Bengals Booth Podcast: Who Are You

are these guys coming up? I'll spend forty five minutes with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham as we discuss DJ reader Trey Waynes, Von Bell and the other free agent pickups, and then take your questions under the hashtag ask lap and Yes, in case you're wondering, Joe Burrow does come up. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Prime Sport, the official fan, travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals.

And here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing. It's the greatest thing since Yatzi. If you've been looking for things to do at home during COVID nineteen restrictions, perhaps you've forgotten about that Yatzi board game. Sitting in the back of a closet. According to the current owner Hasbro, fifty million Yatsy games are sold every year, So there's a decent bet that you haven't.

Our family has been playing in recent days, and for a game that came out in the early nineteen forties, it still holds up remarkably well with just the right mix of luck and strategy for players of all ages. So here's the Yatze and rolling five of a kind. Now, let's get to this week's visit with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham Lap. As we sit down to do this recording, the Bengals have spent approximately one hundred and thirty five

million dollars on free agents from other teams. What has gotten into our beloved Cincinnati bengk I'll tell you Dan, it's incredible. I mean, the overhaul continues. Uh. You know, I think there's potentially five defensive starters in that in that group, and obviously an offensive lineman that is going to be a starter at the at the right guard position. Tentatively, you know, you got to you got a starting cornerback in Wayne's you have a starting Nicol Corner and Alexander Um.

I think Dray Kirkpatrick's future is dim in Cincinnati. I don't I think it's going to be short lived. Um William Jackson, I believe would be the other the other corner. It's it's incredible vom Bell, who has made a lot of plays in New Orleans Saints. I mean, he's a he's a quality safety and he played well up in Ohio State room with the road and all about. You know his his contributions. DJ Reader is a high level

starter in the interior of the defensive line. You know, I know, I know a lot of people are going to be well, the only linebacker is Josh bynes Well. You know. The thing is simple math. When you look at the linebacker position in free agency, it wasn't as deep as the draft is potentially. When you look at the sheer numbers, almost every package three or four or five defensive linemen, four or five, six defensive backs, most

times two linebackers. So sheer numbers say that if you've got a prospect that you can upgrade in the defensive liner on the back end where there are more players on the field, go for it. Go for it. And I do think that the drafted linebackers deep enough where they can make us make some serious noise. I harked back to at the turn of the century, nearly two thousands, when you draft h Spikes, Brian Simmons both in the first round, and Steve Foley, and the third round you

drew and Ross as a free agent. They redid their whole linebacker position that year, and the coach was Mark Duffner, who's now on the staff. So lightning can strike twice with jeff Nor on the staff in terms of rebuilding that linebacker core. A lot of it through the draft lap. I want to go back to DJ Reader, probably the most prized of the free agents. Four years, fifty three million bucks. He's twenty five years old right now. He'll

be twenty six by the start of next season. I went back to my old notes on the Houston Texans and the last time that the Bengals played them, and at the time I had written down based on something that I heard or something that I read, that he was like a young Vince Wilfork, which is basically the guy he replaced in Houston. Is that a good comp Is he potentially that good? Yeah? I think he is. I think he's even maybe not quite as you know, massive as Wilford as he was. I mean, this guy's

a big dude. I mean over three undred and fifty pounds on a six foot three inch frame. That's that's fairly massive. Wilfork as a house. But I think this guy's more athletic in terms of his ability to pursue inside out. I mean he'll watching him, he'll run from the nose, tackle to the sideline and get involved in a play, and very athletic. Like Wilfork was very agile with his feet. It was hard to get that big old bear on the ground. I mean he was very,

very difficult to get off his feet. And Readers that that kind of guy too. And another similarity they have, Dan to the point you're making, and it's a good point, there are a lot of similarities is the ability to push the pocket and to penetrate inside. You know, if you if you single up on on a guy like these guys, it's, uh, that's tough chore. I mean, somebody's gonna have a long day, so he's gonna he's gonna consume a couple of offensive linemen. And you know, now, okay,

do you a double reader? Do you double gino? You can't double everybody who you're gonna double, So you know it could help Gino and um the staffs that he's on the field. It could lessen the load a little bit. And you know, I know they're gonna be cognizant of not him taking as many staffs as he did last year and not having we're down like he did to at the end of the last year. So I think he's a big plus in so many ways. There's a

big ripple effect with Reader for sure. Since we've been doing the games together in twenty eleven, the Bengals have always prioritized two things on defense and trying to build their team pass rushers and cover guys. We've seen the money they've spent on Gino and Carlos Dunlap. We've seen all the number one picks over the years on cornerbacks in particular, So this really to me reflects what they

did in free agency. DJ Reader a great run stopper obviously, but as you mentioned, a guy that can push the pocket as a pass rusher, and then Waynes Alexander von Bell plus Lashawn Simms from Tennessee who played on a very good team last year. That shows you when they looked at their struggles defensively over the past several seasons. To me, at least, they went back to their core values pass, rush, cover guys. I couldn't agree with you

more and the other caveat. I think to all these guys, they played on recent playoff teams, So all of a sudden, you bring that, uh, that successful mindset, that culture to your locker room where you know, hey, I know what it's supposed to look like. I was just in the playoffs, and you know, here's here's here's what we need to get done. Guys. Here's here's what I experienced. Here's where we're a little deficient, Here's where we're okay, here's where

we need to improve. I mean, all those things I think are valuable. And just about every free agent they signed, you know, has been on the in the playoffs recently, which I think is uh, it is not by accident. I think you know that that's if there's by accident, it's a very fortunate accident. They're going after guys that I think have been on on football teams that have experienced success and have you know, have have lifted, have lifted firsthand, so they can they can bring it to

this locker room. And you know usually with that kind of success, Um, it breads a good chemistry in a locker room. And uh, reader, it's interesting easan Um. They're both clums and graduates, and Easton knows readers parents. I mean, he knows the whole family. It's it's it's crazy. You know, you'll you'll get connections, uh that that with coach or player or former teammates, you know, talking about the other players. Um, it's it's it's very interesting. There's there's no doubt about it.

The last corner that they just sounded them trying to think of Simms. Sims. Yeah, Leshawn Simms. His position coach is now with the Cincinnati Bengals, So, I mean they pick him up from Tennessee, another playoff team. So here's Leshawn Simms, you know who's experienced the playoff success down to Tennessee and they're you know, they like him, They like him a lot, and he can he can play on special teams as well. And this position coach, uh you know, is now now with the Cincinnati Bengals. So

you have an obvious connection to Steve Jackson. You know, liked him a lot when he's down there in Tennessee and Leshawn Simms von Bell the connection up at you know, up in a high state. He's got teammates, uh that that are with the Cincinnati Bengals obviously in Sam Hubbard and Billy Price, and so it's it is, it's it's uh, it's very interesting, how you know, the thread is very very wolving, very very tightly through the National Football League

A lot of times. Is Xavier sewer Feelo a significant upgrade from John Miller? I'm not sure, you know, Um, I thought John Miller was a pretty solid player. But John Miller, um, you know, obviously had had an injury problem. And looking at John the difference between those two guys. John Miller to me is a beefed up three ten as opposed to you know, Xavier's a natural three ten. He's a bigger frame, bigger body guy. Um, John Miller is pretty athletic guy, but so Zoe Xavier he can pull,

you know. Obviously, the Bengals the second half the year, as we saw down in the running game improved so much that they went to that gap, you know, pin and poll schematic and having big boys out in space leading Joe Mixon and Xavier can do that. He came out as a second round pick out of UCLA initially Houston, so there's another tie. He and DJ Reader or Team Bates at Houston before he went over to Dallas, So the weave continues. Linebacker Josh Bines will be thirty one

next year. He played pretty well down the stretch for the Ravens last year and going back several years, he made the tackle on Ted Gin to seal the Super Bowl went over the forty nine ers several years ago. Is he more or less a depth guy in a group that didn't have much depth at all, or potentially a solid starter in the short term. Yeah. They did sign him to, you know, just a one year contract. He's thirty years old. You know, he's on the back

nine obviously his career. But he run on that Super Bowl team as you mentioned with the Ravens, and then they brought him off the street last year as we remember, and you know, he plucked them in and they had a couple of inside linebackers and Ravens defense they brought off the street to finish the season. They played pretty well and he and Josh was one of them. Uh, Josh Bynes, I think has you know, has something left from the tank and you need you need an alpha dog.

Um this this group is pretty young at the linebacker position. Now, There's there's no question about it. He's he's steady, he's very instinctive, a smart guy. He knows how to play to his strengths and and you know, to hide some of these deficiencies as such. I you know, I think that he's going to be the leader that everybody looks to in that linebacker room because once again played in the Super Bowl and um, you know, played at the at the highest level you possibly can and it's a

big achievement. You get some credit, instantaneous credit with that. There's there's no no doubt about it. So I think I think it is a good edition. I think he's gonna play pretty well. I think he's gonna really make a rush to be a starting inside linebacker, you know, for for at least the season, and with that one year contract, there's high incentive for him to play well and to see if he can get a bite of an apple, a little bigger bite than just that that

one year. It's kind of like a show me something type contract. And he's anxious. I think to prove that that very thing. I do think they need to find you know, they will in the draft, but they're they're probably the biggest the trace to see now with Nick Vigil you know, going to San Diego or the lah Chargers. They got to get that Sam backer, you know, they

have to. They have to find somebody there, some sort of edge guy, you know, that can provide some some kind of pass rush as well as at the edge in the running game. I think that's a that's a big factor that they have to find, you know, in the draft. And it would not I would not be the least bit upset Dan if the second and third round, if there were guys there that were worthy that they spent both of them the linebacker position, kind of like they did in the first round with Spikes and Simmons.

Then they came back in the third round here again with Foldy. I'm not saying spend all your picks on linebackers. I do think in my mind the two areas that I really focus on in the draft would be linebacker an offensive line. You know, to just add bodies to compete and see who best man win kind of thing. And you know it's so deep at wide receiver at some point there's probably gonna be a wide receiver there that it's like, oh, hell, I didn't think this guy

would be here at this point. We had him with a grade around maybe two rounds higher. So you're gonna grab that wide receiver. But I think all things being equal, i'd really look for, you know, linebacker heavy in the draft and an offensive line. What do you think happens with Andy Dalton at this point? That's a that's a great question. Um. You know, the thing the thing with Andy is he's got playoff experience. And the other thing

is he went through this as a rookie. Thinking back to twenty eleven, there are no OTAs, no mini camps, and j Gruden, diet hell of a job with Andy Dalton and Andrew Worth and dolmatop Peco. Remember they had those voluntary workouts to get togethers. And Andy Dalton didn't know what he didn't know in terms of the Bengal system. And I mean to have him get up to speed as quickly as he did that year and this year.

It's not a work stop. It's a medical issue that is causing maybe a delay in the systems and installation of things with young quarterbacks. Andy Dalton he learned to quickly proof that he could learn it quickly, and I think Joe Burrow could prove the same thing. But Andy Dalton already knows it. So the fact that you're in a situation so odd this year because of the coronavirus, you do have a guy that knows your system cold and worst case scenario, could go out there and perform

for you, you know. And I think the Bengal is gonna be very very patient with this. I know the knowing of Patriots are going to be. They have a history of being patient. They're gonna try to get as good a deal as possible if they're if they're truly interested in Andy Dalton. And by the way, where is Jay Gruden Jacksonville Jacksonville offensive coordinator? Maybe he says, all right, okay, minshew, Yeah, Well,

I know Andy Dalton. Like Andy Dalton didn't work out in Chicago, where one of his offensive former offensive coordinators resides now, but there's another one that's former offensive coordinator, former head coach now down there in Jacksonville. So to me, I think you have to be patient, you know, get through the draft with the late reporting that's going on, the fact that he knows the system so well, you know,

just the word. I don't think the worst thing in the world would be if they keep him and have a hell of a one two punch of the quarterback position. Hell with the way the first round picks have gone in the last four or five years, Man, I got you. Don't you want to just say about eighteen thousand hail marriage, nothing happens to Joe Burrow. But what if it does? Then you got Andy Dalton. You know, I'm not sure they would necessarily. I guess they could with all that

they've spent here in free agency. They may have to trend that seventeen million dollar contract down a little bit. But Andy may say, rather than getting waived, if if you're if your Bengals terminate him, somebody's got to pick in their a pain of seventeen million. So he may say, somebody's gonna pick me up and give me a haircut to be a backup. Why don't I stand in Cincinnati,

see if my haircut's not as bad. You'd be a back cup, back up for a year and play that, you know, maybe take a little bit of a haircut in the contract and play out that year. I don't know. I just think there's all kinds of possibilities on the table, and I don't think i'd be in a rush right now. Tom. You know, I certainly wouldn't panic and wave him at this point in time, that's sure. The Jacksonville thing is interesting. They've already signed Tyler Eifford and dark Quist and Art,

so that's becoming Cincinnati's South. But but if it reaches a point where they're not going to pay him seventeen mil, and that seems far fetched me considering how much money they've taken on in free agency, plus the tag with aj Green. So if they try to get him conceivably to stick around for less, I wonder at that point if he'll say, you know what, I don't care about the money. I'm going to go to the team where

I think I've got the best chance to play. Yeah, And uh, I think I mean, honestly, if I'm Andy Dalton and I feel that Bill Belichick has some sort of an honest interest, and I think he does. I think Bill Belichick feels like Andy Dalton can win you football games at the quarterback position. And uh and more importantly, won't necessarily lose you football games give games away at

the quarterback position. If he feels that way in any and these people in any feel that that's that is the case, I do everything I possibly could to see how that could be fulfilled. I mean, you know you and and honestly, I think, as we know, the Bengals are vocalized that a bunch of times, and I know we both believe it. They definitely appreciate everything they aid the Dalton has done for the organization and how he's

done it. Um So I think that if they could, they would make it very fair and equitable for Andy Dalton at all costs. Yeah, Andy Dalton is better than Brian Hoyer. We don't know how good Jared Stidham is. Maybe he's going to be good, who knows. But I think despite what the Patriots have done with Brian Hoyer, if they could get Andy Dalton on the cheap, I think they would. And I think I think that that if in fact, somebody could get him, you know, as

you say, on the cheap. And Okay, Jacksonville, in my mind, I'm thinking, Okay, Bill Belichick really wants them. Jake Rudin really wants them. Okay, then if they if they say it's gonna Bill Belichick really wants them and said, I'll just wait till they wave him. Well, Jackson is going to get him before the Patriots. So at that point Bill Belichick may say, I'll give you a pick, you know, to make sure that I can get him before you

wave them. Um, you know that that could possibly happen, and then and then he'd we do the contract extended. Whatever he's gonna do. But it's going to be interesting how it plays out. But I wouldn't be in a rush as long as there's more than one interested party. You know, at that point in time, you know, you might say, look, we we are going to wave him, Bill, and if we waive him, you're not going to get him because we know Jake Gruden has an extreme interest

in him. He's not going to make it. U spark down on the waiver claims as an only Patriots, Another team besides Jake Gruden and the Jaguars could all claim before he gets in the Patriots as well. I think if he is terminated, I think there would be I think a lot of a lot of teams in the National Football League look at Andy Dalton as a starting quarterback that one football games with. But right now he's

under contract for seventeen point five million bucks. Yeah, that's a lot for a team that is thinking of him as all right, he could be a great bat up, somebody that we could plug in with no hesitation and know that we could win games with him if we had to. But that's a lot of dough for that guy, including the Bengals, you know, Like I said, I mean, he knows their system, they know what he's about, and

he would obviously. The toughest place to do something like that is a place where he wants to start or went to five straight playoffs. That's a tough that's a very very tough shot to your ego, and it's much easier to do it somewhere else where you don't have a history already established, you know, I mean, all these guys have a pride. Andy Dalton is a prideful guy. He doesn't necessarily want to acquiesce and you know, say, I know my mind and my heart, I know I'm

still starting quarterback in the NFL. I don't want to be a backup quarterback to the place where I had my first you know, my first seventy six games. I was fifty twenty five and one and went to five straight playoffs. And now in the backup when I know I've got your left in my career as a potential star, that's a tough pill to swallow, and you know, and a lot of times, I mean, look look at Cam Newton.

Look how Cam Newton reacted with the Carolina Panthers. Now, the Panthers obviously teased him a lot worse than the Bengals ever think about treating Andy Dalton. I think Carolina Panthers, you know, I think they could have let him go a lot earlier. He could have had other opportunities. I think he's pretty upset about it. But that whole thing I think was mishandled. And that's the last thing in the world I think the Cincinnati Bengals weren't do is

mishandled anything with respecting Andy Dalton. All right, let's open this up to Bengals fans. I have a bunch of questions using the hashtag ask Lap on Twitter. Are you ready? Let's do it? All right? First question comes from Alex Do you think the Bengals splurge in free agency was a reaction to the media slash former players dragging them

through the mud, or a reflection of change within the organization. Yeah, I mean I do think that, Um, the first year that Zach was running as a head coach, his coaching staff was assembled so late that I think that they just, you know, weren't ready to hit the ground running is as rapidly as they are listener. And I think that

was a little bit of a factor. Um. I mean, you had guys that were signed, signed to the coaching staff and immediately trying to catch up evaluating their own players and trying to catch up on evaluation as of other free agents. I mean that was you know, compressing months of work into into weeks and days. And I think I think that was a difficult time, a difficult

thing to do. I think that the that the machine is so uh differently oil so much oil, so much better you know this year, Um, that that I think that that's been a big factor. And I do think that the organization realizes after going two and fourteen that you're going to have to make make a lot of a lot of moves, a lot of decisions. But it just wasn't good enough. Players weren't good enough. The overhaul

of the defense is remarkable. Like we said, five, you know, five potentially five defensive starters in free agency, not not counting the draft, and in one offensively. So you know, when you're when you're signing guys, uh, and you're signing guys that you think you're gonna make major contributions. And I think the facelift is extreme. Uh, this this football team is gonna look at hell of a lot different

than at the conclusion of last year. I mean when you like, you know, we've we've already talked about the guys that aren't going to be around Dinard Eifford Um, the visual billing, scheduling. I mean, it's you know, it's it's a it's a good number. So guys are guys that have been moved on, some their choice, some others b W. Webb has moved on as well. Uh, it's they've definitely definitely overhauled it. And I think there's there's

a myriad of reasons. I think the staff is is is uh working in concert better than than put together so late last year. And I think the organization is saying we got to do some things. Next question comes from Ronald. Is Sean Williams moving to linebacker after the Von Bell signing? Yeah, they played a lot of three safety packages last year and uh, you know Feglam was the third safety and now in my mind, Von Bell, Uh it is gonna Von Bell and Jesse Bates will

be the primary guys. Uh. I'll tell you what, Sean Williams loved the guy. It played tough, tough, soign of a gun played hurt, I mean hurt badly. Leg injuries when you're when you when you're playing on the back end and you're you know, dragging a leg. Tough thing to do. But he did it. And it just goes to tell you if they didn't have anybody else they could throw in there where they were on the back end.

So yeah, I do think Sean Williams can can be that you know, that time sub package linebacker type guy and do it very well. Now, the thing is that this is the last year of his contract and it's a five million dollar contract, So now you have to think a little bit, all right, can we will he agree? Can we talk about a new contract that maybe uh you know, isn't isn't quite as prohibitive in terms of

dollars this year. If that role is going to change and you know, maybe stay for a longer period of time, I wouldn't surprise me if they asked him to come to the table. And if in fact that doesn't occur, now they have to make it. Make a tough decision with respect to Sean Williams, because he's he's liked by his teammates and liked and respected by his teammates, his coaches. I mean, he's all about football. Football is very important to this guy, and you know, you like guys like

that in your locker room. But I think he's gonna have a different role for sure. All Right, similar questions from Cullen and Steven. I'm going to specifically read what Cullen wrote. He said with the Bengals saying they plan to keep Drey and with all of the signings they've made in the secondary, does this point to them looking to move Will Jackson or does it point to them running more Nickel or maybe moving a safety to linebacker. And then Stephen basically was wondering if will was going

to be traded. Let me backtrack to the beginning of what Cullen said he started out by writing with the Bengals saying they plan to keep Drey. They haven't said that as far as I know. I know Jeff Hobson has written that it's possible and until they do something, it's certainly possible. Paul Dayner Junior from the Athletic has more or less said there's no way they're going to keep Dre, not with two years and more than nineteen mill left on the deal. So let's talk about those

two things separately. Number one, in your mind, any chance that Drey is back? And number two, any chance that Will Jackson gets dealt. I think the only way Dray Kirkpatrick is back is if he agrees to come to the table and doesn't take a hair Kurt, he agrees to shave his head. I mean, they're gonna have it's gonna have to be a hell of a lot less than that ten million that he's you know, come to it the cap. I think it is this year, um

Will Jackson. I think I think in my mind the guy that's more vulnerable UH is Dray Kirkpatrick and Will Jackson. I do think that you know that they still value uh. Will Jackson's abilities at this stage a little bit higher than Drey's, and both of them had their injury issues. I mean, both of us their share of time, but will Will has been a little bit more durable you know lately. Um so, I yeah, I do believe that that Drey is probably the more vulnerable of the two.

And uh, I don't know what kind of trademarket the'd be out there, um, you know, for for you either one. I think teams once, once, teams around the league start to see what you've done and how that affects other players. Like we talked about, it's like they're not going to shoot. Like the Andy Dalvon situation, a team trades for him, they have to give up capital in the former drafted plus they have to take on the contract. You wait for a team to waive a guy, there's no compensation

and you can redo the contract. You know, have to absorb the contract you don't take the contract on. So it'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Will Jackson is younger, and Will also has the one great season on his resume. He has not been able to back it up since unfortunately, but at least the one year he showed the potential of being one of the better cover corners in the NFL, Whereas Dre has had

his moments. I would say throughout his career he's certainly been above average, but there has not been a season where you thought, all right, this guy could be one of the best in the league. I think that I agree with you, Dan, and I think if you're paying cornerbacks and eleven million bucks a year, you expect them to tackle and you expect them to find the football. And both of them have had their issues in both

those areas. I mean, you know a lot of times it's like you're you're in position, find the ball and then you know that's I think that's what that's what they've done. Um. You know, in terms of a lot of the people that they signed on the back end, they'll tackle, Like we talked about, uh Trey Waynes and McKenzie Alexander, who is there? What team are there with Minnesota?

Mike Sander. You don't tackle, you don't play. These guys will tackle, Von Bell will tackle um and then ball skills, you know, find the football, making a play on Winston Rome was a guy they signed from the CFLs the intersection. Leabel in in that league. So and and you know Trey Trey Waynes can find the football. And this really have to be improved is turned taking taking the football away. When the ball, when you have your chance to make a play on the football, find it and make the play.

And when you have to get somebody on the ground, get them on the ground. No miss tackles or minimize miss tackles. There are far too many miss tackles last year. Next question comes from Brian. With all of the new faces, how does coach Taylor expect to build a team when they can't even be in the same room. Yeah, that's that's gonna be. That's the interesting part of it. And you know, and you're talking about a rookie quarterback that

hasn't experienced the NFL at all. At least these guys have played in the National Football League and they do have experience, you know, at the highest level. Um and and again they've they've been I'd rather have guys that that I'm going to have a short period of time to build a culture in a chemistry those two important C words the most important. You know, you want to be a C square team. Culture and chemistry is huge. Guys, that come from winning programs already have that. You know,

they they they've they've experienced it, they've assimilated it. It's part of their DNA. So I think that's a that's a plus for a short period of time to put it all together as you've got guys that that know what you have to do, the sacrifice you have to make, and uh, you know, the the old corny you know,

it's it's it's it's we us, it's not. I mean, you have guys that that have have seen that happen, and as a result of seeing an experience in it, they taste the sweet nectar of a playoff, you know, playoff appearances. I think that's a big plus when you look at this, uh, you know, potentially shortened time frame, all right, similar questions from Eric and Jerry. Eric writes, even though you have stated stated previously you're all in on Joe Burrow, would you at least listen to offers

from other teams? And then Jerry's a little bit more specific. He said, would you trade the number one pick if Miami offered its first six picks and Miami's first six picks or three first rounders, two second rounders, in a third. So what do you think of those two questions? Man? Two three first rounders, two seconds and a third? How do you not not think about pulling the trigger on that bad point and you're you're falling to the to

the number five spot. Um, you know at that point in time, are you still in the marketplace for TA Probably not. You know they're talking about you're gonna have to move up to number three and maybe even number two to make sure a number three doesn't get them. I mean, um, basically, what you're doing to move back to the at least to the Miami's number five spot. You're you're potentially saying, I'm not just giving up on Joe Barrow, I'm giving up on two twa as well.

Uh Am, I okay with you know, with with other guys, and you know, okay, if you're if you're okay with Justin Herbert, and then you can get all these draft kicks. I guess you got to think about it a little bit. Um. Obviously you'd have to do your due diligence and just out of you know, you can't just say I don't even want to think about it. You know, I'm done. Everything has its price, but I do think, and I know,

I know a lot of people are are. You know, the Joe Ball's arm strength in a small hand is going to be the two things people beat the hell out of him about. And the fact that he had one successful year. And why did that one successful year happen? Well, there's probably a lot of reasons that happened, but the fact is it did. And it wasn't just successful. It might have been the greatest year and sure, most people's opinion, including mine, the best year the college quarterback ever had

in NCAA history. And you know the thing about him, Dan, it is more to hear about him. He's not just a competitive football player. To dude, it's a competitive learner. I mean, he has an insatiable appetite for football and he cannot get enough of it. He cannot learn enough of it. And the great ones, great Peyton Manning, you know, not not the greatest arms in the National Football League, but men's men's men's unbelievable minds for the game of football.

And you know you can, you can. You'll find guys that are gonna be bigger, stronger, throughout, harder, maybe run faster than than those guys. All of them. But nobody, nobody is gonna work harder to be prepared mentally and be able to comprehend and assimilate the game of football better than those guys. I put Joe Burrow in that classroom when I'm hearing, I mean, he is just he's a competitive learner. You can't have enough competitive learners man,

particularly at that position. And I mean Peyton Manning. You know, his his arm would be categorized as a pop gun compared to a lot of guys. But look at look at how he played, uh, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Joe Montana did not you know, I watched Joe Montana play a lot of a lot of games, and you know his arm arm was adequate, But it wasn't a Howard strip with Joe Montana mensa mensa menza and a guy

like DoLS, you know, feeding him all this information. I mean, those are those are the kind of things that you that you got to have. And in my mind, it's a tiebreaker. And I think T is strong in those areas as well. But everything I'm hearing and reading about Joe Burrow is man, he's just he's off the charts, all right. I was going to save this next one for last, but after what you just said about Joe Burrow, I'm going to stick this in right now because this

comes from a J. Smith. He's a very passionate Bengals fan who is also very passionately against drafting Joe Burrow. In fact, he goes so far overboard that I can't tell if he's like pulling a skip Bayless lebron Stinks kind of take to get a reaction, or if he really means it. But this is what AJ wrote with lap recommend a quarterback with one great season, small hands, below the average arm strength, and more seasons is a bench warmer than a performer. You can't work him out.

He sat for the combine in the Senior Bowl. Do you risk thirty six million plus on a prospect like that? Well, I guess you know, what does he does? He totally disregard with those nine inch hands and the you know, the weak arm and everything. What the personify season he did have? You know, I mean it's you know, and like I said, there's there's a there's a lot, there's a lot of weak I mean, Joe Brady's a reason Joe Brady obviously got a coordinate a job with the

Carolina Panthers. He had great weapons, so did TA. You don't think TWA had great weapons at Alabama? I mean dog sometimes? Okay, Tom Tom Brady, how do how do you put Jet Tom Brady to have the career that he has has had in the National Football League. You can't until you get your opportunity. And finally Joe Barrow got his opportunity. What what do you are? It's an ask for It's an opportunity. And when opportunity knocks, you open the door. He normally opened it. He kicked it in.

I mean, greatest greatest season in college football in history, and I always talked about it before. You look at the college, the College, the SEC championship game, and then the two games in the in the playoffs, including in the National Championship game in the NCAA. Those three games, sixteen touchdowns rushed to two more, no fumbles, no interceptions. All I can say with those nine inch hands, he didn't turn it over. He has two hands on the football.

He knows, he knows how to protect the football. And this is playing at the highest level of football in the SEC. And then the best teams you know, in the in the tournament to win the NC Double A championship. I don't know. I mean, I've got people that know a lot more about quarterback in the need that I've talked to. When they watched Jafe, they say it might have been the perfect, most perfect season they've ever seen a quarterback hal h at any level of football, and that,

you know, that's saying something. Sorry to disappoint you. Aj Lap remains all in on Joe Burrow. All right, We've got a bunch of questions from people about the offensive line, Scott CM, Michael Alexander, and others. I'll kind of condense it into what Scott wrote. He asked, have the Bengals done enough with the offensive line and free agency where they can draft somebody to complete the job of turning that group around. Yeah? I do. I think that. I think that, you know, you look at a lot of

things that have that have gone on there. The eleventh pick in the draft didn't play a snap last year obviously due to injury, is going to be back, you know. Um, he's that other guys that that stepped up during the course of the season and made themselves h you know, made made themselves some money and are going to be in the in the track Johnson in the competition that the right tackles as I think he's gonna got up

big and uh, you know, and makes some noise there. Um, Xavier will be competing a guard with Redmond and Jordan. I mean, I think the offensive line is gonna look a lot different. Could have a different right tackle, could have it's gonna have a different right guard. I'll have the same center it price plates excuse me, Jordan plays from left guard team Billy Price. His dead guys be battling and out probably for that that particular spot, you know. And then then you get you get your eleventh pick

of the draft. Like having two number ones this year, you have a first round draft pick just outside of the top ten. It's gonna be lining up at the left tackle position. So both your tackles could be different. Your right guard's gonna be different at sixty percent of your offensive line right there. So I'm thinking that that they've done done quite a bit, and um, you know, Isaiah Prince are going to take a look at obviously.

I mean, they've they've got they've got options there, and I think the draft they will Um expend at least to pick I think on the offensive line, William asks if there's any chance the Bengals signed Jason Peters to play right tackle. Tim asks, if there's any chance that the Bengals acquire Trent Williams to play right tackle. I think with what the money they've spent, I don't. I don't think they've got the money to do it. I really don't. Um, I don't. I don't necessarily you know,

see that to be the to be the case. I don't think those and unless there's a huge deal to be had, you know, unless free agency, uh, if if those guys were of value what they're uh, what they're presenting right now, they'd already be teams knocking doors down. And you I don't know, I don't know exactly what's happening. I don't know what kind of talks going on. And I don't know if the Bengals were one of the teams that initially you know, Gutton talks about those players.

But UM, you know the thing that the thing that you do have to remember is, you know, Trent Williams in particular company, he's a serious injury that we're talking about now. You know, is he gonna be one hundred percent from this, you know, cancers, tumor on his head, um, you know that that Sometimes sometimes you just you just don't know. I mean, where where is there's gonna be X number of years in a career, and what's going to take you down the backside slope of that that

career and when is it going to happen? Both of them are are a little bit long in the tooth. To me, I would I would feel a little bit better about Trent Williams. I guess maybe I I've seen him play. I mean, he was the most athletic, dominant lyman I saw playing college for a good number of years. When he was in Oklahoma, he was he was unbelievable, unbelievable when he was playing there. Just a stud. Got a ton of questions about the thirty third pick in

the draft. I'll had condense it down to a couple. Dum pointed out that on a previous podcast, you had suggested that you thought the Bengals were likely to go with the best defensive player on the board at number thirty three. Do you still feel that way in light of the free agent acquisitions and similar thought from O b With all the defensive additions in free agency, are we going offense with the first three picks? Well, I, like I said before, I still think that they have

to get another linebacker, more than one. They have to get another starting linebacker, another sam backer. Now is he would he be the best guy? You know? A guy like oh, Logan Wilson out of Wyoming. Is you know somebody that I think is a good player, Zach Bond. Both of these guys were at the Senior Bowl. I thought both of these guys were really good linebackers, really good players. You know, Zach Bond was a high school

quarterback one time. And you know, I remember when I was playing at Syracuse, Jolly Perturno would take high school quarterbacks and converted the linebacker. And they're always great players, you know, big body guys that filled out and had great football sense and instincts. And I think Zach Bond has got a little bit of that out of Wisconsin.

And Logan Wilson's a foreign a tackle guy. You know, he went to UH College at while he's one hundred and ninety five pound defensive back, wide receiver and now he's like two fifty and six two two fifty and

he's you know, three year captains. So I'm not still if if those guys, if thirty three is too rich, I don't know, maybe move back, if one of those two guys is going to be there later in the second round, moved back, pick up an additional draft pick and take take one of them there and move one of those guys or another guy at linebacker or any other person they may have evaluated higher than that. I do think that linebacker will be paid attention to in

the draft. Other than that, I do think that to go offensive line and wide receiver, you know, wide receiver draft, it's the It's as deep as there's been in many, many years. And I do think at some point in time, there's gonna be in any one of the rounds, particularly because like we talked about so many times day, and they're so high, they're so high every round. It's gonna be every time they reshuffled their board. Damn, I can't

believe that receiver is still there. And then people are gonna be calling them, you know, to you and you know, maybe I don't know if they'd be going off to the same receiver the Bengals that targeted, but you know, having that first tick in every round is a good place to be. And uh, and you're gonna be able to get whoever slid when they reshuffle their boards after that round is done, you know you're gonna have the

first crack at it. So I'm sure there will be a wide receiver at some point that they're gonna say, we can't pass on this guy. But you know that every every Bengal fan is probably feeling the same way. Is this year that Adrian Ross, excuse me, John Ross and he Jay Green play significant number snaps together on the field at the same time. It hasn't happened. I mean, it hasn't happened. And then Tyler Boyd, you know, I mean that if they can Tyler Boyd obviously has giving

them a lot of good. If they can have that those three guys just for one year, particularly with a new quarterback, potentially you know, coming into the mix man make all the difference in the world. You know. But um, if you can improve that line back, that wide receiver position, and that's the best player on the board at thirty three and you can't move back, do it? Do it? You always take the best player? Well, there two more of these from the audience from Kadiki. How many draft

picks will the Bengals wind up with? That's a great question. I think more than seven. I'm I'm I'm almost hoping that it's closer than nine. I'd I'd like to see him come come away with nine draft picks in this year's draft. That that would uh, you know that that could make some sense to me? All right? Final ask lap question. This one comes from Daniel not Horde. With linebacker issues, would there be any thought of bringing back Vontes Perfect, Boy, I don't see it. I really don't

see that. I was just gonna go with no, yeah, I did. That would be a you know, in in this in this year or football, like we said before, Um, it's you know, you're playing with two linebackers a lot. And Vontz obviously he was one of those two linebackers a good part of his career here and since Nattie. But I mean he's you know, he he's getting longer in the tooth and h I just I just don't

see it. I think that, uh, I think that they need to then they need to get some young bodies in here they can run and uh and go that way. That's that's the way the National Football League's going. Everybody is everybody's trying to spread you out in isolation space. And uh, the linebacker position, there's not there's not a whole lot of uh, you know, Dicktka's rain Nichkey, you know, you know numbers downhill knock your block off linebackers in

this league anymore? All right? I look forward to when we can do this sitting side by side in our cubicles as opposed to long distance. I hear you, Dan, I hope uh, I hope you and the Horde family are all staying staying healthy and happy and uh getting through this the best you possibly can. Same to you. Careful and hopeful are my slogans. I like it. I like it. There's no no doubt about it. And I'll tell you though it is boring, isn't it holy? It's unbelievable.

I mean, you talk about stir crazy. I mean I've got I have fanny fatigue. Man, I get to get up and move start moving around a little bit more. Man, I got f squared fanny fatigue disease. I don't want to haul one of the worst symptoms of home confinement, appreciate the time. Thanks all right, Dan, have a great one. That's going to do it for This episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast brought to you by Prime Sport, the official fan, travel and hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals.

If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast.