Bengals Booth Podcast: You Better Shop Around

Refresh the game, 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 on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since Team Hoyt. I've been incredibly lucky to see some of the greatest athletes of my lifetime perform in person. I've seen Michael Jordan and Lebron James dunk. I've seen Tiger Woods and Ken Griffey junior swing. I've seen Tom

Brady throw and AJ Green catch. But the most inspirational athlete I have ever seen is Dick Hoyt, who passed away this week at the age of eighty. Dick inspired millions of people over a span of more than thirty years by pushing his son Rick in a wheelchair in thirty two Boston Marathons and more than one thousand other races all over the world. I lived in Boston for several years, and my wife Peg is an eight time finisher of the marathon, so I've been a spectator many times.

Seeing team Hoyt reached the finish line moved me to tears every time. If you're not familiar with their story, look up Dick and Rick Hoyt on YouTube. I suspect that you'll be moved to tears as well. Now let's get to football, as Dave Lapham joins me to discuss free agency and much more. All right, lab, let's dive right into free agency. So far from the Bengals, and who knows, as we're doing this recording, they might sign another guy or two. I'll keep an eye on that

during the recording. But let's start with the biggest free agent acquisition thus far, and that is defensive end Trey Hendrickson from the Saints. Four years, sixty million dollars. Basically, it's kind of a swap. They lost Carl Lawson, their best pass rusher. They're bringing in a guy who had thirteen and a half sacks last year to tie for second best in the NFL. Yeah. I thought that free agency had some depth to it Dan with the edge rushers, and it has some solid depth of defensive tackle and

the Bengals got one of each. You know, Ogan Joey, we know a lot about. He's raised some heck here against the Cincinnati Bengals, and like you said, Hendrickson had a breakout year thirteen and a half sacks. The Lawson Henderson trade off to me is an interesting one. I think they're both rated maybe in the top three edge guys by by most uh most people that were rating edge people in the free agency. They have different uh

they're a little bit different though. I think I think Hendrickson, if I had to use the term football player instincts, you know, an instinctive football player. I give the edge to Hendrickson because he plays the run a little bit better, obviously a lot better in my opinion than Carl does.

And then Carl was improving. But if you're talking quick twitch, rare explosion, unbelievable first step, get off all the He's got that skill that that part of the skill set Lawson has is very very unique, you know, and you look at Carl Losson put his numbers up basically a one man band, with Hubbard being hurt a good part

of it. Not, you know, not any compliment, guys. You know people are gonna argue Hendrickson thirteen and a half sacks, but man, you get you know, you get Cam Jordan, you know, working with him, you get other other guys inside. With the offense the Saints have, they're playing with the lead all the time, and rush from the quarterback becomes much easier when you know you're going to rush the passer because they have to throw the football and try

to catch up. Team start abandoned in their running game. I mean, you can come up with all kinds of theories and arguments and reasons. Bottom line, in my opinion, having you know, played in the trenches, thirteen half sacks is thirteen a half sacks. He still went out and got him, you know, he still did it. And I'm not saying that it wasn't maybe an easier path. I mean Carl had more fewer sacks, but more hits, but

a lot more snaps. Well, you know, Hendrickson has a good rush and the quarterback has nowhere else to go because other guys are getting a good rush. Carl Lawston has a good rush. Quarterback can slidestep and move and change the pocket because it's a one man band on the rush. So you know, there's there's something to it all the time when you look at a guy's numbers.

That's why football, I think is the is the most interesting sport because there's the moving parts on both sides of the football, and you know one guy's numbers, you can't just extrapolate it. It's not like a vacuum extrapolated and plugged in here and he's going to have those same numbers. Just doesn't work that way. You know, there's a lot of variables and a lot of components around everybody's numbers and everybody's efforts and all that goes into it.

But bottom line is when I watch him play, I mean, I'm excited to see the h men. Hubbard and Henderson. They both have to. I mean, they're both gonna bring it every snap. They're both gonna be you know, a full effort going to empty the effort bucket up. I'm very interested in seeing the ah men on the edges. I think covered gonna be a good little, good little tandem. We will not use preparation age when talking about those two guys coming off the edge as a term that is,

we're not going to use that. Here's here's what I like about it. A couple of things. Number One, you get an extra year. So Carl's deal with the Jets was three years. The Bengals deal with Hendrickson was four years, fifteen million dollars a year in each case, so I like the extra year. Secondly would be the durability. Hendrickson did have one season where he only played five games. But Karl, of course, has a couple of significant knee

injuries in his past. You know, there were times that he had to miss several games here, several games there for pulled muscles and things like that. I think you're getting a slightly more durable guy, at least based on his history. I agree with that. Dan and a bigger guy, you know, overall frame, you know, two hundred and seventy pounds, that carries it a lot more easily than Carl Lawson, who's a beefed up whatever he is, and he's not

two hundred and seventy pounds. And you know, in my mind with Carl, the only negative I guess from a physical standpoint is lack of length, and Henderson has got more length, you know that way, And again I think I think overall foot ball player in terms of football player instincts, I give, I definitely give the edge to Hendrickson. Um, and I do like, like you said, I do like the fact that you have the extra year. They're both the standing player. It's going to be very interesting to see,

you know, whose ascension continues. I do think both have upside potential. The gets will probably say I think Carl Loston more upside potential because of that the rare explosiveness, that quick twitch that he has. I mean, you don't find many big guys with the quick twitch to that

that that dude has. Kray Hendrickson ran a four six five forty you know, out of college, so he's a guy that might not have the quickness and explosion is Carl Lawson, but he is also a tremendous all around athlete, effort guy too, and I'm not standing to Carl Lawson. Isn't or wasn't um Carl Lawson. I think, you know, gives you gives good effort. But we know what's Sam Hubbard's like, I mean Sam Hubbards. You know it's it's like if she's he's losing an arm, he's still coming,

you know. And that's what Henderson brings to the table it as well. I think, all right, let's talk about the two cornerbacks that have signed so far, beginning with and I'm going to I work very hard on this name, on the pronunciation. I think I've got it right. Shitubey a Woogie shit Obey A Wougier, second round draft picked by the Cowboys back in twenty seventeen. He'll be twenty seven years old in June. He gets a three year roughly twenty one million dollar contracts, so that's about seven

million dollars a year. Will Jackson signed with Washington for twice that fourteen million dollars a year. Will Jackson is not twice as good as Shitubey A. Wougier. In fact, based on conversations that I've had with people from Dallas, a description of shit Obey a Wougier sounds exactly like Will Jackson to me. Yeah, I mean, I think there's

a there's a lot of a lot of comparisons. To me, he looks like he's a, you know, a reliable guy where he's supposed to be kind of guy can make playce Now, last year he you know, he misstate games. He had the hamstring injury and COVID issues, but his overall production the first four years in the league. Yeah, I mean, I agree with you. I think I don't think they're losing much and they're not paying anywhere near as much, so I don't have a real big problem

with that signing. And he'll start, you know. To me, the Bengals went out in free agency and they got a starting edge rusher at a starting corner, they got a starting stock corner, and they got a starting defensive tackle a three technique. I mean, they've addressed a lot of defensive needs. And again and I feel like in free agency there was more depth on the defensive side of the football. I think the offensive line depth in

free agency was not his deep. I think there were some good players and they got paid the old line the guys that, uh, we're out there broke the bank. Um. But I think the offensive line in the draft is a lot deeper than, uh than the defensive front and the secondary draft. So I think the Bengals went and said, all right, well, free agency edge, defensive tack or corner, let's see what we get there, and then we'll address and still try to get that old lineman and Riley

reive and hopefully he's signing as we speak. Hopefully uh Joe Burrow's taking him to breakfast, lunch and dinner and told him how important is that he comes here to be a Cincinnati Bengal um. And and if they if they get that done, then then a little bit of the pressure is off, I think in terms of the draft, and I know people are gonna be like, look, you know you're gonna play it. You're saying, all right, well the draft, you're gonna have two rookies starting in your

offensive line. No, that's not That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying I think the draft is uh is deeper than what they have out there in free agency. And I think it was like in this free agency that was supposed to be terrible year to be a free agent because fifteen million dollars less than a cap and a lot of teams been capped jail in camp bid. Trent Williams got the highest offensive tackle contract in the history of the National Football League. Doon, he got eighty million,

one hundred and thirty plus. Don't get eighty million plus. So the peak guys, the prime guys, we're gonna get paid. And the Chiefs just the Chiefs only need his offensive line. They addressed it with a bell cop. You know, the forty nine ers they've got Trent Williams in a trade. They like Trent Williams. They you know, they haven't need there. They're not. They didn't do anything else. Neither of those

teams did anything else. What the Bengals decided to do is not a that kind of money for that type of the player. Instead, you know, try to try to address multiple needs the Bengals had. Let's face, the Bengals have many more needs than the Kansas City Chiefs in the San Francisco forty nine ers. That's just the the truth, that's just the nature of the beach. Let's turn to the next defensive back that they signed, slot corner Mike Hilton. We know all about him from seeing the Bengals face

the Steelers over the past several years. He's twenty seven years old. He gets a four year, twenty four million dollars deal, so that projects to six million per So basically a Wugier gets seven million a year, Hilton gets six million a year. Added up thirteen million dollars. That's still less than Will Jackson. You got two for you got two for one, you know, in terms of the dollars there, and for multiple years. And they're both two

years younger than Will. Right, Hilton's twenty, Wugier is twenty five and Hilton's twenty seven. Right, No, and Wougier turns twenty seven in June, so he'll be twenty seven in time for next season, and Hilton is twenty seven. Will will be twenty nine next year. So Hilton seven interceptions, nine and a half sacks, and you know, forty one pressures off the edge. So I mean, now you have an element that caused the Bengals and other team's problems.

When Hilton comes, he brings it. I mean he's matched up on running backs and people like that, and he that's a mismatch in Hilton's favor in the Steelers opinion and probably uh Luna Ruma's opinion as well. So it's going to be interesting to see how they utilized him. You know, It's it's very interesting though, Dan. You know the thing is, you almost have two free agent classes, honestly because DJ Reader made a guest appearance, Trey Waynes

didn't make any appearance. So you've got basically this year, you've got Trey Waynes, who they got paid a ton of money to play corner, and last year's free agency market, I mean they have they have basically a new secondary, three three new starters out there, you know in the secondary and Ogan Job as a three technique, hendricksoners and

defensive end. They have addressed that defensive football team in the last two free agency classes where they felt like there's a deeper pool of defensive players to look at to get better than offensive lineman. Well, let's turn to Larry Ogan Job because that's another guy we've seen a lot of over the past several years with the Cleveland Browns. Also a member of the two thousand and seventeen draft class. So that was the case with Hendrickson and a Wouger.

Hilton was part of the two thousand and sixteen draft class. But in any case, Larry Ogan Job turns twenty seven in June five and a half sacks, is an interior defensive lineman. In two eighteen and two thousand nineteen story on him is that, apparently he's a little bit inconsistent, but he always played well against the Bengals. He did. I mean in eight games he had a one and

a half sacks, six tackless, lost four quarterback hits. He was thorn in their side, and they moved to him Cleveland ended up, you know, moving him from a three technique to a nose tackle. I thought that that they did people a favor. I thought he was better as a as a three technique and I think, you know, outside shoulders guard pass rush guy, and I think that's where the Bengals, you know, are looking to utilize him. They felt like, honestly, they were second second few as

quarterback sacks in the National Football League. Obviously that's a huge weakness. Where the Bengals had problems last year was in the trenches offensive and defensive line. So they've addressed the defensive line in free agency, and you know, everybody out there is gonna go nuts they don't get resigned that they didn't do anything with the offensive line, but they will address it in the draft. And no, still I addressed U for depth defensive depth in the draft.

But I think in the early rounds it's gonna be offensive oriented. There's no two ways about it, no question about it. But I think Ogan joby is I think it's a solid signing. You know, I I think I think maybe Geno Atkins games the numbered. I mean, you can't spend forty million dollars the defensive tackle with, you know, DJ Reader, Ogan Joebi, Gino Atkins, Daniels. Somebody's got to go, and obviously I think Gino might be the guy to go,

unless he takes an enormous haircut. All right, now, let's turn to some guys that the Bengals are reportedly talking to, including a player that you've mentioned a few times already today. Riley Reef, veteran offensive lineman, former first round draft pick by the Lions, spent five years in Detroit and the last four in Minnesota. Thirty two years old. Pro Football Focus calls him one of the most consistent offensive tackles in the league. So this obviously would be a significant

addition in the attempt to improve the offensive line. Yeah, I mean a lot of things I like about him. Obviously, he's on the back nine of his career. He's played a few years. They do need that veteran presence, you know, there's always a need for a veteran presence in the offensive line, and he would divide that and for years linebackers coming out of Penn State it was Penn State. You he comes off of Iowa. In my mind, that's

full lined. You. Kirk Ferns was an offensive line coach in the NFL at the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. He knows his offensive lineman. He recruits offensive lineman out of high school with great talent to develop at Iowa. They come out of Iola, I think, ready to play. You know, suff is another example of an Iowa guy that was out there in free agency and he got tagged by the Redskins. So there's there's we can go over a litanya guys that have had success from from

Iowa in terms of the offensive line. Like you said, Dan, it was the twenty third pick in the draft in the first round coming out of college, so over thousand snaps last year, only had one penalty, committed one penalty and gave up one sack. I think he's very intelligent. I think he's extremely durable. I mean he's dependable, he shows up. He's accountable, reliability, depending ability because the physical aspect of it with the mental intelligence. And he's versatile.

It's the position versatility. He can play left hackley to play right tackle. So I think he would be a great signing. Um. He's kind of kind of what you're looking for. And he was a stalary casualty the Viking saved between eleven and twelve million bucks. I think it was by letting him go. And I think his people probably feel like after Trent Williams, he might be the guy. So but it hasn't worked out that way, I guess

maybe necessarily. And the Bengals have him in town and they're they're winding and dining him and trying to get a deal done. It'd be great if they could get a deal done with him, and then I think there'd be a transposition of Riley Reeve comes and at that point Propy's heart would probably go, you can't It wouldn't be keeping them, both of them out there in the early stages of free agency when we were talking about possibilities. Obviously, you know Trent Williams is at the top of the

totem pole. He's getting twenty three millions dollars a year from the forty nine Ers. That wasn't going to happen. Taylor Moden's name came up, he got tagged by the Panthers. Darryl Williams name came up. He got a three year extension with his team, the Buffalo Bills, So that really thinned the available tackle market out pretty quickly. We mentioned Matt Feiler, who signed with the Chargers for three years

twenty one million bucks. From what's still left out there as we speak, Riley Reif, Mitchell Schwartz, who got cut by the Chiefs, Russell o'coon, Alejandro Villa Nueva. What appeals to you most from that pack? Is it? Riley Reef? Yeah, I mean I think they're I think they've got a good, solid, solid guy there. I don't think the Minnesota Vikings wouldn't necessarily, you know, let him go if it wasn't just our capissues.

They're in a little bit of cap jail and had to make a I had to make a decision, had to make a move. UH. I like him a lot. I mean, I think he's a I think he's a really good player. I do think that that the uh, the offensive line gaps got thinned out very quickly. I didn't think it was that deep as we talked about UH in free agency with the offensive line, and it

got pluck. If you have a good one, normally you don't let them, you know, out there unless you have situations with cap problems and and things of that nature. And the guys on the back nine, because everybody, a lot of the guys were talking about they have some wear and tear on them. There's no question. I mean, I think Trent Williams, I think will probably be upper cruss guy for a couple more years, maybe maybe three.

Um and and in the forty nine ers are like, look we have this is our kneed Perry and creates. This is what we're going to spend on. So he got the he got the enormous box. The one thing that we talked about this a lot is okay, do you go get the weapons or do you get linemen. Well, in this down market, the two guys that get paid were a left tackle and a guard. They hit the jack pot because there weren't many of them and the teams that had a need for them were willing to

pay significant dollars. I mean, they're paid. Their contracts didn't diminish like people thought they might. It might be a you know, a bad years. It's going to be a bad year for some quite a few free agents, but the cream of the crop free agents. Not a bad year for and who are the two highest paid offensive linemen? Who else get money? Edge rush guys, cornerbacks, it's a passing lead going to protect them, that to be able to rush them and cover them. And yet the wide

receivers buy and large, are not getting paid. And that leads us to Kenny gala Day, who has a one year offer on the table from Cincinnati, reportedly the number one free agent wide receiver in this class according to most of the experts. Head back to back one thousand yards seasons for Detroit two eighteen and twenty nineteen before getting hurt last year. Career yards per catch average of nearly seventeen yards a catch. He wants to get paid

like the top receivers in the NFL. You know, of course, to twenty million dollars a year. That's not happening for any of these guys with the cap going down. So the Bengals have offered him a one year deal, basically saying, hey, come here, put up big numbers with Joe Burrow throwing you the ball, and then next year you can cash in either here or somewhere else when the cap goes back up. The Giants are bringing him in for a visit.

So maybe that's the way it turns out, but the Bengals have at least put their chips on the table. With the best free agent wide receiver out there, I think that it's a bad year to be a free agent wide receiver from a market standpoint. Kenny Galladay is a great player, There's no question about it. In teams around the league are saying, Okay, why don't you just do a one year better on yourself deal and then put up some great numbers and next year it will

be a better year to be a free agent. There maybe fewer free agents at wide receiver out there on the market, the market could be more rich. It was fifteen million dollars decrease this year because of coronavirus, so there's a lot of extenuating circumstances. It's a it's a supply and demand uh scenario. There's more supply, so the demand goes down. Everybody's waiting for the wide receivers. They're

all they're all looking for pay days. Everybody can't get a payday, so teams are saying, when are you going to get more reasonable? Who's going to get more reasonable? The Bengals are part of that, part of that mix. We'll see if if they can land a guy like Dolla Day or if he ends up going to the

big apples. All right, we have discussed the guys that the Bengals have signed, We've discussed a couple of guys that they are still talking to, and they're obviously others that they are talking to that have not become public. But it's time to turn to a listener. We've got a bunch of asked Lap questions that were submitted via Twitter, and let's start with Ryan. Here's Ryan's question, Lap, why have the Bengals ignored ignored their most glaring need of

offensive line so far? Shouldn't Burrow be the top priority and we'd spending on the top lineman available. Related question from Daniel is there a plan to protect the franchise quarterback? So this is obviously the number one topic I think for most Bengals fans. Why haven't they made a step

yet to fix the offensive line? Yeah? I think that they decided that the amount of spend all your cap on one guy or you know, maybe have room for maybe one more player, they feel like addressing the defense with three potential starters or more, and that they can if they do end up getting a deal done with Riley Reef. And I do think that there's pressure on them to get a deal done with Riley Reef. If they get that deal done, I think it eases the

pressure tremendously. But you know, the old Deald philosophy of uh, do you want just one stellar offensive lineman and you can't really afford to have, you know, four others? Or would you rather have five good ones across the board? Uh? You know that That's that's part of I guess they're the philosophy. Bottom line is it's going to have to be addressed. Um and if they didn't get it done in free agency, if they don't get Riley Reef or they don't get any offensive lineman sign in free agency

where it is not incredibly deep. There was there was some talent um, but again it takes two to tango. You know, there's there's multiple reasons why white guys signed with teams, and money is up is number one. But then if if you're going to get the money from somebody another suitor, that is the playoff team and you're not. I think the chat of Joe Burrow is a significant one. I think I think that's a factor. And if I'm an offensive lineman or free agent offensive lineman, I'm looking

to see who my quarterback might be. So I think Joe Burrow's definite plus. But you know, teams that that that got the big value free agents forty nine ers Kansas City Chiefs Enough said similar question from JT. Why do the Bengals refuse to value guards the way the rest of the successful teams do. Why not build a superior line instead of going the cheap route. Well, it's going to be interesting to see what they what they

do end up with at at the guard position. And uh, you know, everybody was so sold and me and clude, I mean, Duney's a great player, There's no question about it. Trent Williams is a great player. Penney Stool is a great player. And you start hearing about these guys and if you don't get that guy, there's bitter disappointment. And there's only one team that's going to get the guy.

Um so uh am I saying that that, I that I as a former alignement, do I want the Bengals offensive line to be improved upon and to to get better with Frank Pollack. Give him some tools, gives him some clay that he can mold into a solid offensive line. Hell yeah, And I've said before our best offensive line enfranchise history was in the eighties. Do we had good lines in that decade? Who were the kingpins? The Mexican Connection? Pro Bowl left tackle Perennial, Anthony Munos, Pro Bowl guard

Max Montoya. Yeah. I mean there's there's no question that that the best teams in Bengals history had the best offensive lines in Bengals history operating with them with those two guys, So it's it goes hand in hand. Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind the Bengals offensive line has to improve and and maybe the first step is underway as we're as we're speaking here. If they can get something done with Riley Reef and then and then

go and address things in the draft. I want to go back to the beginning of JT's question, why do the Bengals refuse to value guards the way the rest of the successful teams do. The Patriots have been pretty successful. They had Joe Tooney, they elected not to resign him for those kinds of numbers. I think that the Bengals are actually in the norm where where valuing guards is concerned. I think their feeling is and this has been proven

out over history. You've got to spend on tackles and you draft and develop guards, and I think that that's probably the norm. Now, there are some exceptions. I think the Chiefs showed recently they cut their tackles and they spent, you know, big on a guard. The Saints have historically

spent big on guards. But I think by and large, the Bengals are probably in the norm, at least in terms of how they budget for their offensive line in thinking, we've got to pay tackles at the top of the pay scale, but if you do that with guards overall, it's going to hurt your team. Yeah. Bottom line is when push came to shove and the New England Patriots said, Okay, well we've got money spent at X Y Z position and one of them includes a guard. The guard's always

going to lose. That position is always going to be the first one to go, no matter how great the guy is. And it is puzzling that the Kansas City Chiefs who are exposed and abused on the edge in the Super Bowl with their two tackles injured, and they got rid of both of them and they were injured in and then they'd let them go for cap dollars and everything else. It is interesting for them to go the route that they've gone. I guess it's going to be to see how that how that you know, the

final solution of that whole thing. You know, Pittsburgh with the Castro has spent some money at guard. Um, you know Cleveland has spent some money at guard. These are Pro Bowl caliber ligneman though, you know and and uh and once you develop you develop a guy, he becomes a Pro Bowl caliber guy like tun tuney is. You know, they're gonna get paid. But then when you have cap problems, they're going to be the first ones to go. So it is it's a it's an interesting diconomy that goes

on at that position. There's no doubt about it. Question from Steve, Oh, could Bobby Heart be a decent guard? I believe that if you can play tackle, most probably you can play guard. But the one thing that Bobby has had difficulty with is bull rush. And at guard you're gonna get your butt bull rushed. So you know, if if you can't stink your hips and handle the bull rush out on the edge, gonna be harder to

sink your hips and handle a bullrush inside. Um, So that that would be I guess my only concern there does he have enough ballast and um, you know, lower body strength and all those kind of things to uh to to you know, to transition to the guard position. It is interesting I've seen in my mind, having played all five of the positions, I felt like, boy, if you can play tack, you play you could play guard. But there's you know, Willie Anderson. I remember talking to Willie.

Will He's like, man, I don't like I don't like guard. You know, it's like there's the traffic in there is it's so much faster it is. It is almost like rush hour. You know, you're you're in rush hour, and it's rush hour on the interstate because it's not only traffic, it's fast traffic. There's stuff twisting and turning and spinning going crazy inside, and it's it's a quicker reaction time.

Some guys don't like the environment inside that if they've if they've been out in the edge their whole career. So there's you know, it's it's never a given, but it would be interesting to see how Bobby would transition to a guard if the Bengals wind up signing Riley Reef or another of the tackles that's still out there, and Piney Sewell is available with a fifth pick in the draft and they take him. Who plays where? That's a good problem to have your five best lineman hit

the field, you know. So I means as of right now, without the draft, if they can get Riley Reef, I mean, obviously you'd still have Jonah Williams out there at left tackle and then Riley Reef at the right tackle, and then you'd have, in my mind a guide not to give up on Identergy as a swing tackle. I think Identergy is a good football player, and I think he showed promise, and I think I think he'll develop even further with Frank Pollock. I think that Frank's going to

teach him some techniques. I think that would be very useful in his development. So it's going to be interesting to see who ends up shift thing where. You know, I've said a couple of times now in my mind, I think Jonah Williams might be a good center. Now I don't think they're gonna do that with Trey Hopkins the level level that he plays the center position. But he's coming back from the ACCL. But he'll be back and I think he'll be as good as he's ever been.

I'm not sure about the very start of the season though. So the thing you want is seven or eight starters is what you want, and you want versatility. You want You got your your starting five, but you want at least another couple of guys can play multiple positions. And also, um you want at least two of your offensive starting offensive lineman to be able to play multiple positions. You don't want to have to make two or three moves because of one injury. So that that that would be

the ideal scenario for any NFL team. So if they signed Riley Reef, and draft an a Suo or will even say Rashaan Slater. So you've got Jonah Williams, Riley Reef and Pennays Sewel. Which guy would be most likely to move to guard? Maybe if it's only in the short term, maybe Pennay Seouel. That's what they did with Andrew Whitworth. I mean Worth you worked at guard to

acclimate himself to the National Football League. Because Dan as great as as great as Seoul is from a physical standpoint, looking at him, it's like if you put requirements and specifications into a computer, Penney Sewel would come spitting out of there. But he didn't play last year. He sat out last year because of coronavirus. So he's got a small sample size and it's not against the SEC. If he was handling ten to twelve rushers that the SEC

provides on an annual basis, I'd feel better. But the PAC twelve, I mean, I'm not saying that he can't do it, but he hasn't shown that he can do it, So to me, there's no there's no total guarantee, no total given there. So it'd be up to Frank to decide that, obviously, But it might be easier for Penasool to transition inside working his way inside outside, but that would be decided by the practices, the pass rush drills, preseason games, how many there are, and all that that

goes along with it. Question from Nathan do you think the Buffalo Bill's approach to the offensive line would be the best way to go now by bringing in several options in both free agency and the draft and then letting them battle it out. Yeah, that's the ideal world. I mean, if you the thing you don't want to do though, You don't want to sign a free agent lineman just to sign one because the pressure to sign one is so immense that you sign a guy just

to sign a guy, and then you have to draft. Still. You know, It's like, my whole thing is if you can, if you can double down, and you're doubling down because you think you've got two viable candidates and may the best man win, that's doubling down. Doubling Down's not like I'll sign this guy because damn, I better sign somebody, and then, jeez, if I really solved my if I really upgraded, I'm still gonna have to draft. That's not

really doubling down. Doubling down is accumulating as much talent as you possibly can with as much resources as you possibly can, and letting the best man win. That's a true double down, and I hope the Bengals do it with offensive lineman for sure. All Right, We've got some Aj Green questions following the news that Aj is signing with the Arizona Cardinals from our friends at Bengals UK.

You played with Isaac Curtis, you played with Charlie Joyner, You've seen Chad Johnson, Eddie Brown, t J. Hushman, Zada, etc. Where does Aj Green? Right? Well, he's right up there, you know, he's I think I think Isaac Curtis. If Isaac Curtis had played in today's football, I think he would have put up stupid numbers. I mean Isaac, Isaac was world class speed, with as good at hands, a

good a pair of hands as I've ever seen. He Just being on the field with him and watching him do the things that he did is like, oh my god. I don't know if I'd ever can say that there may be another guy that could do what Isaac Curtis could do. He was mesmerizing, But Aj Green is right there.

I mean, he's he's he's very very close. And the thing that they both have in common from a personality standpoint, very very similar to unbelievable human beings, you know, for for his elite a player as they are, they're an elite person that way and every way you can be a son, a husband, a father, a friend, you know,

a citizen. I mean, they're just just unbelievable people. So the fact that that they gave you and Charlie Joyner falls into that category as from a human being standpoint, But he's, um, he didn't have the gifted skill set that that aj and Uh and Isaac Curtis do. I mean, they're they're like world class of lead athletes. And Charlie Joyner got the utmost out of what his physical abilities were, and he had some, but not to the levels that

those guys did. But all three of those guys, you as a coach, you never had to worry about them causing any kind of problem whatsoever. Forget a week to week basis or even day to day, hour to hour basis. I mean, those guys were just unbelievable character as well as an incredible football player. So um, Yeah. AJ Green is somebody that man, what a what a mark, what a legacy He's left in this in this franchise for his on the field, off the field, just total person

that Aj Green is. And that leads to this question from Jacob. Do you think AJ had the most influence on Bengals fandom in the past twenty five years? I would actually say Chad Johnson had more impact on fans just because you know, he moved the needle with everybody. You didn't even have to be a football fan to be interested in what Chad was up to. But but what do you think about that question? Did he have the most influence on the fans over the past twenty

five years? I think that he didn't care about that and he had no intention of it. Whereas Chad or social media, you know, craving spotlight. That's what he wanted. That Chad wanted to be a social media maven and he was. I mean, you're right, Dan, I mean Chad, Chad is an influencer, you know, in a social media platform. AJ could give a hill of beans about that. We had no interest in it. So from that standpoint, they

are at North and South Pole. But um, you know, the from a from a true football fan, the fanatic part of it. AJ had as much influence I think as anybody, but as far as periphery fans or people, I mean, Chad had Chad has an influence on had an influence and does still on people that aren't necessarily all that interested in football. Correct. I would agree with

ad part all right. Whenever we shine the lap signal into the nighttime sky and ask for ask lap questions, we get a few that are a little bit off the wall. Here goes this is from my Bengals thoughts. Do you have any stories from when you played for Donald Trump? I know the answer to that question. You've got a ton of stories from when you played for Donald Trump in the USFL. Why don't I te you up just to describe what it was like to walk in for that first contract meeting and Trump Tower? Yeah,

that was he was. He was impressive, to say the least. You know, the Trump Tower had just been completed, and uh, he had his penthouse offices up there on that top floor. And up you go, and uh, you know, you're you're in front of him and his desk and there's little depression. You go down a step into a seat and he's elevated behind him as a portrait of himself, and it's like, whoa, I'm not in Kansas anymore. I'm in the land of oz That's where we are right now. But uh yeah,

he was. He was a very very m shrewd businessman, very fair though, and I remember saying, uh, Chief, this, this, this offer is pretty pretty nice. I mean, if we could guarantee the first two years done, son, I'm like, oh, man, I wish I asked from pot guaranteed. He was a no nonsense guy. You know. There was no like let me think about it and come back tomorrow. He either

were like I'm all for that, forget that. I mean, it was like he was very very uh to the point, and he just uh I think I think real successful people can make decisions like that, you know. And you know when when you look around his office and see all the projects that he had going and and that this football thing was was just almost like a fun thing for him, um compared to the other things that he was doing. But he was a very competitive guy. He loved he loved owned the football team. There's no

question about it. He was a great owner and he just he whatever the coaches really wanted or needed, he would he would try to get that done. He was He was definitely somebody that was very, very u interested in being an owner in the National Football League. There's no question about them, all right. Our final ask lap question comes from Jim. What's the most fun you've ever had on a family vacation and do you have any recommendations? Our family vacation is the same thing. Every year. We're

beach people. We go to the beach, and hilton Head has been the destination for quite a quite a few years now in the summertime where the entire family goes. Well, you know, we've been to Florida and other places, but hilton Head is easier to get to and we really really enjoy hilton Head. So yeah, we're beach bums. I love everything about the beach, you know, and hilton Head offers all kinds of things on top of just you know, going to the beach. Twenty four seven, that's for sure,

So I recommended, highly, highly recommend hilton Head. All right, buddy, that's going to do it for this week's edition of the podcast. I'm sure there will be or news to talk about in the very near future of and keeping an eye on my phone just in case any news signings happened during our conversation. They didn't, but I look forward to more breaking news in the days to come. Well,

I hope, I hope our squared Riley reef. I hope they get him again, they get him sign it'd be nice that he'd be out there, Dan, And it's a pleasure, as always great catching up with you on the podcast. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor.

After a memorable decade in Cincinnati that included Pro Bowl trips in each of his first seven seasons, AJ Green is headed to the Arizona Cardinals, signing a one year contract for six million dollars guaranteed, with incentives that could push that salary to eight point five million. We heard Dave Lapham discuss where he ranks Aj among the Bengals all time great wide receivers, and I asked my Brown about AJ's place in Bengals history a few years ago.

If I had a starting all time Bengals team, he'd be on him. He brings a different package. He's fast, but not as fast as Easy, He's quick, but not as quick as chand he has a tremendous catching radius and a very competitive spirit. You feel really secure with him on one side. They have to overplay him. They know if they don't, they're in trouble. And yes, you're right when you say we've had a number of top

white outs over the years. I think probably that is a position where we've had more than our share of great players. It has truly been my privilege to be behind the mic for all sixty five of AJ's touchdown catches in a Bengals uniform, and I puncture awaited many of those calls by saying his full name. In case you've never heard the story behind that, I was hired to be the Bengals radio broadcaster in May of two eleven, when I was still the radio TV voice of the

Pentucket Red Sox. Since it was just a month into the baseball season, I didn't want to leave the pass Sox high and dry, so I stayed with the team until the beginning of September, meaning I wasn't able to attend Bengals training camp. That was AJ's rookie year and The first time I ever met him was before getting on a team bus prior to the first preseason game. I figured I would introduce myself and while making small talk, I asked him what AJ stood for. When he answered

Adriel Jeremiah, I thought, what a cool name. It sounded majestic or biblical, and that's when I first thought it might be fun to use that after some of his biggest plays now an eye formation back field on first and ten, play action fake with out of the right, good ball for a wide open Jen catches at the eighteen.

It's a touchdown for Adriel Jeremiah Green his eighth consecutive game with a touchdown catch on a beautiful fifty seven yard bomb from the red rifle to play action fake, Dalton sets up to throw, he rings it deep for a wide up in a J Green catches instig look at him go at the twenty ten the fun touchdown. Fangals eighty one yards to eighteen. Adriel Jeremiah Green boy out to the right, here's a past. AJ wiggles out of an ankle tackle and runs into the end zone

for a Bengals touchdown. Great yak yards after catch produces a touchdown. For Adriel Jeremiah Green. Dalton takes a shotgun snap against the five man rush. He's gonna fire a teacher. AJ Green is hoping he bobbles it. He's got it half the funny, great God, he's still running ten five touchdown Adriel Jeremiah Green, seventy seven yards. The former juggler as a kid made a juggling catch and took it to the house to give the Bengals a twenty one to sixteen lead. On first and ten, Dalton fakes to

mix some fills a high indeed. J Green catches half the buffalo forty It's pretty turn on the field. A club of gene and five touchdown seventy seven yards. Andy Dalton finding a J. Green, who roasted the rookie cornerback R. Davis White Boyd goes in motion. Dalton back to throw steps up, keeps it along. J Green is won Agemen. He's done. Touchdown Bengals as Andy Dalton floated a high rainbow fifty four yards down field, A touchdown AJ Green. No revas island there. It is third and seven at

the Pittsburgh twenty five. McCarron, five yards behind the line, takes a shotgun snap. It's a four man rush A J. Dun Field free J Greene. He catch and gets into the end zone. Touchdown Bengals a twenty five yard touchdown and the Bengals have a one point lead. Dalton back to throw. We're down to five seconds left and a half. He's gonna throw a high, deep hail Mary pass into the m JJ and it is Baba J makes the catch.

I'm the ricochet hail Mary. A forty nine yard touchdown pass as a prairie is answered in the end zone by Adriel Jeremiah Green. Last but not least, about one month into his NFL career, AJ joined me on the pregame show for a fun Facts Interview Time Fantastic Funch Facts with eight reel Jeremiah Green. Anybody in your life that uses your real name? Uh? Sometimes my parents. Uh that's about it. Nobody else. Did They used to drop it on you when you got in trouble, Yeah, my

mom did. All right, you're a South Carolina kid. Tell us a little bit about where you're from. I'm from this little country place called Rigial, South Carolina. No nothing out there. This is a country area. And you know, just went to some real high school and that's what I played football. Speaking of Summerville High School, your high school football coach is the winningest high school football coach, John McKissick still going strong at eighty five, Is that right? Yeah?

Eighty five is unbelievable. But he's still active. He's still coaches, So this is unbelievable. What was he like? Uh, you know, he was really outgoing, always talking, you know, trying to coach. Uh, you know, he got rained over a couple of times on the sideline. So I don't know how he's still coaching, but he's a great guy. I read somewhere that he's retired one number in his fifty nine years or sixty years of high school coaching, it's yours. That must mean

a lot. Yeah, definitely, Man, it's coming from him. You know, he seems a lot of great that that came through that program. And you know, I would just honor. So tenth grade high school, you verbally commit to Georgia. What was it about the Bulldogs that enthralled you? So it was just coach Raking, you know, just preaching to be a better man after the life of football, And I felt I could go anywhere and play and uh but just give me that that that that like growing up

and being a man and being on my own. And I felt like coach was the best man for that. So after you did that, a bunch of big time coaches from other schools kept coming around trying to get you to change your mind. Right, Yeah, definitely, but you know I stayed firm, and uh, you know, I held it through. Who is your childhood hero? Um? You know, my dad got to be my parents, you know, just they always pushed high work and uh, you know, always said nothing as easy, always have to work for. Gotta

be my parents. Did you have an athletic or somebody who's poster was on your bedroom wall? Anything like that? Part of Michael Jordan, you know, because he always striding stuff to be great. And that's what I'm trying to do. All right. So you're the number four pick in this year's draft. Obviously, whoever that is is well compensated. What's

your splurge? What do you spend money on? Um? You know, I'm just not really a big spender, but I love clothing, shoes, That's my passion, even though I don't even get dressed dressed that much. But you know, I just just knowledge that I know that I have them is always good. So I close horror sound. Yeah, clothing shoes, all right. I read it somewhere that you were on a juggling team as a kid. Yeah. What do they do in

the juggling team? You know, you just juggle a different item like balls, scars, all kind of stuff like that. And we used to perform at halftimes a basketball game, so kind of fun. How many things could you get in the air? Four? Four? And then after sixth grade, I was like, man, it's not cool no more, so I just quick ajs a like riding a bike. Could you still juggle if we had four objects here right now?

Oh yeah, definitely. Uh. Gatorway did like a little special on me with a little juggling stuff, so I still got it this radio, So I'm not going to ask you too, So you're off the hook for now. Anyway. Have you had any other jobs other than professional athlete? Oh? Yeah, I had one job at the store, like department store like Stephen Bears, and I used to work as xpies, but my coach made me quit of both, I mean both jobs because he said I have my whole life

to work. So, uh, you know, I just focused on athletics. Well they sold shoes there, so you were able to indulge your habit probably for for liking shoes, right, yeah, a little bit for like two weeks. All right, what NFL star do you look forward to meeting? That'd be probably this scene pay Manny, you know, you know, just watching the whole my whole life growing up, and you know, just now I'm here like playing on the same fuel, well not playing on the same field, but in the NFL.

But uh, pay many when you have Matt pig time people over the last year or two, are you a little bit awestruck? Are you over that? No? I think I'm over that now. So all right, fair enough. When you not at work, what do you enjoyed doing it? Hard to sleeping and playing the video games? I'll late? Do you sleep when you can? I mean, if you've got the freedom to sleep, how late will you go? Probably two o'clock, three o'clock. You know, no longer an

option in the NFL. Exactly that you're lacking means need to get your wrist when you can. All right, you're off the hot seat, Thanks, thank you. Here's hoping for a spectacular next chapter in Arizona for AJ Green. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by bud Light Seltzer. Refresh the game. 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 thank you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast