August 27, 2024 • 19 mins
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic and The Growler Podcast joined us to talk about the Bengals on cutdown day, and much more.
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Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Down to fifty three players.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
So it's it's one of the more chaotic days that
we deal with, certainly one of the more chaotic days
that folks like Paul Dander Junior deal with. He is here,
So am I? So are you a malegar? This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. Thank you for listening. Paul is here,
and we have a billion things to discuss. He's gotta
(00:23):
fly and so Zach Taylor's going to talk at four fifteen.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We'll have that for you live.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Paul's got his job to do, so he is going
to bolt in just about thirty minutes. Todd Frazier is
going to be on this show a little bit later
on at three thirty five, and our hourly season preview
reports continued, Tony Pike is going to join us at
three forty five. We have a lot of ground to cover.
Paul is here. The Growler podcast Balds Don't Lie. I
(00:49):
think today on your podcast I talked about Jamar Chase
for the last time for quite a while.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Did you yeah, let's hope, Well, maybe don't hope. I
don't know. I don't know when and if there's something new.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
When there's something new to report, we will report you.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
When and if there's something new, I will discuss this
Sunday was the last piece of new business we've had,
so there's nothing else to say.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And some might argue the most important piece of business
down question, outside of him standing in front of us
tomorrow and being like, hey guys, yeah, I know, sorry
about all that.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I'm good though, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Mean nice to be back. Yeah that's that we haven't
heard from him yet. Sure, but yes, no, him being back,
being a full participant, we'll continuing to do so. No
you know, stiff knees, hurt back, tweaked foot, you know,
to try to pretend none of that's happening.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
All on the up and up.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Good news, the most important news probably that you've been
searching for in that situation for a while.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Right, So Jamara is back and if something new happens,
we'll discuss. I don't think we're going to spend any
time on him today because there is a lot going on.
There's a lot going on. We'll find out officially at
four o'clock with the Bengals have done. Do we want
to talk about what's kind of been leagued to what's
out there? That's fine, all right, So I think the
most significant thing for me is the Bengals kept the linebacker.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
They should keep big News.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think this was in you know,
to me, it's not even a surprise. And I don't
mean that because I mean, what is the guy we're
talking about? Yeah, moo Jong made Look what he did
in preseason was win a job.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I mean, and you watched him and you said there's
space for that guy.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, and they had a space linebacker anyway, Right, that's
the type of player you want. It's a type of
player that you have seen this franchise find over the years.
I can go through undrafted free agent linebackers that have
had very nice careers, whether it be focused on special
teams or giving you more a guy like Vinnie Ray,
you know, like it was an undrafted guy who ends
up staying in the building for a half a decade
(02:57):
and it is a contributor. I mean in different ways.
Vonte's perfic, but like you never know, and specific especially
at linebackers, seems like you can you can find guys
and he earned it. So you want to see that.
If guys come in and prove they belong, then they
should belong. That's the whole point, no matter drafted or not.
And that was to me, that was an easy one.
(03:18):
I thought it was kind of a layup decision. Yeah,
I did not even need the third preseason game.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
No, I'm midway through that game against the Bears, I'm
going like, yeah, there's room for that guy on this team.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Mm hmm, right, yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I mean certain guys, they just look like football players.
And the reviews, you know, when you go back to Wisconsin,
he was slow and maybe he didn't love the size,
But you go back to Wisconsin and I'm gonna guess
that Zach Taylor made a called old friend Luke Figgle,
and they'll they rave.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I mean, the guy's a football player.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
The guy understands it, he gets it, he's a leader,
he's all these things that you want a football player
to beat. And he comes here and well, I'll be
dog God, turns out he is a football player. Go figure, right,
I mean that's that All those types of things they play,
especially when you're looking for a position that is so
based on understanding the game and instincts and and understanding
(04:08):
how to win on special teams.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Has anything been reported or leaked that you're willing to
talk about now that you would deem surprising.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I don't know that there's anything. Is Trey Hill surprising.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That he's let go?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, I mean I remember saying I was in the
press box on Thursday night afterwards and we're all kind
of talking through our own fifty threes, and I'm like,
am I.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Really gonna put Trey Hill on this team?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And it's just because it just it didn't feel like
once Matt Lee was established as the backup center. You're saying,
why am I doing this? Like, I don't you don't
feel like you're gonna have a problem getting him onto
the practice squad. So if injuries happen, you have somebody
in the building, and that's really what this is all about.
