Bengals Booth Podcast: Welcome To The Jungle

Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden.

Thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Welcome to the Jungle edition. I was surprised to realize I had not used that song before as I go one on one with three Bengals newcomers, Tied End, Mike Kasiki, Running Bag,

Man, get your second experience in free agency. Aside from the financial aspect, what were you looking for this time around?

Really just looking for, you know, an opportunity, you know first and foremost, and then you know to play for a championship caliber team, which is what the Cincinnati Bengals are And definitely doesn't hurt to you know, have have number nine back there either.

So that's definitely something that I was taken into account.

There's been a storyline in the Cincinnati area over the past couple of years that between a number nine Joe Burrow and tight ends coach James Casey, the Bengals can help a tight end boost his career. Were you kind of aware of that storyline and did you discuss it with your agent? So?

I wasn't aware of the storyline that it was like a you know, public knowledge, but I definitely was aware that, you know, some guys have been making plays in this passing game at my position and then you know, saw that you know, there might have been an opening, uh and an opportunity, So, you know, something that I was excited about and you know, looking forward to.

We're chatting at Mike Kasicki, you've had as many as seventy three catches in a season in seven hundred and eighty yards in a season. No Bengals tight end has ever had that many catches. Only a couple have had that many yards. What do you think you bring to the Bengals offense.

Yeah, I think just you know, a vertical you know

The Bengals have seen at firsthand. You had six catches for eighty two yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals in twenty nineteen, nine catches eighty eight yards and a touchdown in twenty twenty. You think it was a factor and why they were interested.

I'm not entirely sure, you know, I don't I don't know if if that played into it. But I had, you know, definitely some success against against Cincinnati in the past as an opponent.

But I'm excited to be on the good side. Now.

What do you like in respect about Joe Burrow?

Obviously, you know, first and foremost the things that that he can do with the football.

I mean, it's it's special, you know.

Helping make the job of a receiver you know, easier, and you know.

Putting the ball exact where it needs to be.

And obviously, you know a lot of this comes with timing and chemistry and all that kind of stuff, which which you know, I'll make sure that we get.

But I mean.

He's obviously, you know, one of very few people in on the planet that can you know, play the quarterback position the way that he does.

We're chating to be tight end Micah Sicky. You've been in the league for six years. You were on some good teams in Miami and went to the playoffs a couple of years ago, but you haven't been on a team that advanced yet in the postseason, had a lot of personal success. Is team success what you're craving at this point?

Yeah, it is. It is.

I'm I'm I'm looking forward to, you know, being on a team that has, you know, experienced that. Like you said, I was in Miami and you know we we went to the playoffs my last year there, my fifth year, but you know, I didn't win. I haven't won a playoff game. There's the only one I've been to, and uh so I'm excited to you know, kind of you know, be around some guys that that have tasted it and uh that have experienced it and do hopefully I can have my name to that list.

So I like to say, the most interesting man in the world world is not the dose Ekis guy. It is Bengals tight ends coach James Casey, former minor league pitcher, guy who played seven positions at Rice as a college football player. What if anything you know about James.

I'm learning that that is a that is a a very valid point that you make that he's uh, he's very interesting and uh no, he's awesome.

He's he's been great.

Uh you know, we've been kind of you know, hanging around today and you know, he's been he's been unbelievable. So I'm really excited to work with him. I'm excited for him to, you know, help take my game to another level. And I've heard nothing but incredible things.

Also, you had a last second game winning touchdown catch last year against the Buffalo Bills and did what I think was your version of the gritty after that touchdown catch.

Is that what that was Yeah, that was uh, that was a lot of excitement and adrenaline all at once combined with with the greed. Yeah, it definitely needs some work, but I think the thing that makes it so good is the fact that it's so bad, you know, so that that that's kind of what people like about it at this point.

There's plenty of room for improvement.

That's right. There's there's there's plenty of that, and there's a there's a there's a guy here that knows how to do it pretty well, so no.

Question about that. So you are a broad former Penn State and NI they lie on a school that's had a lot of great tight ends over the years, and you're right at the top of that list. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot.

There's like you said, you know, there's there's been a lot of talent and to uh, you know, to look back at Penn State and you know, still hold some of those records and to kind of have that that notoriety because of that.

It's it's a it's a good feeling in school.

It shows you know, a lot of you know, work that went into it and a lot of opportunity and a lot of coaches that.

Helped me get there along the way.

So, uh, we'll always be grateful to Penn State and you know what they what they did and will always be their number one.

Fentke, We're excited to have you in Cincinnati playing for the Bengals instead of kicking tail against the Bengals. Welcome to the Jungle and thanks for the time.

Awesome, Thanks Dan, appreciate you having me on them.

Up next, running back Zach Moss, who led the Colts and rushing last year with seven hundred and ninety four yards and has averaged four point three yards per carry in his four NFL seasons. The twenty six year old signed a two year deal that's reportedly worth eight million dollars. Yeah, did you go into free agency with specific teams in mind or was it more like waiting for somebody to slide into your dms and show their interest.

Yeah, you know, definitely kind of wait for someone to slide to the dems.

But you know, we kind of just took it, you know, day by day.

We kind of had a good feel where we're going to be at and what teams are going to be interested in things like that, and you know, I didn't really you know, mind in the sense where I would be at.

I just wanted to be somewhere where it's.

Going to be a good situation and opportunity to win football games and you know, things of that nature, because that's what the game is about, and you know, being able to come to sensey h it is. I think it's gonna be a real good marriage, just because we have so many talented players and you know, we run the ball a certain style that I'm accustomed to and

You mentioned your style. I read an old scouting report that said watching Moss is like watching an exercise and controlled violence. Is that is that about right?

Then?

Would you add anything?

I think it's about right, man.

I try to, you know, go out there and be physical and kind of set the tone, you know, first for myself and then you know.

Obviously for the team as well.

And you know, that's always how I've played the game, and I've played the positions I grew up, you know, watching certain guys like you know Marshawn Lynch and you know Aaron Foster's guys that can get downhill, great tackles and just never really seem to be going, you know, the other way. So that's something I've always taken pride in and I tried to you know, you know, put into my game and you know, just try to do that each time, each every time I step.

On the field.

Chatting with running back Zach Mass, you've been in the a f C for the last four years. What stood out to you about the Bengals.

Being in AFC the last four years.

Obviously, the Bengals have had a lot of success in the last four years.

You know, like I said, it's a ton of great weapons.

Obviously, you speak about you know, the guys outside Jamar and t and you know, bringing their mic to second now having another big target across the middle. And then obviously you know, everything starts with with number nine and Joe, So you know, being able to play with guys like that and who have so much talent and have has assessed in this league and you know it, it's hard to turn that down and go somewhere else, and you know, and things of that nature. But you know, it's it's

You got the biggest opportunity of your NFL career last year within they and you thrived one hundred and sixty five yards against Tennessee thirty carries on a road win in Baltimore. Did you feel like you finally got a chance to show what you could do at this level.

Yeah, definitely.

Know this league is all about opportunity, you know, It's it's you know, when you get to this level, everybody's talented. It's not much that separates guys at this level, and it's all about you know, I've always kept doing the work.

I never cheated the work, never cheated the grind.

You know, from my time in Buffalo or things may have not been in my favor, even when I got to Indie kind of just just doing the work and doing the work and stay consistent so that way, when the time did come for me to have an opportunity, you know, I didn't, you know, piss it away in a sense, right, So you know, that's that's what I'm all about, just being consistent and you know, doing those things.

That allowed for success. So nothing's going to change now.

You know, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to come to Cincinnati and you know, help his team win games, and that's all it's about.

You were a top one hundred draft pick in twenty twenty, the same year that Joe burrow Is selected number one overall. Did you watch him when you were both college seniors? And what have you admired from afar?

Yeah, when we were both called seniors. Obviously what he was doing at LSU with those guys, everybody, everybody was watching. It was hard to not watch. But the funny thing is we were ranked number five and truly at Utah and we were one game away from getting in hopefully, right, you never.

Know what the college football playoffs, but.

We were one game away to being in the college football playoffs, and you never know how that.

Would have shut out.

We probably would have ended up playing those guys in the you know, in the first round or whatever.

So it was.

Always I felt that close to running up against him and stuff like that.

So it's cool to team up with him now.

And you know, he's had a ton of success in the league, and you know that just kind of speaks to you know, who he.

Is and the work that he puts in on a daily basis.

With all due respect to Oklahoma, do you think Utah would have given them a better game in the semi finals had you been the fourth seed?

Yeah, I think so.

Honestly, if you look back at you know, Utah and big games in two thousand and four, in two thousand and eight, you know, against some big programs they've done, they held their own pretty well and come out victorious on those, so, h you know, it would have been it would have been nice, you know to see, you know, a PAC twelve team get in there, and you know, I think we would have the best chance in nineteen more than anybody else, you know, speaking from the Pac twelve.

Well, he threw seven touchdown passes in the first half of that game, so I'm guessing that that Utah might have at least been able to cut that down a little bit hopefully the four We're chatting with Zach Mahs. So you're going to be in the backfield this year with Chase Brown. You were on the Colt sideline last year when he took a screen pass and went fifty four yards for a touchdown and hit twenty two miles an hour on that play. What did your Colts teammates say after that game?

Yeah, I remember watching that play and it was right up our sideline and he was just moving in and I'm like, Wow, who was this guy that you know, I didn't know who he was.

At the time, and I'm like, let just do his fat.

But you know, that whole week, you know, everybody was just you know, talking about how athletic he is, and you know, you know, he wasn't playing a ton last year, but with the opportunities that he did get, he definitely flashed each and every time on the tape.

So, you know, now getting the chance to team up with him.

You know, hopefully I can just go into that room and help them, uh, you know, as much as I can share some knowledge from what I've you know, gained over the years and things of that nature.

Just like you know, guys that were older than me.

Vets did for me in Buffalo, and just do the same things down here for our room. And you know, it's gonna have a great time competing against each other. It's gonna be great to go out there and go to battle with these guys. And you know, I'm super excited to know, you know, we got some speed in the.

Room like that. I don't know if I can pick I can clock at twenty two.

But you know it's gonna be fun to, you know, see him go out there and excel and you know, just have fun and compete.

Earning a contract like this, I'm sure it's a great point of pride. You gotta earn it, and all teams are not going to give out nice second deals to players unless they go out and show what they can do. In your case, I understand you're also a dad as of about a year ago. So what does it mean to you to to earn a like idea like this knowing that you're taking care of your family.

Yeah, you know, that's that's why you play the game. You know, it's it's obviously you know, this is our job, and we want to do our job at a high level, just like anybody in any role that they're in in their you know, own personal careers, and you know, being able to you know, put the work in, you know, with those who start when you get to the NFL.

And it's nothing I take, you know, for granted.

You know, I'm super blessed to have the opportunity to you know, provide for my family, and you know, this is just one stepping stone, and you know, I feel like I still got a lot left to prove and a lot left to do, so you know, hopefully, you know I can add on to that, and you know, we'll kind of see where that goes. But right now, we take you know, take it a day at a time and just live in a moment and.

Just be grateful and you know, extremely blessed.

You earned it. Congratulations on this deal with Cincinnati Bengals. We look forward to seeing you in action this fall. Thank you, yes, sir, appreciate it.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Up next, it's twenty four year old safety Geno Stone, who had seven interceptions for Baltimore this year to finish second in the

Do you know the rumors of you potentially joining Cincinnati started pretty early? Were you anticipating the Bengals interest.

A little bit?

Yeah, I'll say a little bit, just seeing I mean after the season, I kind of look at the teams that safety needs there at the top of the list, because we know, I want to go to a team that had a really good quarterback, a team had a good head coach, you know, a team that had a really good defense and you know, some rock and knockund wins, so they're definitely the top of the list.

So you're only twenty four years old, but you got four years of experience and that makes you a season vetch on this secondary with so many young kids. What do you think that means to the Bengals defense?

No, I mean it means it means a lot, you know, because you know, coming up for me, you know, I had a lot of Vets in my room throughout my whole career, and I was able to learn from a lot of great guys. And now you know, me being one of the oldest guys in the room, that was kind of crazy.

Uh you know, I could share what I've learned.

And uh my knowledge I've learned throughout my years and uh you know, now I've seen we got Vaughn coming back. So it's never the guy that got a VET in the room. So I'm not the oldest guy in the room no more.

So. Uh, you know it's gonna be great though, I know, be able to get all these guys knowledge.

What do you admire and respect about von Bell?

Uh?

You know it's crazy because I go all the way back whenever I went to a camp at the House State and he was still playing there, and uh, this is the way he was interacting with me and took the time to talk to me. And you know, since then I grew a relationship with him. But he was able to talk to him more throughout the off season and stuff like that. When I see him down training in Miami and you know, he's just a great guy.

We're visiting the Bengals safety Geno Stone. As you know, the team struggled to prevent big plays last year. What's the biggest key defensively to eliminating those explosives?

Yeah, you know, doing a job it take in the ball away, you know, taking the ball away and make sure make sure you're the right spots. That's something I think I did a really good job on last year. You know, something I want to continue to prove on. You know, I was already talking to some of the coaches about it. You know, some of the things I see, how I see things and how how I play, and you know, I want to learn from other people too.

My best football is ahead of me, and I want to I'm waiting for that.

Well, you alluding to it. You got a breakout year last year with seven interceptions. Was it simply a matter of opportunity for you?

Yeah, I mean everyone keeps saying, you know, all those things about me not getting you know, as many picks or look at my productions throughout the years, or the scheme or whatever it is.

I just never got the opportunity.

You know, if you look at my first ever game I actually played, it was my preseason year.

My second year, I had two interceptions in the in the first.

Half, you know, and I didn't get another opportunity till later on the in the season. And you know my productions there, it's just the opportunity.

No, I finally opportunity. You know, Condig was on the slay.

So one of those interceptions last year was at the doll line off of Joe Burrow in Week two. You fooled him and that doesn't happen very often to Joe. Did you think that that play was a significant factor in the Bengals interest.

I would say, so something I hear a lot about.

I know Joe joking with me, he said something up to the game too, and uh, you know they as a play. You know, that was a pivotal play in the game for them. That's what they keep saying to me too. So you know, I think I played off played a little bit of factor.

For chatting with Gino Stone. The Ravens went to and zero against Cincinnati last year, but lost the playoff game in Cincinnati the year before, and of course that game featured the legendary Sam Hubbard fumble in the jungle. We've asked a lot of Bengals about that in the last year, but give us the perspective of what it was like to be on the other side of the field when that happened.

Yeah, I mean, you know sucked. I'll say that is. You know, I remember selling the bench. I'm like, we're about to score. When we're growing up, you know, it was it was at that point in the game where no one's really moving the ball, no one's scoring, and we step finally started moving the ball around and we're like, well then two or one yard line. I'm like this game, we're we're gonna get this, you know, score and get them get off the field.

And you know we're to move on. And uh, that play was.

Just like you felt the whole side line just you know, just everyone everyone felt just felt the same way. And it was just like you know, one of the plays in the AFC North game where the.

One one big play happens. You know, you know what happens after the rest after that.

How do you describe ANFC North football?

I think it's the best football in all NFL. That's what I think.

If you if you look at the numbers last year and just totally overall, you know, our division is speaks for yourself. You know, you know the type of ball you're gonna get every time you play a team in this division. Uh, you can't take any game lightly. You know every game is gonna be close game, no matter who it is, who's out there, it don't matter, so back about or third strainings. You know you're getting tight game because that's how this how this division is built.

A couple more questions for Gino Stone. Some of your Baltimore teammates, including Lamar Jackson, have been joking that you are now dead to them because you are leaving Baltimore and joining a rival. In all seriousness, is it a little bit strange to go from Baltimore to Cincinnati.

Uh? Yeah, I mean a little bit.

You know.

It's not something I ever envisioned. I'll definitely admit that.

But at the end of the day, you know, just the team that has showed me the most opportunities that I could make for the most of myself and my family and my career. So I mean, I mean, you get a you get a pay raise, You're not gonna You're not never gonna decline that, especially uh you know, in his lead, you know, and and the opportunities to present itself from me.

So you know, people might say what they want, but.

Them guys joking me, they they all know how I feel for how I feel about them, and they I know how they feel about me. And you know, we talked about things all the time. But you know, I never thought it would be this team, but it is what it is. You know, I'll see the past twice a year.

You answered my first question by saying you wanted to go to a team that had a great quarterback. Obviously, you played with one in Baltimore and you're gonna play with one in Cincinnati. Can you win a super Bowl without a guy like that?

It's it's hard. I mean, that's that's the first thing that starts with every team.

You need a great quarterback, someone that's gonna leave your team. You know, you need someone that's that's going to be able to manage the game right, someone I could that could take.

Over the game at any point, at any point at a time. You know, someone you could rely on. And Joe's that guy. You know.

Yeah, he showed him in college and probably I think he showed him in high school. Show it now, you know he's that guy. He's I mean, I think he's a guy gets back to the super Bowl.

You know, you were not a five star recruit, you were not a high draft pick. You were selected in the seventh round. How has that shaped you and made and made you the person and player that you are now?

Oh?

It taught me.

It taught me to be humble. H It taught me to be grateful for what I got. Uh, it taught me a lot of things. I'll say that for sure, because you know, without going through that, without my journey with thought, meeting the people I had, doing the things I had to do, and to get where I am today. You know, theyn't make me what made me who I am right now? No, And I would say that just just because you know that. You know, I'll blessed with the opportunity now to get a new contract.

Things like that. I'm still gonna be me. I'm never gonna I'm not gonna change.

I'm still I'm still that guy where I feel like I got the target on my back. You know, everyone saying I'm limited to things. I'm a seventh round pick. Everyone's gonna still have their opinions.

You know, and I'm not. Guys can go and.

Prove everyone wrong. You are a great addition to Cincinnati. You have earned every penny of this contractor are excited to have you. Thanks for your time and look forward to getting to know you better.

Thank you, appreciate it. Hi.

Thanks to Mike, Zach and Gino.

And that's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by Paid Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider. By Alta Fiber future Proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider.

Of the Bengals.

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