Bengals Booth Podcast: Talk To Me

and Bengals team reporter Marissa Contapelli. 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 add the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing. It's the greatest thing since Zoom Happy Hours. During the COVID nineteen pandemic, virtual happy hours conducted on Zoom or

a similar platform have become very popular. This week, I took part in one with my family members in New York, Indiana, and Colorado, and a couple of weeks ago, my old college buddy Mike Tarco. Yes that Mike Tarreco organized a Zoom Happy Hour with seventeen friends that went to Syracuse University at roughly the same time and worked in student radio, including Sean McDonough, I, An Eagle, Beth Mowens, and others.

I am doing some serious name dropping here. In any case, if you haven't taken part in one yet, I highly recommend the Zoom Happy Hour. Now let's turn to football. On our last podcast, I mentioned that NFL teams were not permitted to discuss free agent acquisitions until they had completed physicals and signed their contracts. The league loosened that policy this week, allowing the Bengals to announce agreements with eight unrestricted free agents, pending the players passing their physicals

at a later date. I spoke to Zach Taylor about the free agent signees, six of whom could be starters this year. Zach was DJ reader, your number one targeting free agency. He was He was a player that we've thought very highly of from the gig go. You know, Nikison as known instance Hiss dayson Clemson, and so we felt like he would he would really help us up front, and it was a long process get had done. But

we were very, very excited to get it done. He is a tremendous player, can really be very flexible up front, play multiple different positions. So I'm really excited to get dj DJ in the building. Linebackers seems to be a more pressing need. Why did you zero in on a defensive tackle? Well, we know that the guys up front take the pressure office backers and feel good that we'll find the solutions there. You know, there's just a lot of areas we wanted to address, and right now we

focused on defensive line and corner. We felt like we really helped ourselves there. So we feel like we've we've made some moves to really help ourselves on defense and got some guys that really bring some leadership qualities as well, guys that played winning football, and so we're just excited to get pack on the field at some point. Readers three hundred forty seven pounds is an immovable man in the middle. The biggest thing you felt you needed to

be better against the run. He's not only very good against the run, but he also he brings a pastors some value there and when you can find that rare combination of guys who have the size to stop the run in the interior, but also when they're one on ones and not just being big stiff guys that have the flexibility go get after the pastor and create some issues there. Then that's that's something that you've you've got to try to go obtain And so very fortunate that

we got DJ again. We had him at the top of award. We were very high on him and play it all come together is it's a big one for us. Let's turn to Trey Waynes. Where do you think you're getting in him? Yeah, you're getting a starting corner, you know, very competitive. You know, he's playing in a good system there in Minnesota the last couple of years in Tangibles. He brings a lot of really good things to the table.

He's a physical tackler. He's not afraid to put his nose in there, which which not every corner is willing to do necessarily. So we're excited to get him in the building. He's fired up to be here, you know. So we felt like that was a great addition for us. Did you feel like that aspect of being good against the run was needed at the cornerback position? It helps,

you know, it certainly helps you know. We've got improve tackling overall on defense, and so every player we're looking to add, you know, that's that's an importance for us to continue to stress. But Trey's got good speed. You know, he's made a lot of plays on the balls over the years and played against him a couple of times. I always thought he thought very highly of him as a player. So we're just excited at him to the squad.

I think a lot of us have read that he's a really good, solid player, but maybe has not lived up to being the number eleven overall pick in the draft. Does the on track that you gave him recollect untapped potential. We feel like he's an ascending player. You know, he's only been the league here, he's pushed a couple of years there in Minnesota, so certainly feel like his best days are ahead of him. And again we're just we're

excited at a starting corner of the building. Then there's Mackenzie Alexander, also from the Vikings, who signed a one year deal. Does he project as your top slot corner? He does. McKinsey's again another guy that's about the right stuff, great intangibles, played a lot of football there in Minnesota, you know, he actually he played with DJ Reader in college's.

He's played at Trey Waynes and so he's excited to be a part of what we're building here and so it was great to get him in the fold as well. So you know, we've we've added at two corner positions here an outside corner and Nicol an interior defensive lineman. We feel like we're really helping ourselves over there on defense. And then there's seven year veteran Xaviers to a Philo on the offensive line. Is he immediately the leading candidate

to start at right guard? Yeah, that's that's exactly right. He's Um. You know, he's played more in a backup all the last two years in Dallas. Really helped him out, you know when they did have injuries up front, played really well for him. And he's a guy that when you want to watch the tape, you can watch him play against the best competition there is. You can watch him push Chicago at LA and UM, he did some really good things for him. You know. The feedback we

got on him is that he's a quick learner. Um, he's got a high high mental ikey there when it comes to football and He's a big, physical guy, you know, which in this division that's that's critical. You know, just just havn't been around it for a year. These interiors he coinsive alignment at these other squads are big guys that are really hard to move with the run game. So to add a big, physical guy like Xavier is a huge benefit for us. That seems to fit the

description of guys the Jim Turner likes up front. The bigger the better. Almost. Well, you know, he's got a lot of good qualities. We've thought he did a great job in past protection last year, you know, in the games he played for Dallas and um, you know, he's got the athleticism get to the second level in the run game that we really like as well. So I feel like we're adding a really solid player there, Zach. You signed von Bell to a three year deal. He

was a four year starter for the Saints. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top run stopping safety in the NFL. Where are you getting in Von Bell? Yeah, you're getting really physical safety. That's that's really good coverage as well, you know, and he's won a lot of football games of the house state and the Saints. Playing a lot of big games of both places. You know, talked to a lot of people who played with him and coached him, and just the type of person that

we want on a locker room. Really excited to get him. What does his addition mean to Sean Williams, Well, it allows us to do a lot of fun things, you know, with three really talented safeties, and so again that's something that we will continue to explore. We'll have a great plant in place. Bell forced five fumbles last year, which

is pretty telling. He's got a rule knack for getting the ball out and making those kind of game changing plays in that regard, and so again we're just we're really fortunate I worked out where we were able to sign him. You did eventually add a line backer and former Baltimore raven Josh Bines. He gets a one year deal. He'll be thirty one in August. You saw him twice in a four game stretch last year. Where are you

getting in Josh Bines. You're getting a tremendous leader, um, a guy who's who's been a part of a lot of winning organizations and winning teams. And so again, just just doing the background on him, talking to people who were within Detroit in Arizona. You know, just a tremendous person. He's gonna make everybody around him better. He's that type of leader that we're looking for. Again, Floyd in a lot of a lot of big time football games and he knows what it looks like and so again works

out of add into that linebacker room. Does that impact the draft at the linebacker position, Well, I think we're still open to a lot of different positions. But what we did in free agency allows us to take some really good football players when they're there at the right spot, and you know, that's really what you want to be doing at an end of the draft. The final two free agents that you signed our cornerback Lashawn Sims he was with Tennessee the last four years, and wide receiver

Mike tom As, he spent four with the Rams. You obviously got to know him face to face. Those are two guys that have a lot of special teams experience, correct. You know, Leshaun's had a good career there in Tennessee and put against him two years ago, three years ago, and US Rams Steve Jackson has coached him. So so those guys know Leshawn really well and he's about the right stuff and again, gonna have a great character to locker room, great special team's value, be a good player

for us in the secondary. And then Mike Thomas is a guy that I coached for two years in LA and again just another another really solid special teams player. But he's got some traits that are going to be really helpful for us in the receiver room. So report to see him coming in compete. I know he's excited about it, and we're just ready to get all those guys in the building. That's eight free agents. We're approaching one hundred and fifty million dollars. I think, are you

done well? I don't think you ever say you're done, you know, if you always keep those options open and case something pops up. But again, we put ourselves in a good spot heading here to the draft and in two weeks areciate the information. Thank you. Now time for my conversation with Dave Lapham and Marissa Contapelli, which aired live for the first time ever this past Thursday on Bengals dot Com, the official Bengals app, Facebook, and YouTube. Our first topic the first pick in the draft, and

Dave Lapham was up first. Do you have any doubt at this point that Joe Burrow will be the Bengals number one overall pick, I really don't, Dan. I think that Joe Burrow is the target, and I think deservedly so. It's uh, it's the most incredible one season over another improvement that I've ever seen, that anybody's ever seen. He had the best season in the history of college football

for any quarterback with sixty touchdowns, six interceptions. And you know I've said it before that when when it was most important, the most important games the SEC Championship game, the first round of the playoffs, the National Championship game, those three games, sixteen touchdown passes, rushed for two more, didn't turn it over, no fulmost, no interceptions. That's incredible. And he had seven victories when they played those teams,

they were in the top ten seven times. So you have the SEC, you have that kind of a schedule for him to play the way he did. I think, you know, merits Obviously, he won the National Championship, won the Heisman Trophy, and he's got great physical attributes. His arm is plenty of good enough for the National Football League. It's not like upper echelon, like Wouza type arm strength. But I think the thing that separates him above the

neck between the years, he is a competitive learner. He's one of those guys that's got an insatiable appetite to learn about the game, first one in, last one to leave, like Tom Brady, like Peyton Manning. And he is so confident going into these big games because his preparation is impeccable and it gives him a tremendous amount of confidence

to go out there and execute. And the other thing that he is is a dynamic problem solver, you know, And that's when things look easy until he sees to feel so well and when he reads it and gets it out great, But then there are going to be times when things aren't so pretty, and he figures out a way to extend to play, to climb the pocket, to manipulate the pocket and solve the problem. You know, his eyes are always down the football field. He's not

looking at pass rush and all that sort of thing. So, I mean, you can go on and on and on about Joe Burrow, and I think you know, it's like when Tom Brady came out of Michigan, he was splitting time at Michigan six round pick, and then he found himself in peak. Joe Burrow didn't really have a great year till this senior year found himself in peak. So hopefully he stays at that level that Tom Brady got to. And and Joe Burrow is not a kid. Joe Burrow

is twenty three years old. He's got some experience and not only football but in life. How about you, Marissa, any doubt that Burrow's going to be the guy? Now? I echo exactly what Dave just went through. And for me, there's really if the Bengal stay at one. The only way I don't see it being Joe Burrow is if a trade were to happen, and I really don't see that being the case. I think it would take a lot for the Bengals to move out of that number

one pick. So I'm the same sentiment as Dave. I think it's Joe Burrow for all the reasons that he just went through and more, there's so much to like with this quarterback prospect. He absolutely, in my opinion, will be the guy the future for Cincinnati, and I agree with the two of you. I think this decision was made on November sixteenth when Tuah Tungo Violoa injured his hip, and before that he had ankle problems. So maybe before his injuries, the Bengals would be doing a really hard

study of Burrow or Tuah. But I think when you factor in the injury, Burrow becomes the obvious number one overall pick. And I did a deep dive of every quarterback selected number one overall in the Super Bowl era, so we're talking about more than fifty number one overall draft picks in the first thirty three. These numbers might be a tiny bit off, but I think I've got it almost exactly right off the top of my head. In the first thirty three there are only nine quarterbacks

taken number one overall. But in the last twenty two years, sixteen of the twenty two number one overall picks have been quarterbacks. So when you're in that spot, unfortunately you're there for a reason in having the number one overall pick. But if you've got the opportunity to get your quarterback, a guy that you think can be the next Super Bowl winning quarterback, a guy that can lead your franchise

for ten to fifteen seasons, you pounce on it. And I think that's what the Bengals are going to do with Joe Burrow Lap. You talked about a lot of his strengths. I want each of us to come up with Joe Burrow's number one traits. You can only pick one, the number one trait that you like about him, So Marissa, you get to go first this time. Dan, it's really hard to choose just one. But for me, I absolutely

love his personality and his approach to the game. He has that leadership and that confidence and something we even saw to the National championship and a little bit of swagger to him that I have just been absolutely floored with. He's someone that when you talked to his teammates, they've rallied around him. He's a guy that people are going to get behind. Everyone has fantastic things to say about his personality and the mentality that he brings. He's been

around this game for so long. He's a coaches's son, so he knows how to prepare, he knows how to have that approach, and it's really spot on him when you look at the way he would prepare over this past season and just how he's improved over the last couple of years. He has the drive, he has that passion, and I really think it's going to be extremely successful. Translated into the NFL. All right, lap your term, your turn rather number one. Joe Burrow trait that you like.

I liked the path that he had to take to get here. When he was in high school, he was first team All state football, basketball, big man on campus, a lot of success, goes to Ohio State, the local legend. Things don't go great for him at Ohio State. He ends up fracturing his hand. And I've talked to Luke Fickle down at the Senior Bowl, and Luke Fickle told me a story about when Joe Burrow wasn't you know, wasn't the guy rb Meyer When they were scrimmaging against

the number one defense. He had number twos and number three's in the huddle and they're scrimmage again us Ohio State's number one defense and Urban Meyer stands live on the quarterback and Luke Fickle that defense was good and they are lightening him up, they're beating him to death. And Joe Burrow's dad wasn't there. He was coaching defense in Ohio you but his mom was there. And Luke Rickle said she's in tears, and so Luke Fickle goes up to her after the scrimine says, you know it's okay.

You know, Urban just wants to go through this. The next weekend, the same thing, and Urban Meyer a live lights him up again. And Luke Fickle said, Joe Burrow sold me then because never complained, never got after any of his teammates, never complained to the coaches, what are you doing? So to me, he's been at the high, he's been at the low, and then he goes and transfers he gets to the high again. So he's seen

every level of success. And when he got knocked off the horse a little bit, he didn't curl over and play dead. He got right back on the horse and rode to start him again. So I like the path that he's taken. I like everything about Joe Burrow that he had to go through to taste the sweet network success many times, not just once, many times in the lessons he'd learned along the way. And I think that's

why all of his teammates gravitate toward him. Guys at every level he can identify with him because he's been at all different levels of success. Every single teammate of Joe Burrows you talk to love the guy, and I think that's a big reason. All right, I'm going to give you my number one Joe Burrow trait accuracy. I think it's the most important trait that a quarterback can have. I think it's in eight. I don't think you become

accurate when you get to the NFL level. I think it's largely a god given thing, or at least something that's been developed all along up until you get to the point where you'd be an NFL player, and then you either have it or you don't. This is the spirit of seventy six. The dude completed seventy six point three percent of his passes in the SEC last year. You look at how accurate he was against the toughest defenses eighty percent against Alabama in that game. Stayed consistently

above seventy percent against the best defense. He best defenses that he competed against. I think completion percentage translates to the NFL. I think if you look at guys that played at the highest level in college, their numbers are comparable when they go from college to the NFL. So again, I think that's the number one trait that a great quarterback has to have, and he has it in spades and lap. You know from rooming with Kenny Anderson, that was the best trait that he had, right, no question.

I mean, put the football in small spots, you know, very very tight spots. And with that, great quarterbacks that throw anticipation. Normally of straighty quarterbacks, they throw with accuracy and anticipation and that gives them even more confidence in throwing it accurately. And the great ones see it before it happens. They can anticipate where a guy is going to be open, how he's going to be open, and

where to put the football. And with that anticipation and when they can put it in small holes like like these guys can, it's a it's a sight to behold, There's no question. I remember I was I was working a football camp with Kenny Anderson and he would like I was twenty five thirty yards away from him and he would say, right shoulder, boom fall would hit my right shoulder, belly button, boom fall would hit the belly.

I mean, it was unbelievable. It wasn't just you know, I'm just going to hit you in Europe, but he's picking body parts out and throwing the chin put it right in. Amazing how pinpoint it was. And you're right those kind of things. When you can do that at the collegiate level, that trait normally does transfer. All right, So we all agree that Joe Burrow is going to be the number one overall pick. Ninety nine point nine

percent likely that the Bengals select Joe. So let's move to the second round because there's a lot more doubt where that is concerned. We don't know which guys will get selected before the Bengals have their opportunity to choose. We don't know for sure that they will stay in that spot. They could move down. We'll talk about that in just a bet. But I want each of you to give me three candidates on your draft board that you would think that the Bengals would be interested in

selecting a lap will let you go first? Top three candidates at number thirty three overall? Well, you know, I'm I'm thinking that linebacker is going to be you know that that pick. I really believe that. You know, in my mind, it's it's linebacker, It's offensive line, and then maybe defensive line in terms of biggest needs. If Kenneth Murray is there from Oklahoma, a big inside linebacker, I'm not sure he will be sixty three, two hundred and forty pounds. He's a running hit guy, he closes on

plays exceptionally well, he's a he's an explosive tackler. You know, I'm not sure that he would be there, but if he is, he's somebody that you know that I'd love to see. I guess my dream pick would be if chased On from LSU, if he slides somehow, you know, if you could get uh, you need the bud Dupree, the match yout On type guy the other people in the division have. If that guy would have somehow slide uh, you know that that would be Christmas all all day,

every day long. Another linebacker that I would if staying at the linebacker position. Another guy that would be great. If if Patrick Queen, another LSU player, if he were there, I think Patrick Queen would give them, you know, a lot. He's got burst, he's got instincts, he's got he's great

in coverage, change of direction, he can blitz. I mean, those are those are three possibilities I think Zach Bond is a is a really good player, but the more people that I talked to, Zach Bond is considered more of a late too early three. So, boy, if Zach Bond were there, if Zach Bond were there at sixty five, that dog would hunt all day every day. And addressing that linebacker position, which I think, you know the Bengals really need to a draft, Marissa your top three, so

lab I am right there with you. I think linebacker is going to be the pick at thirty three. I had all those guys you just listed on my list as well, but I might disagree a little bit with Zach Bond. I think if he is there at thirty three, especially if guys like Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen are already off the board, I think the Bengals have to move and take a guy because you need someone that can come in right away and be starting alongside Jermaine Pratt.

So I have Zach Bond on my list. I also do have a receiver. I have Denzel Mims out of Baylor. I think he is a guy that could really come in year one, learn a lot from the other guys around him, and the Tyler Boyd aj green and then really be explosive and excel in a year or two. So couldn't be a little bit of a project. You did see him improve quite a bit over his time at Baylor. Did have two seasons where he went over

the one thousand receiving yard mark. And he's really a guy that it's unique when he has that size at six foot three, but also has that speed. He ran a four three eight forty at the combine. I know this is a really deep receiver class, and as we're expected to have a decent amount of receivers go off the board in round one, if he's a guy that's there at thirty three, that could be a very tantalizing pick.

Though I do stick by why I initially said. I do think it will be linebacker first pick in the second round. Did my thirteen year old son Sam share my notes with you two guys, because you're just stealing my material I have in order Patrick Queen. I choose him from the linebacker group because of his speed and sideline to sideline ability. I do think Murray is a great run stopper, but I think Queen might be a better guy in pass coverage, and that's become such a

big priority now in the NFL. I favor Queen over Murray. I'm not sure that either one will be there. Zach Jon would be the third linebacker on my list of all the wide receivers. I did put down Denzel Mims a because I think there's a chance he'll be there, and B I want a big outside guy. Some people have suggested Justin Jefferson so that you compare Joe Burrow with one of his favorite targets from LSU, and there's some sense to that, but he's a slot guy. Tyler

Boyd has signed long term. We don't know how much longer Aj Green will be with the team, at least right now. We'll talk about that in just a bit. Same is true of John Ross. So Denzel Mims intrigues me from the big, outside, speedy target perspective. I've got two other names written down that you haven't mentioned, and these are cornerbacks, and I'm sure some people are thinking, well, cornerback.

Suddenly they're deep at cornerback. They've signed Trey Wayne's, they've signed McKenzie Alexander, they still have Will Jackson, they still have Darius Phillips. Well, Will Jackson's going into the last year of his deal. McKenzie. Alexander only signed a one year deal. You need depth at cornerback, and if you look at the Bengals history, they've drafted a lot of first round corners because of how they feel about the

importance of the position. So I've written down two names of guys that might be there at the top of the second round. Jalen Johnson from Utah and AJ Terrell or Terrell I'm not sure how he pronounces his last name from Clemson. I'm intrigued by the cornerback group at the top of the second round. If the Bengals hold on to that pick, and let's talk about that now, I think at some point the Bengals are going to trade down for more picks. Morisso when do you think

that will be? If you agree that the Bengals do it at some point, Dan, I'm with you. I do think it will happen at some point in this draft. It's so tough to try to predict something like this. A lot of people have speculated maybe they will trade back out of that spot at thirty three. I don't that's going to be the case. I think at that point, you still want to take the best player available, especially

on the defensive side. I could see it more realistically happening maybe in the third or fourth rounds, potentially fifth, But I'm with you. I do think it'll happen at some point. Lap how soon to the Bengals trade down? What if? What if Jordan Love slides to the second round. What if Jordan Love on the first day does not get drafted and the Bengals are sitting there at thirty three and everybody that needs a quarterback is calling the Cincinnati Bengals because Jordan Love is on the board. What

if Jerry Judy slides, Bengals probably take them. I agree, I think all these picks we're talking about at thirty three could happen. But if we all know they go by their board. You know, most teams in the league spend a lot of time putting together their top twenty five, top fifty, top one hundred, and if they have somebody that they had in the middle of the first round, no matter what position you're talking about other than quarterback, if you take them one with the first pick of

the draft, you're gonna take that guy. So a wide receiver couldn't happen if one of the offensive tackles. There are four, in my mind, maybe five offensive tackles that are I mean, can't miss kind of guys. If one of those guys slides, you have to think about the offensive tackle. I mean, I think that it's it's gonna be who knows how this draft is gonna play out. There are a lot of good running backs. If a run on running backs happens in the first round, that's

gonna be great for the Bengals. Somebody is gonna slide to thirty three, where they're gonna be a bunch of teams around the league saying, wow, when I reset my board after Day one, Holy mackle, that guy's still there. I got to try to move up to the first pick in the second round to get them. So I think it could happen. I think there's a possibility. And you know, if you don't have to trade back that far.

All these guys were talking about, if you're at thirty three and you feel good that there are four viable options for you there at thirty three, don't hesitate to move back to thirty seven. You're still gonna get one of them, and you're gonna get an extra pick, So you know, unless there's a big disparity between some of these people were talking about where it's like, oh, I gotta take him. He's light years ahead of these other guys.

But if you got a bunch, if you got a clump of six guys, you have a clump of eight guys, you'd feel good about move back. Moved back in a heartbeat. The other thing about, you know, being number one in every rounds, that's the scenario second and third round. In day two they're the first pick. Then in Day three, first pick in the fourth round. Look at how the Bengals have made moves in the fourth round themselves. First pick in the fourth round has a lot of value.

They could they could be ring ring again. And the other thing, first pick in the seventh round. I think it's an advantage because you're done with the draft unless you've made trades. Now you can start calling college free agents. You got to jump on everybody else and it's grabbed the phones and it's a recruiting war, and you try to get a kid to commit to you, you know, even before other people are done drafting. So I think

having the first pick in the seventh round. Depending on hau how all this plays out, could be a nice advantage as well in terms of college free agency. And you know, I mean, look at look at look at what they've they've done in college free agency, Vinnie Ray. You know, they just they signed a linebacker in this college free agent originally, and he's nine years in the NFL. Now he's playing with the Cincinnati Bengals after playing with the Baltimore Ravens and others. So, I mean, you can

do damage in college free agency too. It's only seven rounds long. I mean if the draft back when Jim Cromer I was drafted tenth round pick, Bob trump E twelfth round pick, those guys wouldn't be drafted today, two of the greatest players in franchise history. That college free agency stuff is important. That the Bengals have done a good job at it here lately. Vanez perfect college free agent. Absolutely,

absolutely so. I have said multiple times on this podcast that I have been predicting that the Bengals would trade down with the top pick of the second round in hopes of getting another high draft pick. I'm going to amend that slightly. I think if one of the top linebackers on their board, and I don't know how they've prioritized these guys. If it's Queen Murray, Bond, Murray, Queen,

what Bond, whatever. But if one of the top linebackers, say number fifteen overall on their board, slides to the top of the second round, I think they go ahead and take him. After that, I think it's a real possibility that they'll trade down in the second round. I feel it's really likely that they'll do it in either the second or the third round. So I took a look at the old Jimmy Johnson draft chart to try to see what trading down at the top of the

second round would get you. And this really applies to the top of the second round, top of the third round, top of the fourth round. It almost always equates in terms of points to another pick in that round and then a pick in the following round. So if you give up the first pick in the second round, at least according to the point chart, you're gonna get a

second round pick and a third round pick. Now, I don't know if that's enough unless the second round pick is not a huge drop off and the third round pick is not at the end of the third round in the third round, I think you're a little bit more flexible. Maybe you would take a middle of the third round, middle of the fourth round kind of guy. I also took a look at all of the teams that have multiple second round picks. Indianapolis does, Houston? Does?

The Bears? Do? The Ravens do the Dolphins do? So maybe there's a scenario where you could get two second round picks for the number one overall pick in the second round. That's I mean, the other team would be giving up a lot in order for that to happen. But if you got that offer, then I think it increases the likelihood that you would give up the first pick in the second round. Lap if it were Jordan Love, though I were a quarterback that slived, you know, a

Christmas deal for the Bengals. Jordan Loves slides to thirty three. You may be able to get not only picks this year, but next year's draft. You may get next year's second round pick and third round pick along with this year's second round pick. If it's further back down, like you said, like I was saying before, you know, if you have to go down, your point is valid. In my opinion,

Dan the same. I wouldn't make the trade back. If if there's somebody that you had rated in the middle of the first round, no matter what position, basically other than quarterback, you'd probably take it with that thirty third pick. But if you were to field calls, I wouldn't go back any further than if I feel good about a handful of guys. Don't go back any further than five picks. Don't go back past thirty eight, you know, if you don't get additional picks. So I would, I don't know,

It's it's interesting. I would. I would field every call, man, I would do my due diligence and every one of them. That's gonna be the interesting thing with this zoom that's going on. How will that retard some of this? A phone calls? A phone call, I don't think. I don't think it should affect trades all that much anyway, because trades are done by phone. You know, teams are calling

each other on their on their phones. I mean they'll they'll have setup and that that's an interesting dynamic too, because I know right now it people all around the league are going to various houses of head coaches owners, general managers, who has the best WiFi, who has the best set up, what's going to be ground zero? That's being determined by everybody now. And it's interesting. Everybody's everybody's worried about people hacking, you know, their systems and everything,

and that's a that's a legitimate concern. The other concern is somebody says, oh, man, I'm working on a trade, but I need more time. They call I have a glitch, something's wrong in my system, you know, just to try to buy more time and be able to consummate the trade. I think a lot of that's going to be tough to police. There's gonna be some interesting dynamics through this

whole thing as as it unfolds. On a pick I picked basis, I think you made a good point earlier than the Lap in that since the Bengals have the first overall pick in the second round and the first overall pick in the third round, you do have the night to discuss that with other teams. So that's a case where you are not trying to get this done

in a short crunch. They'll have the opportunity after the first round is settled for all the teams to look at their boards and then negotiate with anybody that might be interested in making a trade. So I do think having the first pick after a night to think about it is advantageous when it comes to try to pull off a deal, right, I agree. I think other teams though, if you're you know, you're all of a sudden somebody makes a trade and moves in a different position and

it totally changed the dynamic of the round. Then you're calling see if you can. I just wonder how as it unfolds. And I agree with you when you have a full twelve hours or whatever to you know, to set yourself. But during the course of the round, I wonder how it's going to affect. I wonder if there'll be as many trade calls as there have been in

the past. It's going to be interesting, all right. You are listening to and watching our first ever live edition of the Bengals Booth podcast that is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan, travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals, and we will take questions from you before we are finished. Honestly, the easiest way to do that is descended to me via Twitter. My Twitter handle is Dan underscore hoard ho

ar d. Some people have already sent some in. You can continue to do so, and we will get to some questions from our viewers and listeners in just a bit. Let's transition to free agency. The Bengals have obviously made a huge splash in free agency, signing eight players, spending more than one hundred thirty million dollars. That's a new all time high enfranchise history. MORESSA. I'll let you go

first with this one. Who was the best free agent acquisition and who do you consider to be the most underrated? For me? No brainer, the best acquisition was DJ Reader. He was one of the tops in the league for interior defensive lineman in stopping the run. I believe he was third according to the Pro Football Focused rankings. You lose a guy like Andrew Billings, you absolutely had to

fill that need. They gave him the money they paid him for a reason, and not only do I love what he brings on the field, but he's one of those guys that Zach Taylor wants to bring in because he's a high character guy who was the Houston Texans Walter Peyton Man of the Year nominee last season. There's a lot in the community, so he's going to be a great asset both on and off the field and

in the locker room for this team. My most underrated addition, I'm actually going to go with Mike Thomas wide receiver from the Rams. He has that relationship with Zach Taylor worked with him over the course of a couple of seasons, so he should be somewhat familiar with the offensive mind and scheme that Zach likes to run, and I think he's going to be a big asset for this team on special teams, especially with losses like Clayton Federlum and

Tony mcgrey. Mike Thomas comes in as a gunner. He has the speed, he will provide a little bit of depth at the receiver position, though he didn't see much time with the Rams, only had ten career receptions just two a season ago, so he should really be an impact on special teams. We know how important the special teams unit is here in Cincinnati, especially a guy like Darren simm And, so I am going with Mike Thomas

as my most underrated player. If it was the Saints version of Michael Thomas, it really would have been an underrated pick Gun, same questions for you, lap Well, I think the best acquisition. I agree with Mercy. It's almost it's almost hard to argue. DJ Reader paid him over fifty million bucks. He's going to be a three down guy, you know. And he's going to be a three down

guy playing multiple positions. He can play nose tackle if you're lining up in a three to four, he can play a one technique or a three technique if you're playing with four down lineman. He gives you a position versus Gilathy. He can even kick out and play some defensive end. He stays on his feet, he chases every play. He penetrates the pocket on the interior. I think he's one of those guys that is going to make life easier for Geno Atkins, and I think it has to

be made easier for Geno Atkins. Geno Atkins kind of died in the vine last year. Physically, Gino is at the stage of his career where you know he's maybe a thirty snap a game guy. Now you know he's more of a third down guy. I would I would make Geno Atkins almost a third down player now if I can figure out a way to do it. And that's why I think they're going to address the defensive line a little bit in the draft, in college free agency as well. But reader, I think is gonna make

life easier. I think, uh Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap there, their snaps should be decreased. They're at that stage of their career where they're gonna wear down every year. If you if you played too many snaps with those guys in terms of the player that is the most unsung or whatever what was your term for it, dan, underrated, underrated? Okay, you know I'm gonna say Alexander in the slot I think is a big acquisition for them, not only in coverage but being on the field for like one hundred

and twenty one hundred and forty run snaps. Whatever. It wasn't never missing a tackle, that's big. That was a big, big problem last year. A lot of miss tackles on the perimeter in the secondary. You know, plays that should have been big plays turned into big plays because of miss tackles. The other one I'm going to give an honorable mention to her. A second nod would be Josh Bines because you know, to me, what the Bank. We

talked about this before. The first thing you have to do to improve your defense is right up the middle, like in baseball, catcher shortstop, center field, Catcher's DJ Reader shortstop, Josh Bines center field Von Bell. And then they helped right and left field as well, you know, with the cornerbacks, and I mean they did a great job improving their defense.

But Josh Bines, the linebacker position needs a leader. Josh Bines has been to the Super Bowl as a college free agent, not drafted, ninth year in the league, played on playoff teams, played on a super Bowl team. If I'm a rookie linebacker, I'm listening to this dude. This dude has instantaneous credibility to me. I mean, he's got a resume, he's got some NFL DNA to him. I think he's gonna, you know, almost automatically become kind of

like the leader of the linebacker room. So I look at that and like Marissa talked about, and I feel the same way, Zach. It's about culture. I think Josh Bines will up the anti culture wise because of he knows what it's supposed to look like. He played on a super Bowl team, a lot of these guys have come to the Bengals from playoff teams. They know what it's supposed to look like. They've experienced that kind of success. They knew what they had to do, the sacrifices they

had to make to get there. All that builds your culture. So I give him a little nod too. In terms of culture building, I agree that the most important and the best free agent acquisition was DJ Reader. It's a no brainer. Four years, fifty three million bucks, Pro Football Focus. His top five rated defensive tackles last year were Aaron Donald, He's good. Yeah, he's good. Cam Hayward, I know how you feel about him, Lab Yep, Grady, Jarrett Stefan too it,

DJ Reader? How about getting a guy from that list stronger than Row really strong. He's twenty six years old, so you're getting him in his prime, Pro Bowl alternate just a tremendous edition. And he was the number one player the Bengals targeted in free agency. I know, going into it, a lot of us thought, well, what linebacker

are they going to try to sign? And they did try to sign some of the better linebackers available, but they targeted DJ Reader as the number one guy that they wanted to sign and they were able to get their man, which is saying a lot. And then I would also say in the underrated category, I really like McKenzie Alexander for a couple of reasons. Number one, I

think slot corners are underappreciated in general. NFL teams had three wide receivers on the field last year sixty four percent of the time, so that slot corner is going to be on the field about two thirds of the time depending on your defense. So you've got to have a good one. They had a good one in Darquez Denard, but he was injury prone throughout his Bengals tenure. Hopefully mackenzie Alexander will be able to stay healthy throughout the course of the season. He did last year and he

did not have a mis tackle all of last year. So, as Lap pointed out, you've got to have corners that can tackle. I think they got a couple of them in Trey Wayne's and McKenzie Alexander, and the value that

was great. Unfortunately telling me a one year deal. See, you may be trying to sign up again at the end of the year, but to get him a really good slot corner for four million bucks when Chris Harris is getting eight and a half million as a free agent to play the slot, that's a tremendous edition in my opinion, I agree with you, Dan, and back to

DJ Reader for second. Nick Eason deserves a big tip of the cap and a big salute because he was instrumental in recruitment of DJ Reader, being a Clemson grad. DJ Reader. Unfortunately his dad has passed, but Nick knows the mother exceptionally well, has a relationship there. I mean, they've been he's been friends of that family for quite

a while. And there's another guy that basically, you know a lot of people in the league saying the DJ Reader, why would you go to a two and fourteen football team? You know, do you have better options? Jonathan Joseph former Bengal teammate Houston Texans. He was supposedly pretty instrumental in DJ Reader's decision. You talked very possible to be positively about the Bengals organization, the experience that he had here in the city of Cincinnati, and everything goes along with it.