And so if there's a surprise, I guess maybe that's one,
(05:01):
But I don't even really that was kind of a
could go either way on whatever they feel. Are they
just want to make sure they have that offensive line
depth or are they going to use those positions elsewhere?
And you know that's the one that it looks like
they're just going to use depth elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
As you have broken down the fifty three, what's the
most difficult decision.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
What the heck you're going to do with defensive tackle?
I mean we and and really all the defensive line
decisions beyond your you know, your big too deep because
you have the Miles Murphy and the McKinley Jackson decisions
on whether you're going to put them on ir return
and they missed the first four weeks, or you are
(05:41):
going to say, okay, well I think they can be
back by week three against Washington or week four? And
and what does that do? Does that open you up
to add? Are you know there? They have a couple
of guys. They brought in a guy like Carlos Davis.
Does he do enough He's played a little bit in
the league to just give you that big body run
stop or that you can put in there in a
(06:02):
few small situations as a sub package or be there
as a backup if you need it. You know, we
talked a lot about not having a replacement for DJ
Reader and they don't have certainly a body type replacement
for DJ Reader that's available to them right now. So
what are they going to do with those injuries? Who's
going to take over that defensive tackle spot? How aggressively
(06:22):
are they interested in filling that from other rosters. You know,
they didn't really get done what they hoped to get
done in free agency at that position. This is the
next time you kind of look back to that and say,
is there somebody they may be kind of reviewing in
free agency that became available, or is another team likes
(06:44):
a young guy and maybe he's available now to be acquired.
If you're willing to give up something, perhaps that's something.
How aggressive are they going to be to try to
secure that spot a little bit more or just go
with what they have and try to make pieces fit
and ease it together with band aids. Really, in the
short term, I think that room and how it all
(07:05):
shakes out is certainly kind of interesting to see how
where they land.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
You wrote about the Bengals extensive history of late summer trades.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Yeah, right, they don't. They don't really trade at all
except for on draft Day and really this weekend. Yeah,
this is this is when.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
They do it. Now's the time.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So based on that history and based on where they
could use some players from other teams, I mean, do
we do we think one could be in the offing?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah, I mean the one we've been talking about right,
I mean, and that the league's kind of talking about
a little bit now that it's Denver sort of put
it out there, Hey, we're trading p Ryan, which I
don't know there was a huge secret that that might
be where this lands.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Right, But are they gonna cut him by four o'clock?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Well, that's just it. I mean, it's it's our teams
willing to call their bluff. Okay, all right, and so
and say, yeah, well we know you're cutting them. I
don't believe another team's gonna trade for meinds me of
the Little Columns situation, remember where everyone's like, oh, they
got it, they got it, they should they should trade
for him. Yeah, And the Bangles were like, we don't
(08:10):
think anybody wants them but us. And so they sat
there and they waited, and they eventually ended up signing
as a free agent to a better deal and it
worked out great. And well the deal did because the
deal that they got him it worked out. Yeah. But
the bottom line is, you know, they they can sit
back and say, we don't think anybody is going to
(08:30):
get him, and we think that if he gets let go,
he'll want to come back here. And if that is,
if they believe that to be true, and that's the case,
they would do that and probably save themselves some coin
in the process because his contract is a decent size.
I mean, he's he counted four and a half mil
against the Denver cap, which is part of what He's
not going to be there anymore. So they're working on
(08:50):
what would be the best way to do that. But
I don't think there's any secret that they could use
him here, whether it would be just as a one
for one replacement for travy On Williams, or adding a
fourth running back to a room, which is a traditional
number that they have kept. They really only have three
right now, so you know, and you know he can
play on third downs. You know he can play in
two minutes. You know Joe Burrow trusts him, and so
(09:13):
those three things are huge boxes to check off, and
they can choose how they want to do it. For me,
I think they probably would just say one for one
of Travon and just still keep three running backs and
maybe keep Travon in the building on a practice squad.
But to be determined on how they view that, But
I think that's the the obvious trade that you could
see happening would be one to bring in.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
If it's not.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Sa Ryan is the running back, Trayvon Williams is the
third running back, Trayvon Williams Or is there anybody else
that you could you could imagine them bringing in assuming
they're available.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a there's more than
a few veteran running backs that have kind of been
thrown out there now and that you could see, Hey,
maybe they bring you value in the kicker turn game.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
You know, I'm gonna have to try to learn it
what Nawad.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Knew tried Minnesota understand, but you know, maybe you could
see somebody like that who was looked looked pretty like
he could be pretty fun as a returner in this
new news setup and could bring you that value and
and maybe bring you a little bit more as a
backup rningment that you could work in. I don't know,
maybe that's something that you're talking about looking and adding
(10:20):
somebody like that to the room or even to your
practice squad. But there's Matt, there's there's a there's a
number of veterans that are out there, so they could
I think they're going to be assessing that situation.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I think outside of Moss and Brown.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
They're open to about anything and they're looking so I
think that's a position you could you could see in
addition to or maybe Trevion Stage. But I think they
they would be very open to adding somebody else. Paul
Danner Jr. Covering the Bengals for the Athletic dot Com.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Also you could check out The Growler, the podcast he
does multiple times per week. We did a tired of
talking about Jamar Chase podcast today, Bald's Don't Lie.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, I yelled a little bit. You yelled a little bit.
You were animated. I liked that. Sorry, man, it was fun.
These things build. Oftentimes I'm the guy doing the yelling.
It was fun being kind of on the receiving end
of it. Yeah, It's just it was great. It was
time it was I could tell it was CATHARTI a
little bit. I was here for it.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Followed Paul on x at Paul Dayner Junior. He's here
for one more segment. Zach Taylor is going to talk
at four fifteen. We'll have that for you live. We
have a lot of ground to cover between now and six.
Tony Pike's gonna join us in thirty minutes. Spend a
few minutes chatting with Todd Frasier as well. At three
thirty five on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
From the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC Gardner
Neuroscience Institute, you can access the leading.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Cut down time cut Down Day, got to get the
roster down to fifty three. I went into the preseason
games wanting to focus on offensive line depth, and we
were going to see a lot of those guys and
I feel like from a pure depth perspective, it passed.
They passed with flying colors. Yeah, I liked a lot
(12:08):
of what I saw.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Boy talk about underrated, surprising storyline of the preseason, what started.
You were a little nervous after that first game, But
it turns out you just needed to switch a few
of those guys out, yes, and put a few of
the other guys in and your latest crop of Okay,
can you do it?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Turned out they can and they did it pretty well.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Jackson, Kirkland, Matt Lee, even Nate Gilliam if you're into
Nate Gilliam was giving you a lot of solid pass protection.
And they've you know, they have shifted into this body
type of these massive humans and that are big anchoring
pass protectors in a way from some of the other
(12:50):
types of body types that they kind of were.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean, they we know at this point, but.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I think it's showing itself where maybe you're getting some
players that better fit your system, utilizing it, running it,
and maybe it looks a little bit better. Specifically they
can pass protect and that's really the whole point here.
They're like, look, just can you just get more people
that can keep borrow upright like the rest of it?
Figure it out. Okay, if they can do both, that's cool,
(13:18):
but you better be able to do line one. And
you know, Kirkland Lee specifically as the two guys that
really asserted themselves, I think make you feel a lot
better about where that's out. I'm curious to see when
Frank Pollack sits down, you know, next Monday and lays
out the depth chart. Who would be now that you know,
(13:40):
if a Mariusmims obviously isn't back, whatever, where's Kirkland Is
he your first? Is he your swing tackle for the opener?
He might've earned that, Yeah, Like I think he played
well and Pollock really likes him or is he your
first guard. I mean, you know, Cody Ford sort of
had that spot we thought, but Kirkland has played well
(14:01):
enough to make maybe maybe he's next up, even at
guard where he was originally playing in the first place.
