February 10, 2026 • 41 mins
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic and The Growler Podcast joined us to discuss his ten-step plan for getting the Bengals back to the Super Bowl.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's your chance to win one thousand dollars. Just entered
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it now you done?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Hi, it is awesome outside. Finally, finally the snow is melting,
the sun is out. It's still gonna get really really
cold because it's only February to tenth, but sign me
up for it. What's up? Muleger, ESPN fifteen thirty. Thank
you for listening. Hopefully your Tuesday is going great. Ours
is because our guy, Paul Dayner Junior is here on
(00:35):
Twitter at Paul Dayner Junior, writing and covering the Bengals
for the Athletic where he has his ten step plan
to get the Bengals back to the super Bowl, which
you may have heard is in Los Angeles next year.
You could read that at the Athletic dot com. We're
going to reference that often today. Also host of the
Growler podcast. The latest episode is else. Paul and I
(00:55):
talked about the super Bowl parts of Paul's ten step
plan to get the Bangles back to the super Bowl.
So go and listen to that or watch that on YouTube.
Paul is here and as we did last week. We
are streaming this hour on Twitter just in the event
that that there are any sort of hidden surprises.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That's what I'm wondering, is that we're going to get
another set of surprises here like last week's, which was
I'm still kind of reeling from a little bit. I
walking in here having a little bit of a like, oh,
making nervous. But ye know, I appreciated I appreciated last week.
So I'm I'm fully ready. My head's on a swivel today. Okay,
you ready for anything? You never know. It's not normally
(01:34):
like that. Normally I feel like I've got a good
feel to expect. But it's good to create some discomfort.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And what we've done is we have planted the seed
in your head that now you never know what may happen,
and that puts you a little bit on edge.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But it's good. I'm uncomfortable around you.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Now there's a spawn. Get in line. Spontaneity is what
we like. We do have to talk about the tenth step.
By the way I printed it, us are printed last year's.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Oh, he went back to last year's last year's I
feel really good about yes. For a couple of different reasons.
I felt vindicated by the ones that didn't happen should
and and that you saw good things come from the
ones that did happen. So I've I liked going through
last year's and I when I double checked on it.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
We talked about the Super Bowl on the Growler podcast,
and so I don't think there's a ton of need
to spend a lot of time on it. But I'll
just ask you one basic question about that game. Does
the AFC stink?
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I don't understand how this happened went from like the
embarrassment of quarterback riches yea too, this is the product, Yeah,
this is this is this is what they're putting forward
right now. I think there was a number of different things.
So I mean, in a world where I don't think
it's stinks, you still have the quarterbacks. I don't know
(02:49):
how to explain what happened with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson,
and Patrick Mahomes all in the same year. But I
still think that I'll take the AFC and all of
those quarterbacks despite what this year turned out to be. Like,
I think over the course of time, that's gonna play
itself out. But it's wild to see that New England
team be the representative and see how stark the difference
(03:13):
was between them and what was happening. But I would
say similarly, and I know that some of the Rams
games obviously were very close. In the NFC, the NFC
was pretty stacked, but like I felt like all year,
especially that's tail end of the season, I mean, the
Rams and the Seahawks were really above.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yes, everyone everybody felt like the NFC championship game was.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And it was yeah. I mean, Eagles Bears, they were,
they were fun, but they had clear problems. Those two
teams just felt like, man, these got this is it,
this is the class of the NFL. There was a
pretty tier significant tear drop. So but yeah, I just
think it's one of those weird years where it happens.
I don't think DFC is dead. I don't think it's stinks.
I think it's totally over. I think those teams with
those elite quarterbacks will be fine. I mean, don't check
(03:55):
me on that next year, but I feel like that
I feel like I want to believe in great quarterback play.
I don't think that that's gone away. Despite what some
of the narratives.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I think the bigger takeaway for me about the Patriots
and the AFC is not so much that the conference stinks.
It's that a lot of times and everybody will talk
about the Super Bowl loser curse, right, but a lot
of times you look at a team like that that
felt like it was a head of schedule, but you go,
you know what, They've got their quarterback, they've got their coach.
Better times are ahead, And maybe that's the case for me.
(04:26):
I look at it and go because of some of
the deficiencies that bubble to the surface in the playoffs,
not just the Super Bowl for the Patriots combined with
some of those teams in the AFC are just naturally
going to be better because their quarterbacks are there. It
is really, really, really hard for me to imagine the
Patriots getting back to that game next season.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
No, and we do this. I track it much more now. Ever,
since this was the obvious narrative coming out of the
Bengal Super Bowl is ald they'll be back now. Granted
they were better and very close, but it just you
need so many things to go your way to get there,
even when you're great, and so the idea that like
these guys are definitely gonna get back. There's not any
real history that shows that that's gonna be the case,
(05:07):
and specifically with teams like this, and so I don't, Yeah,
I don't necessarily buy oh yeah, they'll they'll definitely be
back at all. I think there's a lot of things
that went right for them, and they're you know, I'm
gonna keep You're gonna keep betting on good teams with
good coaches and a good quarterback on a rookie contract,
like it's ultimate recipe for success. They'll be fine. But
(05:30):
getting back in this I just don't. I don't think
that Burrow Mahomes and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are
just gonna go quietly into the night, right. You know,
there's gonna be a lot that happens around them. Imagine
the Bills right now, Like think about Bengals. Fans have
their own. They've been dealing with the regret for a while. Yeah,
the Bills that were a call a throw whatever away
(05:52):
in Denver and you look at that and you had
Josh Allen and that team. It just has to make
you sick. And then you're firing the coach and you're
starting over, and they see if you're that close. It's
sort of the opposite. Reminds me of the opposite of
Ryan Day. Yeah, right, when he was on the brink
then put together the run where if Buffalo just gets
(06:12):
the bouncer or the call or whatever in Denver, Sean
mcdermot's Ryan Day brink of firing to Super Bowl right,
because it feels like it could have set up for
them that way. But alas he's very fired, very much so.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
All right, So on the Athletic dot Com, you have
the ten step path for the Bengals to get back
to Los Angeles. And there's a lot here and we're
not going to discuss all of it because I don't
want to give it all away, and we did talk
about a lot of it on the Growler today. But
I have an obligation to myself to milk as much
(06:47):
as I can out of Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
And so you know, I'm going there first. How can
there be any more milk? How is there still milk?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Oh, there's milk, milk, there's milk. Yeah. So part of
your part of your one of your steps is to
tag and trade, Yeah, Trey Hendrickson. And there is a
part of me that views this as a no brainer
because I do this very simple equation. This dude is
going to be one of the most coveted free agents.
Every list of best free agents has him close to
(07:18):
the top, So you got to think he's gonna have
a lot of suitors. If you're the Bengals, would you
prefer those suitors come to him or you? And I
prefer they come to me. So go ahead and tag him.
But the potential complications, many of which you outline, make
this less cut and dry than I want it to be.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, you you joked last week because I believe when
I was here you were like, oh, yeah, what's next
in your past rush series? I was like, oh, Part
twos on Trey Hendricks And You're like, what is that?
Like twenty words? And I was like, actually it was
eleven hundred. Because there is the complications and all of
the surrounding elements of this are important to outline, and
(07:59):
it's it's it's not easy. It's I think there's this
idea that like, oh, you've got a top free agent,
all right, tag him, trade him. It just happens like that.
There's a lot of other stuff. There's a lot of
things that can go wrong, and it's just not the
easiest thing to pull off. There's a reason there's only
been three of them in the last five years. Tag
and trades executed, and so it's it's not an easy
(08:21):
thing to do. I'm with you. I I think that's
you know. To me, it's assuming that there's this market
and you can execute it. And you because you now
have to work with him, you have to work with
his you have to work with you have to work
with his team. So I mean, you're going through his
agent that's gone, well, I don't see what the problem
would be. So and then you've got you've got to
(08:43):
find another team that's willing to meet them that what
they believe their number is. And maybe he finds that,
but maybe he doesn't. Then you need the Bengals to
find a team that meets whatever their trade demands are
going to be, which they can they find that are
they willing to come back on what that is and
and just say, well, as long as we're getting a
third this year instead of next year or whatever, we
(09:04):
can do it. There's a lot of reasons why yes,
if executed, it's better marginally, but it's a lot of
work to try to and a lot of things have
to fall in place to make it happen. You can,
you can pull it off. You also can just say
forget it and come back next year. I just think,
pull it off. Do it. He's there's gonna be a market,
(09:25):
there's gonna be a way to do it. Try to
pull it off, and you don't like to me, there's
also the element of you know, you don't have to
tag him at the very beginning of the window, right, like,
get all of this stuff arranged in the moment you
feel like, do we have everything in place? We do
tag trade and good, don't don't pigeonhole yourself to being
(09:47):
to being connected to him. And so to me, it's
is much more complicated than you would think. There's a
reason it doesn't happen. A lot that said it does
benefit them, it doesn't because there could be restrictions to
the and free agency if they're trying to worry about
that third round pick next year due to the whole
compic formula. That's very nebulous, right, So it's just a
(10:09):
cleaner thing if you can just do it, get the
pick this year, Hey, extra third round pick, that's a
big deal. Great, If you can do it. They should
be able to do it. Theoretically on paper, it sounds easy.
It's just a little harder to execute. But it would
be part of the plan.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
There would be no concern that he would go ahead
and sign the franchise tag.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Offer, well the thirty mil I mean, I mean sure
he could do that. I don't think he has any
thought of wanting to play here next year, right. He
wants a long term deal wherever someone's gonna get him one.
So I don't see a world where he would be like, hey,
I'm gonna really show them. Yeah, now I'm stuck because
(10:50):
you know what they'll say, Oh good, you're playing on
it right, you know? And I think internally there is
a you know, we're not going to sit here and
shut the door. We've seen crazy things happen here where
a guy all of a sudden wants to play and
plays great. And that's the worst case scenario of this
is that you get this, well, let's just force him
(11:10):
to play. It's the worst thing that could come out
of anything involving Trey Hendrickson going forward is the Bengals
essentially doing a version of running back last year. Let's
you are under the tag you have to play for us, right,
like just anything. But that is the answer here. I
think if there are marginal advantages you can get obviously
(11:35):
from pulling off this thing, but whatever you do, don't
let it turn into a recreation of some of the
stuff that went down last Does.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
The unwillingness, does the desire to ensure that you don't
recreate last year though, lessen his value if you're trying
to train.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Him, which I think is why in my opinion, you're
hearing some of the floating out now he could come back,
he could play. You have to at least create the illusion, right,
I mean that's part of where the leverage comes from.
I mean, inevitably a team is going to say this
is the guy we want, but you need multiple teams
(12:15):
to be out. There has to be a sense of
maybe he could come back to Cincinnati. And if that's
part of this process here, I think you at the
very least, even if there isn't any you have to
create the illusion of there being some chance that he
does stay and play or come back, or decide that's
where he wants to be.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I don't see that, but you know, I like to
a degree the idea of at least partially controlling where
he goes. If you're fearful that he's going to end
up in Baltimore, Yeah, if you're fearful that he's gonna
end up in I'm not sure how this would work
in Pittsburgh, then you could.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
You'd have a say in that. That's not awful. I mean,
if you were trying to operate out of spite, where
would you send where would you send him?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, I mean the team has to be interested. So
the pool of teams that would be interested. I can't
send him to I don't know. I can't send him
to the Jets because why would the Jets be interested
in Trey hendrickson Hutchinson Junior College.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Like I'm trying to think of places where they would
be like middle of nowhere, Kansas, right, Yeah, but yeah, no,
there's no I mean they're yeah, if a team is.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That, yeah, it's gonna be contending teams who are interested
in Trey hendricks Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I mean, and there's plenty of teams in the NFCA
that you would just ship him to. I'd love to
send him to the Arizona Cardinals and Posters. I mean,
there's the Bears and Niners. You know what some of
these teams are that have been traditionally willing. Trey Hendrickson
looks like a forty nine er, doesn't he. Yeah, he
looks like a forty nine er like Justin Smith, very similar, right,
and have the renaissance in the back end of his career. Yeah.
(13:45):
I think there's plenty of teams that you would be
willing to send them to where they would be multiple suitors.
It's just a matter of executing it. And I think
they're weighing that that decision still that is not decided.
They have They have plenty of time to figure all.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Right, there's another one of these steps that we have
to talk about when we come back. Go read the
piece at the Athletic dot Com. Paul Danner Juniors here
till four o'clock. By the way, we're we're streaming. We're
broadcasting this hour on Twitter. You could watch this. The
top of Paul's head is cut off. We might have
to rectify.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
There you go. Now there's the top of your head.
Look at that. That's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It is nineteen at Moeger on Twitter. Nineteen after three o'clock.
Jordan Bishel, the UC baseball coach at four oh five.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Stuart W.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Penrose, attorney from the Manila Law Group at four to
thirty five on a whole bunch of sports legal issues,
including former Red yes Elpwig it looks like he might
get a federal prison for a bit. And we'll go
to good Year and chat with our friend Pat Brennan.
Red's are conducting physicals today as the first workout is
first official workout is tomorrow. It's twenty after three o'clock
(14:49):
on Moleger. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station
fifteen thirty Moegar with our guy Paul Danner Junior from
The Athletic and the Growler podcast. I tweeted out, by
the way, a link to Paul's ten ten ten step
path for the Bengals to get back to the super
Bowl and you can read it at the Athletic dot com.
(15:10):
And we're streaming this hour on Twitter, so you could.
We've fixed the camera so the top of your head
is nolal, don't touch the camera.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Plan I'm not.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
It's a very flimsy. It's very it's a whimsy camera,
but that's a it's a better shot of you. We
had that the top of your head was cut off.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
It's not. I mean, it's helpful for me as a
bald man. I don't mind. You know, people can pretend
that I have hair. I pretend I have hair all
the time. Yeah. Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
One more from your your ten step plan here because
I I I I break from you a little bit
with step number seven. Okay, set up for true best
player available at ten.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
And the argument there is, look, if the best player
is a wide receiver, take them and okay, that's fine.
But if that's the case, then don't you just trade down.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
If someone wants to come up. This is not a
draft where I see a lot of people want to
come up, right, I mean it's just a yeah. I
mean maybe there's always I mean, there's always maybe a chance.
I just think the likelihood of someone coming up in
a draft that's not top heavy, that doesn't have as
many blue Ship stars and maybe maybe you are. Maybe
(16:23):
somebody wants a receiver that bad and they would come
up for that guy that you're not going to take.
My point is not necessarily that they take a receiver.
It's they need to set themselves up to have that.
That's the most glaring example, because there's such a reference
to last year where they really felt pigeonholed in the
draft in the early rounds in particular to have to
hit these boxes, whereas you're just only going to be
(16:46):
in the top ten, so often get the job done
correctly at the positions of need, the starting level, positions
of serviceability, uh in free agency, so that you come
into ten and you're just finding somebody that can be
a playmaker. So if it's probably less receiver, you know,
tackles interesting, I take receiver and quarterback off right. I
(17:10):
I mean I would probably bock up running back. But
I understand people making the love argument if he was there.
But like, corner corner very much on for me, Yeah,
Like I don't. I just feel like, even if you
get deals done with Hill and that's a big if, yeah,
I mean you still need depth. I mean, I more
guys that can cover the better sure, And I I
(17:30):
just feel like it's if that's where the best player is.
I mean, how many years do you not need your
fourth corner or your third corner? And plus those guys
are you know, you're trying to get deals done with them,
but will you I just you know, there's there's no
assurances in that. And if you feel like that's the
best player, I think that's on the table. It's it's
(17:53):
positionally it would be a it would fall off and
then it would lose a tiebreaker to a tackle or
anybody on you know, the defensive line or whatever. But
it's if that's clearly the best player, I think you
would you would consider it. And there's a couple of
guys there that have made sense in the various mock
drafts and stuff that we have pre free agency. Yeah, tackle,
(18:15):
I mean certainly offensive tackle I think would be in
play for me there. Yeah, there's just only so many
times you can get a real guy. You're talking about
protecting Joe Burrow Rancher in the last year of Orlando Brown.
You know you need depth anyway, Like all of those things,
It's a makes sense pick for a good organization. And
if you take care of yourself, you know, you eat
(18:38):
your veggies in free agency, right. Yeah, Charlie and I
talked about this the other week. Could say it's it's
got to be a veggies free agency. You've got to
take care of all that so when you hit the
draft you can do the fun things that now you
can play with, whether it would be Caleb downs or
or a tackle or other things that can be very
beneficial that weren't necessarily on your radar. You can take
(18:59):
in to the equationnaire because you did everything you needed
to do at the basics of your defense. In free agency,
I like.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
To imagine a world where the Bengals take a wide
receiver just so I can enjoy the chaos, because I
enjoy chaos, and I just it would be fun to
sit back and watch everybody react to that, even if
that player were the best available and you could use
the logic of hey, you know, the idea is to
take the best available guy, so that that sounds fun
to me. But like what, let's say it's because of
how free agency unfolds that the priority in the draft
(19:31):
would be still defensive tackle. Right, let's just say that
that's the case. How far would the gap have to
be between that wide receiver at ten and the next
best defensive tackle for them to say we're not taking
the defensive tackle, we're taking the wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Probably two levels. I mean, I think you know you're
gonna if you have.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
And you could also throw a linebacker I'm just using
that position as a.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean, I think receiver is certainly one that
would be a multi. If you had a receiver and
you their defensive tackle, who's you know, one C, and
then a receiver who's one A. I don't you know, right,
I don't know, it's a. It's a hard one. That's
that's where you're like, I could see it. I could
see it either way, because I mean, you know, there's
nothing wrong. He's on the field. He's a player for
(20:18):
Joe Burrow. Yeah, and sure, if every team's gonna come
out and play double double against you go win fifty
five to fifty four. I guess.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
I just I think it would be hilarious to watch
people wrap their brains around. So let me get this straight.
You have Jamar Chase and T Higgins, and you had
a historically bad defense for much of the season, and
you use the tenth overall pick on a white album.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I mean it again, it would it would have
to be a pretty sizeable gap. I will I can't
imagine it. Especially. I just I don't see a world
where there's not another defensive option, you know, I mean,
there's human Like again, we talked about the corners. But
I mean I can name off ten guys right now
that I would have above any receiver. So it's there's
(20:58):
gonna be somebody if you really want to go on
the defensive side of ball, and you may be taking
a less premium position depending on how you view. I mean,
I think I'm not really putting Caleb Downs in the
safety mold because it's a different player. Yeah, but you
know there's linebackers. You can even talk about the running
back there. You can talk about the corners, all of
this stuff, Like all of those you would have way
(21:19):
above any of.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
The res If they've already signed Kobe Bryant, how will
that inform what they do if Caleb Downs is there.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I don't necessarily think a lot because you know the stars.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Well, I can get the two things I want the most.
You can get Kobe Bryant and Caleb Down.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
And now your fun And now the idea would then
be Caleb Downs is your Emon Worry or Kyle Hamilton.
This slot safety role that has become a huge thing
in the NFL right now as teams try to counter
what the offenses are doing. And you saw that across
all these really good defenses and the Bengals really love
the concept of that player. There are just not a
(21:58):
lot of players capable of pulling that position off properly.
You have to be pretty special, like even where he was,
or like Kyle Hamilton is. I mean, these are these
are top of the draft type players, elite skill sets.
Caleb Downs is that, and you can construct if that
ends up being your pick. I mean, you can have Okay,
(22:18):
Jordan Battle and Kobe Bryant are our safeties going into
the season. And again this fits my whole point. Yeah,
you have set yourself up where if Caleb Downs is there, Okay, yes,
now we can have some fun with this defense and
put him into that role and let everybody we can
rework some things on the fly as we go in
in next season and have a little bit more of
(22:39):
that aspect of that slot safety position with him as
an instinctual closer to the box guy like that makes
a ton of sense. But you've got to you don't
want to feel forced to need him to play regular
safety or whatever you have. It's better if you just
have all of those already in place. So I think
it fit. What you're talking about actually fits exactly what
(23:00):
you would want it to be for Cale D.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I have more questions based on this. Plus we have
to complain about the Hall of Fame some more. No,
of course, it's great. The results came out since you've
been here. Don't worry. We're not going to get get
results the Hall of Fame results on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
You were here Thursday, you were here Tuesday. I thought
you met like something new just came out. Oh no, no, no,
no no.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Since you were last year, we found out that Willie
Anderson and Can Anderson are not getting into to Campton,
not getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And
we what we do is we talk about things that
have happened since your last visit.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Man, you talk about milk uh huh. I mean we
are straight to the milk well today between Hall of
Fame and Trey Hendrickson, we are playing I've got it.
This is the Eagles Reunion Tour. The Super Bowl is
of the fourteenth.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
The Hall of Fame class next year comes out on
the eleventh, on February twelfth. Already know my topic next
year a year away. It is twenty seven away from
four o'clock. He's Paul Danner Junior. I'm Oeger. This is
ESPN fifteen thirty and Edie Sports Station, not just talk.
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This is sports with soul, sweat and swagger. Tony Pike,
Sincy three sixty Tomorrow at twelve noon on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
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five between Montgomery Road and seventy one northbound seventy five.
Three right lanes blocked from an accident between the Monroe
and Middletown exit. I'm at Ezelic with traffic.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
This report is sponsored.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Sports Headlines are a service at Kelsey Chevrolet, home of
Lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family
viewers for Life kelseyshow dot com reds are going through
physicals the pitchers and catchers and other players who have reported,
and they'll have a workout tomorrow. The first Cactus League
game is going to be on February the twenty first.
(25:11):
You know what you should watch or listen to his
Power Stacks podcast.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
That's right, it's awesome. It is with Charlie Goldsmith and
Brian ge Charlie's like embedded out there. That's a notebook.
He's got the notebook. He's out there for the duration.
He's already writing about Hunter Green, which made me happy.
Deep in it. They've got They had Auhano Suarez episode
right after that happened, and then they have a new
one from the pitchers and catchers reporting and pitching and
(25:36):
catching yesterday, clubhouse sound, all of that stuff, and you
know they're the best. It's an awesome show.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
At the Winter Olympics in Cortino, Milan, the Canadian women's
goaltender is a tomato can and the US is crushing her.
It's for nothing us in the second period, five minutes
to go.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
We needed this. We do need this because I gotta
say I was just enthralled with curling. We were talking
about this off there. I really do like I'm a
big fan. I was watching the Corries all week, drinding
out a bunch of wins, getting themselves to the gold
medal game. They narrowly lost to Swedeen, a team that
they you know, they just couldn't they didn't have their number.
(26:18):
But a great run for them. But I've just really
wanted to gold for them. But it was fun. It's
it's good to watch. It's fun to watch. Every single
curling match comes down to like one centimeter on the
last throw. They pretty much consistently good. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
I had curling on and here yesterday and what I
noticed is pretty much every curler looks the same, regardless
of country, regardless of where they're from.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
What I love is when they were pulling. They play
all the matches like simultaneously, because they're all like in
a line like shuffleboard courts, and if you're watching, it
would sound on it's very quiet in the arenas. It
kind of almost treated golfle like, and then from like
two courts over over, you'll just hear like some Swedish yelling.
(27:07):
You just hear screaming in the dissits. It's very off putting.
It's very concerning, but anyway, not very good. Yeah, sorry
for nothing.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
The US leads Canada in a preliminary round battle in
women's hockey. Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic and The
Growler podcast. Your tenth item is extend DJ Turner and
Dax Hill before camp. Can that happen before the draft?
I know the likelihood of that happening, but that can
(27:37):
that happen? Could happen today?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Right? It could?
Speaker 3 (27:40):
So Like if you want to go into the draft
with the most amount of information possible, you get those
guys done. I know that typically isn't how they've done things. Yes,
I agree with you. I just think.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
My drop dead deadline on it would be training camp
us to avoid all the distraction stuff that's been a problem.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Ideally, no chance that happens, no chance, no chance that happens.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I don't. I don't love the chance. No, no chance
that happens. I feel like we're definitely we're holding in,
we're holding out, We're we're hat watching, We're we're doing
we're doing it like September eighth, right when the first
game is late, right, it's yeah, the fourteenth, I believe,
or we're gonna be We're gonna be in that that
(28:30):
weekend before the first game, where like, is he gonna sign,
what's gonna happen. Is he gonna play? It feels like
you could end up in that in that area certainly,
but it would be lovely. I think we're all involved
if they could come to an agreement right before training
camp starts. Here you go, these are your guys built
around him.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
You're right, there are also extension conversations to be had
with Chase Brown and Miles Murphy, and we should see
where they go. But there's more reason to let those
play out than with the corners. Beyond him playing running back.
What are the reasons to let them play out with Chase?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Well, you still got the running back franchise tag, which
is a lower number than most of the other ones.
I mean, if you're talking about franchise tagging, say DJ
turr R like, that's a much bigger number that you're
dealing with. Then there's better value. And if you had
to do that with Chase, you'd be more willing to
do that with him. Paying running backs generally is a
different conversation than paying a number one shutdown corner, So
(29:28):
you know you're having different conversations there, and even an
eddresher like like Miles or whatever, that would look like.
I love the idea of paying Chase Brown, But if
you get down to it, I think that's the one
that falls off. Probably there's ways to keep him here
and still get a deal done after after this season.
(29:49):
But you love Chase Brown like I. He has done
everything the right way and been about it, and you
hope that you could get something done with him. But yeah,
I don't know that it has to happen right now
with him. Whereas I think you'd much more. The urgency
just feels higher, specifically with the corners. Item number six.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Don't skimp on backup QB in parentheses or lose Joe
Flacco's number.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
How deep is the pool of viable candidates of backup quarterbacks?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, I mean there's like legitimate dudes. Yeah, I mean
guys that have played had success and you feel comfortable
with the Garoppolos of the world. Yeah, they're out there.
I mean there's there's there's certainly more than a few
that'll be in that range. You know who could be Oh, yes,
you know where I'm going. Number fourteen, the red rifle,
why not? Why not? He could? He could very easily
(30:39):
be let go In Carolina, they've kind of got their
guy and why not tie a bow on be awesome?
Andy Dalton is the backup quarterback.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Like, here's the thing. Andy Dalton is what thirty seven? Yeah,
so he's not exactly young, but he's younger than Joe Flacco,
younger than Phili Rivers, younger than Philip Rivers, and so,
like we, I have become and I've said this to you,
any enormous Joe Flacco fan, Like, I don't know who
I should credit this to, but I watched a clip
of him on social media last week talking about, you know,
(31:10):
just the amount of contact the quarterbacks take. Now, when
he got Clark, it was it was terrific, and I
should have listened to the entire interview. But like I
just I'm a huge fan. But he's also no longer
and has it at his athletic peak. Right. The reasons
why you brought him here were be a quick study.
Well I don't need that anymore. I need somebody who
might be a little bit better. Andy Dalton is probably
(31:31):
a better quarterback than Joe Flacco right now. So shouldn't
I be looking for the best possible player at that
position for.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
The same range. Yeah, I mean, it's not dramatic dramatic.
I mean he would be a start. I think most
of these guys are in a very similar similar model
and that the flat I mean the Flacco thing, and
we've talked through it. It's his situation is very could
end up any number of directions, Like I don't know
if there's a team that would consider him a bridge
quarterback or or not. Maybe maybe. I mean, he was
(32:00):
a Pro Bowler, so that's true. He's coming off for
someone can add a Pro Bowl quarterback? Was Andy Bowler?
This year?
Speaker 3 (32:07):
This year has been a Pro Bowl. Okay, I'm sure
he didn't. He wasn't in the I didn't watch the pass.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Okay, yeah, but yeah, no, I think, uh, there's a
there are a number of those guys that I think
there that would fit the bill of you know, just
don't don't turn this into oh, we'll just have a
couple of draft pick guys, yeah, and battle it out
or pull Trevor Simeon out of the hot tub or
(32:32):
whatever to come play here, like whatever. That is so
pad of miss me with that cross des ridder off,
I think you're gonna cross if he wants to coun compete,
probably crossing him off.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Is there a scenario though, where they could they could
look for the next version of what Jake Browning was
a guy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
That How did Jake Browning get here though? I mean
he was a third quarter, but he's a practice squad
guy way up Matt not to be next year's backup,
but but to be a guy that they go down
the road that's going to be our backup. So we're
not suck looking for old guys every year. They need
to be looking for competition for Sean Clifford right now,
right or whatever?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I mean, that's the Pro Bowl this year passed. Okay, Yeah,
so I think you're I think that's what it is,
whether it's whether that's a Day three pick, whether that's whatever.
I mean, you know, I there's somebody to be had
there that you can bring them in and see what
they develop. But for the number two, for Joe Burrow's backup,
it's an important position, okay. So yes, have it taken
(33:34):
care of by by a real guy, not that Jake
brown You felt like it was in a good position
and you never know, it didn't work out. It didn't
work out with Jae Brown and you thought it would have.
You thought you were in a great position there, but
I w you want to feel more solid about the
backup to Joe just because of some of the injury
history that you've obviously had recently.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
What was the reaction last Thursday night when you saw
that neither Willie Anderson or Ken Anderson is going to
get to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in twenty
twenty six.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
This is just continues to be sad. I'm not surprised.
He just continues to be sad. This institution has kind
of done this to two people that don't really deserve it.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Should I assume that like it's never gonna happen, specifically
for Ken.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
It feels that way. I mean that's and that was
the impetus of the entire thing that ended up happening
with Craft and with Belichick was those people making in
that room. The fifty voters knew these seniors don't get in,
They're not probably getting in, and so that took precedence
(34:38):
over everything. It was vote to three seniors because the
Belichick and Craft, guess what, they're gonna be Hall of famers, Yes,
guess what, Ken Anderson and Roger Quig does get in,
But else Greenwood are never gonna be probably if they
don't get in here Hall of Famers. And so the
(34:58):
focus on getting this ten years in was important to
a decent wide enough swath of the voting group to
keep it from going, you know, in Kenyon, but Kenny
Belichick and Crafts direction, and it's unfortunate. It just feels
like this is it for him. Willie, I still think
he's gonna get in. Yeah, it feels like the door
(35:20):
is open with Ken. How many times has this guy
got to be a finalist? Right?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Like, I just Ken seventy six years old. It's ridiculous
and we've gone through this so many times. I felt
I felt awful for both. I felt an immense amount
of sadness for Ken and his family because that felt like,
and I hope to God I am wrong about this.
That felt like the door being shut. Maybe it's not,
(35:46):
but because of how this played out, the glimmer of
hope was no Belichick, no Craft, and then it still
didn't result in Kenny getting in. So why am I
believe that suddenly it's going to change.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Because they're potentially going to change the rules. I mean,
they're they're this is going to have a ripple effect
significant with albohall votes changes that need to be made.
Whether that's I would assume much more than just going
back to being in person and later, which is some
of the early indications of things that we've heard. But
(36:19):
it's going to have to get into a reevaluation. Stop
putting the coaches and contributors with the seniors. They don't
make these adition be competing against each other. And what
is it hurting to get one more deserving senior player
in the abyss of deserving senior players in It's just
not hurting anything. And I don't understand this idea that
(36:39):
came out a couple of years ago that that would oh,
that's it's ruining the What are you talking? Put these
deserving players in that somebody who is an MVP with
four passing titles and been to the Super Bowl and
all this other stuff like what what are what are we?
What are we talking about? And so that stuff. I
just think the pendulum then swings back the other way
(37:05):
from wherever for whatever reason, it went the other way before.
In terms of trying to restrict how many people are
coming after you have these back to back small classes
where hardly anybody of all the deserving candidates gets in
that is, and then the Belichick and Craft thing together
combines to major changes I would assume coming from the Hall.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, I just I kind of just threw my hands
up last Thursday night and went like, I should not
be surprised by this, And then as I just thought
about it late on Thursday and for much of the
day on Friday, I just I said this to you
last week. I'm done over inflating the Hall of Fame's importance.
I don't need it as a barometer to measure either
(37:44):
guy's greatness or the greatness of anybody. But I want
it badly for both. I want it badly for what
it would mean to them and to just and a
lot of fans of a lot of players will make
the same argument. But these are guys who play for
the team that I care about their personally, men that
we've had on the show and have been very gracious
(38:05):
to us. And I think there are important parts of
this franchise is fabric and they're both deserving, and for
them to be denied, I just I feel so bad
for them, and I just I'm not to the point
that I'm not expecting a different outcome. I'm not expecting
it for Kenny, and I am now very skeptical that
(38:25):
we'll get a different outcome for Willie.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yeah. I mean, like I said, I don't know how
many times someone has to be a finalist and right
on the doorstep. I mean, and he's auto finalists for
next year because he was in the final seven again
just like he was last year and left out and
it's just, you know, it's I'm out of rants. Since
(38:47):
I've started covering the league and understanding the Hall of
Fame voting, it has been off. It's just been mind
blowing to me. And it continues to be that. And
I don't even know, you know, until you see some
kind of change, I don't really know why you would
expect it to be any different than it's been. And
it's a hard it's an extra hard road for somebody
like Willy, I mean, an anonymous position in an anonymous market,
(39:11):
on a team that didn't win enough, even though you
were truly great, the best right tackle of your generation,
and you just have to keep watching over and over
again of all these other people get in. That is
that is hard. But watch watch the knock videos, right,
and so they can all say Oh it doesn't you know,
it doesn't mean that much to me, or of course,
(39:33):
of course you see what getting this right the impact
has how much it really means when you see Roger
Craig's reaction when it finally happens. If all of these
yea good for him by the way, yes, And it's
not about it like there should be more people that
should be able to have that feeling that are deserving
and not less, and especially those that are uniquely deserving
(39:54):
like Willy and Kenny are.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
They should have like a different series where like someone
like me knocks on canon or door with a twelve pack,
it's like Ken, sorry, dude, sorry, it's let's put these
back though. Man, I know you're a Hall of Famer.
That should be like, hey, you didn't make the Hall,
but somebody's gonna come over to your house, yeah and
knock back a twelve pack with you, yeah, or whatever
your favorite livation is, and then they'll just kind of
(40:18):
do that for you. And I would do that for
Ken Anderson. I honestly, if you know anything about Ken any more.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Than twelve yeah, yeah, well you could always you can
always show up with the case yule keg. Yeah, it's
always possible. Ken, we got a guy unload the truck.
He's sorry anyway.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Read Paul Danner Junior's twelve step path to getting the
bengals back to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I can add to. And then you got last year's too,
which you linked to on this year. Yeah, that's right,
you can read both. How'd you think I did good? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:51):
If they would have done this, you would be covering
a parade today, which is what I said last year. Yes,
if they would have just printed this out like I
did and said, okay, check check, you had them cutting ginostone.
So that's all I really cared about.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
I tried.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Paul Danner Junior toth Athletic dot Com. Listen to the
latest edition of The Growler podcast. Could also'll watch it
on YouTube. You see baseball coach Jordan Bischell joins us
in ten minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC
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(41:43):
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Here's your chance to win one thousand dollars. Just entered
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it now you done?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Hi, it is awesome outside. Finally, finally the snow is melting,
the sun is out. It's still gonna get really really
cold because it's only February to tenth, but sign me
up for it. What's up? Muleger, ESPN fifteen thirty. Thank
you for listening. Hopefully your Tuesday is going great. Ours
is because our guy, Paul Dayner Junior is here on
(00:35):
Twitter at Paul Dayner Junior, writing and covering the Bengals
for the Athletic where he has his ten step plan
to get the Bengals back to the super Bowl, which
you may have heard is in Los Angeles next year.
You could read that at the Athletic dot com. We're
going to reference that often today. Also host of the
Growler podcast. The latest episode is else. Paul and I
(00:55):
talked about the super Bowl parts of Paul's ten step
plan to get the Bangles back to the super Bowl.
So go and listen to that or watch that on YouTube.
Paul is here and as we did last week. We
are streaming this hour on Twitter just in the event
that that there are any sort of hidden surprises.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
That's what I'm wondering, is that we're going to get
another set of surprises here like last week's, which was
I'm still kind of reeling from a little bit. I
walking in here having a little bit of a like, oh,
making nervous. But ye know, I appreciated I appreciated last week.
So I'm I'm fully ready. My head's on a swivel today. Okay,
you ready for anything? You never know. It's not normally
(01:34):
like that. Normally I feel like I've got a good
feel to expect. But it's good to create some discomfort.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And what we've done is we have planted the seed
in your head that now you never know what may happen,
and that puts you a little bit on edge.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But it's good. I'm uncomfortable around you.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Now there's a spawn. Get in line. Spontaneity is what
we like. We do have to talk about the tenth step.
By the way I printed it, us are printed last year's.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Oh, he went back to last year's last year's I
feel really good about yes. For a couple of different reasons.
I felt vindicated by the ones that didn't happen should
and and that you saw good things come from the
ones that did happen. So I've I liked going through
last year's and I when I double checked on it.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
We talked about the Super Bowl on the Growler podcast,
and so I don't think there's a ton of need
to spend a lot of time on it. But I'll
just ask you one basic question about that game. Does
the AFC stink?
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I don't understand how this happened went from like the
embarrassment of quarterback riches yea too, this is the product, Yeah,
this is this is this is what they're putting forward
right now. I think there was a number of different things.
So I mean, in a world where I don't think
it's stinks, you still have the quarterbacks. I don't know
(02:49):
how to explain what happened with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson,
and Patrick Mahomes all in the same year. But I
still think that I'll take the AFC and all of
those quarterbacks despite what this year turned out to be. Like,
I think over the course of time, that's gonna play
itself out. But it's wild to see that New England
team be the representative and see how stark the difference
(03:13):
was between them and what was happening. But I would
say similarly, and I know that some of the Rams
games obviously were very close. In the NFC, the NFC
was pretty stacked, but like I felt like all year,
especially that's tail end of the season, I mean, the
Rams and the Seahawks were really above.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yes, everyone everybody felt like the NFC championship game was.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And it was yeah. I mean, Eagles Bears, they were,
they were fun, but they had clear problems. Those two
teams just felt like, man, these got this is it,
this is the class of the NFL. There was a
pretty tier significant tear drop. So but yeah, I just
think it's one of those weird years where it happens.
I don't think DFC is dead. I don't think it's stinks.
I think it's totally over. I think those teams with
those elite quarterbacks will be fine. I mean, don't check
(03:55):
me on that next year, but I feel like that
I feel like I want to believe in great quarterback play.
I don't think that that's gone away. Despite what some
of the narratives.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I think the bigger takeaway for me about the Patriots
and the AFC is not so much that the conference stinks.
It's that a lot of times and everybody will talk
about the Super Bowl loser curse, right, but a lot
of times you look at a team like that that
felt like it was a head of schedule, but you go,
you know what, They've got their quarterback, they've got their coach.
Better times are ahead, And maybe that's the case for me.
(04:26):
I look at it and go because of some of
the deficiencies that bubble to the surface in the playoffs,
not just the Super Bowl for the Patriots combined with
some of those teams in the AFC are just naturally
going to be better because their quarterbacks are there. It
is really, really, really hard for me to imagine the
Patriots getting back to that game next season.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
No, and we do this. I track it much more now. Ever,
since this was the obvious narrative coming out of the
Bengal Super Bowl is ald they'll be back now. Granted
they were better and very close, but it just you
need so many things to go your way to get there,
even when you're great, and so the idea that like
these guys are definitely gonna get back. There's not any
real history that shows that that's gonna be the case,
(05:07):
and specifically with teams like this, and so I don't, Yeah,
I don't necessarily buy oh yeah, they'll they'll definitely be
back at all. I think there's a lot of things
that went right for them, and they're you know, I'm
gonna keep You're gonna keep betting on good teams with
good coaches and a good quarterback on a rookie contract,
like it's ultimate recipe for success. They'll be fine. But
(05:30):
getting back in this I just don't. I don't think
that Burrow Mahomes and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are
just gonna go quietly into the night, right. You know,
there's gonna be a lot that happens around them. Imagine
the Bills right now, Like think about Bengals. Fans have
their own. They've been dealing with the regret for a while. Yeah,
the Bills that were a call a throw whatever away
(05:52):
in Denver and you look at that and you had
Josh Allen and that team. It just has to make
you sick. And then you're firing the coach and you're
starting over, and they see if you're that close. It's
sort of the opposite. Reminds me of the opposite of
Ryan Day. Yeah, right, when he was on the brink
then put together the run where if Buffalo just gets
(06:12):
the bouncer or the call or whatever in Denver, Sean
mcdermot's Ryan Day brink of firing to Super Bowl right,
because it feels like it could have set up for
them that way. But alas he's very fired, very much so.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
All right, So on the Athletic dot Com, you have
the ten step path for the Bengals to get back
to Los Angeles. And there's a lot here and we're
not going to discuss all of it because I don't
want to give it all away, and we did talk
about a lot of it on the Growler today. But
I have an obligation to myself to milk as much
(06:47):
as I can out of Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
And so you know, I'm going there first. How can
there be any more milk? How is there still milk?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Oh, there's milk, milk, there's milk. Yeah. So part of
your part of your one of your steps is to
tag and trade, Yeah, Trey Hendrickson. And there is a
part of me that views this as a no brainer
because I do this very simple equation. This dude is
going to be one of the most coveted free agents.
Every list of best free agents has him close to
(07:18):
the top, So you got to think he's gonna have
a lot of suitors. If you're the Bengals, would you
prefer those suitors come to him or you? And I
prefer they come to me. So go ahead and tag him.
But the potential complications, many of which you outline, make
this less cut and dry than I want it to be.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, you you joked last week because I believe when
I was here you were like, oh, yeah, what's next
in your past rush series? I was like, oh, Part
twos on Trey Hendricks And You're like, what is that?
Like twenty words? And I was like, actually it was
eleven hundred. Because there is the complications and all of
the surrounding elements of this are important to outline, and
(07:59):
it's it's it's not easy. It's I think there's this
idea that like, oh, you've got a top free agent,
all right, tag him, trade him. It just happens like that.
There's a lot of other stuff. There's a lot of
things that can go wrong, and it's just not the
easiest thing to pull off. There's a reason there's only
been three of them in the last five years. Tag
and trades executed, and so it's it's not an easy
(08:21):
thing to do. I'm with you. I I think that's
you know. To me, it's assuming that there's this market
and you can execute it. And you because you now
have to work with him, you have to work with
his you have to work with you have to work
with his team. So I mean, you're going through his
agent that's gone, well, I don't see what the problem
would be. So and then you've got you've got to
(08:43):
find another team that's willing to meet them that what
they believe their number is. And maybe he finds that,
but maybe he doesn't. Then you need the Bengals to
find a team that meets whatever their trade demands are
going to be, which they can they find that are
they willing to come back on what that is and
and just say, well, as long as we're getting a
third this year instead of next year or whatever, we
(09:04):
can do it. There's a lot of reasons why yes,
if executed, it's better marginally, but it's a lot of
work to try to and a lot of things have
to fall in place to make it happen. You can,
you can pull it off. You also can just say
forget it and come back next year. I just think,
pull it off. Do it. He's there's gonna be a market,
(09:25):
there's gonna be a way to do it. Try to
pull it off, and you don't like to me, there's
also the element of you know, you don't have to
tag him at the very beginning of the window, right, like,
get all of this stuff arranged in the moment you
feel like, do we have everything in place? We do
tag trade and good, don't don't pigeonhole yourself to being
(09:47):
to being connected to him. And so to me, it's
is much more complicated than you would think. There's a
reason it doesn't happen. A lot that said it does
benefit them, it doesn't because there could be restrictions to
the and free agency if they're trying to worry about
that third round pick next year due to the whole
compic formula. That's very nebulous, right, So it's just a
(10:09):
cleaner thing if you can just do it, get the
pick this year, Hey, extra third round pick, that's a
big deal. Great, If you can do it. They should
be able to do it. Theoretically on paper, it sounds easy.
It's just a little harder to execute. But it would
be part of the plan.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
There would be no concern that he would go ahead
and sign the franchise tag.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Offer, well the thirty mil I mean, I mean sure
he could do that. I don't think he has any
thought of wanting to play here next year, right. He
wants a long term deal wherever someone's gonna get him one.
So I don't see a world where he would be like, hey,
I'm gonna really show them. Yeah, now I'm stuck because
(10:50):
you know what they'll say, Oh good, you're playing on
it right, you know? And I think internally there is
a you know, we're not going to sit here and
shut the door. We've seen crazy things happen here where
a guy all of a sudden wants to play and
plays great. And that's the worst case scenario of this
is that you get this, well, let's just force him
(11:10):
to play. It's the worst thing that could come out
of anything involving Trey Hendrickson going forward is the Bengals
essentially doing a version of running back last year. Let's
you are under the tag you have to play for us, right,
like just anything. But that is the answer here. I
think if there are marginal advantages you can get obviously
(11:35):
from pulling off this thing, but whatever you do, don't
let it turn into a recreation of some of the
stuff that went down last Does.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
The unwillingness, does the desire to ensure that you don't
recreate last year though, lessen his value if you're trying
to train.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Him, which I think is why in my opinion, you're
hearing some of the floating out now he could come back,
he could play. You have to at least create the illusion, right,
I mean that's part of where the leverage comes from.
I mean, inevitably a team is going to say this
is the guy we want, but you need multiple teams
(12:15):
to be out. There has to be a sense of
maybe he could come back to Cincinnati. And if that's
part of this process here, I think you at the
very least, even if there isn't any you have to
create the illusion of there being some chance that he
does stay and play or come back, or decide that's
where he wants to be.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I don't see that, but you know, I like to
a degree the idea of at least partially controlling where
he goes. If you're fearful that he's going to end
up in Baltimore, Yeah, if you're fearful that he's gonna
end up in I'm not sure how this would work
in Pittsburgh, then you could.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
You'd have a say in that. That's not awful. I mean,
if you were trying to operate out of spite, where
would you send where would you send him?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, I mean the team has to be interested. So
the pool of teams that would be interested. I can't
send him to I don't know. I can't send him
to the Jets because why would the Jets be interested
in Trey hendrickson Hutchinson Junior College.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Like I'm trying to think of places where they would
be like middle of nowhere, Kansas, right, Yeah, but yeah, no,
there's no I mean they're yeah, if a team is.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That, yeah, it's gonna be contending teams who are interested
in Trey hendricks Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I mean, and there's plenty of teams in the NFCA
that you would just ship him to. I'd love to
send him to the Arizona Cardinals and Posters. I mean,
there's the Bears and Niners. You know what some of
these teams are that have been traditionally willing. Trey Hendrickson
looks like a forty nine er, doesn't he. Yeah, he
looks like a forty nine er like Justin Smith, very similar, right,
and have the renaissance in the back end of his career. Yeah.
(13:45):
I think there's plenty of teams that you would be
willing to send them to where they would be multiple suitors.
It's just a matter of executing it. And I think
they're weighing that that decision still that is not decided.
They have They have plenty of time to figure all.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Right, there's another one of these steps that we have
to talk about when we come back. Go read the
piece at the Athletic dot Com. Paul Danner Juniors here
till four o'clock. By the way, we're we're streaming. We're
broadcasting this hour on Twitter. You could watch this. The
top of Paul's head is cut off. We might have
to rectify.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
There you go. Now there's the top of your head.
Look at that. That's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It is nineteen at Moeger on Twitter. Nineteen after three o'clock.
Jordan Bishel, the UC baseball coach at four oh five.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Stuart W.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Penrose, attorney from the Manila Law Group at four to
thirty five on a whole bunch of sports legal issues,
including former Red yes Elpwig it looks like he might
get a federal prison for a bit. And we'll go
to good Year and chat with our friend Pat Brennan.
Red's are conducting physicals today as the first workout is
first official workout is tomorrow. It's twenty after three o'clock
(14:49):
on Moleger. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station
fifteen thirty Moegar with our guy Paul Danner Junior from
The Athletic and the Growler podcast. I tweeted out, by
the way, a link to Paul's ten ten ten step
path for the Bengals to get back to the super
Bowl and you can read it at the Athletic dot com.
(15:10):
And we're streaming this hour on Twitter, so you could.
We've fixed the camera so the top of your head
is nolal, don't touch the camera.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Plan I'm not.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
It's a very flimsy. It's very it's a whimsy camera,
but that's a it's a better shot of you. We
had that the top of your head was cut off.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
It's not. I mean, it's helpful for me as a
bald man. I don't mind. You know, people can pretend
that I have hair. I pretend I have hair all
the time. Yeah. Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
One more from your your ten step plan here because
I I I I break from you a little bit
with step number seven. Okay, set up for true best
player available at ten.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
And the argument there is, look, if the best player
is a wide receiver, take them and okay, that's fine.
But if that's the case, then don't you just trade down.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
If someone wants to come up. This is not a
draft where I see a lot of people want to
come up, right, I mean it's just a yeah. I
mean maybe there's always I mean, there's always maybe a chance.
I just think the likelihood of someone coming up in
a draft that's not top heavy, that doesn't have as
many blue Ship stars and maybe maybe you are. Maybe
(16:23):
somebody wants a receiver that bad and they would come
up for that guy that you're not going to take.
My point is not necessarily that they take a receiver.
It's they need to set themselves up to have that.
That's the most glaring example, because there's such a reference
to last year where they really felt pigeonholed in the
draft in the early rounds in particular to have to
hit these boxes, whereas you're just only going to be
(16:46):
in the top ten, so often get the job done
correctly at the positions of need, the starting level, positions
of serviceability, uh in free agency, so that you come
into ten and you're just finding somebody that can be
a playmaker. So if it's probably less receiver, you know,
tackles interesting, I take receiver and quarterback off right. I
(17:10):
I mean I would probably bock up running back. But
I understand people making the love argument if he was there.
But like, corner corner very much on for me, Yeah,
Like I don't. I just feel like, even if you
get deals done with Hill and that's a big if, yeah,
I mean you still need depth. I mean, I more
guys that can cover the better sure, And I I
(17:30):
just feel like it's if that's where the best player is.
I mean, how many years do you not need your
fourth corner or your third corner? And plus those guys
are you know, you're trying to get deals done with them,
but will you I just you know, there's there's no
assurances in that. And if you feel like that's the
best player, I think that's on the table. It's it's
(17:53):
positionally it would be a it would fall off and
then it would lose a tiebreaker to a tackle or
anybody on you know, the defensive line or whatever. But
it's if that's clearly the best player, I think you
would you would consider it. And there's a couple of
guys there that have made sense in the various mock
drafts and stuff that we have pre free agency. Yeah, tackle,
(18:15):
I mean certainly offensive tackle I think would be in
play for me there. Yeah, there's just only so many
times you can get a real guy. You're talking about
protecting Joe Burrow Rancher in the last year of Orlando Brown.
You know you need depth anyway, Like all of those things,
It's a makes sense pick for a good organization. And
if you take care of yourself, you know, you eat
(18:38):
your veggies in free agency, right. Yeah, Charlie and I
talked about this the other week. Could say it's it's
got to be a veggies free agency. You've got to
take care of all that so when you hit the
draft you can do the fun things that now you
can play with, whether it would be Caleb downs or
or a tackle or other things that can be very
beneficial that weren't necessarily on your radar. You can take
(18:59):
in to the equationnaire because you did everything you needed
to do at the basics of your defense. In free agency,
I like.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
To imagine a world where the Bengals take a wide
receiver just so I can enjoy the chaos, because I
enjoy chaos, and I just it would be fun to
sit back and watch everybody react to that, even if
that player were the best available and you could use
the logic of hey, you know, the idea is to
take the best available guy, so that that sounds fun
to me. But like what, let's say it's because of
how free agency unfolds that the priority in the draft
(19:31):
would be still defensive tackle. Right, let's just say that
that's the case. How far would the gap have to
be between that wide receiver at ten and the next
best defensive tackle for them to say we're not taking
the defensive tackle, we're taking the wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Probably two levels. I mean, I think you know you're
gonna if you have.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
And you could also throw a linebacker I'm just using
that position as a.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean, I think receiver is certainly one that
would be a multi. If you had a receiver and
you their defensive tackle, who's you know, one C, and
then a receiver who's one A. I don't you know, right,
I don't know, it's a. It's a hard one. That's
that's where you're like, I could see it. I could
see it either way, because I mean, you know, there's
nothing wrong. He's on the field. He's a player for
(20:18):
Joe Burrow. Yeah, and sure, if every team's gonna come
out and play double double against you go win fifty
five to fifty four. I guess.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
I just I think it would be hilarious to watch
people wrap their brains around. So let me get this straight.
You have Jamar Chase and T Higgins, and you had
a historically bad defense for much of the season, and
you use the tenth overall pick on a white album.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Yeah, I mean it again, it would it would have
to be a pretty sizeable gap. I will I can't
imagine it. Especially. I just I don't see a world
where there's not another defensive option, you know, I mean,
there's human Like again, we talked about the corners. But
I mean I can name off ten guys right now
that I would have above any receiver. So it's there's
(20:58):
gonna be somebody if you really want to go on
the defensive side of ball, and you may be taking
a less premium position depending on how you view. I mean,
I think I'm not really putting Caleb Downs in the
safety mold because it's a different player. Yeah, but you
know there's linebackers. You can even talk about the running
back there. You can talk about the corners, all of
this stuff, Like all of those you would have way
(21:19):
above any of.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
The res If they've already signed Kobe Bryant, how will
that inform what they do if Caleb Downs is there.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I don't necessarily think a lot because you know the stars.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Well, I can get the two things I want the most.
You can get Kobe Bryant and Caleb Down.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
And now your fun And now the idea would then
be Caleb Downs is your Emon Worry or Kyle Hamilton.
This slot safety role that has become a huge thing
in the NFL right now as teams try to counter
what the offenses are doing. And you saw that across
all these really good defenses and the Bengals really love
the concept of that player. There are just not a
(21:58):
lot of players capable of pulling that position off properly.
You have to be pretty special, like even where he was,
or like Kyle Hamilton is. I mean, these are these
are top of the draft type players, elite skill sets.
Caleb Downs is that, and you can construct if that
ends up being your pick. I mean, you can have Okay,
(22:18):
Jordan Battle and Kobe Bryant are our safeties going into
the season. And again this fits my whole point. Yeah,
you have set yourself up where if Caleb Downs is there, Okay, yes,
now we can have some fun with this defense and
put him into that role and let everybody we can
rework some things on the fly as we go in
in next season and have a little bit more of
(22:39):
that aspect of that slot safety position with him as
an instinctual closer to the box guy like that makes
a ton of sense. But you've got to you don't
want to feel forced to need him to play regular
safety or whatever you have. It's better if you just
have all of those already in place. So I think
it fit. What you're talking about actually fits exactly what
(23:00):
you would want it to be for Cale D.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I have more questions based on this. Plus we have
to complain about the Hall of Fame some more. No,
of course, it's great. The results came out since you've
been here. Don't worry. We're not going to get get
results the Hall of Fame results on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
You were here Thursday, you were here Tuesday. I thought
you met like something new just came out. Oh no, no, no,
no no.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Since you were last year, we found out that Willie
Anderson and Can Anderson are not getting into to Campton,
not getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And
we what we do is we talk about things that
have happened since your last visit.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Man, you talk about milk uh huh. I mean we
are straight to the milk well today between Hall of
Fame and Trey Hendrickson, we are playing I've got it.
This is the Eagles Reunion Tour. The Super Bowl is
of the fourteenth.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
The Hall of Fame class next year comes out on
the eleventh, on February twelfth. Already know my topic next
year a year away. It is twenty seven away from
four o'clock. He's Paul Danner Junior. I'm Oeger. This is
ESPN fifteen thirty and Edie Sports Station, not just talk.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
This is sports with soul, sweat and swagger. Tony Pike,
Sincy three sixty Tomorrow at twelve noon on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
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(24:38):
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This report is sponsored.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Sports Headlines are a service at Kelsey Chevrolet, home of
Lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family
viewers for Life kelseyshow dot com reds are going through
physicals the pitchers and catchers and other players who have reported,
and they'll have a workout tomorrow. The first Cactus League
game is going to be on February the twenty first.
(25:11):
You know what you should watch or listen to his
Power Stacks podcast.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
That's right, it's awesome. It is with Charlie Goldsmith and
Brian ge Charlie's like embedded out there. That's a notebook.
He's got the notebook. He's out there for the duration.
He's already writing about Hunter Green, which made me happy.
Deep in it. They've got They had Auhano Suarez episode
right after that happened, and then they have a new
one from the pitchers and catchers reporting and pitching and
(25:36):
catching yesterday, clubhouse sound, all of that stuff, and you
know they're the best. It's an awesome show.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
At the Winter Olympics in Cortino, Milan, the Canadian women's
goaltender is a tomato can and the US is crushing her.
It's for nothing us in the second period, five minutes
to go.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
We needed this. We do need this because I gotta
say I was just enthralled with curling. We were talking
about this off there. I really do like I'm a
big fan. I was watching the Corries all week, drinding
out a bunch of wins, getting themselves to the gold
medal game. They narrowly lost to Swedeen, a team that
they you know, they just couldn't they didn't have their number.
(26:18):
But a great run for them. But I've just really
wanted to gold for them. But it was fun. It's
it's good to watch. It's fun to watch. Every single
curling match comes down to like one centimeter on the
last throw. They pretty much consistently good. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
I had curling on and here yesterday and what I
noticed is pretty much every curler looks the same, regardless
of country, regardless of where they're from.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
What I love is when they were pulling. They play
all the matches like simultaneously, because they're all like in
a line like shuffleboard courts, and if you're watching, it
would sound on it's very quiet in the arenas. It
kind of almost treated golfle like, and then from like
two courts over over, you'll just hear like some Swedish yelling.
(27:07):
You just hear screaming in the dissits. It's very off putting.
It's very concerning, but anyway, not very good. Yeah, sorry
for nothing.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
The US leads Canada in a preliminary round battle in
women's hockey. Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic and The
Growler podcast. Your tenth item is extend DJ Turner and
Dax Hill before camp. Can that happen before the draft?
I know the likelihood of that happening, but that can
(27:37):
that happen? Could happen today?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Right? It could?
Speaker 3 (27:40):
So Like if you want to go into the draft
with the most amount of information possible, you get those
guys done. I know that typically isn't how they've done things. Yes,
I agree with you. I just think.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
My drop dead deadline on it would be training camp
us to avoid all the distraction stuff that's been a problem.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Ideally, no chance that happens, no chance, no chance that happens.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I don't. I don't love the chance. No, no chance
that happens. I feel like we're definitely we're holding in,
we're holding out, We're we're hat watching, We're we're doing
we're doing it like September eighth, right when the first
game is late, right, it's yeah, the fourteenth, I believe,
or we're gonna be We're gonna be in that that
(28:30):
weekend before the first game, where like, is he gonna sign,
what's gonna happen. Is he gonna play? It feels like
you could end up in that in that area certainly,
but it would be lovely. I think we're all involved
if they could come to an agreement right before training
camp starts. Here you go, these are your guys built
around him.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
You're right, there are also extension conversations to be had
with Chase Brown and Miles Murphy, and we should see
where they go. But there's more reason to let those
play out than with the corners. Beyond him playing running back.
What are the reasons to let them play out with Chase?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Well, you still got the running back franchise tag, which
is a lower number than most of the other ones.
I mean, if you're talking about franchise tagging, say DJ
turr R like, that's a much bigger number that you're
dealing with. Then there's better value. And if you had
to do that with Chase, you'd be more willing to
do that with him. Paying running backs generally is a
different conversation than paying a number one shutdown corner, So
(29:28):
you know you're having different conversations there, and even an
eddresher like like Miles or whatever, that would look like.
I love the idea of paying Chase Brown, But if
you get down to it, I think that's the one
that falls off. Probably there's ways to keep him here
and still get a deal done after after this season.
(29:49):
But you love Chase Brown like I. He has done
everything the right way and been about it, and you
hope that you could get something done with him. But yeah,
I don't know that it has to happen right now
with him. Whereas I think you'd much more. The urgency
just feels higher, specifically with the corners. Item number six.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Don't skimp on backup QB in parentheses or lose Joe
Flacco's number.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
How deep is the pool of viable candidates of backup quarterbacks?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, I mean there's like legitimate dudes. Yeah, I mean
guys that have played had success and you feel comfortable
with the Garoppolos of the world. Yeah, they're out there.
I mean there's there's there's certainly more than a few
that'll be in that range. You know who could be Oh, yes,
you know where I'm going. Number fourteen, the red rifle,
why not? Why not? He could? He could very easily
(30:39):
be let go In Carolina, they've kind of got their
guy and why not tie a bow on be awesome?
Andy Dalton is the backup quarterback.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Like, here's the thing. Andy Dalton is what thirty seven? Yeah,
so he's not exactly young, but he's younger than Joe Flacco,
younger than Phili Rivers, younger than Philip Rivers, and so,
like we, I have become and I've said this to you,
any enormous Joe Flacco fan, Like, I don't know who
I should credit this to, but I watched a clip
of him on social media last week talking about, you know,
(31:10):
just the amount of contact the quarterbacks take. Now, when
he got Clark, it was it was terrific, and I
should have listened to the entire interview. But like I
just I'm a huge fan. But he's also no longer
and has it at his athletic peak. Right. The reasons
why you brought him here were be a quick study.
Well I don't need that anymore. I need somebody who
might be a little bit better. Andy Dalton is probably
(31:31):
a better quarterback than Joe Flacco right now. So shouldn't
I be looking for the best possible player at that
position for.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
The same range. Yeah, I mean, it's not dramatic dramatic.
I mean he would be a start. I think most
of these guys are in a very similar similar model
and that the flat I mean the Flacco thing, and
we've talked through it. It's his situation is very could
end up any number of directions, Like I don't know
if there's a team that would consider him a bridge
quarterback or or not. Maybe maybe. I mean, he was
(32:00):
a Pro Bowler, so that's true. He's coming off for
someone can add a Pro Bowl quarterback? Was Andy Bowler?
This year?
Speaker 3 (32:07):
This year has been a Pro Bowl. Okay, I'm sure
he didn't. He wasn't in the I didn't watch the pass.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Okay, yeah, but yeah, no, I think, uh, there's a
there are a number of those guys that I think
there that would fit the bill of you know, just
don't don't turn this into oh, we'll just have a
couple of draft pick guys, yeah, and battle it out
or pull Trevor Simeon out of the hot tub or
(32:32):
whatever to come play here, like whatever. That is so
pad of miss me with that cross des ridder off,
I think you're gonna cross if he wants to coun compete,
probably crossing him off.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Is there a scenario though, where they could they could
look for the next version of what Jake Browning was
a guy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
That How did Jake Browning get here though? I mean
he was a third quarter, but he's a practice squad
guy way up Matt not to be next year's backup,
but but to be a guy that they go down
the road that's going to be our backup. So we're
not suck looking for old guys every year. They need
to be looking for competition for Sean Clifford right now,
right or whatever?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I mean, that's the Pro Bowl this year passed. Okay, Yeah,
so I think you're I think that's what it is,
whether it's whether that's a Day three pick, whether that's whatever.
I mean, you know, I there's somebody to be had
there that you can bring them in and see what
they develop. But for the number two, for Joe Burrow's backup,
it's an important position, okay. So yes, have it taken
(33:34):
care of by by a real guy, not that Jake
brown You felt like it was in a good position
and you never know, it didn't work out. It didn't
work out with Jae Brown and you thought it would have.
You thought you were in a great position there, but
I w you want to feel more solid about the
backup to Joe just because of some of the injury
history that you've obviously had recently.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
What was the reaction last Thursday night when you saw
that neither Willie Anderson or Ken Anderson is going to
get to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in twenty
twenty six.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
This is just continues to be sad. I'm not surprised.
He just continues to be sad. This institution has kind
of done this to two people that don't really deserve it.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Should I assume that like it's never gonna happen, specifically
for Ken.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
It feels that way. I mean that's and that was
the impetus of the entire thing that ended up happening
with Craft and with Belichick was those people making in
that room. The fifty voters knew these seniors don't get in,
They're not probably getting in, and so that took precedence
(34:38):
over everything. It was vote to three seniors because the
Belichick and Craft, guess what, they're gonna be Hall of famers, Yes,
guess what, Ken Anderson and Roger Quig does get in,
But else Greenwood are never gonna be probably if they
don't get in here Hall of Famers. And so the
(34:58):
focus on getting this ten years in was important to
a decent wide enough swath of the voting group to
keep it from going, you know, in Kenyon, but Kenny
Belichick and Crafts direction, and it's unfortunate. It just feels
like this is it for him. Willie, I still think
he's gonna get in. Yeah, it feels like the door
(35:20):
is open with Ken. How many times has this guy
got to be a finalist? Right?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Like, I just Ken seventy six years old. It's ridiculous
and we've gone through this so many times. I felt
I felt awful for both. I felt an immense amount
of sadness for Ken and his family because that felt like,
and I hope to God I am wrong about this.
That felt like the door being shut. Maybe it's not,
(35:46):
but because of how this played out, the glimmer of
hope was no Belichick, no Craft, and then it still
didn't result in Kenny getting in. So why am I
believe that suddenly it's going to change.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Because they're potentially going to change the rules. I mean,
they're they're this is going to have a ripple effect
significant with albohall votes changes that need to be made.
Whether that's I would assume much more than just going
back to being in person and later, which is some
of the early indications of things that we've heard. But
(36:19):
it's going to have to get into a reevaluation. Stop
putting the coaches and contributors with the seniors. They don't
make these adition be competing against each other. And what
is it hurting to get one more deserving senior player
in the abyss of deserving senior players in It's just
not hurting anything. And I don't understand this idea that
(36:39):
came out a couple of years ago that that would oh,
that's it's ruining the What are you talking? Put these
deserving players in that somebody who is an MVP with
four passing titles and been to the Super Bowl and
all this other stuff like what what are what are we?
What are we talking about? And so that stuff. I
just think the pendulum then swings back the other way
(37:05):
from wherever for whatever reason, it went the other way before.
In terms of trying to restrict how many people are
coming after you have these back to back small classes
where hardly anybody of all the deserving candidates gets in
that is, and then the Belichick and Craft thing together
combines to major changes I would assume coming from the Hall.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, I just I kind of just threw my hands
up last Thursday night and went like, I should not
be surprised by this, And then as I just thought
about it late on Thursday and for much of the
day on Friday, I just I said this to you
last week. I'm done over inflating the Hall of Fame's importance.
I don't need it as a barometer to measure either
(37:44):
guy's greatness or the greatness of anybody. But I want
it badly for both. I want it badly for what
it would mean to them and to just and a
lot of fans of a lot of players will make
the same argument. But these are guys who play for
the team that I care about their personally, men that
we've had on the show and have been very gracious
(38:05):
to us. And I think there are important parts of
this franchise is fabric and they're both deserving, and for
them to be denied, I just I feel so bad
for them, and I just I'm not to the point
that I'm not expecting a different outcome. I'm not expecting
it for Kenny, and I am now very skeptical that
(38:25):
we'll get a different outcome for Willie.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yeah. I mean, like I said, I don't know how
many times someone has to be a finalist and right
on the doorstep. I mean, and he's auto finalists for
next year because he was in the final seven again
just like he was last year and left out and
it's just, you know, it's I'm out of rants. Since
(38:47):
I've started covering the league and understanding the Hall of
Fame voting, it has been off. It's just been mind
blowing to me. And it continues to be that. And
I don't even know, you know, until you see some
kind of change, I don't really know why you would
expect it to be any different than it's been. And
it's a hard it's an extra hard road for somebody
like Willy, I mean, an anonymous position in an anonymous market,
(39:11):
on a team that didn't win enough, even though you
were truly great, the best right tackle of your generation,
and you just have to keep watching over and over
again of all these other people get in. That is
that is hard. But watch watch the knock videos, right,
and so they can all say Oh it doesn't you know,
it doesn't mean that much to me, or of course,
(39:33):
of course you see what getting this right the impact
has how much it really means when you see Roger
Craig's reaction when it finally happens. If all of these
yea good for him by the way, yes, And it's
not about it like there should be more people that
should be able to have that feeling that are deserving
and not less, and especially those that are uniquely deserving
(39:54):
like Willy and Kenny are.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
They should have like a different series where like someone
like me knocks on canon or door with a twelve pack,
it's like Ken, sorry, dude, sorry, it's let's put these
back though. Man, I know you're a Hall of Famer.
That should be like, hey, you didn't make the Hall,
but somebody's gonna come over to your house, yeah and
knock back a twelve pack with you, yeah, or whatever
your favorite livation is, and then they'll just kind of
(40:18):
do that for you. And I would do that for
Ken Anderson. I honestly, if you know anything about Ken any more.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
Than twelve yeah, yeah, well you could always you can
always show up with the case yule keg. Yeah, it's
always possible. Ken, we got a guy unload the truck.
He's sorry anyway.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Read Paul Danner Junior's twelve step path to getting the
bengals back to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I can add to. And then you got last year's too,
which you linked to on this year. Yeah, that's right,
you can read both. How'd you think I did good? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:51):
If they would have done this, you would be covering
a parade today, which is what I said last year. Yes,
if they would have just printed this out like I
did and said, okay, check check, you had them cutting ginostone.
So that's all I really cared about.
Speaker 1 (41:04):
I tried.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Paul Danner Junior toth Athletic dot Com. Listen to the
latest edition of The Growler podcast. Could also'll watch it
on YouTube. You see baseball coach Jordan Bischell joins us
in ten minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center at the UC
Health Backneck and Spine Center. Spine care is never one
size fits all, from non surgical treatments to the most
complex cases. They've mastered what's best for you learn more
at UCHealth dot com. The center lane is blocked off
from an accident in Ohio. Long must bound two seventy
(41:43):
five between Montgomery Road and seventy one northbound seventy five.
Three right lanes blocked from an accident between the Monroe
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