan and as you got trusted. Were the Bengals on your radar from the beginning it was off and how much money or anything was going to go on the situation they play out, so everybody and everything worked out. I supposed to work out. So I'm just glad to go on Bengal. You're one of eight unrestricted free agents that the team signed. They spent more than one hundred and thirty million. Is there a message there?

They want to win? And without kays Cala, guys have been in programs and football clubs and have been successful and just getting great character guys and leadership and just combined what they are have. You know, they have great talent there already and um and just combined us and they just want to win. They says nothing enough. The whole plan was wasn't working, so we gotta try something new. So and everything's gonna work out. I supposed to work out.

We are visiting with von Bell. For those who don't know, you were an All American at Ohio State and a key member of the twenty fourteen national championship team. Does it feel right to be coming back to Ohio where you had so much success. It so they're gonna come back home. Like I said, guy opened and closed doors. And now I'm back home in Ohio and I'm ready to have much success that I did in college and now I can't wait. So after Ohio State, you started

fifty games for the Saints, including five playoff games. What were the highlights of your times a time in New Orleans? Man, It's it's countless times, um man. I feel like in practice, you know, just me growing as a young player in this league is being behind older guys and just really just soaking up the knowledge, like from Drew Brees and the other guys in a locker room that are veterans.

I feel like that was really highlight my career instead of just playing on the field, because you do so much off the field to prepare yourselcialty ready as full capacities for Sunday and Monday nights and Thursday night games. And it's like, man, it's like I feel like those my highlights in locker room because we gotta had good, high character guys and just had more success on the field because you want to play harder for your brothers. So that's what I will tell you. We're chatting with

von Bell. The Bengal have had some heartbreaking playoff losses in their history, including a couple of Super Bowls, and as a member of the Saints over the last three years, the team lost in the playoffs on the final play of the game. They were all punches to the gut. Can you describe how difficult that was to be in

uniform for those games? This, man, it's very difficult. It just felt like we can never give it at home and man, like the first time with the pr called we'll play against the Rams and the Minnesota miracle and Minnesota again. It's like, man, it's like I felt like we can never give that hume. But you know, we just had we had that team where it was always hungry. We always want to prove more, and we wanted to establish I said, we wanted to say we're not done yet.

We was hungry. We pushed each other iron shoppers iron. We just had all these competitive excellence or deals with it in the locker room. It didn't have to worry about what the coaches said because the guys wanted in locker room, and that's the biggest thing and my whole coach always told me this player as the coach led, I fed league and um and it's from by the players,

and that's what I really believe in. I feel that we had a great group of guys coming into the locker room, a cininry, a scant way to get it. The website Pro Football Focus great at you as the NFL's top run stopping safety last year. Do you take that as a compliment or do you feel like it ignores your coverage ability? It didn't knows my coach. I feel like I'm safety. I had all the tencibles to the game. I feel like I plase safety, m playing in the box, playing in BANKI making plays on the ball.

There's always being around the ball, and it's just I just loving the games. So I feel like I'm like, man, I'm more than just a quote unquote box safety. I feel like I could do all the things that safety pranks of the league. I spoke to Luke Fickle, who's now the head coach at the University of Cincinnati and obviously was with you at Ohio State as defensive coordinator. The first thing he mentioned was your leadership ability right

from day one at Ohio State. He said, yeah, man, I'm one of the alpha dogs and just that successful all my career, even to a high school, going to college in the NFL. It's just always just been a pedigree to me. And I always want my older brother. I always played up. I never played in my age movie. He always told me to play with him who were playing basketball or any sport, and he said, when you get to your agh movie, to go dominated because everything

will come easy to you. And that's that's not always been with My mother and dad were the structure we had at home and just really to just showing me how to be the man I am today. And that's what I just brought. That structure and that leadership structs and is always just being the alpha dog. So I think them Vanu led the NFL with five fumble recoveries last year and had another one in the playoffs. How much of that is right place, right time and how

much is a nose for the ball. I think it's both. We always like party at the ball. You never know what can happen. You know, you might get tips, no those you might get you know what I'm saying, Scooper, score guys, just running to the ball and just really just see eleven hands of the ball, just always just being around it and uh and players gonna happen when you do that. Your final year as a Buck guy was Joe Burrows first, and now you're going to be

teammates again in Cincinnati. He didn't play back then, but you obviously competed against him at practice. What stood out, Oh, man, his his warrior mentality. Um, you know him and Stephen Carter was on the two youngest quarterbacks at the time, and they always want to look squad and they had the two youngest quarterbacks always live against the defiance, so

you could hit him right. I was to this guy taking shots from everybody, and I'm like, man, this dude he just never had that quitting and he always had a knack of talent. He had that confidence, he had that swagger, and um, that's why I really knew that he get a chance he could be a special player. Were you responsible for some of those hits at practice? Sometimes I was sometimes, you know, Joey getting there a couple of guys. It's a couple of guys, but you know, hey,

you know he always he always had that confidence. He never backed down. He loves competition and man, that's what made it successful on his journey. And I'm very proud of him. And uh, you know that's what I know a kind of man and what type of football Cali player he is because he's been he's been entrenched with me at Oil State, and he's been in the weight room. You've been through the Matt Rill, so I know the

type of guy he is. Vane, I understand. The last November, the Saints had a Thursday night game, meaning you had the following weekend off, and you chose to drive to Baton Rouge to watch Joe Burrow at LSU. Describe that experience. That's my first LSU game. Oh, that's playing Texas and him the year before that. That was when he went in a Crazy Old Times the year before that. So it was a big hype game. I said, man, let me um, let me go. Try to go to LSU

and do my first game. Get the tiger Land experience and just being out there in the atmosphere and it was electric. Was seeing height. I didn't really want to miss him for the game out was there and it was a big moment for him, you know, through all the adversity, you know, through the quarterback bows. Now he's on top. You know, he was in hot and the race, chance to compete the national championship is like, man, what a time. I was glad to be there in the

moment and uh, just living in the moment. And that's what I did. I really enjoyed it. That was the game where he came out with b U R R E A U X on the back of his jersey. Correct, yes, sir, they did. Yes, Louisiana did it home Vane. Describe your routine these days, since it could be a while before

NFL teams can get together. Man, my routine right now, Man, Monday day, I wake up at four am every day, work out with a coup of guys and work out around five, and then we have our means our virtual meetings. Then on Friday, I do my balancing, core and stability work out. And I still like after the days other Monday and Thursday, I still like get a twelve mile

bike riding or fourteen and buries on some days. And it's really just staying to it, just cooking my breakfast, cooking my meals, and just staying on top of other reading books. Really staying in the process, watching film and just really just being around the game and just stoking up the knowledge from the game and really just going back and just really trying to you know, the self

critical yourself and insteadying other guys around the league. I still take still communicate with guys around the league and really talk about and just really talk about life, spending time with families. So that's where getting up at four, working out at five, that's Kobe Bryant MoMA mentality stuff. It is it is, and I feel like that's the only way to success. I'm getting up before everyone and getting your work in. It's like you're ahead of everybody already.

And I always want to tell the stars just that competitive nature and it's that momentality and um so it's always just striving for greatness and just really just chasing greatness and affection. Fine, how challenging is it to try to learn the Bengals defense through zoom meetings? I was pretty challenging, But you know, I'm a very heady any play, I'm brady smart. There's just really determinology and some of the system somatic things they do. But I'm gonna get it.