They were just kicking him out the tackle to check
for flexibility and because he had done it in college
and he did really well.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
So I'm curious to see how.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
They end up viewing that that group that's behind the starters,
and it may come to pass where that matters a
lot later in the season, but for now, really encouraging
stuff to see both of those guys where if somebody
goes down, at least you feel like you have some
pretty solid preseason tape you can look back on and say,
I think there's a chance that it doesn't fall apart.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So I like all that depth. I'm encouraged by that depth.
Should I should I feel okay about what's gonna happen
Week one, play one at.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right tackle, Yeah, I think so sure about that. I
think you made a face.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
You made a face before he gave me the answer
face people make when it's August and we're talking about
Trent Brown.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I mean, look, I yes, I think you should. I
think you should.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I think you should feel okay that by the time
you get young, we're still like ten days.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Right, Like, there's still plenty of time to get it going.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I feel like, is he gonna be able to get
through an entire game and be all the way up
ready to go? I wouldn't probably bet that he does
one hundred percent of the snaps.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Isn't that like the baseline sort of thing we're looking
for here? I get through the heads in the heat.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I mean, he's still been rotating with last we saw
YEA was still doing having to rotate out at the
end of some series, the last open practice, so that's part.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Of the process. So he's probably he's getting closer.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But I do think that you should feel okay about him,
and when he's in there, I think you should feel comfortable.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
He's kind of a bit of a proven commandity.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
I think you feel okay, he's got a track record
finishing the game is going to be the thing. But
you know, I think a lot of guys have that
in the first game too. He would be the first
on that list. Yeah, Okay, that might not have been
the most but it's inducing. But that's where I swear
to that.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You're just so giddy that like the nonsensical part of
the off season is over and we have football games
that you're just saying really nice things about everybody.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
I'm trying to, right, it's say nice things about everybody season,
because you know what happens in twelve days, right, we
don't say nice things about people as much.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We mostly, In fact, we'll probably focus on the things
that aren't as nice.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Do you believe the Bengals have screen passes that they
didn't use in that game against the Colts?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
How could there be more? There can't be? Yeah, I
think they've literally I think they've got a lot more.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Every conceivable screen pass that exists in an offensive playbook
had to be on display in that Bengals Colts game.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
What about well, first of all, you've got tight end screens. Yeah,
that I think that you could start to see a
little bit more of that. Right then, what about jumbo
tight end screen? You know whens is back, put memes
out there as the blocking tight end in position, put
him in motion to him.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh, sign me up for that, Yes, sign me up.
That's what I'm saying. That's what we I mean, not
not on like third and two, you know, in a
critical stage of the game. But if the options are
that or a shovel pass, you know what I'm taking.
I'm taking a Marius mems Marius shovel pass. What if
(17:24):
he comes in, I don't know. Man, that's too far. Yeah,
that's taking it a little bit too far.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
That's that's that's about only thing left on the screen
pass editing or floor at this point after last year.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, but I think they're going back to it.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
It's gonna be a big part of the offense sure,
as it should be, and it was in the second
half of the season.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Less it fails them. So so there is we have
like a minute here there.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
To me is what I'm maybe most interested in watching
unfolds starting a week from Sunday. Something you and I
have talked about a lot. The integration of what they
used to do on offense with Joe and the shotgun
and how they played toward the end of last season
and how they meshed everything this summer.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
What does that look like when the real games actually start.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, and we may only see a small portion of it,
because I do think it's gonna be a week to
week depending on the opponent type of thing. But I
do think you'll see more motion. I do think you'll
see more guys lining up in different spots. I do
think you'll see more of the screen game, or of
the under center game, all of that kind of little bit,
more of the bells and whistles, eye candy, utilizing guys
like Gisicky specifically where they're outside and they're inside and
(18:29):
just watching, trying to get matchups and obviously try to
utilize Jamar Chase into a favorable matchups as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, who is practicing and is with the team this year?
That's correct? Very good? All right, I know you have
a lot going on. Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Balds Don't Lie podcast today, the Growler podcast. And then
are you doing anything post cut down? Yeah, we'll have
something up. I'll I'll have something up in the morning
with Dave will kind of be reaction. We'll get everything
it went down today. Very good, and read his work
the Athletic dot Com. We'll see you next Tuesday, looking
forward to it. Yes, sir, it's uh three point thirty.
Todd Frasier joins us next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
(19:06):
Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic
Speaker 3 (19:12):
From the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC Gardner
Neuroscience Institute
Down to fifty three players.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
So it's it's one of the more chaotic days that
we deal with, certainly one of the more chaotic days
that folks like Paul Dander Junior deal with. He is here,
So am I? So are you a malegar? This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. Thank you for listening. Paul is here,
and we have a billion things to discuss. He's gotta
(00:23):
fly and so Zach Taylor's going to talk at four fifteen.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We'll have that for you live.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Paul's got his job to do, so he is going
to bolt in just about thirty minutes. Todd Frazier is
going to be on this show a little bit later
on at three thirty five, and our hourly season preview
reports continued, Tony Pike is going to join us at
three forty five. We have a lot of ground to cover.
Paul is here. The Growler podcast Balds Don't Lie. I
(00:49):
think today on your podcast I talked about Jamar Chase
for the last time for quite a while.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Did you yeah, let's hope, Well, maybe don't hope. I
don't know. I don't know when and if there's something new.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
When there's something new to report, we will report you.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
When and if there's something new, I will discuss this
Sunday was the last piece of new business we've had,
so there's nothing else to say.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And some might argue the most important piece of business
down question, outside of him standing in front of us
tomorrow and being like, hey guys, yeah, I know, sorry
about all that.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I'm good though, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Mean nice to be back. Yeah that's that we haven't
heard from him yet. Sure, but yes, no, him being back,
being a full participant, we'll continuing to do so. No
you know, stiff knees, hurt back, tweaked foot, you know,
to try to pretend none of that's happening.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
All on the up and up.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Good news, the most important news probably that you've been
searching for in that situation for a while.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Right, So Jamara is back and if something new happens,
we'll discuss. I don't think we're going to spend any
time on him today because there is a lot going on.
There's a lot going on. We'll find out officially at
four o'clock with the Bengals have done. Do we want
to talk about what's kind of been leagued to what's
out there? That's fine, all right, So I think the
most significant thing for me is the Bengals kept the linebacker.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
They should keep big News.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think this was in you know,
to me, it's not even a surprise. And I don't
mean that because I mean, what is the guy we're
talking about? Yeah, moo Jong made Look what he did
in preseason was win a job.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I mean, and you watched him and you said there's
space for that guy.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah, and they had a space linebacker anyway, Right, that's
the type of player you want. It's a type of
player that you have seen this franchise find over the years.
I can go through undrafted free agent linebackers that have
had very nice careers, whether it be focused on special
teams or giving you more a guy like Vinnie Ray,
you know, like it was an undrafted guy who ends
up staying in the building for a half a decade
(02:57):
and it is a contributor. I mean in different ways.
Vonte's perfic, but like you never know, and specific especially
at linebackers, seems like you can you can find guys
and he earned it. So you want to see that.
If guys come in and prove they belong, then they
should belong. That's the whole point, no matter drafted or not.
And that was to me, that was an easy one.
(03:18):
I thought it was kind of a layup decision. Yeah,
I did not even need the third preseason game.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
No, I'm midway through that game against the Bears, I'm
going like, yeah, there's room for that guy on this team.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Mm hmm, right, yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I mean certain guys, they just look like football players.
And the reviews, you know, when you go back to Wisconsin,
he was slow and maybe he didn't love the size,
But you go back to Wisconsin and I'm gonna guess
that Zach Taylor made a called old friend Luke Figgle,
and they'll they rave.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I mean, the guy's a football player.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
The guy understands it, he gets it, he's a leader,
he's all these things that you want a football player
to beat. And he comes here and well, I'll be
dog God, turns out he is a football player. Go figure, right,
I mean that's that All those types of things they play,
especially when you're looking for a position that is so
based on understanding the game and instincts and and understanding
(04:08):
how to win on special teams.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Has anything been reported or leaked that you're willing to
talk about now that you would deem surprising.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I don't know that there's anything. Is Trey Hill surprising.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That he's let go?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
No?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, I mean I remember saying I was in the
press box on Thursday night afterwards and we're all kind
of talking through our own fifty threes, and I'm like,
am I.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Really gonna put Trey Hill on this team?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
And it's just because it just it didn't feel like
once Matt Lee was established as the backup center. You're saying,
why am I doing this? Like, I don't you don't
feel like you're gonna have a problem getting him onto
the practice squad. So if injuries happen, you have somebody
in the building, and that's really what this is all about.
And so if there's a surprise, I guess maybe that's one,
(05:01):
But I don't even really that was kind of a
could go either way on whatever they feel. Are they
just want to make sure they have that offensive line
depth or are they going to use those positions elsewhere?
And you know that's the one that it looks like
they're just going to use depth elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
As you have broken down the fifty three, what's the
most difficult decision.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
What the heck you're going to do with defensive tackle?
I mean we and and really all the defensive line
decisions beyond your you know, your big too deep because
you have the Miles Murphy and the McKinley Jackson decisions
on whether you're going to put them on ir return
and they missed the first four weeks, or you are
(05:41):
going to say, okay, well I think they can be
back by week three against Washington or week four? And
and what does that do? Does that open you up
to add? Are you know there? They have a couple
of guys. They brought in a guy like Carlos Davis.
Does he do enough He's played a little bit in
the league to just give you that big body run
stop or that you can put in there in a
(06:02):
few small situations as a sub package or be there
as a backup if you need it. You know, we
talked a lot about not having a replacement for DJ
Reader and they don't have certainly a body type replacement
for DJ Reader that's available to them right now. So
what are they going to do with those injuries? Who's
going to take over that defensive tackle spot? How aggressively
(06:22):
are they interested in filling that from other rosters. You know,
they didn't really get done what they hoped to get
done in free agency at that position. This is the
next time you kind of look back to that and say,
is there somebody they may be kind of reviewing in
free agency that became available, or is another team likes
(06:44):
a young guy and maybe he's available now to be acquired.
If you're willing to give up something, perhaps that's something.
How aggressive are they going to be to try to
secure that spot a little bit more or just go
with what they have and try to make pieces fit
and ease it together with band aids. Really, in the
short term, I think that room and how it all
(07:05):
shakes out is certainly kind of interesting to see how
where they land.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
You wrote about the Bengals extensive history of late summer trades.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Yeah, right, they don't. They don't really trade at all
except for on draft Day and really this weekend. Yeah,
this is this is when.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
They do it. Now's the time.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So based on that history and based on where they
could use some players from other teams, I mean, do
we do we think one could be in the offing?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah, I mean the one we've been talking about right,
I mean, and that the league's kind of talking about
a little bit now that it's Denver sort of put
it out there, Hey, we're trading p Ryan, which I
don't know there was a huge secret that that might
be where this lands.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Right, But are they gonna cut him by four o'clock?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Well, that's just it. I mean, it's it's our teams
willing to call their bluff. Okay, all right, and so
and say, yeah, well we know you're cutting them. I
don't believe another team's gonna trade for meinds me of
the Little Columns situation, remember where everyone's like, oh, they
got it, they got it, they should they should trade
for him. Yeah, And the Bangles were like, we don't
(08:10):
think anybody wants them but us. And so they sat
there and they waited, and they eventually ended up signing
as a free agent to a better deal and it
worked out great. And well the deal did because the
deal that they got him it worked out. Yeah. But
the bottom line is, you know, they they can sit
back and say, we don't think anybody is going to
(08:30):
get him, and we think that if he gets let go,
he'll want to come back here. And if that is,
if they believe that to be true, and that's the case,
they would do that and probably save themselves some coin
in the process because his contract is a decent size.
I mean, he's he counted four and a half mil
against the Denver cap, which is part of what He's
not going to be there anymore. So they're working on
(08:50):
what would be the best way to do that. But
I don't think there's any secret that they could use
him here, whether it would be just as a one
for one replacement for travy On Williams, or adding a
fourth running back to a room, which is a traditional
number that they have kept. They really only have three
right now, so you know, and you know he can
play on third downs. You know he can play in
two minutes. You know Joe Burrow trusts him, and so
(09:13):
those three things are huge boxes to check off, and
they can choose how they want to do it. For me,
I think they probably would just say one for one
of Travon and just still keep three running backs and
maybe keep Travon in the building on a practice squad.
But to be determined on how they view that, But
I think that's the the obvious trade that you could
see happening would be one to bring in.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
If it's not.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Sa Ryan is the running back, Trayvon Williams is the
third running back, Trayvon Williams Or is there anybody else
that you could you could imagine them bringing in assuming
they're available.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a there's more than
a few veteran running backs that have kind of been
thrown out there now and that you could see, Hey,
maybe they bring you value in the kicker turn game.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
You know, I'm gonna have to try to learn it
what Nawad.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Knew tried Minnesota understand, but you know, maybe you could
see somebody like that who was looked looked pretty like
he could be pretty fun as a returner in this
new news setup and could bring you that value and
and maybe bring you a little bit more as a
backup rningment that you could work in. I don't know,
maybe that's something that you're talking about looking and adding
(10:20):
somebody like that to the room or even to your
practice squad. But there's Matt, there's there's a there's a
number of veterans that are out there, so they could
I think they're going to be assessing that situation.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I think outside of Moss and Brown.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
They're open to about anything and they're looking so I
think that's a position you could you could see in
addition to or maybe Trevion Stage. But I think they
they would be very open to adding somebody else. Paul
Danner Jr. Covering the Bengals for the Athletic dot Com.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Also you could check out The Growler, the podcast he
does multiple times per week. We did a tired of
talking about Jamar Chase podcast today, Bald's Don't Lie.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, I yelled a little bit. You yelled a little bit.
You were animated. I liked that. Sorry, man, it was fun.
These things build. Oftentimes I'm the guy doing the yelling.
It was fun being kind of on the receiving end
of it. Yeah, It's just it was great. It was
time it was I could tell it was CATHARTI a
little bit. I was here for it.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Followed Paul on x at Paul Dayner Junior. He's here
for one more segment. Zach Taylor is going to talk
at four fifteen. We'll have that for you live. We
have a lot of ground to cover between now and six.
Tony Pike's gonna join us in thirty minutes. Spend a
few minutes chatting with Todd Frasier as well. At three
thirty five on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
From the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC Gardner
Neuroscience Institute, you can access the leading.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Cut down time cut Down Day, got to get the
roster down to fifty three. I went into the preseason
games wanting to focus on offensive line depth, and we
were going to see a lot of those guys and
I feel like from a pure depth perspective, it passed.
They passed with flying colors. Yeah, I liked a lot
(12:08):
of what I saw.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Boy talk about underrated, surprising storyline of the preseason, what started.
You were a little nervous after that first game, But
it turns out you just needed to switch a few
of those guys out, yes, and put a few of
the other guys in and your latest crop of Okay,
can you do it?
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Turned out they can and they did it pretty well.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Jackson, Kirkland, Matt Lee, even Nate Gilliam if you're into
Nate Gilliam was giving you a lot of solid pass protection.
And they've you know, they have shifted into this body
type of these massive humans and that are big anchoring
pass protectors in a way from some of the other
(12:50):
types of body types that they kind of were.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean, they we know at this point, but.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I think it's showing itself where maybe you're getting some
players that better fit your system, utilizing it, running it,
and maybe it looks a little bit better. Specifically they
can pass protect and that's really the whole point here.
They're like, look, just can you just get more people
that can keep borrow upright like the rest of it?
Figure it out. Okay, if they can do both, that's cool,
(13:18):
but you better be able to do line one. And
you know, Kirkland Lee specifically as the two guys that
really asserted themselves, I think make you feel a lot
better about where that's out. I'm curious to see when
Frank Pollack sits down, you know, next Monday and lays
out the depth chart. Who would be now that you know,
(13:40):
if a Mariusmims obviously isn't back, whatever, where's Kirkland Is
he your first? Is he your swing tackle for the opener?
He might've earned that, Yeah, Like I think he played
well and Pollock really likes him or is he your
first guard. I mean, you know, Cody Ford sort of
had that spot we thought, but Kirkland has played well
(14:01):
enough to make maybe maybe he's next up, even at
guard where he was originally playing in the first place.
They were just kicking him out the tackle to check
for flexibility and because he had done it in college
and he did really well.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
So I'm curious to see how.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
They end up viewing that that group that's behind the starters,
and it may come to pass where that matters a
lot later in the season, but for now, really encouraging
stuff to see both of those guys where if somebody
goes down, at least you feel like you have some
pretty solid preseason tape you can look back on and say,
I think there's a chance that it doesn't fall apart.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So I like all that depth. I'm encouraged by that depth.
Should I should I feel okay about what's gonna happen
Week one, play one at.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right tackle, Yeah, I think so sure about that. I
think you made a face.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
You made a face before he gave me the answer
face people make when it's August and we're talking about
Trent Brown.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I mean, look, I yes, I think you should. I
think you should.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I think you should feel okay that by the time
you get young, we're still like ten days.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Right, Like, there's still plenty of time to get it going.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I feel like, is he gonna be able to get
through an entire game and be all the way up
ready to go? I wouldn't probably bet that he does
one hundred percent of the snaps.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Isn't that like the baseline sort of thing we're looking
for here? I get through the heads in the heat.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I mean, he's still been rotating with last we saw
YEA was still doing having to rotate out at the
end of some series, the last open practice, so that's part.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Of the process. So he's probably he's getting closer.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But I do think that you should feel okay about him,
and when he's in there, I think you should feel comfortable.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
He's kind of a bit of a proven commandity.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
I think you feel okay, he's got a track record
finishing the game is going to be the thing. But
you know, I think a lot of guys have that
in the first game too. He would be the first
on that list. Yeah, Okay, that might not have been
the most but it's inducing. But that's where I swear
to that.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You're just so giddy that like the nonsensical part of
the off season is over and we have football games
that you're just saying really nice things about everybody.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
I'm trying to, right, it's say nice things about everybody season,
because you know what happens in twelve days, right, we
don't say nice things about people as much.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
We mostly, In fact, we'll probably focus on the things
that aren't as nice.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Do you believe the Bengals have screen passes that they
didn't use in that game against the Colts?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
How could there be more? There can't be? Yeah, I
think they've literally I think they've got a lot more.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Every conceivable screen pass that exists in an offensive playbook
had to be on display in that Bengals Colts game.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
What about well, first of all, you've got tight end screens. Yeah,
that I think that you could start to see a
little bit more of that. Right then, what about jumbo
tight end screen? You know whens is back, put memes
out there as the blocking tight end in position, put
him in motion to him.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Oh, sign me up for that, Yes, sign me up.
That's what I'm saying. That's what we I mean, not
not on like third and two, you know, in a
critical stage of the game. But if the options are
that or a shovel pass, you know what I'm taking.
I'm taking a Marius mems Marius shovel pass. What if
(17:24):
he comes in, I don't know. Man, that's too far. Yeah,
that's taking it a little bit too far.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
That's that's that's about only thing left on the screen
pass editing or floor at this point after last year.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, but I think they're going back to it.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
It's gonna be a big part of the offense sure,
as it should be, and it was in the second
half of the season.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Less it fails them. So so there is we have
like a minute here there.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
To me is what I'm maybe most interested in watching
unfolds starting a week from Sunday. Something you and I
have talked about a lot. The integration of what they
used to do on offense with Joe and the shotgun
and how they played toward the end of last season
and how they meshed everything this summer.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
What does that look like when the real games actually start.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, and we may only see a small portion of it,
because I do think it's gonna be a week to
week depending on the opponent type of thing. But I
do think you'll see more motion. I do think you'll
see more guys lining up in different spots. I do
think you'll see more of the screen game, or of
the under center game, all of that kind of little bit,
more of the bells and whistles, eye candy, utilizing guys
like Gisicky specifically where they're outside and they're inside and
(18:29):
just watching, trying to get matchups and obviously try to
utilize Jamar Chase into a favorable matchups as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, who is practicing and is with the team this year?
That's correct? Very good? All right, I know you have
a lot going on. Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Balds Don't Lie podcast today, the Growler podcast. And then
are you doing anything post cut down? Yeah, we'll have
something up. I'll I'll have something up in the morning
with Dave will kind of be reaction. We'll get everything
it went down today. Very good, and read his work
the Athletic dot Com. We'll see you next Tuesday, looking
forward to it. Yes, sir, it's uh three point thirty.
Todd Frasier joins us next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
(19:06):
Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic
Speaker 3 (19:12):
From the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC Gardner
Neuroscience Institute
Mo Egger News
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