June 3, 2025 • 42 mins
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic and The Growler Podcast joined us fresh from Bengals practice to discuss a slew of topics, including the latest on Shemar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson, as well as some of their undrafted free agents, their new offensive line coach, and some additions to the front office.
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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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right here with y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Good out for you and im Moegar. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty. Thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
So glad that you are here. So glad that you
are here.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's been a long day of deeply intense show preparation.
I've really dived into the minute of Bengals OTAs and
the off season and what's left of it training camp
getting closer. Paul Dayner Jr. From The Athletic and the
Growler Podcast is here. We're gonna talk about Grumpy Tito
(00:30):
Francono a little bit later on. We have the Grumpy
Tito Compliation compilation, compolization compilation. We got a bunch of
sound of Tito being grumpy, including last night. I was
grumpy too after last night. But Tito the Magnificent got
some very fair questions after the game, and yet he's
still grumpy. And we have to talk about that in
roster construction and Nick crawling so much more as a
(00:52):
relief for all that. Our friend Paul Dayner Junior is
here from The Athletic and the Growler Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
How's it going. It's going great.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I was, you know, I've watched a lot of the
same grumpy compilation, uh, that that you have and it's
sort of taken me back a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Is it reminiscent of anybody you've covered?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It? Is? It is where after a loss, you know
you're gonna get some grumpiness and possibly something that's gonna
be feel gonna feel unfair in the moment to whatever
question you're asking.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah, I think I've think we've been down that path before.
We've seen that before it happens.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Is Terry Francona, Marvin Lewis.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I certainly hope not for the Reds sake.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I you know, I get it, like I get I
get frustration after games and it can be tough. But
man like when when the easiest of questions coming about
literally just hey, how about a net help explain the
decision from something that like I feel like it's Oh,
there's never a point in any postgame press conference that
(01:51):
you have in any sport where if you ask the
person who made a big decision to help us understand
their big decision, that that should ever get a negative response, right, Right,
we just want to understand what went in your decision, right,
And that's all I hear is help us understand your
explain what's going on.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We're curious, right, Like, that's the point of this.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Why else are we here with the microphones and the
lights and the cameras other than to explain, help us
explain and understand what's going on a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I mean, I've been on the other end of those
many times, and you just got to sit there and
take it and know, you know, you don't want to
be part of it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You're just trying to ask the right question.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So yeah, I I feel I feel for our good
buddy Charlie.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, And I hate to make it about his interactions
with Tito, because I know a journalist, Yeah, you don't
want to be the story.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But it does feel like it's always I know, I
says like, I guess I don't even need to, but
you know, and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Maybe maybe it's something about the fact that these are
the questions that are the ones that get under a
manager's skin because they're the ones that he knows that
I don't know if they.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Right or not, you know what I mean, those are
the But I mean it's harder.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Been a big league manager for twenty four seasons. You
have to know the moment the game ends. As you're
walking past unused Austin Wins and unused Matt McClain. In
the middle of your twenty fourth big league season, which
has included stops in places like Philadelphia and Boston, you
have to know as you make your way to the
interview room, you know what they're probably gonna ask me
(03:23):
about why I stuck with Garrett Hampson and not the
other options.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You should know that this isn't a guy who's new
to the gig.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Come on, man, Garrett Hampson keeps being put in these
spots where he has one its derogatory.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I badly. I'm watching the game with my wife last night,
and I'm like, I want this dude to go yard
because that would be a cool story be and tie
the game. See like, Garrett Hampson will stop being a punchline.
We'll talk about the Garrett Hampson game. Instead, we're still
talking about the Garrett Hampson game for not for good reasons.
You're just back from the venue formerly known as Paul
Brown Stadium.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
That's correct. The practice feels adjacent ota Phase three. We're
in Phase three. Yeah, right before the mandatory mini camp
that takes place next week, which which if a player
doesn't show up at they can be fine.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Fine.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And then you were in the locker room. Anything interesting
come out of the locker room today A little bit.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I'm I'm oh, I don't know. I don't know about interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I did have a good moment from today, Okay, I
have a favorite moment that I really enjoyed, and so
we're seeing I think we mentioned this.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Last time we talked.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
I can't remember, but I know that I've enjoyed that
the last two weeks in this phase, we have seen
a little bit more of the good on good in
the passing game, offense, defense, which we didn't see as
much of that last year. It's been enjoyable to see
the defense has come. There has been an intensity to
these sessions of like, hey, okay, they're getting after it,
(04:44):
a lot of juice, a little talk back and forth,
like okay, today we had a fun moment where Joe
Burrow was trying to connect with Mike GASICKI short on
out cam Taylor Britt makes a great instinctual break on it,
dives picks it off off. Question whether he land in
bounds or not. Not totally sure but it was a
great play. Talks trash Yes, throws the ball in the air,
(05:09):
pointing Joe Burrow. Next play which felt like almost a
quick snap deep bomb to Jamar chase over DJ Turner,
which felt like an absolute like, uh, don't forget that
we have this, Like Jamar comes back into the huddle
and josephs whatever play we were supposed to run here,
we're not, Jamar, You're going deep.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I'm not gonna listen to this.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I think they were still celebrating on the other end
when that ball was in the air and Jamar had
DJ Turner beat by about seven yards. Competitive competitives, We've
been asking for this, right, like truly competitive, a lot
of energy, a lot of back and forth, a lot
of adrenaline starting to pump a little bit, and I
like that. I think it's been It was a fun
moment to witness, a fun moment to see and to
(05:51):
hear both sides of it. Who I think we're feeling
feeling that moment in particular, there's been a there's been
a decent amount of that at the end.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
So that was that was kind of the most notable
thing that stuck out to me. Good.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I like the level of competitiveness. I like the juice
is flowing in early June.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
This is good. I'm still buying Cam Taylor Brid a
little bit. Okay, I'm buying Cam Taylor Bird.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
And I know that this is like this is this
is problematic to do this time of year. I just
I like the way that I felt like he has
had a I'm out here to prove it mentality even
in these ota sessions.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Like I just you.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Felt that energy and I know his nicknames juice and
that's kind of his thing or whatever. He still got
to go prove it on the field. But like, I
like his approach. I like the way that I feel
like he's taking things on. I like the way that
he's not afraid to throw the ball up in the
air and talk a little trash after he makes a play.
This defense is they need that. He's the type of
guy that wants to be that type of guy. I
(06:46):
like him feeling the enough confidence in himself to do that,
considering where he was at last year. I just I
want to buy Cam Taylor Brid. I feel like we've
seen it from him a little bit more in stretches
than almost anybody on that defense. You know that was
out there today, at least in terms of a young
player that's capable of rising up to another level. And
(07:08):
you know it's in him. So I'm buying it a
little bit. I'm buying Kim Taylor Bride. I'll say this
about him. Number one, he did get bench last year.
I thought he responded well to the benching publicly and
on the field. I don't gather that he sulked. I
don't gather that he felt sorry for himself when his
turn came up again, which you knew it would. He
played okay and that says a lot to me. Also,
(07:29):
if you.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Take over the course of his Bengals career, if we
were to cut up his best I don't know, thirty snaps.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
There's a really good player there.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yes, Like we're not talking about a guy who's off
the street. I mean we are talking there's something for
Al Golden to work with there. And we talked when
the offseason started, where is the group that you're willing
to go Okay, there's something here. Let's see if Al
can can mold more out of it. And look, I
would have been more than okay with another corner or
another safety. They say you can't have enough players at
(07:58):
every position, specifically those but like we said that going
into the off season with Cam Taylor Britt, there's more
of a reason to believe those things than I think
with anybody else in that group.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, and I think they're leaning into some things where
it's like, hey, let's give you more opportunity to play
more man, play more press, man, use your physicality, use
him in the slot a little bit more. We've seen
him in this OTA session. He's been kind of hanging
out in there and covering in the play he made
today was with Gisicki in the route. So like, I
just I think they're trying to build that. You can
(08:28):
see them building him up and leaning into some of
his strengths and things that he does well, which is
the strength of some a lot of these guys do
well in terms of a lot of the man coverage
stuff and seeing the possibility of what they could be there.
So uh, I like it. I like uh, I like
I like what I'm seeing from him and some of
those guys. So there's a chance there's a chance there
all right.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
From uh Samar Stewart is still there but not really
doing anything that's correct.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You're already tired of this.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was tired of it last I haven't been tired
of it. I just it's just can't believe it's still
going on. It's it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous, but
they're you know, we're we're going to keep going that.
Nothing's changed, nothing's changed now.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Next week is mandatory Mini camp, Right, he's there, so
but does he have to be there mandatory? Is it
mandatory for him to appear even though he doesn't have
hasn't signed his contract.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I mean, nothing's gonna change over what he's doing right now.
I mean he's he's gonna show it, be there and
he's going to be in his ninety seven and he's gonna.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Be watching right like, unless unless he signs. Is it
helpful that his dad is spoken out on his behalf?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I gotta tell you so what I do.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
The answer is yes, yeah, sure, I mean I appreciate
any context that anyone is willing to add to this situation.
And there is this segment of like, man, do we
need more relatives on Twitter?
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Like it is a relatively new phenomenon that's that's out there.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It's it's tough because you have to start following all
these relatives on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, typically wouldn't be following.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah, Family of the Bengals podcast is around the corner.
I feel like it's only too long until that's just
kind of right. You should add that to your network.
We're not off, not far off. I mean, it feels possible.
I just you know, so that's the only reason I
hes said. I appreciate any context that anyone wants to
lend us as to why this charade is still going
(10:12):
on though. Okay, but so nothing's really He's still there. Yeah,
nothing's changed. It's the same as it has been.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
He's still on the field, but not really doing much
of anything. Yeah, okay, very good. And then Trey Hendrickson's
also not there.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Also not there anything, which is actually notable considering two
weeks he was there just like a school resource.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Do you do you like when you go to these practices?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Are you looking over your shoulder waiting, listening against Craig
going to show up today?
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Is that going to be a thing.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I'm always aware you show up with your head on
a swivel. Yeah, you've gotta be prepared.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
We would be shocked if he showed up next week.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Ah not. I mean, considering that there's fines involved. Remember
last year, Jamar showed up and stood on the side
at this stuff last week to avoid the finding, and
Trey might.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Use that as an opportunity to talk more to you
guys fine with me, which would be great, I don't,
I mean, you no sweat off my back. So now
if he shows up to collect to know when you
do get paid. But if he if he shows up
in order to not get fined at mandatory mini camp,
should I read into that that he'll still play the
first game of the season to not lose the money
that he would relinquish by not playing.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You could read into that, I could could you could
read into that maybe he's considering that money might mean
something to him.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I don't know that that necessarily means anything.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I mean, because I mean to me, it's it's always
gonna be uh oh my my back, yeah, right, like
that's what this is gonna be. Uh and so that's
yeah right, and so yeah, I think that's that's what
that where this ends up. But I so you can
read into that whatever you want to. I mean, it
would just to me, it would make sense. I can
(11:47):
show up and stand on the side, uh, and not
potentially get fined, right, or or I can just show
up and be there and be a bit of a
distraction in that regard.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
All right, I do want to ask you this.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
We've and you've written there's next to no chance that
Trey gets traded.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
What's interesting to me is this still gets talked about
a lot. I was in Chicago this weekend and on
sports talk radio in Chicago, I stumble upon a Trey
Hendrickson conversation about what can the Bear's trade form? And
then I was asked to go on a show in
Milwaukee yesterday to talk Red's Brewers. And then as an aside,
they're like, what would it take for the Bengals to
trade Trey Hendrickson to the Packers? So in various cities,
(12:26):
now we've done this with t Higgins in the past
as well. In various cities at least fans or people
who do what I do for a living are having
conversations about their local team's ability to land Trey Hendrickson
via trade.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Your comments.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
In the Chicago show, I wanted to call in, No,
I don't know if you're allowed.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Is when you have this job, if you're allowed to
call it be a calling. Yeah, I mean you could
leave a talk back.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Maybe. Here's why I would say.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I called Rocky Boyman once after the Bengals Colts playoff game.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Oh yeah on the way back. Yeah, that fired up.
Here's the thing. I was in the.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Passenger seat, by the way.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
For what it's worth, I will say this, I think
the thing that I come back to with that is yeah, Okay,
well who's coming on the who's coming back?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It's it's it's that's what makes the sits.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Not that I don't think that there wouldn't be someone
listening on the other end. I think they would listen.
But I mean, are the are the Packers sending Rashaan
Gary as part of this trade? Are the you know,
is Chicago sending Montees sweat? Like? I mean, we there,
This team needs a pass rusher. That's that's not gonna change.
(13:39):
And so unless there's some kind of an answer coming,
they're not just gonna take a pick. And I think teams,
maybe people in fans and hosts not gonna call sports
talk hosts uninformed.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
They're not. Oh, trust, they're not going to offend me
at all.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
If that's the word you choose to use, you know,
maybe not totally understand that this team is not going
to make a deal that's going to leave them out
an edge wresher, and so I don't and there I
just don't see how that occurs. You know, there was
a point earlier this offseason where the Bryce Huff rumors
started circulating with Philadelphia, and I thought this is one
(14:17):
that makes sense, and well that that would be a
way that you could see how it could work out.
And Huff gets traded to San Francisco and it's like, OOKA,
that was an opportunity you could have, you could have
I don't know if he fits or whatever, and who
knows like how they viewed him, but it's like, that's
what it has to look like, is you gotta have
something coming back as part of that, and I just
I just don't see that at this point coming from anybody.
(14:40):
And the Bengals are willing to play this game, and
so I think they still feel like Trey's gonna cave
and or they're gonna figure it out and find the
number and make it work.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That's my assumption. At this point. What day are we
into the tray the days of Trey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Well here, I took a day off last week we
had Memorial Day.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I've got to refigure.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I've got to rehab your numbers because it.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Was it was going to be seventy what's seventy nine
days of ninety one if I'm not mistake.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, I don't know that we're going to hit the number.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, but that's all right. We're tracking towards it, though.
We're going to come closer to seventy nine than zero.
There's no doubt about that. Paul Danner Junior, The Growler
Podcast and the Athletic dot Com follow on Twitter at
Paul Danner Jr. You've written a lot since you and
I last talked. I have, yeah, yeah, well I do that.
Sometimes I print out the stuff so we could talk
(15:34):
about it. I'm glad I've got there's a bunch of
you go, yeah, I got, I got Eric Gregory. It's
always good to see the printed word. Oh yeah, Gregory
about that. I like to print articles, I know, and
I appreciate Favery two thousand and seven in that regard.
We'll get to all of that. Paul's here till four.
I'm here till six. Thank you so much for joining
US today. I'm Oegar. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.
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Paul Danner Junior is here Theathletic dot com and mcgrowler podcast.
Before we talk about stuff you've written to. Anybody in
the locker room, say anything interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Uh. I was not part of this, but Jermaine Burton
spoke for fifteen minutes today total.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, I was so.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I have a story coming out on year two with
Dan Pitcher and so I was talking with Dan in
the hallway after practice, and when I came in, it
was like, oh h Jermaine just talk for like fifteen minutes.
So sorry, I won't have that story for anybody, but
I think it's probably already out there some of the
things of the opportunities for you to write about Jermaine
Burton if you were not there yet. I'm just not
(17:20):
there yet. And I here's the thing, and I will
say and Pitch even said this to me when I
talked to him. He's like, you know, it's it's we're
not just saying it. He's doing the right things. He
is doing the right things. He's like and I understand
that it's got to be a show me thing with Jermaine,
but right now he's doing the right things and showing
us and there's, you know, hope, and there's a reason
(17:42):
why they didn't give up on him, and that's kind
of shared within the buildings as he tries to make
good on it for right now. And so I'm not
there yet with it, but you know, there's a there's
an opportunity there. But here's the thing about Jermaine, and
I hope this makes sense. Last year we don't start
(18:02):
talking about him and things about we don't start talking
about his lack of maturity and not knowing the playbook
and all that sort of stuff until in the preseason
he plays in the game and plays well, which tells
me the coaches have no problem letting everybody know the
light bulb is not coming on. So I think this
(18:23):
summer they'll not be shy again about telling us, telling
the world that the light bulb's not come on, that
he's not getting Like last year he was against guys
who you know, did not make NFL teams.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He was unbelievably good, and that wasn't the story.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It was, Yeah, that guy you're watching torch dudes who
are going to be, you know, driving mail routes in
a few weeks. This guy isn't getting in it. He's not
he's falling asleep at meetings, he's not showing up, I
mean all that stuff. Like So if back then they
were telling us and they were making it known, like
you can run with this to the broadcasters, this guy,
the light bulb's not come on. He's not doing the
stuff we need him to do. If that was the
(18:58):
case last year, it'll be the case this year. If
you don't hear about Jermaine Burton, that's gonna tell me
he's doing all the right stuff. Yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, it makes sense. I mean I don't I don't think.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I mean, they're not at the point right now where
they can they're you know, there's just the leash is
so short as it should be. Yeah, I mean, you
just can't. You can't rebuild anything until it has to
be perfect for the most part. And I'm not saying
that he's been perfect or whatever, but like you're right there,
(19:29):
there's not gonna be some sort of hiding because we
all are looking for it and we all know the situation.
Everybody knows the deal. So that to me is a
thing that you're right. It will show up in camp
if you know, because he was torching dudes last year
that are gonna have mailroads.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But yeah, he was torching them running the wrong routes.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yes, he's just running deep and that's not the call.
And so that's that's fine in and you know, follow
the snaps. If he's still in and he's not playing
until the fourth quarter, is still of the preseason, Like
there's enough way is that it's going to be obvious
and things that we hear, things that we see, we
know the background now and and that we'll see if
it's paying off. But right for right now, yeah, I
(20:08):
mean it's they're okay.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
With that first preseason game on that Friday, I think
it is in Philadelphia. If in the fourth quarter Jermaine
Burton hasn't yet appeared and it's not good, he charges
out on the field and it's a bunch of guys
that I've never heard of trying to cover them. That's
gonna tell us a lot.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
You always follow the snaps, right, You always follow the snaps.
That's just especially in the preseason with guys that need them. Uh,
And so yes, he should be. You know. Another thing
that I talked with Pitch about today was about how,
you know, the thing this time last year was who
was gonna take TV's you know numbers, How are they
(20:47):
going to fill that up? The third receiver, the fourth receiver?
And he's like, that's not the question now. The question
now is the fifth receiver? Right, He's like, and that's
a fun beat, Like Jermaine has an opportunity. Charlie Jones like,
there's these people He's like, and you can even say
maybe the central sire if you count Chase Brown as
a receiver, Jimboy.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Mays, is he gonna be the Moeger Award winner.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I haven't. I haven't handicapped the odds yet. But he's
a good value on Jamoy good value. Yeah, you're definitely
definitely good value there.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
I did not.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I was looking today for some undrafted receiver to make
a play.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I didn't see anything.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
I know, I didn't see anything either. There was the
stars Jamar t gets sicky. A lot of the lot
of the known quantities were making plays today. So but
I'm looking, I'm looking. I just didn't. I didn't quite
see it, all.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Right, So you have a piece coming out about your
two for Dan Pitchers, the offensive coordinator. Yeah, yeah, looking
for them in the coming days, hopefully, i'd like to.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
It's the summer model. It's load management season. As you're aware. Oh,
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So sometimes a story gets close and you're like, I
could use a little bit more, let's just push it
to next week, right, And so because it's in season,
it's it's easy, definitely, Because I know I'll have two
more days in the in the locker room, I can
I can add something on it. Well, I don't have
till next week in case I do need somebody who's
going to be in the building that I need to
talk to or to watch something whatever. But I am
(22:10):
anticipating something that coming soon.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You wrote you focused on Eric Gregory, a defensive tackle
who's hero is an undrafted free agent, and it's a
good read. I'm gonna bring up something that to somebody
who covers the league might sound like it's obvious, but
I think to a lot of folks who follow the
NFL maybe it's not. The confused look on your face
speaks volume.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I didn't know. I thought there was a question coming.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I didn't know you were doing one of your good
teases that you're so good at sup professionals.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Hardly twenty nine away from four o'clock Sports Headlines More
with Paul Danner Junior, Who's with us for the Hour
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Station SINCY three sixty with Tony Pike.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Don't want to move on, the Doctor Keep Going.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
And Boston Elmore.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I think you should continue to let me keep going.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
There, Sincy three sixty Tomorrow which twelve News on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from the.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
UC Health Traffic Center. Millions of Americans are living with
Alzheimer's or other dementias. Find answers from leading brain health
experts at you see Health. Learn more at ucehealth dot com.
Seventy one seventy five at northbound at Kyle's Lane, right
lane blocked off from an accident. Police am moved that
crash further off toward the right side of the highway,
(23:27):
but still got about a twenty minute delayed back from
two seventy five. Once found on Burlington Pike. It's another
accident at Limaberg Road. I'm at ezelic with traffic.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
This report is sponsored by.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Play Home of Lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval
from their family to yours for life, kelseyshow dot com.
Garrett Hampson and the Reds in action again tonight at GABP.
Hunter Green gets the ball for Cincinnati against Freddy peralto
seven ten is Tonight's first pitch. Garrett Hampson, by the way,
not in the start lineup this evening. You want it here?
(24:02):
It is friedol locks his dhing tonight. Ellie de la
Cruz had short Tyler Stevenson is catching Red's only using
one catcher tonight, so they have extra positional versatility in
the later innings when they need to use Austin wins
Steers at first base, Benson's and left Santiago Espinal who
has turned into Santiago Espinal recently. He is playing third base,
(24:22):
betting seventh Frehleys, and right Matt McLean is hitting in
the ninth spot. Again remember the games during the week
and hour at seven ten games live on seven hundred WLW.
Reds have selected the contract off lefty Joe la Sorsa
from tripa A Louisville and they have optioned him to Louisville.
Congratulations to Joe. They selected the contract from Louisville and
(24:44):
sent him there. I don't know what that means. I
guess they add him to the forty man roster. Maybe
that's there.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
You go, dude. If I'm worrying about.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Joe la Sorsa in a season of Garrett Hampson and
Rhese Hines and Blake Dunn, I got other problem.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Connor. Joe.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Bengals had a practice today, Paul was there. Nobody got hurt,
so nobody cares. Paul's really you're really summon it up.
You're honest today, right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Is there anything else? No, that's it's it's the main
reason we're here, There's no question.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
It's so we're just making sure everybody doesn't get hurt OTAs.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Exists for players to not show up too, so we
have stories or for players to get hurt at so
we have something to worry about. Yes, Joe Burr threw
a pick to Cam Taylor Brick.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, and then on the next play he threw a
seventy yard bomb to Jamar Chase.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
So you wrote about the the new version of undrafted
college free agent, right, and Eric Gregory is one of them.
Howard Cross is one of them, and it's it's a
good piece, and it kind of puts into context that
these guys get to the NFL. In many cases they're older.
They have what free twenty five year old rookies that
(25:50):
have a chance to make the team. They've made some
money because you can make money as a college football player. Now,
I think what some observers, maybe more casual observers of
this league would not realize is how heated the competition
can be for undrafted college free agents that they have
to get sold. In many cases they do get pitched,
(26:11):
and many of them, like in Eric Gregory, do have options.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So this happens at the end of the draft where
the teams are still on the clock. It's the sixth round,
it's the seventh round, and you are a player who's
potentially this is when you could get drafted. You're holding
your phone in your hand. This is going to be
the moment of my life. And it rings and it's
a team and they're like, you think you might want
(26:36):
to come here as an un drafted free agent and
you want to throw it in a lake. And Eric
Gregory kind of spilled out this story because he was
a guy who was potentially, you know, a late round pick,
but people view him as somebody who could come in.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
He played well in the SEC or whatever, and he.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Had to sit there and take all of those calls
as people are pitching it. People come here, come play
for us. He said, he had about six or seven
and you got to kind of make that decision quickly.
And I tell all of these guys that come in
here is that you know, I think I would rather
almost be an undrafted free agent than be selected in
the seventh round. You can pick your spot, you can
(27:16):
find your opportunity. And Eric Gregory is a perfect example
of that. He came to Cincinnati because he sees the
opportunity clear as day. The team that didn't have a
defensive tackle picked that has an opportunity to as a
depth piece.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You have played sixty.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Six, however many games at Arkansas and you come in
ready to fill a depth role so often. And this
is kind of the interesting thing about these older guys
is you know you're older, and that's a detriment. It's
used against you. We've seen all that you can be.
But if what you can be is somebody who was
(27:51):
productive in the SEC and can immediately be more polished
and mature and able and see the opportunity and be
motivated rather than take time to develop to fill a
depth role on the back of a roster, maybe that's
all he's gonna be, but that's also something they need.
And so with a couple of guys between him and
Howard Cross, who are these very similar types of backgrounds here,
(28:15):
you have an opportunity where that and I think that
a similar conversation about Dimitri Snide has had in the
same regard of when.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
You can come in.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
It changes, it fast tracks the timeline on these guys.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I mean, in the.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Past, undrafted guy comes in, usually he's probably if he's
young or he hasn't played a lot, and you're betting
on that he's got some raw skills that you can
develop and maybe down the line he can be something.
Now there's this like new side where it's somebody you
know who they are. They're mature enough to handle it,
to understand their opportunity, and you feel like they're gonna
make the most of what they have right now, and
(28:48):
that you need it. It might not be a sky
high piece of your team, but it's something you need.
And at a position like they need a defensive tackle
and at linebacker as well, you can get something there
to fill a role. And I think that's interesting because
that before Nil and COVID year and everything didn't totally exist, right,
I mean, you'd be betting on maturity, but you didn't
(29:09):
really know. Now it's pretty proven. I mean what these
guys have done to handle it. And I mean another
guy who's a literal dad, he's got a second kid
on the way, he's he's been through a lot and
it understands the opportunity he has here.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
I was thinking about this as it relates to Corey
Kiner and having a conversation with somebody who is close
to him about how it's got to be so hard
because you work your entire life with that goal and
that dream to hear your name called, right, and that
you that can never be replicated. If your name's not called,
it's not like, let's try it next year, and then
you quickly have to flip a switch and it's go, okay,
(29:45):
Now I get a chance to maybe pick the place
that's best for me, and you have to have a
good agent who's good at like, all right, maybe here
you can get the most money, but that's not about that.
Let's let's find a place where you're still alive and
kicking in early September. And as a player, I have
to imagine that's so hard. I have to imagine it's
so hard to maybe turn down the first financial offer
(30:06):
that comes your way, or maybe the first offer that
comes your way, and then kind of get over the
fact that you know what, maybe what was best for
me was to not have my name called in round
six or seven. That's got to be really hard.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, and I think guys certainly struggle with that in
the moment, but by the time they show up and
they realize, Like you know, when I talked to Eric Gregory,
he kind of looks around and he's like, there's no
difference between me and a guy that was picked in
the fifth round or the sixth round. And and can
look at what's happened here in the past, whether you're
(30:37):
talking about Muma Jong Medal last year or Cam Grandy
or any number of these players, there's a history there.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
Ryan Rico, Ryan Ricocluster, who showed up out of nowhere,
right and and so I just and that's how the
Bengals sell it, and they feel like they don't have
to do a hard sell to these guys.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
They just show them the list of these are this
is last year alone, this is what we've what we've
done here, and we have an opportunity for you, and
you know that we'll give you a real chance. And
uh and I think that that works. It's certainly resonated
with Eric h.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I like what you wrote about Scott Peters and we've
we've talked about his his impact on the incumbent offensive lineman,
his role in developing Dylan Fairchild. How his presence on
the team shaped shaped draft strategy. Here's what I like
about it. Like, I don't like neanderthal offensive lineman's intense, uh,
(31:32):
and he wants players who are gonna blow snot bubbles,
and they're gonna eat class. Like, tell me something about
what you're gonna do to teach these guys. Tell me
what you're gonna do to to teach these guys how
to play the position. What I got from this piece
from Scott Peters or Scott Peters is there's some insight
into how he's going to teach the position and do
it differently than the previous guys.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah, I think it.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Sounds smarter, It sounds more nuanced, it sounds something that
connects better younger players.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I wrote the thinking Man's offensive line coach quote less
cave Mammy.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I don't know why I put quotes there, but I did. Yeah.
But no, you're right though.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
I think that's the point is that there is a
there is a theory behind this, and that's what you know.
Offensive linemen are smart as smart, if not smarter than
anybody in the building have been since the beginning of time.
They and I think there's an appreciation, and you hear
that from guys like and going around talking to guys
last week about about him and how it's going. That
was the thing, it was they you know, I mean,
(32:31):
Cordell Wilson has been talked about a lot, but I
mean he really perks up talking about the opportunity to
work with Scott Peters, and the same thing for some
of these other guys where you just you can tell,
like Ted Kerris sing, I'm learning, I'm doing things that
i haven't done in year ten that doesn't happen and
that's great.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
He's like, you know, it's it's.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
A lot of him being able to teach things the
way that I've never I've been trying to teach it
that I've been when people ask me what to do,
I've been trying to tell him. And now I'm like, wait, no,
he's saying that this is what I've been trying to
say all this time. And somebody who can do that
and formalize it in ways that guys understand it and
be willing to come in and kind of rebuild those
tools so that they can go in and pull them
(33:11):
off on the fly. I just think that has connected
clearly with this group, and as we've said many times,
any different strategy at this point you'll take, Yeah, but
anybody that can do something. But the fact that it
feels younger and smarter and a little bit different, a
little more innovative, I do think is something they have
(33:32):
not only needed, but is connecting with these guys right now.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
It may not work.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
They may may be out there in week five being
like we're trying to I'm out here trying to do
this strike thing and I got Joe sacked like it.
Maybe it ends that way, but I do feel like
it is certainly connecting for this moment in time.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
The other piece you wrote, and this this comes back
to something we talked about yesterday because the Bengal sent
out the press release involving the three front office hires.
So my take, look, it's it's low hanging for you
beat up on the Bengals for the size of their
scouting department, the size of their analytics department, and some
of those criticisms are very valid. But when I heard
from the organization, hey, you know, we kind of got
(34:11):
behind this offseason because of the amount of time and
energy it took to get the Jamar Chase and t
Higgins deals done. My first thought was, then you need
to hire more people if you can't do all these
things at once. I don't know who you hire, I
don't know what departments you feel, but you need more
people at the very least got more people.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Yeah, I mean I specifically asked Duke Tobin this question.
I feel like I do every year, but in February,
and his was, if I thought we were missing something,
I would definitely add more people. Four months later he
added more people. So he clearly went through something. Yeah,
over the last four months, you can surmise what you
think that was that said we need more people and
(34:54):
changed his opinion from where he was back before this
offseason started. And I and you know, Christian Sarkesian leaves
and so maybe it is kind of a two for
one because it takes more time to build some of
the rapport from Christian who had been here for a while.
I am really intrigued by the Trey Lot Bounty piece
(35:14):
to this. Who is he's for those that don't know,
he's kind of he's more on the analytics side. They've
never really done, they've never brought And I know people
are like oh, you have a second analytics guy, and
it's I mean, no, they should have eight. They should
have more. That's my point though it's like it's only two.
Are really going to make a big deal out of this?
(35:35):
But at least the willingness to go this far and
be like, let's put more of an analytics piece into
our draft strategy and understand that that's not fair on
Sam Francis, who's doing all this stuff for you in season.
You know, the only other person in your analytics data
partent department who's part of your game management. He's part
of all that stuff. I mean when he shows up
(35:57):
in January or February trying to catch up on the draft,
like that's his impact is minimized, Whereas you know, I
think with Trey, what you're gonna see is you're going
to see somebody who's going to be part of the
draft process from the very beginning and trying to bring
some of the in like they need that, and the
willingness to go there. And I know, but you know,
(36:19):
there should be so many more. There should be. I'm
not of the opinion that they need to look like
the Ravens or the Browns and have ten people that
are research assistants like I don't think it. I think
there is a bit of I think there is a
bit of overkill, but I do think a willingness to
say I have since I've ever asked Duke this question
(36:41):
said I don't need more voices, I just need the
right voices to be willing to say here, I need
more voices.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
There's a piece that we're missing here. We do need
some more data in our draft.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
It's an admittance that let's realize that there have been
some shortcomings and that's all you can ask is people
to do better and willing to change and adapt. And
I think this is at least a small piece of that.
It's not, I mean, it's no one's putting them on
the level of anyone else in the league even close.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
But at least it is.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
A movement in that right direction, and that's what makes
this more notable than just a random June transaction.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Do you have any thoughts on this year's Ring of
Honor process and the announcement that at the end of
this year they'll sort of go back to the drawing.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Board with this thing. I love that they're going back
to the drawing board. That drawing board should involve putting
everybody else in that's on the current list. You've said this,
and I am in agreement with you. You are on
the right side of this. Yeah, they're pick your two
this year and I'm fine with whatever. And then next
year all seven should go in that are remaining, and
then then start over with whatever new process you want
(37:46):
it to be that includes modern players with go buy
the Hall of Fame rules of five years or od
or whatever you want to do.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
You can make your own criteria. I could adjust it.
It doesn't even have to be a fan vote. I'm
glad it is, but it doesn't have to be.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
But it is grow if you don't put these people
that have been on this list this whole time in
because you waited too long to do it. And now
we're going to be like, oh, Jim Breech or Lamar Parish, right, sorry,
we're changing the rules now. And you're I know you've
been on this list every year and we all recognize
that you as a legend that deserves to be in,
but we're not going to do it. We're going to
(38:19):
change now.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
You and I have talked about this exhaustively. I think
Dave Lapham. They should just put him in, right, please. So,
but I did my ballot and I put it on
social media last week and I said it was Dave
Lapham and Lamar Parish. Lap was easy for me because
fifty years basically with the organization, that's a no brainer.
And then so I said it came down to then
I took the two oldest players because I don't want
(38:40):
to make these guys wet anymore. And now I'm mad
because I'm having to debate between Lamar Parrish and Bob Trumpy,
who both last played for the Bengals the year I
was born.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
That is, it's crazy, beyond ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
And so I hate to come off as angry about
the Ring of Honor because I'm glad they do it. Yeah,
and Ring of Honor Day is cool, and I I'm
glad they're celebrating these players. I hate that they put
Lamar Parrish at odds with Bob Trumpy, at odds with
Reggie Williams. I hate that we're putting a bunch of
guys who at their best most recently played thirty three
years ago against each other.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I hate that, so rectify it by putting.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It all and you're and you're debating by who's oldest anyway,
because you it's like that's more like nobody wants to
do it this way, right, And so yeah, I'm with
you on that. And I just think, you know, a
couple of years ago, uh, we had this centennial class
for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton and
all these people, like, we have to clear the decks
of all these senior players. And it was cool, and
(39:39):
it was cool and everyone was on board with that.
These guys deserve it, and we otherwise they'll sit and
they'll never get the recognition, right, They'll never get that,
And you have you to some point you just have
to say, yeah, I understand this was never probably how
we initially thought we were gonna do it, But let's
clear the decks so we can start doing it the
right way. The Pro Football Hall of Fame did that
a few years ago. I feel like this is a
great opportunity for the Bengals to do the same. Uh,
(40:00):
you know next year when they re envisioned or.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Whatever that looks like.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Last year, we had Leaping Tiger versus striped b to
deflect our attention away from what was happening on the field.
Is there anything this summer of that magnitude? I have
to have a radar. I mean, nothing will trump Leaping Tiger.
I mean that's you know, I don't.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Know versus striped be, versus striped be.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Last year wasn't awakening for me last summer because I
didn't realize there was such affection for the Leaping Tiger.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
I didn't either, I didn't think that. I always thought
Leaping Tiger was kind of like I as Leaping Tiger
with Dick Lebo and John Kinnam.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (40:36):
No, no amount of affection for Leaping Tiger, I will say,
and this is a bit of an off shoot, not
abou Leaving Tiger necessarily, but like, the coolest thing I've
seen was Chad Johnson wearing the Jamar Chase in that
old school jersey.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
That's the coolest jersey I've ever seen, agreed, and what
he wore on that night that he went in right,
And so I was like that if any anything you
can do to replicate that, I would be with because
I thought that was as cool as it gets. Mini
Camp next week, multiple days, three days. Maybe you know,
(41:14):
here's here's your story that happens, is it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
They let them go on day three, and then it's ah,
do you want to start the season fast?
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Urgency? No urgency? How dare you let them go play
volleyball on the third day?
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Read Paul Danner Theathletic dot Com and catch the podcast
The Growler.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Thank You as always pleasure.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Let's talk about Grumpy Tito Francona next on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Millions of Americans are living with Alzheimer's or other dementias.
Find answers from leading brain health experts that you see
health Learn more at u sehealth dot com. Still got
that accident on in southbound seventy one seventy five on
the off ramp to Burlington Pike. Also westbound on Burlington Pike.
Another crash at Limaburg Road and on Paddock Road. Police
(42:11):
are on the scene of an accident at Carolina Avenue.
I'm at ezelic with traffic
All right here with y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Good out for you and im Moegar. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty. Thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
So glad that you are here. So glad that you
are here.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's been a long day of deeply intense show preparation.
I've really dived into the minute of Bengals OTAs and
the off season and what's left of it training camp
getting closer. Paul Dayner Jr. From The Athletic and the
Growler Podcast is here. We're gonna talk about Grumpy Tito
(00:30):
Francono a little bit later on. We have the Grumpy
Tito Compliation compilation, compolization compilation. We got a bunch of
sound of Tito being grumpy, including last night. I was
grumpy too after last night. But Tito the Magnificent got
some very fair questions after the game, and yet he's
still grumpy. And we have to talk about that in
roster construction and Nick crawling so much more as a
(00:52):
relief for all that. Our friend Paul Dayner Junior is
here from The Athletic and the Growler Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
How's it going. It's going great.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I was, you know, I've watched a lot of the
same grumpy compilation, uh, that that you have and it's
sort of taken me back a little bit.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Is it reminiscent of anybody you've covered?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It? Is? It is where after a loss, you know
you're gonna get some grumpiness and possibly something that's gonna
be feel gonna feel unfair in the moment to whatever
question you're asking.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah, I think I've think we've been down that path before.
We've seen that before it happens.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Is Terry Francona, Marvin Lewis.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I certainly hope not for the Reds sake.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I you know, I get it, like I get I
get frustration after games and it can be tough. But
man like when when the easiest of questions coming about
literally just hey, how about a net help explain the
decision from something that like I feel like it's Oh,
there's never a point in any postgame press conference that
(01:51):
you have in any sport where if you ask the
person who made a big decision to help us understand
their big decision, that that should ever get a negative response, right, Right,
we just want to understand what went in your decision, right,
And that's all I hear is help us understand your
explain what's going on.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We're curious, right, Like, that's the point of this.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Why else are we here with the microphones and the
lights and the cameras other than to explain, help us
explain and understand what's going on a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
I mean, I've been on the other end of those
many times, and you just got to sit there and
take it and know, you know, you don't want to
be part of it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You're just trying to ask the right question.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
So yeah, I I feel I feel for our good
buddy Charlie.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, And I hate to make it about his interactions
with Tito, because I know a journalist, Yeah, you don't
want to be the story.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But it does feel like it's always I know, I
says like, I guess I don't even need to, but
you know, and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Maybe maybe it's something about the fact that these are
the questions that are the ones that get under a
manager's skin because they're the ones that he knows that
I don't know if they.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Right or not, you know what I mean, those are
the But I mean it's harder.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Been a big league manager for twenty four seasons. You
have to know the moment the game ends. As you're
walking past unused Austin Wins and unused Matt McClain. In
the middle of your twenty fourth big league season, which
has included stops in places like Philadelphia and Boston, you
have to know as you make your way to the
interview room, you know what they're probably gonna ask me
(03:23):
about why I stuck with Garrett Hampson and not the
other options.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You should know that this isn't a guy who's new
to the gig.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Come on, man, Garrett Hampson keeps being put in these
spots where he has one its derogatory.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I badly. I'm watching the game with my wife last night,
and I'm like, I want this dude to go yard
because that would be a cool story be and tie
the game. See like, Garrett Hampson will stop being a punchline.
We'll talk about the Garrett Hampson game. Instead, we're still
talking about the Garrett Hampson game for not for good reasons.
You're just back from the venue formerly known as Paul
Brown Stadium.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
That's correct. The practice feels adjacent ota Phase three. We're
in Phase three. Yeah, right before the mandatory mini camp
that takes place next week, which which if a player
doesn't show up at they can be fine.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Fine.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And then you were in the locker room. Anything interesting
come out of the locker room today A little bit.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I'm I'm oh, I don't know. I don't know about interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I did have a good moment from today, Okay, I
have a favorite moment that I really enjoyed, and so
we're seeing I think we mentioned this.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Last time we talked.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
I can't remember, but I know that I've enjoyed that
the last two weeks in this phase, we have seen
a little bit more of the good on good in
the passing game, offense, defense, which we didn't see as
much of that last year. It's been enjoyable to see
the defense has come. There has been an intensity to
these sessions of like, hey, okay, they're getting after it,
(04:44):
a lot of juice, a little talk back and forth,
like okay, today we had a fun moment where Joe
Burrow was trying to connect with Mike GASICKI short on
out cam Taylor Britt makes a great instinctual break on it,
dives picks it off off. Question whether he land in
bounds or not. Not totally sure but it was a
great play. Talks trash Yes, throws the ball in the air,
(05:09):
pointing Joe Burrow. Next play which felt like almost a
quick snap deep bomb to Jamar chase over DJ Turner,
which felt like an absolute like, uh, don't forget that
we have this, Like Jamar comes back into the huddle
and josephs whatever play we were supposed to run here,
we're not, Jamar, You're going deep.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I'm not gonna listen to this.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I think they were still celebrating on the other end
when that ball was in the air and Jamar had
DJ Turner beat by about seven yards. Competitive competitives, We've
been asking for this, right, like truly competitive, a lot
of energy, a lot of back and forth, a lot
of adrenaline starting to pump a little bit, and I
like that. I think it's been It was a fun
moment to witness, a fun moment to see and to
(05:51):
hear both sides of it. Who I think we're feeling
feeling that moment in particular, there's been a there's been
a decent amount of that at the end.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
So that was that was kind of the most notable
thing that stuck out to me. Good.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I like the level of competitiveness. I like the juice
is flowing in early June.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
This is good. I'm still buying Cam Taylor Brid a
little bit. Okay, I'm buying Cam Taylor Bird.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
And I know that this is like this is this
is problematic to do this time of year. I just
I like the way that I felt like he has
had a I'm out here to prove it mentality even
in these ota sessions.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Like I just you.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Felt that energy and I know his nicknames juice and
that's kind of his thing or whatever. He still got
to go prove it on the field. But like, I
like his approach. I like the way that I feel
like he's taking things on. I like the way that
he's not afraid to throw the ball up in the
air and talk a little trash after he makes a play.
This defense is they need that. He's the type of
guy that wants to be that type of guy. I
(06:46):
like him feeling the enough confidence in himself to do that,
considering where he was at last year. I just I
want to buy Cam Taylor Brid. I feel like we've
seen it from him a little bit more in stretches
than almost anybody on that defense. You know that was
out there today, at least in terms of a young
player that's capable of rising up to another level. And
(07:08):
you know it's in him. So I'm buying it a
little bit. I'm buying Kim Taylor Bride. I'll say this
about him. Number one, he did get bench last year.
I thought he responded well to the benching publicly and
on the field. I don't gather that he sulked. I
don't gather that he felt sorry for himself when his
turn came up again, which you knew it would. He
played okay and that says a lot to me. Also,
(07:29):
if you.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Take over the course of his Bengals career, if we
were to cut up his best I don't know, thirty snaps.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
There's a really good player there.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yes, Like we're not talking about a guy who's off
the street. I mean we are talking there's something for
Al Golden to work with there. And we talked when
the offseason started, where is the group that you're willing
to go Okay, there's something here. Let's see if Al
can can mold more out of it. And look, I
would have been more than okay with another corner or
another safety. They say you can't have enough players at
(07:58):
every position, specifically those but like we said that going
into the off season with Cam Taylor Britt, there's more
of a reason to believe those things than I think
with anybody else in that group.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, and I think they're leaning into some things where
it's like, hey, let's give you more opportunity to play
more man, play more press, man, use your physicality, use
him in the slot a little bit more. We've seen
him in this OTA session. He's been kind of hanging
out in there and covering in the play he made
today was with Gisicki in the route. So like, I
just I think they're trying to build that. You can
(08:28):
see them building him up and leaning into some of
his strengths and things that he does well, which is
the strength of some a lot of these guys do
well in terms of a lot of the man coverage
stuff and seeing the possibility of what they could be there.
So uh, I like it. I like uh, I like
I like what I'm seeing from him and some of
those guys. So there's a chance there's a chance there
all right.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
From uh Samar Stewart is still there but not really
doing anything that's correct.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You're already tired of this.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was tired of it last I haven't been tired
of it. I just it's just can't believe it's still
going on. It's it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous, but
they're you know, we're we're going to keep going that.
Nothing's changed, nothing's changed now.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Next week is mandatory Mini camp, Right, he's there, so
but does he have to be there mandatory? Is it
mandatory for him to appear even though he doesn't have
hasn't signed his contract.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I mean, nothing's gonna change over what he's doing right now.
I mean he's he's gonna show it, be there and
he's going to be in his ninety seven and he's gonna.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Be watching right like, unless unless he signs. Is it
helpful that his dad is spoken out on his behalf?
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I gotta tell you so what I do.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
The answer is yes, yeah, sure, I mean I appreciate
any context that anyone is willing to add to this situation.
And there is this segment of like, man, do we
need more relatives on Twitter?
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Like it is a relatively new phenomenon that's that's out there.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It's it's tough because you have to start following all
these relatives on Twitter.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, typically wouldn't be following.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah, Family of the Bengals podcast is around the corner.
I feel like it's only too long until that's just
kind of right. You should add that to your network.
We're not off, not far off. I mean, it feels possible.
I just you know, so that's the only reason I
hes said. I appreciate any context that anyone wants to
lend us as to why this charade is still going
(10:12):
on though. Okay, but so nothing's really He's still there. Yeah,
nothing's changed. It's the same as it has been.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
He's still on the field, but not really doing much
of anything. Yeah, okay, very good. And then Trey Hendrickson's
also not there.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Also not there anything, which is actually notable considering two
weeks he was there just like a school resource.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Do you do you like when you go to these practices?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Are you looking over your shoulder waiting, listening against Craig
going to show up today?
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Is that going to be a thing.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I'm always aware you show up with your head on
a swivel. Yeah, you've gotta be prepared.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
We would be shocked if he showed up next week.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Ah not. I mean, considering that there's fines involved. Remember
last year, Jamar showed up and stood on the side
at this stuff last week to avoid the finding, and
Trey might.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Use that as an opportunity to talk more to you
guys fine with me, which would be great, I don't,
I mean, you no sweat off my back. So now
if he shows up to collect to know when you
do get paid. But if he if he shows up
in order to not get fined at mandatory mini camp,
should I read into that that he'll still play the
first game of the season to not lose the money
that he would relinquish by not playing.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You could read into that, I could could you could
read into that maybe he's considering that money might mean
something to him.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I don't know that that necessarily means anything.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I mean, because I mean to me, it's it's always
gonna be uh oh my my back, yeah, right, like
that's what this is gonna be. Uh and so that's
yeah right, and so yeah, I think that's that's what
that where this ends up. But I so you can
read into that whatever you want to. I mean, it
would just to me, it would make sense. I can
(11:47):
show up and stand on the side, uh, and not
potentially get fined, right, or or I can just show
up and be there and be a bit of a
distraction in that regard.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
All right, I do want to ask you this.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
We've and you've written there's next to no chance that
Trey gets traded.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
What's interesting to me is this still gets talked about
a lot. I was in Chicago this weekend and on
sports talk radio in Chicago, I stumble upon a Trey
Hendrickson conversation about what can the Bear's trade form? And
then I was asked to go on a show in
Milwaukee yesterday to talk Red's Brewers. And then as an aside,
they're like, what would it take for the Bengals to
trade Trey Hendrickson to the Packers? So in various cities,
(12:26):
now we've done this with t Higgins in the past
as well. In various cities at least fans or people
who do what I do for a living are having
conversations about their local team's ability to land Trey Hendrickson
via trade.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Your comments.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
In the Chicago show, I wanted to call in, No,
I don't know if you're allowed.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Is when you have this job, if you're allowed to
call it be a calling. Yeah, I mean you could
leave a talk back.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Maybe. Here's why I would say.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I called Rocky Boyman once after the Bengals Colts playoff game.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Oh yeah on the way back. Yeah, that fired up.
Here's the thing. I was in the.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Passenger seat, by the way.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
For what it's worth, I will say this, I think
the thing that I come back to with that is yeah, Okay,
well who's coming on the who's coming back?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It's it's it's that's what makes the sits.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Not that I don't think that there wouldn't be someone
listening on the other end. I think they would listen.
But I mean, are the are the Packers sending Rashaan
Gary as part of this trade? Are the you know,
is Chicago sending Montees sweat? Like? I mean, we there,
This team needs a pass rusher. That's that's not gonna change.
(13:39):
And so unless there's some kind of an answer coming,
they're not just gonna take a pick. And I think teams,
maybe people in fans and hosts not gonna call sports
talk hosts uninformed.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
They're not. Oh, trust, they're not going to offend me
at all.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
If that's the word you choose to use, you know,
maybe not totally understand that this team is not going
to make a deal that's going to leave them out
an edge wresher, and so I don't and there I
just don't see how that occurs. You know, there was
a point earlier this offseason where the Bryce Huff rumors
started circulating with Philadelphia, and I thought this is one
(14:17):
that makes sense, and well that that would be a
way that you could see how it could work out.
And Huff gets traded to San Francisco and it's like, OOKA,
that was an opportunity you could have, you could have
I don't know if he fits or whatever, and who
knows like how they viewed him, but it's like, that's
what it has to look like, is you gotta have
something coming back as part of that, and I just
I just don't see that at this point coming from anybody.
(14:40):
And the Bengals are willing to play this game, and
so I think they still feel like Trey's gonna cave
and or they're gonna figure it out and find the
number and make it work.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That's my assumption. At this point. What day are we
into the tray the days of Trey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Well here, I took a day off last week we
had Memorial Day.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I've got to refigure.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I've got to rehab your numbers because it.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Was it was going to be seventy what's seventy nine
days of ninety one if I'm not mistake.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, I don't know that we're going to hit the number.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah, but that's all right. We're tracking towards it, though.
We're going to come closer to seventy nine than zero.
There's no doubt about that. Paul Danner Junior, The Growler
Podcast and the Athletic dot Com follow on Twitter at
Paul Danner Jr. You've written a lot since you and
I last talked. I have, yeah, yeah, well I do that.
Sometimes I print out the stuff so we could talk
(15:34):
about it. I'm glad I've got there's a bunch of
you go, yeah, I got, I got Eric Gregory. It's
always good to see the printed word. Oh yeah, Gregory
about that. I like to print articles, I know, and
I appreciate Favery two thousand and seven in that regard.
We'll get to all of that. Paul's here till four.
I'm here till six. Thank you so much for joining
US today. I'm Oegar. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.
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still got that accident between Fields Irdle and two seventy five.
It's all on the right shoulder. You're going through there.
Expect a minute or two worth of delays. Also going
(16:25):
to find more delays southbound seventy five from Cooper Avenue
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Speaker 1 (16:32):
This report is sponsored by Rapid Radios RAPP twenty five
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Speaker 2 (16:39):
Paul Danner Junior is here Theathletic dot com and mcgrowler podcast.
Before we talk about stuff you've written to. Anybody in
the locker room, say anything interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Uh. I was not part of this, but Jermaine Burton
spoke for fifteen minutes today total.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, I was so.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
I have a story coming out on year two with
Dan Pitcher and so I was talking with Dan in
the hallway after practice, and when I came in, it
was like, oh h Jermaine just talk for like fifteen minutes.
So sorry, I won't have that story for anybody, but
I think it's probably already out there some of the
things of the opportunities for you to write about Jermaine
Burton if you were not there yet. I'm just not
(17:20):
there yet. And I here's the thing, and I will
say and Pitch even said this to me when I
talked to him. He's like, you know, it's it's we're
not just saying it. He's doing the right things. He
is doing the right things. He's like and I understand
that it's got to be a show me thing with Jermaine,
but right now he's doing the right things and showing
us and there's, you know, hope, and there's a reason
(17:42):
why they didn't give up on him, and that's kind
of shared within the buildings as he tries to make
good on it for right now. And so I'm not
there yet with it, but you know, there's a there's
an opportunity there. But here's the thing about Jermaine, and
I hope this makes sense. Last year we don't start
(18:02):
talking about him and things about we don't start talking
about his lack of maturity and not knowing the playbook
and all that sort of stuff until in the preseason
he plays in the game and plays well, which tells
me the coaches have no problem letting everybody know the
light bulb is not coming on. So I think this
(18:23):
summer they'll not be shy again about telling us, telling
the world that the light bulb's not come on, that
he's not getting Like last year he was against guys
who you know, did not make NFL teams.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
He was unbelievably good, and that wasn't the story.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
It was, Yeah, that guy you're watching torch dudes who
are going to be, you know, driving mail routes in
a few weeks. This guy isn't getting in it. He's not
he's falling asleep at meetings, he's not showing up, I
mean all that stuff. Like So if back then they
were telling us and they were making it known, like
you can run with this to the broadcasters, this guy,
the light bulb's not come on. He's not doing the
stuff we need him to do. If that was the
(18:58):
case last year, it'll be the case this year. If
you don't hear about Jermaine Burton, that's gonna tell me
he's doing all the right stuff. Yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, it makes sense. I mean I don't I don't think.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I mean, they're not at the point right now where
they can they're you know, there's just the leash is
so short as it should be. Yeah, I mean, you
just can't. You can't rebuild anything until it has to
be perfect for the most part. And I'm not saying
that he's been perfect or whatever, but like you're right there,
(19:29):
there's not gonna be some sort of hiding because we
all are looking for it and we all know the situation.
Everybody knows the deal. So that to me is a
thing that you're right. It will show up in camp
if you know, because he was torching dudes last year
that are gonna have mailroads.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
But yeah, he was torching them running the wrong routes.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Yes, he's just running deep and that's not the call.
And so that's that's fine in and you know, follow
the snaps. If he's still in and he's not playing
until the fourth quarter, is still of the preseason, Like
there's enough way is that it's going to be obvious
and things that we hear, things that we see, we
know the background now and and that we'll see if
it's paying off. But right for right now, yeah, I
(20:08):
mean it's they're okay.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
With that first preseason game on that Friday, I think
it is in Philadelphia. If in the fourth quarter Jermaine
Burton hasn't yet appeared and it's not good, he charges
out on the field and it's a bunch of guys
that I've never heard of trying to cover them. That's
gonna tell us a lot.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
You always follow the snaps, right, You always follow the snaps.
That's just especially in the preseason with guys that need them. Uh,
And so yes, he should be. You know. Another thing
that I talked with Pitch about today was about how,
you know, the thing this time last year was who
was gonna take TV's you know numbers, How are they
(20:47):
going to fill that up? The third receiver, the fourth receiver?
And he's like, that's not the question now. The question
now is the fifth receiver? Right, He's like, and that's
a fun beat, Like Jermaine has an opportunity. Charlie Jones like,
there's these people He's like, and you can even say
maybe the central sire if you count Chase Brown as
a receiver, Jimboy.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Mays, is he gonna be the Moeger Award winner.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
I haven't. I haven't handicapped the odds yet. But he's
a good value on Jamoy good value. Yeah, you're definitely
definitely good value there.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
I did not.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
I was looking today for some undrafted receiver to make
a play.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
I didn't see anything.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
I know, I didn't see anything either. There was the
stars Jamar t gets sicky. A lot of the lot
of the known quantities were making plays today. So but
I'm looking, I'm looking. I just didn't. I didn't quite
see it, all.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Right, So you have a piece coming out about your
two for Dan Pitchers, the offensive coordinator. Yeah, yeah, looking
for them in the coming days, hopefully, i'd like to.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
It's the summer model. It's load management season. As you're aware. Oh,
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So sometimes a story gets close and you're like, I
could use a little bit more, let's just push it
to next week, right, And so because it's in season,
it's it's easy, definitely, Because I know I'll have two
more days in the in the locker room, I can
I can add something on it. Well, I don't have
till next week in case I do need somebody who's
going to be in the building that I need to
talk to or to watch something whatever. But I am
(22:10):
anticipating something that coming soon.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
You wrote you focused on Eric Gregory, a defensive tackle
who's hero is an undrafted free agent, and it's a
good read. I'm gonna bring up something that to somebody
who covers the league might sound like it's obvious, but
I think to a lot of folks who follow the
NFL maybe it's not. The confused look on your face
speaks volume.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I didn't know. I thought there was a question coming.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I didn't know you were doing one of your good
teases that you're so good at sup professionals.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Hardly twenty nine away from four o'clock Sports Headlines More
with Paul Danner Junior, Who's with us for the Hour
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Station SINCY three sixty with Tony Pike.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Don't want to move on, the Doctor Keep Going.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
And Boston Elmore.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
I think you should continue to let me keep going.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
There, Sincy three sixty Tomorrow which twelve News on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from the.
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Seventy one seventy five at northbound at Kyle's Lane, right
lane blocked off from an accident. Police am moved that
crash further off toward the right side of the highway,
(23:27):
but still got about a twenty minute delayed back from
two seventy five. Once found on Burlington Pike. It's another
accident at Limaberg Road. I'm at ezelic with traffic.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
This report is sponsored by.
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from their family to yours for life, kelseyshow dot com.
Garrett Hampson and the Reds in action again tonight at GABP.
Hunter Green gets the ball for Cincinnati against Freddy peralto
seven ten is Tonight's first pitch. Garrett Hampson, by the way,
not in the start lineup this evening. You want it here?
(24:02):
It is friedol locks his dhing tonight. Ellie de la
Cruz had short Tyler Stevenson is catching Red's only using
one catcher tonight, so they have extra positional versatility in
the later innings when they need to use Austin wins
Steers at first base, Benson's and left Santiago Espinal who
has turned into Santiago Espinal recently. He is playing third base,
(24:22):
betting seventh Frehleys, and right Matt McLean is hitting in
the ninth spot. Again remember the games during the week
and hour at seven ten games live on seven hundred WLW.
Reds have selected the contract off lefty Joe la Sorsa
from tripa A Louisville and they have optioned him to Louisville.
Congratulations to Joe. They selected the contract from Louisville and
(24:44):
sent him there. I don't know what that means. I
guess they add him to the forty man roster. Maybe
that's there.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
You go, dude. If I'm worrying about.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Joe la Sorsa in a season of Garrett Hampson and
Rhese Hines and Blake Dunn, I got other problem.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Connor. Joe.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Bengals had a practice today, Paul was there. Nobody got hurt,
so nobody cares. Paul's really you're really summon it up.
You're honest today, right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Is there anything else? No, that's it's it's the main
reason we're here, There's no question.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
It's so we're just making sure everybody doesn't get hurt OTAs.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Exists for players to not show up too, so we
have stories or for players to get hurt at so
we have something to worry about. Yes, Joe Burr threw
a pick to Cam Taylor Brick.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, and then on the next play he threw a
seventy yard bomb to Jamar Chase.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
So you wrote about the the new version of undrafted
college free agent, right, and Eric Gregory is one of them.
Howard Cross is one of them, and it's it's a
good piece, and it kind of puts into context that
these guys get to the NFL. In many cases they're older.
They have what free twenty five year old rookies that
(25:50):
have a chance to make the team. They've made some
money because you can make money as a college football player. Now,
I think what some observers, maybe more casual observers of
this league would not realize is how heated the competition
can be for undrafted college free agents that they have
to get sold. In many cases they do get pitched,
(26:11):
and many of them, like in Eric Gregory, do have options.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So this happens at the end of the draft where
the teams are still on the clock. It's the sixth round,
it's the seventh round, and you are a player who's
potentially this is when you could get drafted. You're holding
your phone in your hand. This is going to be
the moment of my life. And it rings and it's
a team and they're like, you think you might want
(26:36):
to come here as an un drafted free agent and
you want to throw it in a lake. And Eric
Gregory kind of spilled out this story because he was
a guy who was potentially, you know, a late round pick,
but people view him as somebody who could come in.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
He played well in the SEC or whatever, and he.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Had to sit there and take all of those calls
as people are pitching it. People come here, come play
for us. He said, he had about six or seven
and you got to kind of make that decision quickly.
And I tell all of these guys that come in
here is that you know, I think I would rather
almost be an undrafted free agent than be selected in
the seventh round. You can pick your spot, you can
(27:16):
find your opportunity. And Eric Gregory is a perfect example
of that. He came to Cincinnati because he sees the
opportunity clear as day. The team that didn't have a
defensive tackle picked that has an opportunity to as a
depth piece.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You have played sixty.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Six, however many games at Arkansas and you come in
ready to fill a depth role so often. And this
is kind of the interesting thing about these older guys
is you know you're older, and that's a detriment. It's
used against you. We've seen all that you can be.
But if what you can be is somebody who was
(27:51):
productive in the SEC and can immediately be more polished
and mature and able and see the opportunity and be
motivated rather than take time to develop to fill a
depth role on the back of a roster, maybe that's
all he's gonna be, but that's also something they need.
And so with a couple of guys between him and
Howard Cross, who are these very similar types of backgrounds here,
(28:15):
you have an opportunity where that and I think that
a similar conversation about Dimitri Snide has had in the
same regard of when.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
You can come in.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
It changes, it fast tracks the timeline on these guys.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I mean, in the.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Past, undrafted guy comes in, usually he's probably if he's
young or he hasn't played a lot, and you're betting
on that he's got some raw skills that you can
develop and maybe down the line he can be something.
Now there's this like new side where it's somebody you
know who they are. They're mature enough to handle it,
to understand their opportunity, and you feel like they're gonna
make the most of what they have right now, and
(28:48):
that you need it. It might not be a sky
high piece of your team, but it's something you need.
And at a position like they need a defensive tackle
and at linebacker as well, you can get something there
to fill a role. And I think that's interesting because
that before Nil and COVID year and everything didn't totally exist, right,
I mean, you'd be betting on maturity, but you didn't
(29:09):
really know. Now it's pretty proven. I mean what these
guys have done to handle it. And I mean another
guy who's a literal dad, he's got a second kid
on the way, he's he's been through a lot and
it understands the opportunity he has here.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
I was thinking about this as it relates to Corey
Kiner and having a conversation with somebody who is close
to him about how it's got to be so hard
because you work your entire life with that goal and
that dream to hear your name called, right, and that
you that can never be replicated. If your name's not called,
it's not like, let's try it next year, and then
you quickly have to flip a switch and it's go, okay,
(29:45):
Now I get a chance to maybe pick the place
that's best for me, and you have to have a
good agent who's good at like, all right, maybe here
you can get the most money, but that's not about that.
Let's let's find a place where you're still alive and
kicking in early September. And as a player, I have
to imagine that's so hard. I have to imagine it's
so hard to maybe turn down the first financial offer
(30:06):
that comes your way, or maybe the first offer that
comes your way, and then kind of get over the
fact that you know what, maybe what was best for
me was to not have my name called in round
six or seven. That's got to be really hard.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, and I think guys certainly struggle with that in
the moment, but by the time they show up and
they realize, Like you know, when I talked to Eric Gregory,
he kind of looks around and he's like, there's no
difference between me and a guy that was picked in
the fifth round or the sixth round. And and can
look at what's happened here in the past, whether you're
(30:37):
talking about Muma Jong Medal last year or Cam Grandy
or any number of these players, there's a history there.
Speaker 6 (30:43):
Ryan Rico, Ryan Ricocluster, who showed up out of nowhere,
right and and so I just and that's how the
Bengals sell it, and they feel like they don't have
to do a hard sell to these guys.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
They just show them the list of these are this
is last year alone, this is what we've what we've
done here, and we have an opportunity for you, and
you know that we'll give you a real chance. And
uh and I think that that works. It's certainly resonated
with Eric h.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
I like what you wrote about Scott Peters and we've
we've talked about his his impact on the incumbent offensive lineman,
his role in developing Dylan Fairchild. How his presence on
the team shaped shaped draft strategy. Here's what I like
about it. Like, I don't like neanderthal offensive lineman's intense, uh,
(31:32):
and he wants players who are gonna blow snot bubbles,
and they're gonna eat class. Like, tell me something about
what you're gonna do to teach these guys. Tell me
what you're gonna do to to teach these guys how
to play the position. What I got from this piece
from Scott Peters or Scott Peters is there's some insight
into how he's going to teach the position and do
it differently than the previous guys.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yeah, I think it.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Sounds smarter, It sounds more nuanced, it sounds something that
connects better younger players.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I wrote the thinking Man's offensive line coach quote less
cave Mammy.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I don't know why I put quotes there, but I did. Yeah.
But no, you're right though.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
I think that's the point is that there is a
there is a theory behind this, and that's what you know.
Offensive linemen are smart as smart, if not smarter than
anybody in the building have been since the beginning of time.
They and I think there's an appreciation, and you hear
that from guys like and going around talking to guys
last week about about him and how it's going. That
was the thing, it was they you know, I mean,
(32:31):
Cordell Wilson has been talked about a lot, but I
mean he really perks up talking about the opportunity to
work with Scott Peters, and the same thing for some
of these other guys where you just you can tell,
like Ted Kerris sing, I'm learning, I'm doing things that
i haven't done in year ten that doesn't happen and
that's great.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
He's like, you know, it's it's.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
A lot of him being able to teach things the
way that I've never I've been trying to teach it
that I've been when people ask me what to do,
I've been trying to tell him. And now I'm like, wait, no,
he's saying that this is what I've been trying to
say all this time. And somebody who can do that
and formalize it in ways that guys understand it and
be willing to come in and kind of rebuild those
tools so that they can go in and pull them
(33:11):
off on the fly. I just think that has connected
clearly with this group, and as we've said many times,
any different strategy at this point you'll take, Yeah, but
anybody that can do something. But the fact that it
feels younger and smarter and a little bit different, a
little more innovative, I do think is something they have
(33:32):
not only needed, but is connecting with these guys right now.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
It may not work.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
They may may be out there in week five being
like we're trying to I'm out here trying to do
this strike thing and I got Joe sacked like it.
Maybe it ends that way, but I do feel like
it is certainly connecting for this moment in time.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
The other piece you wrote, and this this comes back
to something we talked about yesterday because the Bengal sent
out the press release involving the three front office hires.
So my take, look, it's it's low hanging for you
beat up on the Bengals for the size of their
scouting department, the size of their analytics department, and some
of those criticisms are very valid. But when I heard
from the organization, hey, you know, we kind of got
(34:11):
behind this offseason because of the amount of time and
energy it took to get the Jamar Chase and t
Higgins deals done. My first thought was, then you need
to hire more people if you can't do all these
things at once. I don't know who you hire, I
don't know what departments you feel, but you need more
people at the very least got more people.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Yeah, I mean I specifically asked Duke Tobin this question.
I feel like I do every year, but in February,
and his was, if I thought we were missing something,
I would definitely add more people. Four months later he
added more people. So he clearly went through something. Yeah,
over the last four months, you can surmise what you
think that was that said we need more people and
(34:54):
changed his opinion from where he was back before this
offseason started. And I and you know, Christian Sarkesian leaves
and so maybe it is kind of a two for
one because it takes more time to build some of
the rapport from Christian who had been here for a while.
I am really intrigued by the Trey Lot Bounty piece
(35:14):
to this. Who is he's for those that don't know,
he's kind of he's more on the analytics side. They've
never really done, they've never brought And I know people
are like oh, you have a second analytics guy, and
it's I mean, no, they should have eight. They should
have more. That's my point though it's like it's only two.
Are really going to make a big deal out of this?
(35:35):
But at least the willingness to go this far and
be like, let's put more of an analytics piece into
our draft strategy and understand that that's not fair on
Sam Francis, who's doing all this stuff for you in season.
You know, the only other person in your analytics data
partent department who's part of your game management. He's part
of all that stuff. I mean when he shows up
(35:57):
in January or February trying to catch up on the draft,
like that's his impact is minimized, Whereas you know, I
think with Trey, what you're gonna see is you're going
to see somebody who's going to be part of the
draft process from the very beginning and trying to bring
some of the in like they need that, and the
willingness to go there. And I know, but you know,
(36:19):
there should be so many more. There should be. I'm
not of the opinion that they need to look like
the Ravens or the Browns and have ten people that
are research assistants like I don't think it. I think
there is a bit of I think there is a
bit of overkill, but I do think a willingness to
say I have since I've ever asked Duke this question
(36:41):
said I don't need more voices, I just need the
right voices to be willing to say here, I need
more voices.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
There's a piece that we're missing here. We do need
some more data in our draft.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
It's an admittance that let's realize that there have been
some shortcomings and that's all you can ask is people
to do better and willing to change and adapt. And
I think this is at least a small piece of that.
It's not, I mean, it's no one's putting them on
the level of anyone else in the league even close.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
But at least it is.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
A movement in that right direction, and that's what makes
this more notable than just a random June transaction.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Do you have any thoughts on this year's Ring of
Honor process and the announcement that at the end of
this year they'll sort of go back to the drawing.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Board with this thing. I love that they're going back
to the drawing board. That drawing board should involve putting
everybody else in that's on the current list. You've said this,
and I am in agreement with you. You are on
the right side of this. Yeah, they're pick your two
this year and I'm fine with whatever. And then next
year all seven should go in that are remaining, and
then then start over with whatever new process you want
(37:46):
it to be that includes modern players with go buy
the Hall of Fame rules of five years or od
or whatever you want to do.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
You can make your own criteria. I could adjust it.
It doesn't even have to be a fan vote. I'm
glad it is, but it doesn't have to be.
Speaker 3 (37:59):
But it is grow if you don't put these people
that have been on this list this whole time in
because you waited too long to do it. And now
we're going to be like, oh, Jim Breech or Lamar Parish, right, sorry,
we're changing the rules now. And you're I know you've
been on this list every year and we all recognize
that you as a legend that deserves to be in,
but we're not going to do it. We're going to
(38:19):
change now.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
You and I have talked about this exhaustively. I think
Dave Lapham. They should just put him in, right, please. So,
but I did my ballot and I put it on
social media last week and I said it was Dave
Lapham and Lamar Parish. Lap was easy for me because
fifty years basically with the organization, that's a no brainer.
And then so I said it came down to then
I took the two oldest players because I don't want
(38:40):
to make these guys wet anymore. And now I'm mad
because I'm having to debate between Lamar Parrish and Bob Trumpy,
who both last played for the Bengals the year I
was born.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
That is, it's crazy, beyond ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
And so I hate to come off as angry about
the Ring of Honor because I'm glad they do it. Yeah,
and Ring of Honor Day is cool, and I I'm
glad they're celebrating these players. I hate that they put
Lamar Parrish at odds with Bob Trumpy, at odds with
Reggie Williams. I hate that we're putting a bunch of
guys who at their best most recently played thirty three
years ago against each other.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
I hate that, so rectify it by putting.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It all and you're and you're debating by who's oldest anyway,
because you it's like that's more like nobody wants to
do it this way, right, And so yeah, I'm with
you on that. And I just think, you know, a
couple of years ago, uh, we had this centennial class
for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton and
all these people, like, we have to clear the decks
of all these senior players. And it was cool, and
(39:39):
it was cool and everyone was on board with that.
These guys deserve it, and we otherwise they'll sit and
they'll never get the recognition, right, They'll never get that,
And you have you to some point you just have
to say, yeah, I understand this was never probably how
we initially thought we were gonna do it, But let's
clear the decks so we can start doing it the
right way. The Pro Football Hall of Fame did that
a few years ago. I feel like this is a
great opportunity for the Bengals to do the same. Uh,
(40:00):
you know next year when they re envisioned or.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Whatever that looks like.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Last year, we had Leaping Tiger versus striped b to
deflect our attention away from what was happening on the field.
Is there anything this summer of that magnitude? I have
to have a radar. I mean, nothing will trump Leaping Tiger.
I mean that's you know, I don't.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Know versus striped be, versus striped be.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Last year wasn't awakening for me last summer because I
didn't realize there was such affection for the Leaping Tiger.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
I didn't either, I didn't think that. I always thought
Leaping Tiger was kind of like I as Leaping Tiger
with Dick Lebo and John Kinnam.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (40:36):
No, no amount of affection for Leaping Tiger, I will say,
and this is a bit of an off shoot, not
abou Leaving Tiger necessarily, but like, the coolest thing I've
seen was Chad Johnson wearing the Jamar Chase in that
old school jersey.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
That's the coolest jersey I've ever seen, agreed, and what
he wore on that night that he went in right,
And so I was like that if any anything you
can do to replicate that, I would be with because
I thought that was as cool as it gets. Mini
Camp next week, multiple days, three days. Maybe you know,
(41:14):
here's here's your story that happens, is it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
They let them go on day three, and then it's ah,
do you want to start the season fast?
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Urgency? No urgency? How dare you let them go play
volleyball on the third day?
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Read Paul Danner Theathletic dot Com and catch the podcast
The Growler.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Thank You as always pleasure.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Let's talk about Grumpy Tito Francona next on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Millions of Americans are living with Alzheimer's or other dementias.
Find answers from leading brain health experts that you see
health Learn more at u sehealth dot com. Still got
that accident on in southbound seventy one seventy five on
the off ramp to Burlington Pike. Also westbound on Burlington Pike.
Another crash at Limaburg Road and on Paddock Road. Police
(42:11):
are on the scene of an accident at Carolina Avenue.
I'm at ezelic with traffic
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