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Back to throw to a looking slips about.
A wide Olphen touchdown turn Rick Quel unfelievable, just blow.
By it for a second time. Don knew where he was going right away. I want to hit that though. Man, I'm going to help you.
Someone will keep on his man away Wattle Wadle to a shotgun, back to throw, looking at them up Myers touchdown.
It's Waddle his sixth touchdown. Parado's the tea.
Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. Now we check your pulse if you're not for of what is up?
Dolphins And welcome to the Drive Time podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast Network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins.
How's it going everybody?
I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show we continue our divisional pre series and our walking talks. I'll have Jeff Wilson with me today on the podcast, as well as James Rapeene breaking down the AFC North from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This is the Draft Time Podcast.
Jeffy, Let's kick it off today with my interview with Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson.
What's up, guys, Travis Spectfield.
Here another edition of one hundred yards My guess today, Jeff Wilson, Let's go ahead and make awa down the field there. Jeff, So you got here last year mid season. I'm always curious to hear about how guys incorporate into a new locker room and just kind of how that whole process went for you.
Yeah, it was kind of. It was kind of smooth, I would say, because, like you said, obviously, we had a couple of guys that I was familiar with in the locker room already, and those guys were kind of like, I guess, good outlets for me are good resources for me to the other guys. So let them know kind of who I was and what I was about. And so once they did that, and then I came in and they seen how it worked and then how I played. Shoot, it was just like a that's.
Made from heaven. I don't know.
Everybody was locked in, coaches in, players, even people around.
The facility got to help.
Having your teammate Raheem Moster here in town.
He was talking about this off season how they kind of wanted to get you guys back together. How pumped you to have the entire room back together plus a rookie and Devon h Man.
That's that's crazy, and that's around this league. You know, that's almost unheard of for you to have guys that stick around like that, especially the same exact ones from the previous year. And then to add on those young guys. Man watching them out here work and run and be happy and excited about it. You know, he bring back members when I was a rookie. But to see them and joining and thriving in the passion that love for the game, and it's another beauty, Like.
To see give me one of the old head at this point.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
So weird that so fast, it's crazy, it really does.
And speaking of you know when you're you're upbringing the league, you know, the story about you and coach McDaniel meeting and the scouting process of all that, I just kind of wanted to get your measure of how he as a coach and how like going from you know, run game coordinator to head coach here, how he's grown as a pro since you saw him from that day at your workout back in college to now as a head coach the Dolphins.
Oh, you know, every year you want to try to improve. And I would say, in this game, in this fashion, in this field that we're in, if you're not improving, you're losing. So you know, from the moment I'm at night tonight, it's like he's he's changed dramatically, you know what I mean, not even to say as a person, but his knowledge of the game, his mindset of the game, where he wants to be, where he wants to go. You can tell it when he talks, and you can feel it when you want you know what I mean.
And that's kind of the whole thing about Mike. He means what he say and he's going to do what he say. And he's been doing all that ever since I've been here, and still is. So he's going to do everything for this program, everything for this team, and that's always been Mike. He's gonna always put us in the right direction.
And we love hearing that about the coach.
We're here all the time of all the guys. So you've got a couple of football camps coming up right back back home in Texas, I.
Got one in my high school where I grew up, Elkhat High School. It's gonna be the first one back home. It's an all three camp ages eight fifteen. Then that's seventeen. That's on June sixteenth, and June seventeenth. You're going to go right up to Dallas and have another one at the academy, First Bapti Academy. Pull up eleven. It's all from eleven to one. Bring you kids, let's have fun.
Turn out you go so you can learn football there. But also I'm curious.
We're on like the t guard line here. When you get the ball down here and you score a touchdown, we got a thinking.
It's for force.
Let's hear some new celebrations.
Baby oh man, We're gonna have fun this year. That's what I said. Now we all claim it. We affiliated were back at home. Everybody kind of knows who I am, so once they see it, they's not acting all. He's just they actually know that's me. So we definitely have a fun and the end zone this year, for sure.
You said that us kind of see a theme developing here, don't you. On the podcast, all these guys and the team just so easy to talk to you and so likable and playing for your favorite team obviously helps, but also so easy to root for these guys when they have personalities like the ones they do have. So again, thanks to Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson, let's go ahead and take our first break right here and come back on the other side and continue our summer preview series.
The AFC North is up today. James Rapen is going to be my guest here on the Draft Time podcast. Your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation and joining us now today, is a former colleague of mine. He's now the publisher of All Bengals and All Bearcats, really holding down that Cincinnati reporting sector of our country. Here Lockdown Bengals as well. In the big chair there, James Rapine, James, longtime man.
How you doing.
I'm doing well. I appreciate you having me. How are you.
I'm very good, very happy to have you on here. Did you have a break in the Lockdown Bengals hosting? Didn't you go somewhere else for a minute?
Yeah, it kind of is fitting because I think I'm pretty qualified to discuss this division, maybe more so than some of the other reporters of the division because I covered Cleveland, so I was in the division and it was around Miles Garrett and Baker Mayfield and Freddy Kitchens and during that era.
So yeah, and I think this is one of the divisions to me that has like the maybe besides the NFC East, the best like rivalry at every single game that you get, like all these teams when they match up, it's like a fun little back and forth with the
fans and the history between these teams here. And not to mention, I think this is one of the best divisions in football as we head in a twenty twenty three And so with that, I'll start this podcast when I've started all these divisional previews here by just asking you to give us the kind of thirty thousand.
Foot view of the AFC North.
Obviously, you know, we have our own division storylines out here in the AFC East. But as you kind of go into the you know, I guess this summer the dead period as it were, of the NFL, and you look forward to training camps. What are some of the things you're keeping eye on here with a division as a whole.
In the AFC North, I think one of the biggest storylines is certainly what happens in Cleveland with the Shan Watson. Is he the guy that we saw in twenty twenty play for Houston and obviously before that a few years prior just become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? Or is it the guy that missed a year and was suspended and then at the end of the season,
you know, certainly struggled last year. That's that's such a storyline because if so, if he is that elite quarterback, still this division to me, and it might be anyways, but is the best division in football because top to bottom there is either a complete team in the Steelers with a question at quarterback, but outside of that, you'll like that roster overall, and then three other teams that have top ten qbs, like Lamar Jackson's a former MVP, and I know some aren't as high on him, but
the dude is a baller and it's a quarterbacks league. And so you have Lamar with actual weapons for the first time in his career. And maybe I wouldn't go that far, but he certainly has more weapons now than he's ever had. The Browns I think did well in the trenches and obviously have been able to build around to Shaun Watson, and then we know what the Bengals have done. So I think that this is the best
division in football. And I know the NFC West last year AFC West excuse me, was getting a ton of run and that disappointed. I don't think the North will disappoint this year. I think it's going to be a really competitive division. And so that's what stands out. If Deshaun Watson is the guy the Browns hope he is, that this is a very real four team race for the AFC North title.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I thought they had one of the best off seasons as well. You talked about adding to that defense and getting some real key parts up on that defensive line. We'll come back to them and talk about them. I think they're fourth in my line up here with the Cleveland Browns. So we're gonna go back to the reigning division champions, the kind of team that's that's ran that in terms of playoff success the last couple of years. Where you currently are stationed with the fellow team in Ohio,
the Cincinnati Bengals. You mentioned Joe Burrow and kind of what he's done for that team in that division and just kind of taking the range there for the Cincinnati Bengals. And I guess I start here at the Bengals with this question, James, because you know, it's a team that you would assume. I think for most you know, most
teams in that position might be super aggressive. But for the Bengals, you know, we've we've heard all this stuff about how they you know, putting them putting the money in Escro, getting ready for Joe Burrow's big contract extension. I'm curious how you see that and their free agency period this offseason kind of paired together because they made the one big move on Lando Brown junie, they lost
some pieces. To just kind of give us the overview of the Bengals off season and how Joe Burrow's contract looming impacted that.
I think it did some.
I think that is as much as fans might have wanted to see, you know, another big move or another splashy move. They were Orlando Brown Junior signing at least as of now, and it depends on how it works. They've had a lot of good free agency signings, but is the best free agent signing they've had certainly the most surprising that they've had maybe during this run. And
they've added a bunch of guys in free agency. DJ Reader, Chidobeo Woozi A, Mike Hilton, Trey Hendrickson, all guys that they've added that that have contributed it in a huge, huge way. And so to go get alignment of his caliber, they added Alex Kappa last year, Lel Collins, Ted Carris, guys that contributed and started last year and made a difference in the trenches. But getting Orlando Brown Junior, I think it's arguably the biggest free agent addition in team
history because this franchise didn't do that. That's not how they used to build their teams even when they had success in the past, and so I think that that was a huge get.
I think it's going to have a major impact.
But yeah, you're starting to see younger guys on defense start to emerge. You know, they're going to be reliant on Cam Taylor Britt this year second rounder from last year to start at cornerback. They drafted Miles Murphy in the first round and he's a defensive end. Well, could that be Trey Hendrickson's replacement long term? Or Sam Hubbards.
They're going to have to allocate more resources to offense because they drafted Burrow and drafted Higgins and drafted Chase and so as you do that, you're going to have to get younger on defense. And they've had so much success and free agency adding these guys on their second contracts in the NFL that it's just shifting a little bit.
So I don't think it had a huge impact.
I think they planned on being aggressive and they kind of knew that they were going to lose some of those guys. Jesse Bates negotiations just we're never close over the past couple of years, and they knew that. Von Bell I think it came down to a third year and they didn't give him a third year. Instead, they got Nick Scott for a cheaper deal from the Rams,
and we'll see if that works out. So certainly some risks, some question marks, but overall, I do think that they're better now than they were when they lost in the AFC title game in January.
Yeah, they do seem to be one of those teams in the enviable position where they can kind of draft for future playing and the way they did it last year I think with both Dack's Daxon Hill brain fart there for a second. You mentioned Cam Taylor britt to kind of you know, offset a loss of a Jesse Bates and Aavon Bell there, and you talk about Trey
Hendrickson as well. It's just really smart drafting to be able to put yourself in a position where you can potentially have a replacement, you know, the second year of their career, opposed to just trying to you know, put a rookie into your biggest need.
And I think they did a good job there.
I think they did a good job the last couple of years of building the offensive line. You mentioned that, and that's kind of where I think this team, you know, a lot of their success hinges on that on that offensive line, right because if they can get help wealth you play from those guys up front, you know, lyle Call I don't think played to the level they hoped he would last year. Mentioned Ted Carris and Alex Kappa.
Have to have pretty high expectations for the offensive line to really help Joe Burl stay upright, stay clean.
If he does that, he's just get anybody else in the league.
Right, Yeah, I think I'm not sure there's a quarterback in the league Mahomes included that could have done what Burrow's done the past two years with the offensive lines that he's had and the adversity that he's faced. I mean, he was coming off of that torn acl and you go into that that twenty twenty one season and that offensive line still wasn't good and they were still working through some things, and multiple guys that started for them in the Super Bowl in Super Bowl fifty six didn't
even get into a camp that following summer. So you go from February to that summer and they weren't even in an NFL camp and they've never played or participated in another NFL practice. So getting them to that point with that line, I think Joe Burrow deserves a ton of credit for that. And then last year, same thing.
The offensive line had its issues. You're right, Level Collins was battling some injuries, Joanah Williams played through a dislocated kneecap for the majority of the year, and so they were underwhelming at times, but they also showed flashes of being just a solid unit. I wouldn't say like league, but you know, top ten or anything. Like that, but just the solid unit. And that's when this offense started to show what it could do and they won ten straight and got really close to making it to a
second straight Super Bowl. And so yeah, this year, I think expectations are the highest they've been during this run because I don't really see a glaring hole on the offensive line for the first time since Joe Burrow was drafted.
Really the entire roster, and going back to that Super Bowl team when they just lost to the Rams there in the final mins of that game, wasn't there wasn't it like all eleven players on that defense that started that Super Bowl or like free agents from the last couple of years, something crazy like that, right, I.
Think they were all They might have all been new additions.
They had some guys that they had drafted, like Logan Wilson, Jermaine Pratt, so there were some draft picks in there, Jesse Bates, but they might have all been new. I'm trying to think if there were any holdovers. I think you're right that there probably weren't, and I would have to look to make sure, but that sounds correct now.
Duke Tobin just doing a great job up there at the Bengals and getting that thing really turned around, turning them into a you know, a mainstay. I should stay in the AFC North in the AFC playoffs, So we'll look forward to seeing that a team that we're gonna have to see probably, you know, in that position for a long time to come. Here. You mentioned Orlando Brown junior. They retained Jermaine Pratt like you talked about there Cody
for Sidney Jones Earsmith. You talked about kind of some high risk, high reward there in terms of the freeze. I think there's a lot of opportunity there with those guys. And you know, I kind of did this exercise here looking at this roster like really not many holes, man. You talk about the offensive line, really the entire roster
looks that way. So I think this probably has to be I would assume the division favorite because for a long time there, this division was ran by two other teams we'll talk about here next and the Baltimore Ravens, the first one that I think kind of has been at the top of the division there for a while. You mention off the top Lamar Jackson getting his contract
and now getting equipped with weapons. I'm curious how you see that offense evolving this year, you know, going from what it was previously under Greg Roman and all the heavy run principles. Now make a switch and go out and get an Odell Beckham junior and you have Rashad Bateman and you draft Say Flowers in the first round as well. Are we going to see a different style of offense in Baltimore or is it going to be more of the same just has more flavor to it. No.
I think it's going to be a different offense. And a big reason why is Todd munkin their new offensive coordinator. You're right, you know you change from Greg Roman, who clearly put Lamar Jackson in a position to succeed, and you go to Monken and he's going to air it out. I think you're going to see this become a pass first offense. Now, will it be successful? I think that's that's a big question. But I think that's how you have to be welcome to the NFL.
It's three.
Even with Lamar Jackson is dynamic as he is as a runner, he can make plays with his arm. We've seen that he can, you know, complete deep passes and slants and different things like that, and yet you look at their weapons. Odell Beckham Junior doesn't have to be the twenty fourteen Odell. He's just got to be a solid starting wide receiver because if they have that, Zay Flowers adds a bit to them. They just they haven't
had that. Like the bar is so low for their starting receivers in Baltimore that if they get that combined with a Mark Andrews, combined with a running game, and they still will run the ball, no doubt about it. And that defense, which we know is one of the NFL's best, I think that they're forced to be reckoned with. And part of it is pretty simple. Lamar Jackson is one of the best players in the league, and I
think he's going to show that. I know it got weird with the contract and people were questioning him and there was all this stuff that's fine, that can be uncomfortable, but now it's done, and so when they get on the feet, we know that number eight is still one of the best quarterbacks in the in the world.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think that what JK.
Dobbins does because you know, they've always had so much success run in the football with very running backs. But I think that Dobbins takes him from you know, getting really good production out of maybe an average, you know, capable running back, and he's one of those top tier guys, I think, and really with his talent, make it that running game, you know, fire on all cylinders to complement Lamar Jackson, and then that obviously makes the passing game better.
But I think it all starts with an area that I want to ask you about from an opponent's perspective, you know, being a Bengals covering the Bengals. I'm curious because like for a long time, this offensive line.
Was kind of the bread and butter of the team.
But Ronnie Stanley's had so many injuries the last couple of years is one of the best left tackles before the injuries started to take their toll. Patrick McCary played a bunch last year, Morgan Moses we see on the inside, Kevin Zeitler's there now, Andrew Voorhe's a high draft pick a couple of years or this last year, Daniel Falale a couple of years ago, and Tyler Linderbaum in the
first round. When you look at the offensive line, is that a group that you know, when you talk about a Bengals Ravens preview, are you worried about the offen defensive line, Like, how do you view that group? Because to me, it kind of is the engine that drives this offense with Lamar Jackson.
Yeah, I think the tackle play is the big question mark because can Stanley stay healthy. We know how talented he is and how good of a player he is when healthy, but that is a huge fly and annointment, so to speak. When it comes to that left tackle spot and right tackle Morgan Moses, I think he leaves a little bit to be desired. There's some health stuff with him in the past, and he's it's not like he's twenty four either, so there are some questions at tackle.
I like their interior. I loved Tyler Lindnerbaum.
Coming out, and I know someone worried about his size and different stuff like that, and I was all over him last year for the Bengals in Round one. I don't think they were in on him in Round one anyways, but he didn't even make it there because Baltimore saw I think what I saw, and I think he's already one of the best centers in the league, and I think a guy that not that, I think a player that not only the Bengals, but the Browns know well, this division knows well.
Kevin Zeitler.
He's one of the better guards still, a veteran guard that has aged very well, and I know he wants a new deal, but I expect him to play well this year. So you look at that interior. Ben Cleveland will see if he'll take a step. But I really like Zeitler and Linderbaum a lot. But you're right, it isn't the offensive line of a few years ago. They lost Orlando Brown Junior at right tackle, obviously Ronnie Stanley
was healthy. Then you don't have those guys and you take a little bit of a step back at tackle, and we'll see. I still think they're solid in that area, but the depth isn't what.
It once was, and which could you know?
That's one of those I always look at, like what are trapped door scenarios for teams where event A and B happens, then X and Y could be the result of that. In this division, if you're not solid at tackle, man teams can take advantage that With what we have off the edge with TJ.
Watt, Miles Garrett.
You've got Trey Hendrickson over there in Cincinnati, so plenty of pass rush in this division. And I think one of the more curious parts about this team and injuries seem to hit this Ray team every single year in a way that just kind of deflates them, even though they still find ways to win games and make playoff appearances. But no one's gotten hit by the injury bug harder than the Ravens the last.
Couple of years.
And I want to take the conversation over the defensive side of the football, because we saw this Ravens defense last year in Week two, as you know, Miami Dolphins, and the Dolphins went up and down the field, scored forty something points in that game or maybe it's thirty forty two or something. A great comeback winning for the Dolphins offense, getting touchdowns you know at will in the
fourth quarter. But that was a pretty banged up secondary at that time, going up against two of the best receivers in the game and a hot quarterback into a tongue by Lowa. How does this defense, how did it kind of come together in the second half of the season, because they played a lot better down the stretch than they did it early on.
They did, and they gave this Bengals offense fits in that final week of the regular season and then obviously in the playoff game as well, where it really came down to the wire, even though Tyler Hunt was in at quarterback. And you look at it, and I think that the thing that changed their defense last year. And I know people try to say linebackers don't matter, and that could be the case for a lot of the league, but a guy like Rokwan Smith matters. He is such
a difference maker in this defense. You notice eighteen just watching them, It's like where is he? All?
There?
He is and he just pops out.
He was getting in Jamar Chase his ear, He was making tackles, making plays all over And I think that that was such a great trade for them because it injected new life and raise the level, raise the floor of this Ravens defense, which not many linebackers can do. And part of that had to do they picked Patrick Queen in the first round a few years ago, and I don't think he's lived up to expectations. So you go get a guy in Smith that you know can
be that type of game changer. So there are some questions pass rush wise, are they going to take a step forward or some of these young guys. Is OA going to take a step forward as a pass rusher. Do they go out and bring back justin Justin Houston?
Do they do that?
I'm not sure, but I think that they could use another pass rusher. But we certainly saw that they could be effective.
And by the end of the year.
I don't want to say they had the Bengals number because the Bengals were working through some injuries as well, but they were able to slow down Joe burrowing Company, which is really tough to do.
Those games were close than most folks expected, especially that playoff game going on because against Tyler Huntley, you know that that wasn't a ninety eight yard funbl return for a touchdown or something late in that game kind of swung that game and basically put it on ice after it was going to be, you know, come down to
the wire there late. But just looking at this Rayvens defensive roster, it's just it's such a trope to say this, James, but I always feel like they have like true Baltimore Ravens on their roster every single year and rokwand Smith seems to be one of those guys you know you talk about Adolphe Oway was one of the guys Justin Madabke, Michael Pierce and that secondary Marlin Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton. Like there's names all over that defense. So I think
this Rayven's team. If you think they're gonna go away time zoom, I think you'd be remissed to say that. So it's it's a fun division battle here with those two teams. Let's go ahead and take our last break first. Before I do that, though, want to remind you guys, Dolphins will go to Baltimore in week seventeen to face the Ravens on Sunday, December the thirty first, forty one o'clock kickoff. That's the only game inside the AFC North
of the Dolphins this season. Let's go ahead and take our last break rate there and come back on the other side and talk Steelers and Browns with my guest today, James Rapine on the Draft Time Podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. Back here on a AFC North preview edition of the Draft Time Podcast, My guest today from Lockdown Bengals, All Bengals, all Bearcats.
He is all everything Cincinnati, James Rapine.
We're breaking down the AFC North and we're gonna go ahead and pivot now to a team that went through a bit of a transition year last year and still miraculously. I was certain, James, the streak was going to come to an end last year.
It did not.
Still no losing seasons for Mike Tomlin after what was like two and six or something. But they go to a rookie quarterback off the bench and he kind of sparks them for a run there down the back part of the schedule there. I'm curious, you know, I always like getting the opponent's perspective of these teams because you have such you can feel for the rest of the division. Here was that Steelers run? Was it repeatable? Do you think it was a mirage as far as the schedule goes? Like?
What was your take on the way they finished that year and continue to get Mike Tomlin to not have a losing season.
I think they're a really good team, and I think I'm in the minority certainly in Cincinnati. I think there's this narrative that the Steelers just stink now and they don't. They have a question market quarterback. But when I look at this roster, there's a lot of guys I like a lot of difference makers still that can be game changers.
Obviously, you have Cam Heyward on defense, TJ. Watt.
That alone, you just start with those two guys. It's like, all right, you have the inside guy, you have the outside guy. Every offensive coordinator stays up at night thinking about those two. You add in Alex high Smith and they can get pressure. And in a passing league, if you can get pressure, you feel good about it. And on offense, I like a lot of their weapons. They've added offensive line pieces over the past cup couple of
years to upgrade the floor. I think of that unit because that's been their biggest issue outside of Ben Roethlisberger at.
The end of his career.
That's been their biggest issue, I would say, is offensive line play. So I think this is a really solid roster, Travis, and I'm not going to be shocked at off that street continues. In fact, I would probably be surprised the other way if the Steelers finished with a losing record.
I would, yeah, the offensive line.
It's a great place to start because I just look at this group and you know, to me, I thought Broderick Jones was ot one personally. I don't think everyone felt that way, but I thought he was a great pick there. And then Isaac Samala was one of the best free agent guards they could have added. A year after, they bring in James Daniels is one of the top
free agent interior offensive linemen as well. So they've kind of done a good job of rebuilding that front, and especially to kind of compliment with Nauji Harris Offers in that backfield.
We know what he can do.
But I think we have to ask the question about the quarterback because again, you know, I thought he got hot late.
I thought the schedule kind of helped him to do that.
The Steelers won some tight ball games late down the stretch, but certainly showed you some signs. I thought his ability to kind of get off script on third downs and play in time and on rhythm was pretty good for a rookie quarterback. I just want to hear your take on Kenny Pickett's first year and what fans can expect for a second season there in Pittsburgh.
I expect him to be okay.
And I know that's not like the best take in the rule, but I don't expect him to cost them a bunch of games and throw a bunch of interceptions. I also don't think he's the next Joe Burrow. I don't think he's the next big thing quarterback wise in the AFC.
I don't.
And that's okay because this Steelers organization, the Steelers team, the franchise, they're all built from Mike Tomlin to the front office on down. To have an okay quarterback, yeah, and get the most out of him. And just looking with what he's working with, I expect Kenny Pickett to play at a solid level. I think back to the twenty let's say twenty twelve Bengals, and that was Andy Dalton's second season. They made the playoffs. His first year
went nine and seven. The second year they made the playoffs. Again, you look at those Rocks and they weren't amazing, but they played solid defense and they had some weapons and the quarterback didn't turn the ball over. And I think that's what Kenny Pickett will do. And it's a tough division. Like I said, I think it's the best division in the NFL. But if he can do that, I think that they can keep their head above water and be competitive and be in the playoff mix.
I think one of the things that makes this division so intriguing is that you have so many teams that just know who they are. And I talked about it on the other side with the Ravens, like always drafting Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers the exact same way.
To me, I look on the defensive side of the football, and their off season was basically checking boxes of bat guys at Pittsburgh Steeler are gonna go go ahead and bring him in. Like Larry Olgan Jobi, I think he's made his entire tour on the AFC North at this point. Patrick Peterson seems like an absolute Steeler fit for me, especially they kind of transition he made last year to playing more often more zone where he gets eyes on the quarterback. Landon Roberts. We know him here well as
a thumper in the middle of the defense. De Monte kz Kean O'Neil, all these guys. I'm curious how you see this defense kind of coming to together here with you know, hopefully a healthy TJ. Watt, Minka Fitzpatrick two the very best at their positions. But is this is this going to be closer to the steel curtain of old or was last year more reflection of kind of an aging defense that might be kind of, you know, past its prime years. No.
I think that they can have one of the better defenses in the NFL because they can do a lot of what you need to be able to do pressure the quarterback, and they have playmakers on the back end.
You mentioned it with Mika Fitzpatrick.
He's a heck of a safety and he can do a lot, and he's versatile, and he'll move around and he'll make big plays and force fumbles and catch interceptions and so you got to be aware of him. But I agree with you with Patrick Peterson. It's the type of landing spot where he's just going to go under the radar and be like, not the star that he used to be, but be that solid presence in the cornerback room that they needed because that's an area that
has been hit or miss at times. But what better guy to help mentor Joey Porter Junior than a guy like Patrick Peterson That worked out really, really well for the Steelers, so I like this defense a lot. You're right, Larry Ogan, Jobi is an under the radar type move. He made an impact in Cincinnati a few years ago during that Super Bowl run, and last year obviously played for the Steelers and they resigned him again. So I'm excited that he got a multi year deal. I know
he was looking for it. He certainly deserves it, and I think he's a big part of their defense as well.
Yeah, I feel like the league might have messed up letting Joey Porter fall to the second round and just put that chip on his shoulder with Pops in his ear to help that chip grow a little bit. That's gonna be a fun combination to watch there in Pittsburgh for a long time. He's he's such an impressive player. I can't wait to see what he does his rookie year and beyond. Let's go ahead and finish up the
AFC North. Herore with the last team we have not yet discussed, in the Cleveland Browns, and you let off the open of the show talking about storylines, talking about who I think is one of the biggest storylines in the entire National Football League, because I like you think this Cleveland Browns roster, they are ready to win and
win right now. And that's probably the entire idea of the investment into a quarterback that they knew was going to have to sit out most of the twenty twenty two season, and it didn't.
He got back on the field.
And I'd love to hear your take on this as someone who watches this division so closely, watches these teams so closely. It was bad James like, and my question is was that because of a layoff? Was it because of you know, it's been just a distraction of a couple of years for him. I'm curious why you think the performance of Deshaun Watson fell off so much late down the stretch last year and can it get fixed and revert back to what he was in Houston.
I think it was all of the above, and so everything that that you that you stated was a factor.
But I'll get to the thing that I think.
Is the the most that it had the most impact.
It's pressure.
Yeah, and when you go through everything, and a lot of it's obviously self inflicted. But the stuff that the Shawn is has gone through, and again I'm not paining him to be a Martin.
A lot of its self inflicted.
But when when you do that and then you sign the NBA Max deal and you have your agent out there saying and that's a max contract in all of those things, all right, Well, then there's there's pressure that comes with that. And I know a firsthand that there's a certain pressure that comes with being a member of the Cleveland Browns. And he better performed this year. He'd better be comfortable with that pressure, that weight that you have on your shoulders, because if you perform, you're gonna
be a hero. But he did not perform last year, and I think it was that as much as anything. But he's going to be feeling that, and so I think it's important for this Browns team to get off to a quick start. They play the Bengals week one, September tenth. They need to get off to a quick start if they're going to be a playoff team, just because culture, identity, all of those things, none of that's established.
And it's really hard, even a guy is as talented as Deshaun Watson to overcome that kind of pressure because it's not like big game pressure, it's like life pressure. Like I don't even know how to describe it. I haven't experienced it, but I can only am what goes through your head after all of the stuff from signing that deal and getting suspended and coming back and everything off the field. So we'll see, but I think that
that's the part of it. He needs to make sure he's able to handle that pressure and go out there and be the guy that he was in Houston. Because if he is, you're right this roster it's really talented and they'll be right there in this in this division.
IM just looking at the offensive lineup behind what could arguably be the best offensive line of football too.
Like I don't know if there's many you would take over this.
I mean like Nick Chubb is to me one of the top two or three backs in the NFL. I think David Njoku's one of the top tight ends in the NFL. And then at receiver, it's not like you don't have your Tyreek and Jalen Waddell, but you've got or your Jamar Chase and your T Higgins, but you've got I mean Elijah Moore, I think is a really good player. I think he has a really good chance to bounce back and get back to his rookie season production.
I like Donovan People's jones. I think Amari.
Cooper's super, super good player. Just they're loaded there, man, behind an offensive line, like I said, that can really create space in the running game there. So that side of the ball, it just for most teams goes back to the quarterback. For this team, man, that could be a big swing for them offensively. Let's talk about the defense though here, because you know they have one of the greats in Miles Garrett on that defensive line rushing the quarterback.
They did a good job this year.
I think of going out and supporting him were last year, James, it seemed like the defensive line was kind of an issue for them. How did you feel they addressed that that weakness from a year ago and improve the defensive line around Miles Garrett.
They did a great job. They did, and they needed to.
And you know, you have Miles Garrett and you got and you get Dalvin Tomlinson. You go out and you get Zadaria Smith and you just feel much better about the depth there. Now you're not banking on Perry and Winfree in year two to be a huge, huge contributor. Yes, he can contribute, but you don't have to have him make a jump. You already have a guy like Denzel Ward. You go out and get a guy super Bowl champ and Juan Thornhill, who I liked a lot and I
thought the Bengals might be in on. Obviously, you have Greg Newsome as well, like I like what they've done defense, And the other part of this that I think is big is you bring in a guy that might be able to help the culture and help winning in Jim Schwartz, who has Super Bowls, who's coached high end defenses, and so this staff is on the you talk about pressure, this staff, there's a lot of pressure in Jim Schwartz has been able to respond to that throughout his career
as a defensive coordinator. So we'll see if he can do it again. But there's certainly talent and anytime you're starting, much like with the Steelers, where you have guys that can get after the quarterback and guys on the back end that can cover Miles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Greg Newsom, that's a heck of a trio to start with. And then they've added those pieces, like I said, that should make a difference in Cleveland.
It feels like the entire AFC, not the entire FC, but a lot of these teams in this conference just have where you can go down the entire roster like they're two or three deep in all these spots. Man, I'm looking at this defense and the offense toe like I mentioned, and you mentioned jan Thornhill and Darius Smith and Dallon Thomlinson I thought, and Postik was a great acquisition Obo Okawomkwell formerly of the Houston Texans as well.
So man, they went out more aggressive and itt tracks because they use those draft picks and the salary, go get the quarterback and now you kind of have to fill in the roster around him, and they certainly have done that. So man, what a fun division this is going to be, and a good spot for us to kind of do our last segment here the division superlatives talking about the best in your estimation, James Rapine's top
quarterback here in a really good AFC North. I have to imagine taking the hometown kid, But all ask you anyway, who's the best quarterback here in the AFC North.
It's Joe Burrow.
And I don't think that that's, you know, the orange and black glasses that I'm wearing. I think it's the fact that he's been able to lead this team to back to back AFC North titles, back to back AFC Championship games, a super Bowl appearance, and he's been the best quarterback in this division in back to back years. I'm not really sure anyone can debate that. So, yeah, I think he's the best quarterback right now. Could that change absolutely, but as of now I have.
At the top.
It's crazy because to me, this division more than when I've done so far on these previews, like you have pretty clear answers for most of these spots, but like you also have a debate for who that second and third guy could be, Whereas that's not always the case, like in the AFC West it's obviously Patrick Mahomes, right, or the NFC East it's obviously Jalen Hurts. But like it's an interesting conversation though because Lamar Jackson, as that too,
is really pushing up there. How about the and this again probably a Bengal here, but the best player on offense who is not a quarterback in the AFC North for you is.
It's Jamar Chase, and I do think it's I don't want to say it's close, but you mentioned Nick Chubb. He's the best runner in the NFL to me, like it is. You know, Christian McCaffrey is a better pass catcher and depending on the offense, so Nick Chubb is probably higher and deserves a shout out than most would realize. But yeah, it has to be Jamar. I mean, this kid, it's unbelieving. He's just twenty three years old and he's stronger now and I see him almost every day. I'm shocked.
I was in on him a pre draft and I'm not afraid to mention that, but the fact that he's become this already, it's just wild. What he's done, and what Justin Jefferson's done for that matter. Those two young receivers are amazing. Whatever they have and whatever they're doing at LSU, they need to keep doing it.
Yeah, no kidding in Alabama as well.
I mean that entire draft class that year with Waddle and davonte'st both in phenomenal players too. Gosh, we are lucky in this time of this age of football fans to see those guys come in the league and do what they've done, and Jamar Chase from the word go was fantastic, So easy pick there. I think I just
want to shout out a couple offensive LINEX. We don't give enough love to them ever, but Wyatt Teller and Joel Buttonio, the guards for the Cleveland brown just want to put their names in the podcast that got mentioned because they deserve it. They're two great players in important spots there for the Cleveland Browns. How about your best defensive player here in the AFC North.
This one's tougher because you have guys like TJ. Watt, Minka Fitzpatrick, Denze Award. But I'm gonna go with Miles Garrett. I just I think he's such a dominating force and hasn't necessarily had the structure that comes with being a Pittsburgh Steeler and he's still been dominant. So if I had to pick one guy, it would be Miles.
I think it's a safe pick there. I mean, the former number one pick in the draft who just has lived up to it. But in every stretch of the world. I mean, gosh, physically, the guys you talk about Jamar Chase in the way he looks like Miles Garrit.
My goodness, man, he's built in a lab.
Super good.
He really is. It's crazy.
These passports are just keep I mean, Jelen Phillips. They put a picture of land Phillips coming off of the practice field without a sure on the other day and it just blew up our entire Twitter. Like these guys, I don't understand how the human body hits those limits. But that's for those guys to work on, I suppose. But best coach here in the AF you North. This one to me maybe a little bit more controversial in terms of the pick might be, but you said you had a locked in pick here.
Yeah, there's three guys that you could make the argument.
You could certainly make the argument for Zach Taylor recently, I would still not pick him. And it's nothing really against Zach. It's just the fact that John Harball has done it for so long. But Mike Tomlin has done it so long and I think done it better and done more with less than recent years, and so it's hard for me to go against him. And I know some Steelers fans are like, no way, Mike tom can't get it. Whatever, man, he gets the most out of his guys so I would still give it to Mike Tomlin.
I remember when Eagles fans were talking about Andy Reid that way. It's like, dude, he's a great coach. You don't know what you had. Mike Tollin's the absolute man.
I love him.
I love that pick. He's my pick as well. And I think I know where we're going here. But I have to ask it your division champion this year? Will it be the Bengals for the third straight season.
No team in AFC North history, and we're talking about just over two decades, but no team in AFC North history has won the.
Division three straight years.
It's been such a competitive division that everything historically and there's been some really good teams in this division. Says to pick the Bengals to win three straight. But if you think I'm gonna sit here and bet against Joe Burrow Jamar Chasing Company, well I'm not gonna do that, and I'll take the Bengals to win the division for a third straight year. I think it's going to be tough, though, because I really do think this is the best division
in football. I like all four rosters, and man, it's almost a shame because I think in a lot of divisions. These teams could push for division titles, and at least one of these teams is going to be on the outside looking in in January when the playoffs.
Ro all around.
I think we both agree it would be nice to see some of the balance of power go back to the NFC, because this conference is so dang good man, Like you can have like you can have like seven teams that make the playoffs, and you can say, I can see each one of those teams going to the super Bowl, and that just never happens, like usually your six and seven seed. It's like, Okay, they got in. It's a fun story, but they don't have a chance
to compete against the top teams in the conference. But man, it's seven, eight, nine teams deep at this point in the AFC.
So crazy stuff.
And this d AFC North could be one of the pivotal ones in the division or in the conference, I should say, in terms of how the playoffs get the termine this year.
James, thank you so much for your time today.
Man, can you tell us what you're working on what the folks can look forward to in terms of Bengals coverage this summer.
I will just so Dolphins fans don't crush me. I have the AFC East second. I think they're right there too, which shows the strength of the conference. To your point, I mean, it's absolutely loaded this summer covering all things Bengals. There really is no offseason, Travis, as you know, and so Allbengals dot Com. We're still doing the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Plenty of good interviews coming up. We have multiple coaches coming on this summer to discuss the offseason and preview
the year. So a lot of stuff and if you're looking for more, I'm also on YouTube Cincinnati Bengals Talk. So you're right, I'm all things Bengals all the time.
Oh.
I love it and also enjoy that prospect you guys have out there on the baseball team as well.
He's been fun to watch last couple of days.
Ellie da La cruz Man. He says he's the fastest man on the planet. I'm not going to debate him. He can fly.
Tyreek my eyes, I'm gonna say about that. He likes to get in those debates as well. That's he kind of reminds me of Julio Rodriguez man, Like it's fun when you get those young prospects in baseball, they can kind of lift an entire organization. So enjoy it while you have it. And James again, thank you for your time today.
Man.
We really appreciate it.
Of course, thanks for having me.
And there he goes James Rapine from All Bengals and Lockdown Bengals. Very helpful to get him on here with all of his expansive knowledge and coverage of that division over the last handful of years. All right, we're gonna go ahead and get out of here. Enjoy your holiday everybody. July fourth tomorrow. We'll come back with you guys on Thursday to breakdown the NFC North and here from Dolphins offensive lineman Rob Hunt. That's on July the sixth. Until then,
that's gonna be my time you all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
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