March 18, 2025 • 19 mins
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic and The Growler Podcast joined us after the happiest press conference of all-time to discuss the Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins extensions, Joe Burrow's role as Bengals GM, and what's next in free agency.
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Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Sure have what's up? Three after five ESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm Oeger, thank you so much for joining us. It
has been a busy, busy day. We carried for you
live the thirty minute press conference, but the Bengals put
on were Tie Higgins and Jamar Chase, as well as
Zach Taylor. Briefly talked with members of the local professional
(00:22):
football media, and in that bunch, our buddy Paul Danner
Junior from The Athletic and the Growler podcast. You talk
about busy, This dude has been a swamped and I'm
sure will only continue to be as the evening unfolds.
He is with us from the venue originally known as
Paul Brown Stadium. He's with us now, Hi Paul, Hi, Moe.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I'm great? That was the happiest press conference of all time?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, sure, yes, very.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I mean, what's what's not to like to incredibly likable,
easily investible best friends who are going to be the
face of your franchise along with their other third best friend,
Joe like that.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That's my takeaway.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
From something like that is if you're gonna overpay something,
if you're gonna say you know what, I don't. If
you're gonna extend yourself in some way, do it for
people like that? Yeah, Like, those are those people that
are all about the work and staying focused and talking
about winning championships, and they're they're young and humble and
(01:23):
generally good, you know, down.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
To earth people. Uh, you have no problem.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
You should have no problem saying, you know what, if
we're gonna go over the top with this, if we're
gonna be about something, be about those dudes.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Uh, those dudes tend to pay off. I. I like
how they talked about each other. I like how the
question was answered about the you know team being the
highest paid wide receiver number two, and jamar Er Jackson
goes one a like, it's it's fun to root for
those guys individually, But any sports fan to tell you
it's it's fun to root for guys who really seem
(01:58):
like they enjoy each other's coming. And like, you could
watch those two guys and not know anything about them
as players, not know anything about what they have accomplished individually,
not even know about the kind of money they were
signing for. And it's easy to be in a good
mood when you've just agreed to that kind of coin still,
like that was just that was neat to listen to.
That was just their dynamic with each other was just
neat to watch and listen to.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Here and you know what, this never happens if they're
not friends. Yeah, And there's no saying, look, bo, this
isn't the case with you. You love all your co workers,
of course, and you have nothing but friends across the
building there of course obviously, but not everybody likes all
their coworkers and you don't have to. And we've certainly
(02:40):
had coworkers that have been teammates in this building that
have very obviously not liked each other. That's okay, But
and there's no saying that has to feel different. This
is like true, like genuine friendship. That wasn't just like hey,
we're friends, I hope we play together, see you in
the summer or whatever. It's let's let's take the biggest
(03:01):
decision of our lives and make sure we work together
to make sure we stay together, because that is how
I want to experience my football career. Like that's a
it's a different level, and it comes across. I think
it genuinely comes across when when you just kind of
listen to the way they talk, the way they're, Like
you said the one A comment, they're protective of each other.
They they they they wanted to be clear that it's
(03:23):
not about anybody being better than anybody else, and it's
just about how they how they like to be together
on and off the field. And that again, it brings
me back to that same point as that type of thing.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That's it's it's it's what you invest in. It's what
you should be investing in, no matter what your business is.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, and I know I kind of went down this
road with you and Jay on the Growler yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
But like I've I've spent.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
The last year becoming more and more impressed by T Higgins.
And and not that I already wasn't and and not
that I wasn't aware of the kind of player that
he was. I I've watched every snap of his Bengals career,
But you know, to this degree you think about it
like he's he's always going to be tethered to Jamar Chase,
which is a very good player to be tethered to,
but like these are competitive guys, and so you know,
(04:10):
he goes through his rookie season, and I'm sure during
that year he's thinking like aj Green's going to be
gone and I'm going to be the man. And then
actually they take Jamar Chase and for most of the
last four years, Jamar has been the guy.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Tea has certainly had his moments.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It comes time for free agency and it's well, Jamar
is going to be the highest paid guy, the highest
paid non quarterback in the history of the NFL. Tea
is obviously not getting table scraps. But you have this moment.
This is for a lot of players, for a lot
of people. I want this to be my moment. I
want to answer the questions. I don't want to sit
there with a guy who plays my position. Oh and
by the way, is going to be making a significant
(04:47):
amount of money more than me. And yet the dude
was willing to do that, And to me, that exemplifies
how he has handled this entire process, and that's the
kind of guy I am happy to root for. And that,
to me has led the argument as to why you
would invest in this dude and bring him back and
keep him here, because you need people like that on
your football team.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
And it's the same way that he handled last year,
which was one of the most challenging off the field
in his life. I mean the way that he went
through all of that stuff with the tag and not
what he wanted and what's he gonna do and he
the trade request and all of that stuff, and to
come back and say, you know what, I'm gonna I'm
(05:25):
gonna bet on myself. But I'm not just gonna I'm
not gonna do it and be angry about it. I'm
gonna do it, and I'm gonna approach it like I'm
trying to have the best year of my life and
be about the right stuff and not complain and be
happy about what I have and be a better player.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
And what else can.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
You ask is you know what, what do we hear
all the time, Like every time someone is up at
one of these podiums, it's like, oh, just it's about
how we respond to adversity and what do we do
when we're chad, we're.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Down and challenged.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
And you hear this across all sports, but it's there's
there's truth to it. You know, you never really know
until you have players that go through that. And for
Tea to have gone through that and you see how
he handled it. Yeah, that I think that changed a lot.
We've talked a lot about how things changed between last
year and where you're at now with Tea. When he
(06:14):
went from it looked like he was probably going to
be gone where he's now back. I think that was
really probably an underdiscussed part of it, just the fact that.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
He handled it ideally the entire time.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And how do you sit there in the owner suite
and not say, man, that makes a difference, and that
means something to me, and that proved something to me.
And so when you have that, I think it was
a big part of what changed the entire dynamic. And yeah,
it also makes them a very easy person to root for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So today's press conference one of the more significant and
recent history. Do you know when the press conference will
be where Joe Burrow talks about the players he wants
the Bengals to draft next month?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I really, you know, we always before the draft.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
We usually they usually some sort of a session with
with Duke Tobin and he gets up and he talks
vaguely about draft picks with the hope of telling us nothing.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
I don't understand why we go through that rigamarole anymore.
Let's let's just show up there.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
He can point out to us who he thinks the
best players are, and maybe they'll just take all LSU players.
I don't know, but I think that feels like at
this point, just we can keep building these checklists of
people whose names come out of Burrow's mouth, and then
we just assume that we'll be talking to them soon.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You you wrote about Joe Burrow as general manager and
his role in all of this, which is, you know,
one of the major components of this entire story, and
it was acknowledged today during the press conference. You have
followed this team for a long time, and they've been
covering it for a while now. Has has anybody in
the history of the franchise had as much sway as
(07:50):
Joe Burrow has right now?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
No, No, not even close.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I mean, you know, this is a this is an
ownership that wraps its arms around the franchise and they
don't like to let people in and and that's for
good reason, and so and it's painful when they have
to do things like like giving the contract to Drie
in the first place, because they acknowledged they weren't just.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Giving him two hundred and seventy five million dollars. They
were given him power, they were.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Given him the ability to change everything, and as we know,
that's gone poorly here at once one time and when
a different number nine quarterback, and so that was a
hard thing to do. And I think he has kind
of earned their trust with it. But now when you
(08:41):
look at how he has understood quickly how to utilize
his power to work together. You know, I don't think
it's necessarily adversarial. It's trying to find a little bit
more of a middle ground and it works, and it's worked,
and yeah, there's never been a person and that's felt
(09:01):
like this where it's like, man, they can pretty much
get anything they want, whether we're talking about coaches or
other front office people or whatever. There's no doubt about it.
I mean, they are in the Joe Burrow business, and
it's a good business to be in. By the way,
It's been very good to them, so they're happy to
(09:24):
be in it now. But there is no doubt this
is a lot of new ground has been broken. And
when you go back to why a lot of new
ground has been broken over the last five years, mostly
because of Joe Burrow.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and so one of the things for me, and
this is I guess it's more of a common and
less than the question is. I'm kind of curious now
that Joe Burrow has this kind of pull how he
wields his power next and ideally the team is really
good and there's no real reason for him to wield power.
But I can't help but wonder like now that he
(09:57):
has exerted this amount of influence with this franchise in particular,
I think it's interesting to think about where he may
use it again.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Yeah, who knows.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I guess we'll all find out, right, I don't this
This feels like the big one though, And we say
that now and then we'll probably all be calling next
off season the biggest off season in Bengals history. Yes,
we always, we love to do that, but for that fact,
I mean, it's this has felt like really the big moment.
(10:28):
And maybe maybe there's other things that change or shake it,
but I mean, this has felt like the moment that
was like the inflection point.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Where you can choose two paths.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You said it perfectly on the podcast with me the
other day. The Bengals chose not to go to war,
and and they chose to let's let's go along with this.
And and I don't know that there's gonna be another
decision that's quite like that, but you know, if there is,
I can guess they'll probably go on his side again.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
What's next with Trey Hendrick?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
No, I'm not I'm not. I'm not giving you a break.
We have to turn the page almost immediately.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's nice, but press conference not good. Ink not dry.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
On the the hendricks On, the Higgins and Chase deals,
that's what's next.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Okay, what's next to Hendrickson?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I think I think both sides.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
I think both sides are looking at each other right now,
and it feels like they're saying, we're probably better off
together and we can make this happen. And I think
it's so much easier now with all the cards on
the table, which is really the entire idea was behind
the permission to seek a trade situation. Go find out
your worth. Let's know what that is. Go find out
(11:49):
the draft compensation. Let's find out what that is. Where
we have these big deals with the receivers done, we
know what that is. Everything is right there on the table.
So now sit down and figure out that number, and
I think both sides are leaning that direction. It's certainly
pointed that direction now after a free agency where they
didn't get anybody that would help compensate if they did
(12:11):
trade him away. I mean, if they were making the
trade now, it would hack to have an headdresher coming
back in return, which is what makes everything much more
complicated in terms of what you'd be talking about in dealing.
So it feels like it ends up back there and
probably gets done. But you know, you never want to
say anything indefinitives with that, because it's that one's been.
(12:32):
That one's been, the one that's since day one we've
talked about, has felt very much like the most fascinating
that could go in any direction.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
One of the things, I know you have a lot
going on. Earlier today, per your publication, the Athletic Major
League Baseball informed the Miami Marlins that they're not going
to be allowed to go ahead with a plan that
they had, which was to have a random people auditioned
for a practice squad to play against their single aid team,
and these guys would have made one hundred and fifty
dollars a day. Is that going to be the planet
(13:01):
guard for the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm guessing the NFL is weighing right now and to
see if they're gonna they're gonna allow it.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
We're not. We're not that far.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
We were we were kind of joking before the press
conference today that they were you were gonna hear some
sound and it's like, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That's Quentin Spain.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Oh no, no, no, you know, it's like, where where
are we right now with this? It feels like that's
that's that's kind of where it's trending towards at this point.
But yeah, no, I it feels dangerously close to that.
There's gonna be a lot of hoping and projecting that's
gonna happen with both guard positions at this point.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And that's that's a scary place to be when you're
talking about protecting everything.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
You just spend a bunch of time.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Paying Yeah, no question, all right, I know you have
a lot going on. We'll hopefully talk next week.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Thanks so much, look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That's our guy, Paul Dayner Junior, The Athletic and The
Growler Podcast to follow him on Twitter at Paul Dayer Junior.
Read his piece on Joe Burrow the GM at the
Athletic and catch the podcast because it is awesome. All Right,
we're I think we're done with guests. We're done with
press conferences. Now between now and six o'clock, just you
and I. Five point three seven four nine fifteen thirty
(14:19):
is our phone number. I do think that part of
the press conference where uh, Jamar and T talked about
one in one A and I think it was Marshall Kramsky,
In fact, I know it was from Channel nine asked
T Higgins about being the highest paid wide receiver too,
and Jamar Chase interjected and said one A like look man,
(14:40):
it's it's at the end of the day, all we
want them to do is win. They have some major obstacles.
They have a lot of work to do this offseason.
I am very concerned about the Planet Guard. I have
no idea how you let Trey Hendrickson get away and
expect the pass rush to be better. I am kind
of skeptical about the defense, like there's a lot to
has to happen. But I do think there's I think
(15:04):
there's something about having really good players who are easy
to root for, and I think Jamar Chase is easy
to root for. I think T Higgins is easy to
root for. I mean, you know, I said this to Paul,
and I know I've gone down this road before where
T Higgins over the last year or so has to
me at least, he's come off as really professional, really likable,
(15:29):
just by how he is handled the last year. You know,
go back a year ago when the Bengals franchise tag him.
You know, nobody's gonna feel sorry for a guy who,
all right, worst thing that happens is I make twenty
one million dollars. But I'm sure on some level that's disappointing.
You work really hard to be among the best at
(15:50):
your position, among the very best at your craft. You've
achieved free agency, or you're about to achieve free agency,
which is something you achieve. You have to play for
a long time in the NFL to do that. I know,
it just seems like four years. Four years in the
NFL is an eternity. You have defied the odds, and
then the rug gets pulled out from underneath you, and
(16:11):
not only do they franchise tag you, they really don't
negotiate with you. And because of that, a year ago,
a lot of us were wondering what's te gonna do?
Is he gonna is he gonna raise a stink? When's
he gonna sign the franchise tag?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
And he did.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
He did request a trade, but the trade request wasn't
a side show. It didn't take on a life of
its own.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It just it. He made the request.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
The Bengals obviously didn't honor it, and understandably so, and
then life went on. They they get him to sign
the franchise tag in June. Like this wasn't even close
to being a question when training camp started because t
Higgins eliminated it as an issue.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, I'm signing the tag. And then when he was
asked about.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It, he sounded grateful. Look, man, I'm gonna be twenty
one million dollars this year. I'm good.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The season starts, he plays his ass off. He authors
one of the most iconic moments of the season, maybe
the most iconic moment of the season, not that a
nine and eight year has that many iconic moments with
the two plays against the Denver Broncos. He handles every
question about his future like a pro. He doesn't hold in,
he doesn't hold out. He's at training camp, practice, he's
(17:26):
playing in preseason games, Like there's a lot to like
about that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And I know the dollars we're talking about here are
dollar figures that you and I cannot relate to.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
But still like, the dude handled himself like an absolute pro.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
And over this entire four year run, I said this
earlier T Higgins had to finish his rookie season or
go through his rookie season in twenty twenty when he
was really good. AJ Green was still on the team,
and I'm sure there's a part of him thinking, like, dude,
I'm gonna be the man. And then the next spring
they draft the man and Jamar Chase takes off and
(18:02):
he's a star. And even in this past year where
it's all about T Higgins proving himself, Jamar Chase turns
into the best wide receiver in the sport. And you
don't get a hint of jealousy, of envy, of any
of that from T Higgins today, Like today is a
monumental moment in his life. How many of us would
(18:24):
want to share it. How many of us would want
to share it sitting next to someone who's gonna be
paid even more?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
How many of us would do that? Human nature dictates.
Not many.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Like there's a part of all of us that would go,
oh man, I get a press conference, this is my moment.
The questions are about me instead.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Y'all sit here.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'll sit here next to a guy who plays the
same position and is gonna be making headlines for making
a lot more money than me. And again, T Higgins
financially is fine. I think that says something about the
guy I do. And at the end of the day,
you know, all we care about is whether or not
the team wins, regardless of who plays for it. It
(19:07):
makes it so much more fun when when the guys
you root for are easy people to root for. I
think I think Jamar Chase is I really think T
Higgins is. Twenty two minutes after five o'clock five point
three seven four nine, fifteen thirty is the phone number
we will get to some of your phone calls.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I do have a note about T higgins value.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
We have to talk about Joe Burrow's power and a
simple NCAA tournament request as well. All between now and
six on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati's esp
Fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Sure have what's up? Three after five ESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm Oeger, thank you so much for joining us. It
has been a busy, busy day. We carried for you
live the thirty minute press conference, but the Bengals put
on were Tie Higgins and Jamar Chase, as well as
Zach Taylor. Briefly talked with members of the local professional
(00:22):
football media, and in that bunch, our buddy Paul Danner
Junior from The Athletic and the Growler podcast. You talk
about busy, This dude has been a swamped and I'm
sure will only continue to be as the evening unfolds.
He is with us from the venue originally known as
Paul Brown Stadium. He's with us now, Hi Paul, Hi, Moe.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I'm great? That was the happiest press conference of all time?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, sure, yes, very.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I mean, what's what's not to like to incredibly likable,
easily investible best friends who are going to be the
face of your franchise along with their other third best friend,
Joe like that.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That's my takeaway.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
From something like that is if you're gonna overpay something,
if you're gonna say you know what, I don't. If
you're gonna extend yourself in some way, do it for
people like that? Yeah, Like, those are those people that
are all about the work and staying focused and talking
about winning championships, and they're they're young and humble and
(01:23):
generally good, you know, down.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
To earth people. Uh, you have no problem.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
You should have no problem saying, you know what, if
we're gonna go over the top with this, if we're
gonna be about something, be about those dudes.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Uh, those dudes tend to pay off. I. I like
how they talked about each other. I like how the
question was answered about the you know team being the
highest paid wide receiver number two, and jamar Er Jackson
goes one a like, it's it's fun to root for
those guys individually, But any sports fan to tell you
it's it's fun to root for guys who really seem
(01:58):
like they enjoy each other's coming. And like, you could
watch those two guys and not know anything about them
as players, not know anything about what they have accomplished individually,
not even know about the kind of money they were
signing for. And it's easy to be in a good
mood when you've just agreed to that kind of coin still,
like that was just that was neat to listen to.
That was just their dynamic with each other was just
neat to watch and listen to.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Here and you know what, this never happens if they're
not friends. Yeah, And there's no saying, look, bo, this
isn't the case with you. You love all your co workers,
of course, and you have nothing but friends across the
building there of course obviously, but not everybody likes all
their coworkers and you don't have to. And we've certainly
(02:40):
had coworkers that have been teammates in this building that
have very obviously not liked each other. That's okay, But
and there's no saying that has to feel different. This
is like true, like genuine friendship. That wasn't just like hey,
we're friends, I hope we play together, see you in
the summer or whatever. It's let's let's take the biggest
(03:01):
decision of our lives and make sure we work together
to make sure we stay together, because that is how
I want to experience my football career. Like that's a
it's a different level, and it comes across. I think
it genuinely comes across when when you just kind of
listen to the way they talk, the way they're, Like
you said the one A comment, they're protective of each other.
They they they they wanted to be clear that it's
(03:23):
not about anybody being better than anybody else, and it's
just about how they how they like to be together
on and off the field. And that again, it brings
me back to that same point as that type of thing.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That's it's it's it's what you invest in. It's what
you should be investing in, no matter what your business is.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, and I know I kind of went down this
road with you and Jay on the Growler yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
But like I've I've spent.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
The last year becoming more and more impressed by T Higgins.
And and not that I already wasn't and and not
that I wasn't aware of the kind of player that
he was. I I've watched every snap of his Bengals career,
But you know, to this degree you think about it
like he's he's always going to be tethered to Jamar Chase,
which is a very good player to be tethered to,
but like these are competitive guys, and so you know,
(04:10):
he goes through his rookie season, and I'm sure during
that year he's thinking like aj Green's going to be
gone and I'm going to be the man. And then
actually they take Jamar Chase and for most of the
last four years, Jamar has been the guy.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Tea has certainly had his moments.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It comes time for free agency and it's well, Jamar
is going to be the highest paid guy, the highest
paid non quarterback in the history of the NFL. Tea
is obviously not getting table scraps. But you have this moment.
This is for a lot of players, for a lot
of people. I want this to be my moment. I
want to answer the questions. I don't want to sit
there with a guy who plays my position. Oh and
by the way, is going to be making a significant
(04:47):
amount of money more than me. And yet the dude
was willing to do that, And to me, that exemplifies
how he has handled this entire process, and that's the
kind of guy I am happy to root for. And that,
to me has led the argument as to why you
would invest in this dude and bring him back and
keep him here, because you need people like that on
your football team.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
And it's the same way that he handled last year,
which was one of the most challenging off the field
in his life. I mean the way that he went
through all of that stuff with the tag and not
what he wanted and what's he gonna do and he
the trade request and all of that stuff, and to
come back and say, you know what, I'm gonna I'm
(05:25):
gonna bet on myself. But I'm not just gonna I'm
not gonna do it and be angry about it. I'm
gonna do it, and I'm gonna approach it like I'm
trying to have the best year of my life and
be about the right stuff and not complain and be
happy about what I have and be a better player.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
And what else can.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
You ask is you know what, what do we hear
all the time, Like every time someone is up at
one of these podiums, it's like, oh, just it's about
how we respond to adversity and what do we do
when we're chad, we're.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Down and challenged.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
And you hear this across all sports, but it's there's
there's truth to it. You know, you never really know
until you have players that go through that. And for
Tea to have gone through that and you see how
he handled it. Yeah, that I think that changed a lot.
We've talked a lot about how things changed between last
year and where you're at now with Tea. When he
(06:14):
went from it looked like he was probably going to
be gone where he's now back. I think that was
really probably an underdiscussed part of it, just the fact that.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
He handled it ideally the entire time.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
And how do you sit there in the owner suite
and not say, man, that makes a difference, and that
means something to me, and that proved something to me.
And so when you have that, I think it was
a big part of what changed the entire dynamic. And yeah,
it also makes them a very easy person to root for.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So today's press conference one of the more significant and
recent history. Do you know when the press conference will
be where Joe Burrow talks about the players he wants
the Bengals to draft next month?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I really, you know, we always before the draft.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
We usually they usually some sort of a session with
with Duke Tobin and he gets up and he talks
vaguely about draft picks with the hope of telling us nothing.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
I don't understand why we go through that rigamarole anymore.
Let's let's just show up there.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
He can point out to us who he thinks the
best players are, and maybe they'll just take all LSU players.
I don't know, but I think that feels like at
this point, just we can keep building these checklists of
people whose names come out of Burrow's mouth, and then
we just assume that we'll be talking to them soon.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You you wrote about Joe Burrow as general manager and
his role in all of this, which is, you know,
one of the major components of this entire story, and
it was acknowledged today during the press conference. You have
followed this team for a long time, and they've been
covering it for a while now. Has has anybody in
the history of the franchise had as much sway as
(07:50):
Joe Burrow has right now?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
No, No, not even close.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I mean, you know, this is a this is an
ownership that wraps its arms around the franchise and they
don't like to let people in and and that's for
good reason, and so and it's painful when they have
to do things like like giving the contract to Drie
in the first place, because they acknowledged they weren't just.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Giving him two hundred and seventy five million dollars. They
were given him power, they were.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Given him the ability to change everything, and as we know,
that's gone poorly here at once one time and when
a different number nine quarterback, and so that was a
hard thing to do. And I think he has kind
of earned their trust with it. But now when you
(08:41):
look at how he has understood quickly how to utilize
his power to work together. You know, I don't think
it's necessarily adversarial. It's trying to find a little bit
more of a middle ground and it works, and it's worked,
and yeah, there's never been a person and that's felt
(09:01):
like this where it's like, man, they can pretty much
get anything they want, whether we're talking about coaches or
other front office people or whatever. There's no doubt about it.
I mean, they are in the Joe Burrow business, and
it's a good business to be in. By the way,
It's been very good to them, so they're happy to
(09:24):
be in it now. But there is no doubt this
is a lot of new ground has been broken. And
when you go back to why a lot of new
ground has been broken over the last five years, mostly
because of Joe Burrow.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, and so one of the things for me, and
this is I guess it's more of a common and
less than the question is. I'm kind of curious now
that Joe Burrow has this kind of pull how he
wields his power next and ideally the team is really
good and there's no real reason for him to wield power.
But I can't help but wonder like now that he
(09:57):
has exerted this amount of influence with this franchise in particular,
I think it's interesting to think about where he may
use it again.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Yeah, who knows.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I guess we'll all find out, right, I don't this
This feels like the big one though, And we say
that now and then we'll probably all be calling next
off season the biggest off season in Bengals history. Yes,
we always, we love to do that, but for that fact,
I mean, it's this has felt like really the big moment.
(10:28):
And maybe maybe there's other things that change or shake it,
but I mean, this has felt like the moment that
was like the inflection point.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Where you can choose two paths.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You said it perfectly on the podcast with me the
other day. The Bengals chose not to go to war,
and and they chose to let's let's go along with this.
And and I don't know that there's gonna be another
decision that's quite like that, but you know, if there is,
I can guess they'll probably go on his side again.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
What's next with Trey Hendrick?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
No, I'm not I'm not. I'm not giving you a break.
We have to turn the page almost immediately.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's nice, but press conference not good. Ink not dry.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
On the the hendricks On, the Higgins and Chase deals,
that's what's next.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Okay, what's next to Hendrickson?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
I think I think both sides.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
I think both sides are looking at each other right now,
and it feels like they're saying, we're probably better off
together and we can make this happen. And I think
it's so much easier now with all the cards on
the table, which is really the entire idea was behind
the permission to seek a trade situation. Go find out
your worth. Let's know what that is. Go find out
(11:49):
the draft compensation. Let's find out what that is. Where
we have these big deals with the receivers done, we
know what that is. Everything is right there on the table.
So now sit down and figure out that number, and
I think both sides are leaning that direction. It's certainly
pointed that direction now after a free agency where they
didn't get anybody that would help compensate if they did
(12:11):
trade him away. I mean, if they were making the
trade now, it would hack to have an headdresher coming
back in return, which is what makes everything much more
complicated in terms of what you'd be talking about in dealing.
So it feels like it ends up back there and
probably gets done. But you know, you never want to
say anything indefinitives with that, because it's that one's been.
(12:32):
That one's been, the one that's since day one we've
talked about, has felt very much like the most fascinating
that could go in any direction.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
One of the things, I know you have a lot
going on. Earlier today, per your publication, the Athletic Major
League Baseball informed the Miami Marlins that they're not going
to be allowed to go ahead with a plan that
they had, which was to have a random people auditioned
for a practice squad to play against their single aid team,
and these guys would have made one hundred and fifty
dollars a day. Is that going to be the planet
(13:01):
guard for the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm guessing the NFL is weighing right now and to
see if they're gonna they're gonna allow it.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
We're not. We're not that far.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
We were we were kind of joking before the press
conference today that they were you were gonna hear some
sound and it's like, oh my god.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That's Quentin Spain.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Oh no, no, no, you know, it's like, where where
are we right now with this? It feels like that's
that's that's kind of where it's trending towards at this point.
But yeah, no, I it feels dangerously close to that.
There's gonna be a lot of hoping and projecting that's
gonna happen with both guard positions at this point.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And that's that's a scary place to be when you're
talking about protecting everything.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
You just spend a bunch of time.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Paying Yeah, no question, all right, I know you have
a lot going on. We'll hopefully talk next week.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Thanks so much, look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
That's our guy, Paul Dayner Junior, The Athletic and The
Growler Podcast to follow him on Twitter at Paul Dayer Junior.
Read his piece on Joe Burrow the GM at the
Athletic and catch the podcast because it is awesome. All Right,
we're I think we're done with guests. We're done with
press conferences. Now between now and six o'clock, just you
and I. Five point three seven four nine fifteen thirty
(14:19):
is our phone number. I do think that part of
the press conference where uh, Jamar and T talked about
one in one A and I think it was Marshall Kramsky,
In fact, I know it was from Channel nine asked
T Higgins about being the highest paid wide receiver too,
and Jamar Chase interjected and said one A like look man,
(14:40):
it's it's at the end of the day, all we
want them to do is win. They have some major obstacles.
They have a lot of work to do this offseason.
I am very concerned about the Planet Guard. I have
no idea how you let Trey Hendrickson get away and
expect the pass rush to be better. I am kind
of skeptical about the defense, like there's a lot to
has to happen. But I do think there's I think
(15:04):
there's something about having really good players who are easy
to root for, and I think Jamar Chase is easy
to root for. I think T Higgins is easy to
root for. I mean, you know, I said this to Paul,
and I know I've gone down this road before where
T Higgins over the last year or so has to
me at least, he's come off as really professional, really likable,
(15:29):
just by how he is handled the last year. You know,
go back a year ago when the Bengals franchise tag him.
You know, nobody's gonna feel sorry for a guy who,
all right, worst thing that happens is I make twenty
one million dollars. But I'm sure on some level that's disappointing.
You work really hard to be among the best at
(15:50):
your position, among the very best at your craft. You've
achieved free agency, or you're about to achieve free agency,
which is something you achieve. You have to play for
a long time in the NFL to do that. I know,
it just seems like four years. Four years in the
NFL is an eternity. You have defied the odds, and
then the rug gets pulled out from underneath you, and
(16:11):
not only do they franchise tag you, they really don't
negotiate with you. And because of that, a year ago,
a lot of us were wondering what's te gonna do?
Is he gonna is he gonna raise a stink? When's
he gonna sign the franchise tag?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
And he did.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
He did request a trade, but the trade request wasn't
a side show. It didn't take on a life of
its own.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It just it. He made the request.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
The Bengals obviously didn't honor it, and understandably so, and
then life went on. They they get him to sign
the franchise tag in June. Like this wasn't even close
to being a question when training camp started because t
Higgins eliminated it as an issue.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, I'm signing the tag. And then when he was
asked about.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It, he sounded grateful. Look, man, I'm gonna be twenty
one million dollars this year. I'm good.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
The season starts, he plays his ass off. He authors
one of the most iconic moments of the season, maybe
the most iconic moment of the season, not that a
nine and eight year has that many iconic moments with
the two plays against the Denver Broncos. He handles every
question about his future like a pro. He doesn't hold in,
he doesn't hold out. He's at training camp, practice, he's
(17:26):
playing in preseason games, Like there's a lot to like
about that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And I know the dollars we're talking about here are
dollar figures that you and I cannot relate to.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
But still like, the dude handled himself like an absolute pro.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
And over this entire four year run, I said this
earlier T Higgins had to finish his rookie season or
go through his rookie season in twenty twenty when he
was really good. AJ Green was still on the team,
and I'm sure there's a part of him thinking, like, dude,
I'm gonna be the man. And then the next spring
they draft the man and Jamar Chase takes off and
(18:02):
he's a star. And even in this past year where
it's all about T Higgins proving himself, Jamar Chase turns
into the best wide receiver in the sport. And you
don't get a hint of jealousy, of envy, of any
of that from T Higgins today, Like today is a
monumental moment in his life. How many of us would
(18:24):
want to share it. How many of us would want
to share it sitting next to someone who's gonna be
paid even more?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
How many of us would do that? Human nature dictates.
Not many.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Like there's a part of all of us that would go,
oh man, I get a press conference, this is my moment.
The questions are about me instead.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Y'all sit here.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'll sit here next to a guy who plays the
same position and is gonna be making headlines for making
a lot more money than me. And again, T Higgins
financially is fine. I think that says something about the
guy I do. And at the end of the day,
you know, all we care about is whether or not
the team wins, regardless of who plays for it. It
(19:07):
makes it so much more fun when when the guys
you root for are easy people to root for. I
think I think Jamar Chase is I really think T
Higgins is. Twenty two minutes after five o'clock five point
three seven four nine, fifteen thirty is the phone number
we will get to some of your phone calls.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I do have a note about T higgins value.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
We have to talk about Joe Burrow's power and a
simple NCAA tournament request as well. All between now and
six on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati's esp
Mo Egger News
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