I'll come along very well with it. Just when we get when we be able to get in the facility and do the walk throughs, and I could really see things move and make the same you know, the adjustments with their terminology and everything. It's gonna be smooth, it's gonna be better and uh everything we'll start clicking on all cylinders. You have some former Buckeye teammates, not only Joe Burrow, but Sam Hubbard, Billy Price and others on this roster. Does that add to your comfort level and

joining a new team for sure? Um, you know, we always know, but the brotherhood is always unbroken. We know what type of caliber guys they are, and it's like family. And before you go and um yes, uh, you know, I'm a very outgoing person, So I don't think it's rich you are to make a friend of me. Um, this always is open a year, um shot, you know, and just want to be that guy that you just come to and talk to, be he's talking to and

but yeah, it's always helping. You got a couple of Buckeyes on the team or not, You're obviously one of the big acquisitions of the off season by the Bengals. Cincinnati is thrilled to have you. We welcome you back to the state of Ohio and look forward to seeing you in person when that's possible. Yes, sir, thank you so much. I'm glad to be back to the world.

Bron is expected to start at safety next to Jesse Bates and is one of five free agents who could start on defense, along with DJ Reader, Trey Waynes, Mackenzie Alexander and Josh Bines. Before we get to the next conversation, here's a quick reminder that you can take your Bengals prior to the next level in twenty twenty with an official Bengals fan package from Prime Sport. My next guest is a national radio host who is among the best in the business at combining strong opinions with a great

sense of humor. We are joined by one of my favorite people to listen to and watch, and not only because he is a proud graduate of Syracuse University. He is the host of Shandon Sports every weekday from ten to one on Sirius XM radio and the host of multiple NFL TV show was on CBS Sportsnet. Adam Shine, Adam, I am such a big fan of your work and we've communicated by email in the past, but this is the first time we have spoken to each other, and

I appreciate you coming on the Bengals Booth podcast absolutely, Dan. Likewise, I'm a huge fan of yours, as you know, and listen, we go back in terms of the same same connection to wae ER and to Syracuse, and you know, you're the guys that I looked up to with Mike Tarico and I An Eagle and Sean McDonough that that great era of broadcasters at at wae R. So seriously, thank you for paving the way for people like me. Well,

thank you for including me in that line up. I'm not sure that I'm worthy, but I appreciate it anyway. I have been eager to have you as a guest on this podcast because between your Twitter feed, your radio show, and your column on NFL dot Com, you have been

expressing a lot of optimism about the Bengals recently. Explain why, Well, I really like what the Bengals are doing, you know, and I think it's important Dan, to actually go back to my opinion when Zach Taylor was hired, you know, I I thought it was an inspiring choice, you know, last year was not a good season, right as Bill Parcels once said, you are, which the record says, and there were a lot of reasons why. But I I don't look at the head coach and you know put

that on him. There were injuries that were circumstance, and you know, I'd a lot of people in the NFL tell me that that Zach Taylor was on their list, a lot of executives to be a head coach. I thought the Bengals slammed that out of the park, and then I thought they had a really strong draft with Jonah Williams that he got hurt, didn't play it down. And then I thought that, you know a j Greene, who I've always argued as a Hall of Famer, you know,

I would have another great season. He got hurt, didn't play it down. And then you get the number one pick, and you know, Joe Burrow to me, has hits and I just love watching him at LSU. You know, I think he has all the tangibles, all the intangibles in terms of a true franchise quarterback, and I think he's going to inspire his teammates, inspire the coaching staff, inspire the great Cincinnati Bengals fans, and you know, I can't wait to see him work. And you know, AJ's coming back,

which I think is fantastic. And I was waiting for you some kind of comment from AJ on that, and listen, I never thought AJ was gonna wear a Bengals uniform again. It turns out I was wrong. And I'm thrilled for Cincinnati that I was. And I thought he was ready to move on after a great chapter and I'm thrilled he's coming back. I think Joe Mixon is on the shortlist in terms of best running backs in the league.

I loved how the Bengals not only drafted Borrow supported him in round two with T Higgins, I thought T Higgins was a first round pick, and I think that sometimes organizations fail when they draft the first round quarterback. Don't give him the proper offensive line, don't give him the proper weapons. You you want to make sure he's in a position to be successful. Look last year after the draft, and that's why I go back to last year.

I thought the Bengals could win seven games, you know, win games where they were underdogs, win games you'd expect them to win. That's my field for Cincinnati this year. I thought the Bengals spent money wisely in the off season. You know, they did a really good job improving the defense, the defensive line, the defensive backfield, and then you add in these pieces via the draft, and Burrows one of those guys, even as a rookie, I think, lifts everyone up.

I really think the Bengals been a surprise of people, and there's great hope and enthusiasm for the future. Our guest is Adam Shy, the host of shan On Sports on Sirius XM radio. When you host a three hour national radio show, you have to have strong opinions, and you are not shy in stating the Bengals would not win a Super Bowl with Marvin Lewis as the head coach and Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback. You're right, And I didn't say that necessarily with joyous julation, but

I you know, and I was right on that. You know, it's funny. I always think, Dan, there's perspective, right. They won a lot of games, and they deserve I think a lot of credit for winning a lot of games. It's not easy to win in the NFL, and I hope that that Bengals fans actually look back on it all very fondly. You know, I thought Andy was a really good quarterback who had some great seasons for since

he you know, the primetime numbers, the playoff numbers. I mean, that's that's where I think he falls short of true quote unquote greatness. Pretty had a really great run in terms of being, you know, a great guy in the community and a rock solid quarterback for a long time. Marvin epitome of class. I you know, there were there were issues in terms of discipline that have been documented,

but it was it was time for a change. And you know, I think it's tough to win in the NFL, and those guys is credit for getting win and win totals. You know, I remember talking to Carson Palmer at the Super Bowl this past year. You know, I will always believe that the year that he got hurt with von Olhoffen, that Bengal team could have gone to the super Bowl. That was an amazing just a tremendous, tremendous offense and opportunistic defense. I thought that team, he totally agreed with me,

could have absolutely gone to the super Bowl. But yeah, I've been screaming that for years. In terms of our guys, Marvin Anvy, we are speaking to Adam Shine a great Twitter follow at Adam Shine Schei n Way back in mid January, you tweeted Joe Burrow will save the Bengals. So that was obviously well before the NFL draft, and I assume based on watching the semi final performance against Oklahoma and the National Championship game against Clemson, you knew

at that point this is the guy Cincinnati had to draft. Absolutely, And you know, there was some conversation at the Super Bowl about justin Herbert, you know, and I happen to think there's going to be a big time quarterback, and you know, the Bengal is obviously there for the Senior Bowl. But Burrow, to me is just he's special. And you know, I think with other quarterbacks and even Tuah and Herbert, there was always there's upside downside, right, there's risk reward.

I don't see downside with Burrow. I think you can you can debate or go into the crystal ball when it comes to great this, but I think he's going to be a very good to great quarterback for a long period of time. And Dan I just thought, well,

he did at LSU. I mean, you don't want you want to make sure you're not a prisoner at the moment, right And you know, there have been some amazing seasons in the history of college football, but all things considered, I think you could have a solid argument that what he did this past year and la Asu greatest season ever behind a quarterback in the history of college football, and it's going to carry over, in my opinion, to Cincinnati. You are fired up about Burrow versus Baker Mayfield in Wait,

I can't wait for that game. I you know, I was pleased at the NFL put that one in primetime. I you know, I put that on my list on my shyne I of the ones that I'm looking forward to the most. I am really fired up because, you know, go back to the old days. You know, Cincinnati Cleveland, and I know it's a rivalry in Ohio, but I mean when it was a rivalry nationally, like when I was growing up in New York. But you wanted to

see the Bengals, you wanted to see the Browns. You wanted to see Sam Wish, and you wanted to see Boomer, and you wanted to see Marty Like those were great games. And now you got a couple of quarterbacks, albeit with different personalities, but they've got a little swagger and a little edge to them, and I thought that was a great job by the league. Look, I think the Browns

are going to be really, really strong this year. And I feel like I've said that all the time, but I really think the Crowns are gonna be strong this year, and I think it's in case they're not smart Flyer putting to that game early in the season, I think people are gonna want to watch Joe Burrow just like they did in college. I was a great job in my opinion by the NFL. We are visiting with Adam Shine. Let's talk about the rest of the AFC, North Baltimore

and Pittsburgh. What do you think. I think Baltimore won through fifty three? Is the best team in the NFL? Now, don't miss interpret. I think Kansas City, you know, could easily repeat and you know, barring anything unforeseeing that, that'll be my pick. But I think Baltimore is loaded. Their machine. I love their their owner, their GM Erik to Costa head coach, love the JK. Dobbins pick, Patrick Queen and linebacker, you know, all those third round picks. Then I had

to work a war room. I really Lamarus Special. The defense was excellent the second half of the season. You know, Pittsburgh. I'm not high on Pittsburgh. I think Pittsburgh has some problems. I think, you know, they they've really neglected them the backup quarterback position, which which is nonsensical. And I I thought the Mason Rudolph pick in twenty eighteen in the third round was was a good flyer. You know that has not worked out. Uh, Doc Hodgers, if he's an answer,

I'd love to know the question. Roethlisburgher's thirty eight covered off with elbow surgery, so I'm surprised that that they decided to run that thing back. I mean, and even like I'll give you a compareda trast with the Bengals, right, and Pittsburgh's defense is fantastic, and they have three first

team All Props. But like, I look at the skill position players for the Bengals versus the Steelers, and I just think that the skill position players for since they trump, they dwarf the those for the for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don't like that run game. You know, they were twenty ninth or worse than a lot of key statistics. We talked about that on CBO Sports Network. This this I ask you this past week, and I don't see it getting better this year. You know, James Connor is

a great story. I don't think he's a great running back. I don't like the depth of receiver. You know, I liked Juju as a number two. He didn't pan out last year. See what happens this year as a number one. I think that that Pittsburgh, well, that defense is great. I think they have seven and nine eight written all room. Very interesting. That would not break hearts here in Cincinnati, that's for sure. A final question for Adam Shine. I

appreciate your time. You alluded to the Bengals head first plunge into free agency eight unrestricted free agents, more than one hundred and thirty million dollars spent. They were one of the biggest spenders of any NFL team this year in free agency. How shocked were you by that? I was. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised because you don't always think of the Bengals doing that. And what I liked, Dan, it wasn't It wasn't foolish money. It wasn't like old

school Redskins money. It was Okay, here's areas of weakness and let's go attack it and let's go get it. You know, you think of teams I mentioned the Ravens, or you think of the Patriots, or you know the Eagles. See a problem, fix a problem, right, I mean, that's that's what those teams do. And I I just thought Cincinnati had a really smart, brilliant, calculated offseason. I mean, you know, part of the deal is you knew Joe is going to be that that number one tick. You know,

this was a great receiver class. You had to feel good about finding a guy who could contribute in round number two, so you know you can now. I love the weapons that they have on offense, you attack the defense. And I really think this Bengal team is going to surprise some people. I mean, you know, we'll see how I feel. We get closer, we will put the h the picks in pan as I always do Wednesday after

Labor Day. But I could see Cincinnati being a seven and nine team and winning winning games that people don't expect them to win. This year, get to start to move in the right direction. I hope you are right. I hope it's better than that, but certainly would that would be a good start. Adam, This has been fun. Thanks so much for doing it. Keep up the great work and hopefully we'll have you on again at some point anytime. Damn, this was a blast. I enjoyed it

thanks to Von Bell and Adam Shine. And that's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by Prime Sport, the official fan, travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe, and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast.