Bengals Booth Podcast: Unwritten

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The rest is still unwritten.

On addition, as we discuss a crucial off season for the Bengals with draft guru Dane Brugler from The Athletic and NFL analyst Pete Prisco from CBS Sports. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health, the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is

On third and goal from.

The nile, Mahomes catches the shotgun snap, retreats back to the eighteen. Looking around in the end zone, nobody opened, yet no pressure at all. Now Here comes the rush Mahomes way back at.

The twenty times they lose it at all.

The Chiefs fall on it at the twenty six, and this makes it a much more difficult field goal try. It will be a forty four yarder with all sorts of pressure on Harrison.

Butker, I'll tell you what. They rushed three and dropped eight. They blanketed everybody. Sam Hubbard forced the funnel.

Jane Tooney recovered it. Huber loss of seventeen.

How about back to back snaps by Sam Hubbard. I mean he makes the play on second down, makes the play on third down. About the Moller High School house, state product, local kid in just making huge.

Plays third down and goal. The line hand sticks the ball out. The Bengals have the ball. They are running it back, Sam Hubbard.

We had blockers behind him, Hubbard of the Ravens forty, the thirty, the twenty, the ten, the Bob touchdown Bengals who Tyler Hunley tried to extend the ball over the goal line.

It got poked away.

Sam Hubbard scooped it up and ran the length of the field for a go ahead Bengals touchdown.

He tried to pull at Trevor Lawrence and the Bengals said no.

They slapped it.

Out of there.

Logan Wilson punched the ball out of the hands of Tyler Huntley.

And right into the hands of Sam Hubbard and boy Logan Wilson others.

Everybody was swarming it at at.

That football and Sam Hubbard says, I'll take it to the house. And boy who threw the block for Sam Hubbard down the football field his escorts service. Final block was necessary and it was made for him.

Burrow fakes a handoff, throws a pass Sam.

Hubbard fake with the catch, Saton touchdown Bengals.

Sam Hubbard raising.

The football over his head and spiking at Gronk style after the first catch of his NFL career.

Sam Hubbard started his career at Mowler High School.

Is a tight end, Sam Hubbard is an athlete, Sam Hubbard.

That's a great fingertip catch.

Sam actually suffered a season ending knee injury on that play, so on the final snap of his NFL career, he caught a touchdown pass from an old college buddy who became one of his closest friends, Joe Burrow. It's kind of like Ted Williams hitting a home run in his final at bat. Coming up later on the podcast of fun Facts Flashback, as Sam discusses the thrill of playing for his hometown team. Now, let's get to my first guest.

Is that the case, There's no doubt, and I think it's true in the first round, it's true once you get to Day two and then even into Day three, both on the edge and on the interior. So and there's different styles, different types, different sizes. Like I think there is a little bit of everything depending on what you really want. If you're looking for more of the proven production, you know, there's that guy in this draft.

If you want someone.

That's got all the time cools, that's in this draft as well. So I think it depends on It'll be interesting. Every team's going to stack their boards a little bit differently with this defensive line class, where some teams are gonna look at the promise of a Michel Williams from Georgia and say they they don't make them like that very often, and so let's get that, let's coach him up, and we've got something where other teams might look at it and say.

You know, like that, we like him.

That's a little rich for us because he's a little bit of a project. He's a little bit more of an idea than a polished player at this point. So I think teams are going to be all over the map with how they stack these the defensive linemen this year. And part of it is because of what I just said. There's so many of them, there's so many different types.

Glad you mentioned Williams because on your first mock draft you had Cincinnati selecting him number seventeen overall, so obviously would be a good match. They need somebody to rush the quarterback other than Trey Hendrickson, and clearly you think there's a chance he'll be there at seventeen.

Yeah, I mean, he could go top ten.

I wouldn't be surprised, because again, he's just a freaky, freaky dude. But if he did fall a little bit into the mid first, I think that that would make sense. And I don't want to make it sound like he's a true project that he's not going to see the field right away, because I think obviously Bengals fans they want some help right away. They don't want someone to

He just he was hurt. He was banged up this year.

You know, he the ankle injury played him throughout the entire year. But I would say, just watch the Texas tape. Watch what he does against a pretty good offensive line, and you see the talent and it's not just I'm bigger, longer than you.

I'm just it's not just quicker than you.

He showed a better understanding this year of you know, using the length of his advantage. So he's leveraging the point of attack, plays very well against the run, different euro steps and the ways that he can win the corner. So he's you know there's progression there. It's not just a ball of clay that you're trying to mold into something.

We're talking draft with Dame Bugler from the Athletic let's focus in on the defensive tackles a little bit. I assume Mason Graham will be long gone by the time the Bengals select, even if they had thoughts of trading up. But let's talk about some of the other guys that could be there. Walter Nolan from Ole miss Tyleek Williams from Ohio State, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, Derek Harmon from Oregon who stands out in that group from guys that you think would have a chance to be there at seventeen.

I really like Derek Harmon, you know, Michigan State transfer went to Oregon. He's he's really disruptive. I mean you think about interior pressure. Nobody pressured created more pressure from the interior of the defensive line this year in college football than Derek Harmon, and that translates last year, the guy that did that the most was Byron Murphy and he was the first defensive tackle drafted last year. I think,

And you know there's a lot of those guys in this drive.

And Alfred Collins from Texas I would throw in that mix as well. He's gigantic and he's six five over six five thirty five inch arms and he's another one that controls the point of attack and he's going to good luck running at him because he is going to clog things up, just like you know, Tallier Williams does the same thing. TALLI Williams a little bit smaller, has better range. Walter Nolan, he's your one gap penetrator, classic,

Let's move to edge guys that could be there.

Mike Green from Marshall, Shamar Stewart from Texas A and m James Pierce from Tennessee. The Boston College Kid as a root as a. I don't know how much print out you can tell me, but in any case, how about that group and and how you feel about them?

Yeah?

As a rock who is Yeah, he's he's a lot of fun to watch. He's he's longer, like he doesn't look very big, but he's really long, and he uses that well. He's a two way go guy where he can win with speed, but he can also, uh you know, win with counters inside.

He can go right at you and and go speed to power.

As a rock who can win in different ways, and I think that's you know, the the production really stands out. So you know, teams draft trades over production, but when you have both, it's like, okay, that's even better. And that's the same thing with Mike Green. Mike Green leadon FBS and sacks this year. I think the biggest knock on him will be he did it against Sunbelt competition, you know, playing up Marshall and playing that schedule.

But you throw onto Ohio State tape and you see him win.

So his game is built all on violence and play speed. I just NonStop and versus the run and versus pass. So Mike Green is a fun player. Yeah, with James Pierce. He's he's still very much learning. I think he is a guy that the talent is tremendous, but you need to figure out, Okay, what makes him tick? How long does it take before we get him to a point where you know, we trust him setting an edge, you know,

What was the fourth one?

You said, Stewart from Texas, I am.

That's just wait till he works out today.

He's the freakiest of the freaks, two six and eighty pounds and I mean maybe runs in the four fives.

It's gonna be crazy.

I think his ten yards split, like his burst is so great, the ten yard split could be in the one fives. And to put that in the context, Von Miller is a one five to nine ten yards split, so wouldn't be shocked at all. I mentioned trades over product Schmar Stewart, I want to have sacks this year.

But when you watch.

His film, you're like, Okay, he's getting home like he's he's winning.

He actually led Texas a and.

Him and pressures, so even though he was farther down the list on sacks, he led the team in pressure. So he is getting there. He just needs to be a better finisher. And ideally, yes, you want him to get the sacks. But if I'm making the quarterback move his feet, I'm doing my job. You know, I'm creating that disruption. And so Schmart Stewart, I think I think

Dan Brugler is our guest. His draft guide, the beast that you can get if you are a subscriber to The Athletic is unlike anything else for people that are interested in the draft. It is really must reading if you were interested in the players that the Bengals are going to be looking at in the draft this year. The Bengals are in the market for a guard. I'd be surprised if they took one in the first round.

Yeah, I think on Day two Tate Ratlie from from Georgia's he fits the bill. He's ready to go strong at the point of attack, he can win with torque.

And I really Miles Fraser from LSU. Both these guys are right guards.

Fraser he's maybe the nastiest lineman in this draft. You can make that argument where the competitive toughness is off the charts. Maybe not the best athlete of the group, but he's not deficient in that area and he wins with.

Just the physicality, the competitiveness.

And so Miles Fraser, he had a good week at the Senior Bowl kind of helped himself as well. He's gonna be right there in that Day two mix as well. It's a good, pretty good guard group. A couple will go in the first round. Tyler Booker and I think.

Kelvin Banks from Texas is a guard.

And then on day two it's there's gonna be more than a handful of names that I think will be in play for the Bengals.

And on day three Anthony Belton from Enci State.

He's a college left tackle who I think is going to be better moved inside. Gigantic guy, mammoth guy, and getting him away from having to play on an island, I think will help him and just help him with his timing, with a setup, the ability to use his hands. But I think Anthey Belton for you know, fourth fifth round, he would make.

Some soundse Have you studied Luke Candra from the University of Cincinnati as Cincinnati kid as a possible third a third day guard prospect, Yeah.

No doubt, And I think he should do pretty well for himself here. Like I, not the best athlete, but a good athlete. And you know, seeing his background by Louisville and then going to Cincinnati, you know he's he's played a lot of football. You know, he's a experienced guy, and you know, I was impressed with him this year.

I think he's he's a guy that technically is a.

Further along than some of these other players and might give you a little bit of versatility on the interior.

Let's talk tight ends.

It sounds like people are enthused about this group. The Bengals have Mike Kasicki as a free agent, not sure if he'll be back. Unfortunately, Eric All, who is so impressive before he got hurt last year, is likely to miss the entire season. What about this tight end group and some of the guys you like is loaded?

Absolutely, And if you want to go that direction in the first round, you know, to Tyler Warren or Colson Lovelin, are they still available for you in the first Possibly, But it's not like it's you know, you're worried if they're not. Because on Day two, Mason Taylor from LSU, Elijah Royo from Miami, I'm a big fan of Gunner Helm from Texas. I think that, you know, that'd be a nice fit on day two in the second round

Day two, day three.

Plenty of guys that you see can or can come in and compete for jobs and try to make something.

A year ago, at this time, I was asking you about offensive tackles. The Bengals obviously took one an a Marius Mims.

I believe your quote.

At the time was looks like he was built in a lab to play right tackle.

What'd you think of his play as a rookie.

Yeah, you know, and maybe even a little bit better than I expected, because he was, you know, he had missed so much time with the injury.

You know, he was so good the year before.

Against Ohio State in that playoff game, and it was just like, oh wow, this guy is for real. And then he missed time the next year because of the ankle injury, and so you just weren't sure, like you knew the size, strength, the ability, but just mindset wise, where was he going to be?

Technique wise? Where would he be?

And I thought he was even a little bit He's still raw in areas, still green in areas but I thought he was further along than what most people expected, and he held his own for a good chunk of when he was out there, which was awesome to see, especially you know, in the AFC North. So I think if you're a Bengals fan, you have to be encouraged by the what you saw in year one and then what's to come in year two.

On the flip side, there were concerns character wise with Jermaine Burton.

The Bengals rolled the.

Dice in the third round, at least so far, it hasn't worked out when that happens.

Do you think that a team is really.

Reluctant to take any risks in the near future.

Well, the Bengals haven't been scared off of those guys, So I don't you know, you have to have a process when you're talking about you know, because all these guys aren't choir boys, you know, and that doesn't mean you don't draft them.

You know.

There have been plenty of guys with issues that have turned out to be really solid pros and haven't been issues behind the scenes, and so you just have to understand what makes him tick, you know, how big is this an issue that's gonna come with them, or is this something where we give him structure, we give him the support that he needs. All of a sudden, you know, we have a what's a locker room, like we have the veteran locker room that's gonna be able to take him under their wing.

So every case is different.

You know, I don't want to paint a broad brush because every case is so unique, and it no different than last year with Burton. You know, there the character was definitely a question mark and a lot of teams. He was off the board for a lot of teams and Bengals rolled the dice and.

You know it didn't work out.

But you know, you don't you know, you're not throwing dirt on the on the coffin just yet.

You know, we'll see.

They have made it known exactly where they stand with them and what they need to see from him if you want to stay on the roster. And so hopefully this is kind of the wake up call and say, all right, we'll be better this year.

We'll show improvement.

Your description of the process was perfect for what the Bengals were thinking of with Jermaine Burton.

A group of hard working, talented players like Jamar Chase and t Higgins.

They thought that the group and the coach would elevate him and unfortunately, at least there's a rookie, it didn't pan out.

Yeah, and that's why the draft is always going to be more of an earth than a science. You know, you can't you can like the fact that he had he struggled is not a huge surprise because of the warning signs and the red flags. But at the same time, you know, Devandre Sweat was had all these types of issues and the Titans shocked a lot of people and they drafted him top forty. Still, you know that some

Be on their level someday.

And so I think you understand the reasoning, but you also understand maybe why it hasn't worked out yet.

Visiting with Dame Brugler from the Athletic I mentioned defensive tackles, defensive ends, guards, and tight ends.

Let's talk running back.

Chase Brown is emerging as perfect fit for the Bengals offense, but we don't know about the future of Zach Moss. I suspect they're probably going to add to that group at some point. What do you think about guys after round one? And they wouldn't take one that early, but day two, Day three, at running.

Back, it's a loaded position this year.

I mean, you you feel really good about who's gonna be available round two, round three, round four. I think I gave draft well grades to thirty two running backs. I mean, there's just a lot of them, and they're gonna go. They're all probably gonna go later than they should, you know, just because there's only so many teams that are gonna consider a running back in a second round or the third round, and so it just pushes everybody back a little bit. But you know, it depends what

If you want someone that's.

More of an early down guy, like a Damien Martinez from Miami who is gonna run with power and violence and try to run over you, that would fit. So there's just there's so many running backs in his class that I think would fit my One of my favorites probably around three for the Bengals, Jordan James from Oregon, who is.

Not a home run hitter, but he's going to lead the league of doubles.

You know.

He's that type of guy where thirty five point six percent of his carries last year resulted in a first down or a touchdown, so he might not rip off a sixty yarder, but he's going to get six consistently, and so I think Jordan James, he's going to be a steal at wherever the third round, fourth round Rover ends up going.

He's one of my favorite backs this year.

There's another since he Cincinnati kid at the combine, Corey Kiner. He started his college career at LSU, wound up back home in Cincinnati, Cincinnati high school kid. Is he one of your running backs with a draftable great?

Yeah, Roger Bacon, right, Yeah, Yeah, he's he's honestly, he's right on the cusp. He's like, I could see why he would go in the sixth, seventh round, or I could see why he'd be a PFA.

He's one of the borderline guys. But you know he's here.

You know he's he was at the Shrine Bowl too, got you to see him there. He'll be here at the combine a chance to you know, is he gonna be a.

Four to four guy, four or five guy in the four yeard dash.

You'll have a chance to kind of make his statement why he should be drafted. And it's tough class because it's so loaded, so many names, so anything you do to stand out.

That'll be key for these guys.

We've got a couple more minutes with Dame Brugler. The Bengals only have six picks. I think they would love to trade down at some point to get more.

What would be a good time to do.

That, Yeah, and I think it's you have to see ow the first what sixteen picks play out in the first round.

If they would do that, entertain that in the first round.

This is also a draft where I'm just I'm not confident how many teams are gonna want to trade up, you know, like you have to have a dance partner in order to get those extra picks, and in this class, I'm just not sold that. You know, we see trades every year, so it's not like we're not going to have any trades. Of course we will, but I'm not sure that the phone will be ringing maybe as much as in past years.

And it's interesting.

Because there's I think players thirteen team to forty five in this draft. Like there's for one team, a player might be fifteen. That same player might be fifty for a different team. I think the grades are very similar in that range, which means the boards are going to look wildly different, and so I don't know that we'll have teams maybe clamoring the hey, we got to go up and get this guy.

We have a trade up.

They might be feel fine saying and we probably like more than other people, will stay put and be able to get our guys. So ideally, yeah, I think that makes sense. You trade back, you get an extra third round pick, fourth round pick. You know, those are so valuable in terms of filling out your roster and adding depth. I just think it might be a little bit tougher to do that this year.

Final question, Really appreciate your time. We assume the Bengals are going to have one of the top offenses in the NFL. As long as you've got a healthy Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, et cetera, you should be able to score points. They didn't make the playoffs because their defense wasn't good enough. Between the draft and what they might be able to do in free agency, can they improve the defense enough in one year to be back in the is a Super Bowl contender?

There's no doubt because the offense is that good.

I mean, you don't have to be tremendous on defense for this team to make the playoffs, you have to be passable, you have to be average, and I think they can get there. It's just, yeah, you have to make a few key decisions, and it's getting better on the defensive line. It's getting better on the back end and being more consistent the linebacker level.

And I'm not.

Saying it's easy to do that, but I think it's definitely possible that they can get there this offseason through the draft, making some key moves in free agency, as long as you have borrow quarterback and the offense that they have, because it's not like they went five and twelve this year.

They were right there knocking on the door of the playoffs.

So you make a few key adjustments on defense and get close to average, I think they'll be right back in the mix and have a chance to knock down that door.

I enjoy coming to the Combine every year, and one of the biggest reasons is the opportunity to pick your brain. Thank you so much for the time. And I can't wait for the beast.

Any Tom can't wait.

I look forward to it too. It's like, Okay, I know, I gotta talk to Dan. That's part of my process of coming to the combine every year.

By the way, since our conversation, Dane has come out with a new mock draft. Michel Williams, the edge rusher he had going to the Bengals in his first mock was gone this time around, going to San Francisco at number eleven Overall. Dane now has Cincinnati selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with a seventeenth pick. Johnson is generally considered to be one of the top two cornerbacks in this draft, along with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the cornerback slash

Well, they can be a championship caliber offense. I wouldn't call their defense a championship caliber defense.

So they have work to.

Do on that side of the ball.

But obviously, when Joe Burrow's playing like he's playing, they're going to stay in a lot of games and win a lot of games.

But they have to fix that defense.

Is it fixable in one off season between the draft and whatever room they have left over in free agency after they try to extend t Higgins, Jamar Chase, and Trey Hendrickson, If they can do.

It well, I think that's the biggest challenge first, and look, I would do everything I could to try and keep all.

Three of those players.

I think if you take Higgins out of the lineup, it changes the dynamic of the offense. If you take Hendris out of the lineup, it changes the defense in a big way. So that's number one priority for me. And then because you can only there's only so many stars that you could have, and if you have those guys, you have stars.

So I would say, get those.

Guys signed, then use the draft to fix the try and fix the defense, and whatever money you have left over, depending on how you structure the contracts, maybe aut.

A guy in free agency, Pete.

I think a year ago, a lot of people, myself included, said, all right, T Higgins will be a Bengal for one more year in the franchise tag. It's tough to pay two receivers that kind of money. They'll move on after that. Then, with about five weeks to go in the season, Joe Burrow very publicly said, we need to do it. I think we can do it, and it changed to a lot of people's opinion, including my own. Did Joe Burrow's talk of the importance of keeping both change your opinion on the subject at all?

You know what changed my opinion on it is the.

Way they play together, and when one's not there, it's different. It's Higgins adds a different dimension of the offense. You know, when you have Chase and you don't have Higgins, it's not the same offense.

So I think that's what Joe Burrow.

Came out and said it, and that's I kind of changed my mind, and not based on what he said, just on what I saw when they're on the field together.

Trey Hendrickson has led the NFL led the NFL in sacks with seventeen and a half this year. He also had seventeen and a half the year before. He's got one year left on his deal. As you've already said, you think the Bengals should try to extend him. Do you view Trey as one of the best overall defensive ends in the league or just an elite pass rusher.

No, He's one of the best overall defensive ends in the league, and for whatever reason, he doesn't get the credit he deserves for being such a really good player and he plays hard all the time. Yeah, I think he's a great player. I think they have to do everything they can to extend him, get that contract done, make him the priority on defense.

The Bengals have the seventeenth pick in the first round. I think most people would consider defensive line to be their biggest need. Keep hearing from Draft Guru's great year. If you need a defensive lineman, is that your belief?

I think it's a great.

Year for interior defensive lineman, which they you know, they could use a big body in there.

And and yeah, you could.

Get a guy like Grant from Michigan down there.

I think he'd be a possibility, but they you know, it's it's funny because how cyclical this league is. Everybody watched the Eagles and they win the Super Bowl? And how do they win the Super Bowl with the great offensive line and the great defensive line and a defensive line that can get after the quarterback and have a dominant interior player like Carter and then build it around him and then they're a great offensive line.

So now what's everybody trying to do?

Look for interior defensive linemen and great offensive lineman.

So yeah, they can get a guy at that spot. In this draft.

They probably need a guard. They probably need a tight end.

Are those guys out there in this draft?

The tight end class is actually pretty good. There are some guards, but I think there are some guards in free agency, veteran guys that might not cost a lot of money that you can plug in and play for a year or two. You know, Daniels from Pittsburgh, he's coming off an injury, but a good player, relatively young. You might be able to Will Fries from Indianapolis.

You know, relatively young coming off an injury.

Maybe you get those guys on a team friendly deal and plug them in and play.

Pete Prisco is our guest.

Any thoughts on the hiring of l Golden, bringing him back from Notre Dame, the former linebackers coach, to be their defensive coordinator following Luanna Roumo.

Yeah, I think it needed a fresh set of eyes over there.

It kind of got a little stale, I think, and sometimes when it gets that way, players kind of tune it out, and so you get a new guy in there. He's been there, but you get a new guy calling the defense, and I think that changes the outlook as a unit.

So yeah, I think that's a good move on their part.

The Bengals were four and eight with five games to go, ran the table, needed a little help on the final Sunday to get into the playoffs, and didn't get it when Denver beat Kansas City.

Were you of the belief that had they.

Snuck in, they were going to be a problem for other teams in the AFA?

I said for the last four weeks of the season, nobody wants to see the Bengals in Everybody in the AFC was rooting against the Bengals getting.

Into the playoffs.

They really were because Joe Burrow is Joe Burrow. He's so dangerous, that offense is so dynamic. Nobody wanted to see them in the playoffs.

Here at the combine where everybody's evaluating prospects, and that generally begins with quarterbacks. Has Joe kind of become the benchmark in how you evaluate some of these prospects coming along.

Well, it's interesting because he was such a late bloomer, you know, and then exploded that last year and everybody said, well, where'd he come from? Well, where he came from. He should have been playing probably before that. That's where he came from. Joe Burrow makes it look so easy, and we always look for quarterbacks to make it look easy. You know who else made it look easy? Jayden Daniels makes it look easy.

He should have been the number one pick last year.

I thought he was the best quarterback in the draft last year. So we got to look at these guys who.

Makes it look easy And the answer to that is neither one of them. At the top two and that's always a concern to me. You know, there's a lot to like about camp Mord. He can whip it around, but doesn't make it look easy. Shador Sanders doesn't make it look easy. So I always gauge my quarterback play by who makes it look easy.

Joe Burrow came out. He made it look easy. He makes it look easy.

Now it's almost like they're you know, like what Joe cool, He's cool doing it.

Jay Daniels is the same way.

That's what I look for my quarterbacks.

It's really interesting you would say that because I chatted with Greg Cosell earlier today and he was talking about the same thing, and he shared an anecdote that Kurt Warner said, that is the best compliment a quarterback.

Can receive because it's so hard.

If somebody tells you you make it look easy, that is the kindest thing you can say to a quarterback.

And indeed it is.

And Kurt Warner made it look easy at times.

So he knows what that's like.

But yeah, I think you know, Bengal fans and I know there was a lot of concern about the defense and everything, but you have that guy throwing the football around.

If he's healthy, you're going to be in the division race.

You're going to be considered a threat in the AMC and with that, which is why I think it's important to keep t Higgins. You are always going to be in games because teams can't put you away.

The Bengals had a long stretch of successful drafts that really fueled that stretch of five straight years where they made the playoffs under Marvin Lewis. In recent years, it's been a little more hit and miss. I think last year they actually did pretty well, but there were some drafts before that that haven't been all that productive. Is that just the nature of the draft or is there anything about what Cincinnati has done in recent years that's been a bit of a red flag for you?

Well, I think one of the things that they've done a little bit of is you chase your mistakes. Sometimes in defensive line, they've kind of chased their mistakes.

A little bit.

When you chase your mistakes, you tend to overdraft the position. Maybe in some of those scenarios, they've overdrafted some of those guys.

So where are they right now? They're still looking for some of those guys.

So I think that gets teams. That catches up with you a little bit.

If you make a mistake, you're apt to go back and try and fill it, and then you overdraft the guy maybe you know a rounder or you know fifteen spots higher than he should go, and that comes back and hurt you. So I think they've been guilty of that a little bit.

Last thing for Pete Prisco. We are a long way from week one of the season. We got free agency in the draft to look forward to. But what does your gut tell you at this early stage about the Bengals in twenty twenty five.

They'll be back in the mix in the division. I don't think there's any question about that. I think it's a two team division. Look, the Steelers have major questions at quarterback.

I think they have.

Questions at other spots.

They were kind of steel.

Fans don't like hearing this, but they were kind of a mirage less if you could look inside their numbers.

They didn't run the ball very well, they didn't stop the run very.

Well, they didn't get after the quarterback very well, and somehow they were there at the end.

I don't have no idea. It's a tribute to Mike Tomlin as a football.

Coach because a quarterback play wasn't very good.

So I think it's a two team division. I think it'll be the Ravens and the Bengals in the division.

Always a treat to pick your brain. Really happy. I ran India here in Indy. Thanks so much, Pete got it. You got it.

It's one of my favorites. You can follow him on x at Prisco CBS. That's p Isco CBS. We end this episode by turning the clock back to twenty eighteen and a conversation I had with a twenty three year old rookie out of Ohio State. Time for some fun facts with defensive ends, Sam Hubbard from Ohio State by way of Mohler High School. According to your bio, Sam Buckeye's coach Urban Meyer, first notice you playing dodgeball in gym class. True story or Urban myth.

True story.

So my high school football coach was our gym teacher as well, and coach Meyern Kerry Combs came in one day to visit him and you see the town at Moller and I happened to be in the gym class when he walked in the building and got introduced to him after playing a game of dodgeball, and that's how it all started.

Were you just like drilling kids on the opposite side of the court.

Yeah, I mean the last person you expect to walk into your gym class is Urban Meyer, but once you see him, you expect to go a little bit harder.

Sam, five years ago, you're sitting in class at Moeller High School. Now you're playing for your hometown NFL team.

How surreal is that.

That first home game on that Thursday night was a special moment, especially looking up into the stands and seeing my family and friends in my jersey. All I wanted to do was just make him proud, and that was a special moment. And I'm gonna continue to represent and do what i can to make the city proud.

We're doing fun facts with Sam Hubbard. You're a great athlete in high school. But what else were you interested in as a kid.

There's a lot of things, you know. I was always interested in history. You know, my dad's a history buffs. He knows everything Roman Empire, all that stuff. And eventually I came out of college with a minor in history, you know, taking EP classes in history in high school. I was interested in sports obviously, and hanging out with friends and having a good time.

You also earned a finance degree in three and a half years at Ohio State. How did you juggle football in school?

It was tough.

I think I was raised very well by my mom and dad, learning time management and you know, how to be successful, working hard and doing all the right things all the time. I think I had a great foundation from them, and then I got to Moeller learned how to do stuff right in the classroom and on the field, and just enhance it once I got to Ohio State. So I was very fortunate with the people around me that showed me the right way to do things.

We're doing fun facts with Sam Hubburn. We're going all over the map. Tell me the story of getting Rudy Johnson's autograph at a Cincinnati mall.

Yeah, me and my friends. I can't even remember what grade we're in, but it was around Halloween and we're going to Halloween Express got dropped off by our parents to get a costume and ran into Rudy Johnson. I forget who who he was with, but we ran inside, got a piece of paper, asked them to sign I so got to hang in my room to this day.

Nice choice, Rudy, great player in his Bengals days. You were a great lacrosse player at Moler. You almost went to Notre Dame to play lacrosse before playing college football at Ohio State.

Was it hard to give up lacrosse?

It was hard.

I think the hardest thing was not playing lacrosse my senior year of high school. I didn't play so that I could spend extra time in the weight room gaining weight and getting ready to play college football. But you know, I love the sport equally as much as I loved football, and you know, it's a sacrifice I had to make. But I really like where I'm at now and what I'm doing, so I can't complain.

There's footage of you playing lacrosse on YouTube. You're about six inches taller than most of the other guys on the field. Did you scare opponents in that sport?

Yeah, one on YouTube's my freshman year. If you want to see my real highlights, watch the junior ones on huddle. Those are more fun. But yeah, I was bigger than most of the guys I played against.

There's just that's how lacrosse is.

When you got to Ohio State, put on a lot of muscle to go from being a safety to being a defensive end. How much did you eat and what did you eat?

It was a process.

I you know, first I was eating anything inside I could, just to get the weight on me so I could compete at the high level. And over the years, especially now I've learned how to eat right, how to eat properly, and really you know, gain the right kind of weight, replace that whatever it was fat with muscle.

Just try to lean out.

But I till I felt sick every meal for six months until I gained forty pounds and then ever since then, just trying to maintain and stay stay in the weight room extra.

You never lost to Michigan in four years at Ohio State. How obnoxious are you when you are around Michigan people?

Pretty obnoxious?

Rightfully, So we uh we don't have any love for that stayed up north, but uh, you know, I can I feel like I can say whatever I want because they got no bragging rights.

We're doing fun facts. That's Sam Hubbard.

I mentioned your finance degree from Ohio State. You had internships at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan in New York.

What'd you learn?

I learned a lot.

I learned how you know, how competitive the business world is. It's just as competitive as a football field. You know, there's a special type of you know, people that are successful. You know, they're determined, they're driven, and they're experts in their field. And if I want to be successful one day when I'm done with football in the business world, I got to take the same approach I took with football. And that's really the biggest thing I took away from it.

We're talking to Sam Hubbard after you got drafted your family and friends about one hundred and sixty four customized Hubbard number ninety four jerseys from the Bengals Pro Shop. I know you love them to death, but was it a little embarrassing?

Oh no, not at all. That was awesome.

I thank my aunt Emily and my sister Madison that organized the whole thing, and everyone just wanted to be involved and be supportive.

I'm so thankful for it.

Sounds like the tailgates are pretty legendary in the Hubbard family.

Yeah, well, no, I've never been to one.

Even postgame. Don't you get to go over there and say hello? When you're done.

Oh yeah, but the party usually is died down by then. But now they they have my friends go. People that have never been to a House State or Bengals game go and they tell me that it's the best fun they've had in the life. So shout out to my parents for bringing their a game every week.

Nice.

What are you do when you have free time?

A lot of things?

You know.

I like to watch movies. I'm gonna consider myself a movie critic. I like to cook, go out to eat, relaxed, swim, fish, play golf. I got a lot of hobbies, but pretty much whatever I'm feeling.

Does the movie buff have an all time favorite?

I got a couple of all time favorites. I don't think I can pick one off the top of my head right now. Maybe Good Fellas, Oh good choice?

All right?

Final thing?

Great athlete, great student, but nobody's perfect. What do you stink at basketball?

Really can't shoot.

All I can do is rebound and pass it off. That's always been My uncle played basketball at Michigan. You know, I've always wanted to be good at basketball, but just wasn't my sport.

Can't be good at everything, right, Appreciate the time, best of luck this year.

Nope, thanks for having me.

That's Sam Hubbard.

Sam plans to continue his work in the community through the Sam Hubbard Foundation and his annual Fowling tournament featuring current and former Bengals, is coming up on May fifteenth.