So how about Jonathan and Joseph JJO helping out a little bit. Let's talk about free agency in general. As I mentioned the Bengals shelling out more than one hundred and thirty million bucks. That doesn't even count the franchise tag for aj Green of nearly eighteen million dollars lap. Why do you think the Bengals took this unprecedented plunge into free agency. You know a lot of fans are going to say, how the Reds did it? So the Bengals had to do it, you know, I mean, if

they want to compete in the city of Cincinnati. The Reds laid it all on the line. And the coronavirus is upset that apple cart a little bit, unfortunately for the Reds, and hopefully it won't upset the Bengals apple cart all that much. We'll have to see, But honestly, I think that that you know, had to make the improvements off a two and fourteen season. You had to make improvements. You had to read do and reboot the

football team. And I think the other thing is last year tough to do because Zach was hired kind of late in the process. A coaching staff came late to the table, so they had to basically evaluate the players that they were going to inherit on the current roster before even getting the free agency. They were just a little late. I mean, it wasn't it wasn't an easy smooth thing to get done. The timing of it was just,

you know, not there. Unfortunately, now with a year under their belt and having the two and fourteen season, the coaches know exactly what they have and don't have, and I think you know, they had plenty of time to evaluate the players that played on that two and fourteen season for them. And then how about getting the chance to coaching the Senior Bowl. If there's a better year to coach and the Senior Bowl, I don't know what

it is. This year is unbelievable. To have sixty guys down there from both teams that you were interviewing one team, one group of players you're practicing with every day and seeing everything about him on and off the field. You have any meetings with the North team whenever you want

to and find out about all these players. And it got the coaching staff, like Zach was talking about on his press conference earlier this week, it got the coaching staff in the scouting mode early because they're right there, hands on scouting these guys at the Senior Bowl. The scouts have done it all year long, but now the coaching staff gets a big leg up on it. And here in Cincinnati, the coaches have a big, big influence

in the in the draft. I don't think it's as big a deal for other teams to be zooming and all that sort of thing as it is in Cincinnati because a lot of coaches I talked to around the league, they're not in the draft room. They may get invited in the draft room if their position is going to be drafted, and Okay, we know we're going to draft this receiver, let's get the receiver coach. He has no influence, but he's just there when the guy's picked to talk

to him or whatever. So the BENGALU coaching staff is utilized in a different way. So I think for them to get an early start like they did, you know, on the scouting and you know, I think that was a huge positive as well. Everything that went along with the Bengals for an advantage in the Senior Bowl is going to be a help. Plus the fact that they had time to evaluate their talent, other free agent talent, and make decisions and spend some dough and they did it.

Marissa why do you think they spent so much? Again, I agree with what Laf's sentiment is. This team had a number of positions that they needed to improve upon, and that's exactly what they had to do coming out here in free agency, and especially addressing the defense, which they absolutely did with six new editions on that side of the ball. Zach Taylor has said, and he told us again yesterday, that this team is committed to winning

and they want to win now. And I think they've done a really nice job of bringing in the pieces that they see fit and that won't make that impact immediately. I believe all of us were expecting this type of roster turnover going into year two of Zach Taylor and this coaching staff for laught those reasons that you pointed

out last year. Because the coaching staff was brought in so late into the game, they didn't really get that chance to make as big of an impact in free agency as they would have liked to a year ago. And that commitment to winning and bringing in those guys that you're going to see fit, I really think this was the year that they had to go out and spend money and really show the fan base that we

are here. We want to win in twenty twenty, There's no question they want to fill Paul Brown Stadium again. And we know we can remember when the Jungle was truly rocking fifty seven consecutive sellouts to Paul Brown Stadium from two thousand and three to two ten, forty three consecutive sellouts at Riverfront Stadium from eighty eight to ninety two. There are tremendous football fans in Cincinnati. They want to be excited about this team, and I think the free

agent expended have definitely generated a lot of excitement. I don't think that was the primary motivation, but I do think it helps where that is concerned. I will throw in one other thing, strike while the iron is hot. When you have the flexibility of a starting quarterback in his first contract, So assuming that Joe burrows the pick, he's gonna get roughly thirty seven million bucks in the

first four years of his rookie contract. That's about nine point two five million a year, roughly half of what Andy Dalton was scheduled to make this season. So you're gonna have payroll flexibility under the cap for four years. When Joe Burrows in his rookie contract and it's the ideal time to spend money in free agency. So I think the Bengals anticipated that and as I said, struck while the iron was hot. I agreed Dan, and I think also free agency is all about recruiting and it's

all about relationships. And like we said earlier, they wanted to bring in guys from winning programs. They want to increase you know, that atmosphere in the locker room for their culture. So it's culture and it's recruiting connections culture and connections Easton connection with DJ reader Zach coach, the receiver, defensive backfield coach, coach one of the DBS. I mean,

it's like they know what these guys are. They've coached what, They've had them in their in their meeting room, they've had them on the football field, they've seen what they've they're like as human beings. So when you have new coaches, you know it took a year to get it. They're all put together, but they have different tentacles to different organizations and know these guys intimately. Well, they know better than just reading their stats, you know, off of some

kind of a sheet. They know exactly what these people are all about. So I take tip my cap to them. I mean, it's not the Cincinnati Bengals two and fourteen record. You know, you look at that and as teammates, players will say to their teammates, what do you want to go there for? They were two and fourteen Cincinnati? What does that city have. It's not New York, it's not Miami, it's not Atlanta, it's not this. It's not that I'm telling you. I've heard it. I've heard it for many years.

I mean, recruiting players to come to Cincinnati's as we know, it's the best kept secret probably in the country. It's a great city, but it does not have the panash that a lot of these other big cities have where players think, endorsements, opportunities, all this. So a two and fourteen record and combine that with a small Midwestern city of Cincinnati, that's that's tough, tough recruiting. And they did it, and they got a lot of a lot of key players to commit and to come to Cincinnati. So I

took my cap to them. I think it's a hell of an accomplishment. All right, A couple more questions from me before we get to questions from our social media A followers lap will aj Green sign an extension by the deadline July fifteenth. I don't know if he'll sign an extension, but he'll be with the team. I mean, I'd love to see him sign the extension. Hopefully the extension would be less of a salary cap hit than

the eighteen million dollars you know, tag. But depending on how many years and how big the bonus is and the pro ration and all that sort of thing, you really don't know. But I will say this, I don't think aj Green's signing a long term contract before July fifteenth or not will have no bearing on if they take a receiver in the draft. I think they take a receiver no matter what, if they feel like that receiver is the best player to take on their board.

The aj Green situation is a separate deal. They're not commingled. They're not in the same pot whatsoever. In my opinion, so many great receivers in this draft, sooner or later they're going to pounce on at least one. Where do you think, Marissa deal or no deal by July fifteenth, Dan, I'm not optimistic about this. We're in such a unique situation right now, not only across the world in the sports world, with this coronavirus pandemic happening, It's just such

a different time. We don't know when this is going to end, when the team will be back together. I just think it would be very difficult for a deal to get done by that point. Do the Bengals want it to happen. Absolutely, you want to be able to sign Aj Green to a long term deal. I'm just not optimistic that it will get done before July fifteenth. I don't know what Aj Green is asking for. Does he want Julio Jones money. He kind of implied in one of our interview sessions with him late in the

year that he wasn't necessarily expecting that. Julio Jones is now the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL three years, sixty six million bucks. You can't pay Aj Green twenty two million dollars a year after he hasn't played the last year and a half. Amari Cooper just got twenty million a year, Michael Thomas nineteen point two five million, OBJ gets eighteen million a year, Tyreek Hill gets eighteen million a year. AJ's about to get seventeen point eight

six five as a franchise tag free agent. So is he looking for that kind of money over a three year deal? My guess is he probably wants something at least near the bottom of the top five eighteen million a year. Are you willing to go that high for somebody that, unfortunately has had injuries the last year and a half? I don't know if he came in a little bit lower than that. I think Michael Evans gets sixteen million a year. Would you give aj Green that

much per year over a three year deal? Maybe, based on what you think he's still capable of and what he's meant to the franchise, But if he wants, you know, something closer to twenty million dollars a year, Unfortunately, I can't take the plunge just because I haven't seen him play for the last fast year and a half. Oh, I was just going to add, not only have you not seen him playing the last year and a half,

you don't know exactly how that ankle looks. Because you and have an opportunity to get him in the building for OTAs or mini camps, depending on how long this is going to happen and go on. Well, I saw him up in Cleveland last year, warming up or doing his workouts with the trainers before the game. He looked like he could help watching that workout. I'll tell you what. And based on that, and I know he's a hell

of a lot better now than he was then. And I looked at Bob Bicknell, we were both watching, I said, are you kidding me? This guy? This guy could go out there and help us today against the Cleveland Browns. Don't you think he's just shaking his head laughing. He is still an elite athlete. I personally think he's gonna light it up this year if he comes back on a franchise tag. He's got unbelievable pride. Unbelieved every pro athlete took. But AJ Green is one of these guys

that is quiet. But he may be the most prideful player I think I've ever met, or in that top category. I think he comes back in the light sit up in that franchise tag year if that's the case. And I should point out that the Bengals would then be able conceivably to sign him at the end of the year. But as a franchise tag player, you either get the deal done an extension done by July fifteenth, or he has to play out the season before you can try to sign him to an extension. So that's why that

July fifteenth date is significant. One more question for me then questions from the audience and Lap. We will direct this question just to you because of your expertise where the topic is concerned. What is your confidence level for this offensive line? I think that they will address the offensive line somewhere in the draft now, in my opinion, looking at the lineman in this draft, the top of the aft out there's four or five really good tackles

and they'll go pretty much in the first round. If one slides to thirty three, you know, you may have there may be a temptation, but then I wouldn't. There's not really any need to do anything until in the Bengal situation, maybe the fourth round because they have the first pick of the fourth round, because I think there are guys like in the third, fourth and fifth round. But I'm not sure at the top of the third round because that's that's a late too basically. But I

do have I do have confidence. I think I think Xavier Fielo will will help this football team. He has a nasty streak about him. I mean he he fits what they're doing with this pin and pull stuff. He's very good, uh that way, I think he's gonna have an Impactum, I think Fred Johnson, don't forget about Fred Johnson. You know obviously that you know, he came He came on real strong during the course of the at the end of the season had had a couple of starts.

You know, I think he's gonna be He's gonna be one to monitor for sure. And then obviously, you know, you look at it. Jonah Williams wasn't able to play a snap. And it not not just the offensive line, but that's where talking to Jonah Williams and Xavier that's forty percent of the offensive line. That's two fists of it right there. Those two guys are projected Pennsylvania as starters that didn't take a snap for the Cincinnati Bengals

last season. And you know, if I'm an offensive lineman and this is the way I approached it every year anyway, whether you started the year before or not, unless you're Anthony Muno's and you're a perennial Pro bowler and you're a future Hall of Famer. You got to think you have to earn your position every single training camp, and I know with Jim Turner as the line coach, that's the way it's going to be. You know, nobody. I don't think he's going to be ordained necessarily, but potentially

you've got two new starters in there. Uh. You know, you've got a guy who in a couple of instances I saw get Pro Bowl nod Trey Hopkins at the center position. Michael Jordan, you know, had had his moments, but I think he learned a lot. He's a very young lineman. I think, you know, he's just gotta know where his arrow is going to go straight up. Fred Johnson Bobby Hart at the right tackle position. There may be a nice battle there, depending on who and what

they draft. There's not a great number of guys at the guard position, particularly early the guard out the position I don't I don't think would be drafted until addressed until very late in the draft. But I have more confidence watching the offensive line and Jim Turner adapt like they did when they were struggling so mightily to run the football to junk at all and to say we're gonna change our schematic totally, and we're instead of an inside outside zone team, we're gonna be a pin and

poll team. And to execute it the way they did, and to finish six in the NFL and rushing the second half of the season and then all of a sudden it was easier to pass protect. So am I saying that it's a premier group. No? Am I saying that that it could be better than people think it might be. Yeah, I am. It's all about Jannah Williams, isn't it If he's the guy he thought he was when he was the eleventh pick in the draft last year, a lot falls into place, no question. I mean, you know,

you look, you look at this football team. The defense was addressed, but offensively, not just in the offensive line, but Jonah Williams at left tackle, jariously Joe Burrow, quarterback AJ Green, and wide receiver. None of those guys took a snap last year, none of them due to injury or being in college. So those are three very important positions on this football team. And they're gonna be manned by guys that did not take a single snap last

season for the Cincinnati Bengals. It's gonna be a different look at offense right there alone. All right, a few questions from the audience via social media. I probably waited too long to get to these. I apologize, but I imagine we'll be doing this again at some point and we'll get the hang of the timing forgetting two audience questions.

I've got a bunch of questions relating to possibly trading down from number one overall, So I'll condense it into a question from b Burrow PU R R E A U X. What would it take for the Bengals to move out on the top spot, Marissa, I'll give this one to you, Dan. I know I mentioned it briefly towards the top of but I think it's going to take a lot, and I think it's going to be more than someone saying, oh, what if Miami offers their first three rounders this year? If you are that sold,

I'm Joe Burrow being your franchise guy. It's going to take a haul. I would say Miami's three first rounders this year plus two a day tional picks in future years, whether that's two second rounders or potentially even more, it's going to take a lot. And I just don't see it happening, lap, is there a price? I think if Mike Dicker returns, if if if Mike Dicka would return, possibly, you know, because he was giving up his whole draft for Ricky Williams. But I really, I really don't. I

really don't think so. And if somebody like I've said, there's a bunch of times Miami or whoever else it is, if they're giving up that kind of capital, draft capital, you have to ask yourself, what do they know that we don't. Why are they given all that up to get the guy that we can get. Why don't we just make it simple, don't overcomplicate this. We know what

we got, Let's draft him. Yeah, I'm with you. And I was listening to Doug Gottlieb's show the other day and he was doing this big spiel about how the Bengals have multiple needs and they should trade down and get more picks from my ami Miami has multiple needs. I mean, why does that apply to the Bengals and not apply to the Dolphins. I can't figure that out when people keep talking about, oh, the Bengals have to trade down and get a bunch of first round picks.

They've got needs. Sure, they've got needs. The Dolphins have needs too. The number one need is to get the best quarterback available. There you go, yeah, you've got that opportunity. I think you take advantage of it, all right. Our next question comes from coach k all Day. Excellent Twitter, handle lap, throw this one your way. How likely is that that the Bengals will sign Will Jackson to an extension? Well, that's a This is a big year for Will Jackson.

You know. The one thing the fly in the ointment in my opinion at this stage, and my observation of Will Jackson is lack of ability to find the football. Will Jackson can run, he can cover, but in a lot of instances, he does not find the ball as

easily as you think he might be able to. And you know, it's that's something that can be taught, can be learned, but it's something that you know, the real great ones when they talk about ball skills, not just catching the football, finding the football, and for as much talent as he has, is not secured the pig very often.

I mean, he has the big pick six against Brett Farr, the highlight of his career, but you know, I finding the football, making plays on the football, and then honestly, like we talked about before, improving that tackling, you know, get people on the ground. You don't necessarily have to blow people up, but get him on the ground. So

I think this is a big year for him. And the fact that they addressed cornerback in free agency like they did and in your model, Dan, if there's a cornerback that slides, they may take a thirty three potentially if they do that. If I'm Will Jackson, it's like bring it. You know what, in competition breeds excellence. In competition should breed excellence, and nobody should be fearful or you know, afraid of competition. That's what it's all about.

All right, one more question from the audience, And again this is a compilation of a wide variety of questions. People have asked in general terms, what's going to happen to this guy? Others are asking me will he be traded overnight during the draft between rounds? Between rounds one and two? And the person I'm talking about is Andy Dalton?

What is going to happen with Andy Dalton? Marissa, you go, first question of the hour, right, Dan, I think it's surprised a number of people that he has not been traded to this point, especially with so many different moving

quarterbacks that we've seen throughout the league so far. This is a tough one for me because you would like to get value and something out of return instead of just releasing and for the amount of money he's due, I don't think the scenario could play out where they would keep him and have him be a mentor in a backup role to Joe Burrow. I just think he's do way too much money for that scenario to play out.

I think it might come to the case where they end up releasing him if something doesn't happen on draft weekend, where a team comes in and you know, you could maybe try to work something out there where they could trade him to a team. But but what team would that be? A lot of teams are kind of already

set when you look at the quarterback position. Lap Yeah, I think that Andy Dalton was the victim of a glut of quarterbacks and free agency this year, and including guys that weren't necessarily free agents, but the Goat signs with Tampa Bay and Winston's let go. I mean it's like, and then all free agents that were out there, and so I think he was a tough situation because in order to get into Andy Dalton you have to give up draft capital in the form of draft and take

on that salary. If you trade for him, you take on that seventeen and a half million dollars salary. So that's two big things to do when there was such a glut of quarterbacks and I think Andy got caught in that game of musical chairs and there weren't enough chairs left when the music stopped, and there's still, you know, good quarterbacks out there and Andy being amongst them, you know, and you look at it, Andy Dalton would be at

great insurance policy because with the coronavirus and everything. I mean, Andy faced this in twenty eleven when they had the work stoppage and two leaders, Dome top Peco and Andrew Witworth put together team workouts to get Andy Dalton up to speed and ready for training camp, and Jay Gruden did a great job installing everything with Andy and they went to the playoffs with a nine and seven record.

Where leaders do that? You know, this year, with it being such an unusual year, Will Joe Burrow would that Football IQ would be able to absorb the Bengals offense and take it away right away. The value that Andy Dalton has. He knows this system cold. You know, he could install it for Joe Burrow. And would Andy do that for Joe Burrow? You know, all these questions are are there? So do you trade them? Nobody? Everybody's waiting

for the Bengals to cut them. And after the draft, you know, New England's gonna be laying in the weeds and New England's gonna try to get them for, you know, as low a pick as they can if they trade for him. But then I think it would be we're not going to pick your salary up. So if the Bengals say we'll keep you, we're not going to pay you seventeen and a half million, will Andy say, well, then cut me. I'd rather go somewhere else to take

a paid cut. I don't want to stay with an organization that I started for for a number of years and took the playoffs five times and take a pay cut and be a backup. Let me go somewhere else to do that. So, man, there's all kinds of questions and how is this going to unfold for the Cincinnati Bengals and Andy Dalton. It is a massive question. There's no doubt when you look at it. Andy Dalton's salary could off set the franchise tag of ag Green almost

dollar a dollar. But we'll see. Look what's still out there. Cam first pick in the draft NFL MVP took his team to the Super Bowl. Jamis Swinston, number one pick in the draft, led the NFL in passing yards last year. He did also lead in interceptions and overall giveaways. But still you're talking about two incredibly talented quarterbacks. Joe Flacco is still out there formers. Super Bowl MVP has Lap

mentioned its musical chairs. There were more chairs that are more quarterbacks than chairs this year, and I think maybe we are learning what the rest of the NFL thinks of Andy Dalton. Nobody thinks he's bad. I don't think we all think that. He's proven that he can lead a team to the playoffs, did it five times in a row of the Bengals. But maybe other teams are

saying he's good, but he's not great. I think a lot of people probably feel that way about him, and as a result, like you're saying, they don't want to pay him more than seventeen million dollars when they see the possibility that he would be cut and then could conceivably be signed for a much lower price as a free agent. So I don't know if the Bengals had offers. I thought that the Bears were a realistic possibility. They chose Nick Foles instead and were willing to give up

a fourth round draft pick for him. But I do think everything seems to be pointing toward Andy ultimately being released and signing as a free agent with somebody else. The only thing we talked about this before Dan is Jake Gruden is down with the Jaguars. Jake Gruden was the first coordinator Andy Dalton had great relationship, worked well together. Falls left the Jaguars. I mean, would Jake Gruden say, you know what if we can get you know, for

seventh round pick or something. Let's see if we can get him, because if he gets waived, you know, will somebody before us pick him up on the on the waiver wire or if Bill Belichick's interested, But he would not be subjected to the waiver process. Terminated he'd be terminated, right, He'd be terminated. So yeah, I mean it's and you look at it. Jameis Winston two thousand and eleven number one pick in the draft, Andy Dalton two thousand and eleven,

thirty third pick in the draft. You know, they they their careers careers have been very similar in fact, you know, taking their teams to successes. Cam Newton obviously at a higher level of the Super Bowl and MVP and all that. But here they are now, at this stage of their career, is coming too the league at the exact same time, being in the virtue of the same place after doing what they did for their respective franchises. It's crazy. My watch says, that's been an hour that went fast. This

was fun, It did all right. We'll do it again something time. I'm thank you so much for doing this. We hope everybody that watched and listened enjoyed it. We will try to get to more questions via social media the next time we do one of these live Bengals Booth podcasts. For lap for Marissa, for Seth Tanner who helped put it together. I'm Dan Horde. We remind you one more time that the Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan travel and hospitality partner

of the Cincinnati Bengals. Thanks so much for tuning in, and we'll do it again. I'm the Bengals Booth Podcast