0:03

What's up. Good afternoon, Moleger. This is esp In fifteen thirty.

0:08

Thank you for listening. Hopefully you're having a terrific Tuesday afternoon. We're loaded

0:13

today, Red's good shut out. Last night, Hunter Green pitched. Okay,

0:20

okay, the Reds have a starting line up to town tonight. I

0:25

don't know that most of us would characterize it as okay. We'll get to

0:31

that in a bit, but first, our friend Paul Dayner Junior is here.

0:35

He is very busy. The Bengals are on the clock on Thursday night,

0:40

round one of the draft, and Paul is covering it for the Athletic.

0:44

He's got the Growl of podcast. The big mega mock draft was done

0:48

yesterday. They've got a live podcast coming up a week from tonight, which

0:51

we're going to talk about. He's got his full seven round mock draft.

0:55

We have a lot to discuss. Yeah, well, because we finally made

0:58

it. It's like I envy the fans who get to just not really pay

1:03

attention and then show up draft. We can be like, so, what's

1:06

going on? So we're sort of saying the same things but louder, and

1:10

you also reach the point where like everything comes first full circle where when we

1:12

first started talking about the draft when the Bengals season ended, and it was

1:17

like, well, you gotta look at these tackles. That Latham guy seems

1:21

like he would fit or or you know, I guess maybe it's gonna be

1:23

Mimes or whoever you're talking about. And we talked ourselves in eighteen different directions

1:27

since then, and now we're back and we're like, yeah, it's probably

1:30

one of those. So it's how the process works. Yeah, you gotta,

1:36

but you gotta, you know, you gotta turn over every rock and

1:38

make sure we're talking about every possible topic, and lord knows we did that.

1:42

But I am this is the exciting part. Right. The last couple

1:44

of weeks are hard because you're just not quite there. But now that it's

1:48

right here and we're deep in it every you know, you're you can really

1:52

start to enjoy it and embrace it. Well, you know, I think

1:55

back to four years ago the Joe Burrow Draft, which you know, the

1:59

second part of the process, play it out against the pandemic. But we

2:02

joked on this show like we have some we have certain boxes we have to

2:07

check. Okay, so one of the boxes is, well, should they

2:09

trade the pick? Right, we know they're not gonna and we want them

2:14

to take Joe Burrow, but we we have to we have to check that box. And then the other box would be like, are we sure it's

2:20

not Tua, Are we sure it's not justin Herbert? Are we sure it's

2:23

not Chase young And we spent especially once the pandemic got here, and we

2:28

just had like large swaths of time and nothing else really going on, so

2:30

we had to do the obligatory like hours of well, you know, maybe

2:35

maybe it makes sense to draft Chase Younger. Wow. I still to this

2:38

day can't believe that it was a part of the program. I remember it

2:44

had to be yes, So I get it. There are certain boxes that

2:47

you just have to check. And then at the end of it all,

2:51

we just kind of circled back to Okay, they're taking Burrow and it's gonna

2:53

be awesome. I was listening to Dan Patrick the other day and Mike Florio

2:59

was on the are still suggesting that the Bengals should have traded out of number

3:01

one to the Dolphins? Say, yeah, they just got lucky that that

3:06

Burrow thing worked out. You can still argue should have probably traded with Miami.

3:10

He's like, May, we're still not letting that go unbelievable. Still

3:15

there still still out there. All right, before we get into some draft

3:21

nuts and bolts, let's talk about today's news. Yes, singles, do

3:24

Jake Browning a solid? Yeah? I mean you earned it right, Yes,

3:29

he was kind of We talked about how he was just stuck. Yeah, because he's the exclusive rights free agent. He has exclusive rights, should

3:35

be called no rights free agent. You're just this is the if they want

3:38

to pay you, this is what you're gonna make. And he earned more

3:40

than that. And so yeah, they do a ma solid and they give

3:45

themselves security there two years mat that's where it was gonna end up anyway with him, And so I mean, how do you not love their quarterback room?

3:52

Right now? On top of you have Burrow, So you know you have an elite guy at number one, but you have somebody behind him that

3:58

fits well, that has proven himself. So something happens, maybe it won't

4:03

be like last year, and you're scared to death to send him out there

4:06

to play against the Rams and said, send a hobble Joe Burrow out there

4:10

in week three because you're worried that this his backup can't win you a game.

4:14

Now, you know, everybody believes and we talked about this with Brandon

4:17

Allen in the beginning was when he had a couple of really good games.

4:23

As long as the people around him on offense believe that he can go win

4:27

you a game. And it's not a feeling of dread when you take the

4:30

field. You need that that is important. That's the feeling you want.

4:34

You're not necessarily you want. You want whatever whoever your backup quarterback comes from,

4:39

he comes from. You just want the feeling and the rest of the

4:42

players when they go out there. Even though we have our starter today,

4:45

we got a chance. Jake Browning gave you that. He's every everybody loves

4:48

him. This was that was kind of a good, any uneasy, no

4:51

brainer and easy thing to do. You can function and do even more than

4:56

just function with Jake Browning. It's it's it's the greatest insurance. Paul.

5:00

Ever, here's a guy that has had some success in our system, feels

5:02

like he's going to be prepared. Do I want him to play six seven,

5:05

eight games? No? But I always look at the backup quarterback to

5:09

the simple lens of Joe, go's in a concussion protocol and the other guy's

5:14

got to play a half and it's seventeen all and you got to figure out

5:16

a way to win the game. Can he do that for you? The answer is yes. Yeah, it's a great feeling to have Joe likes him.

5:23

He has proven he will be ready and be a gamer at all times.

5:27

I mean that's kind of just his mentality that we learned about last year.

5:30

So yeah, I think everything everything that you let that you look for

5:33

in a backup quarterback, Jake Browning has and they do him a little bit

5:36

a solid by giv him a little extra money and security and he earned that.

5:40

Uh. They also bring back Logan woods Yeah, let's go. So

5:45

if you would have said to me on the Saturday night of the twenty eighteen

5:50

draft, the last draft of the Marvin Lewis regime, that there would be

5:56

uh free active players in the NFL from that draft, I would have thought,

6:00

Okay, well, Billy Price is a chance to you know, stick

6:03

right, and Jesse Bates and then Sam Hubbard okay, and then who else

6:11

Logan wood Side. Yes, if you would have told me that when it

6:15

was during it was either OTAs or camp he got popped. No, it

6:19

was around that time when they just had him out there as like scout team

6:23

safety and he had chains around his neck. I was like, well,

6:26

that doesn't bode well for his NFL future, But yet he matured here and

6:30

here he is. He's he's been collecting checks in the NFL. Good for

6:34

Logan wood Side. Anybody should hope to have his NFL career at this point.

6:40

Amazing. Yeah, he's still playing in the NFL in twenty twenty four,

6:44

outlasted Billy Price. He played in a game last year for the Atlanta

6:47

Falcons. Good for him, man, good for Logan Woodside. That's that's

6:51

one of the See that's the part of the draft that I like. I

6:54

like it when yeah, sort of big Day three guy, well not really

6:58

a big Day three guy, but I like when Logan Woodside gott in a

7:00

game for the Falcons last year. I don't know how I found that out,

7:03

but I said, is that the same guy from Toledo the Bengals drafted?

7:09

And then it was like, yes, wait a minute, he's still

7:13

playing football in the NFL. Amazing and getting checks and gotten a game.

7:17

Yes, he's back it's great. It's great. What a wonderful world.

7:23

Of the many things that you take part in. I enjoy the AFC North

7:26

whip around, you do? I do? I like the whip around because

7:30

it's a chance to kind of check in with what's happening with the other teams

7:33

in the AFC North for those who don't know, and you should because you

7:36

should be subscribing to a Paul's working in the Athletic. But Paul and the

7:41

other three beat writers who cover AFC North teams will tackle, you know,

7:45

various topics throughout the course of the week. There's one of them I wanted to talk about with you, all right, what's that? So you were

7:49

asked to outline. You and the other three guys were as to outline best

7:54

and worst case scenarios. Best and worst case scenarios for the BENGALSS case for

8:00

the Bengals, as you documented, was best case would be at least four

8:05

quarterbacks, multiple corners, a surprise receiver, and a couple of edge rushers

8:09

come off in front of them, leaving at least one of Latham JC Latham

8:13

tell Esfuaga Fuatano or Byron Murphy the second to pick that's best case. Yeah,

8:20

I think so that's best case. Yeah, guys at the positions that they want most, that fit them. Yeah, if best case ends up

8:26

being reality, who among those four guys would they pick. I have planted

8:33

my flag on Byron Murphy for a long time now. H I wrote a

8:37

whole story how he's basically my guy. Like, I don't claim that.

8:41

I just think he can have the most effect on this team winning of anybody,

8:48

just because that position is so rare, the value is so high.

8:52

It's such a scarcity there that to me, that would be the direction that

8:58

I would go. And I would start trying to figure out tackle because you

9:03

do have Trent Brown and is he gonna play a full season? I mean,

9:05

you certainly aren't counting on that. But like I, they have found

9:09

answers at tackle, and you can spend a second or third round pick and

9:13

say, hey, by week whatever, if an injury occurs, this guy

9:18

could be ready. You know, a second round pick could be ready to come in and play. That's just that. If you're talking about the trade

9:26

off on that, what you're giving up is you could have an elite three

9:30

technique, which is something the entire league is dying to find So that to

9:33

me would be my answer on that, what will they do? They know

9:37

what they would do. I mean, I've heard, we've heard a lot

9:39

of talk about how they are in these meetings now and they're ongoing. And

9:43

if you don't believe that stacking the board across positions with things like the question

9:48

you just asked, are what they've been sitting around over the last week,

9:52

making sure that everyone's comfortable with and your creat That's what's happening. So what

9:56

will they do? We'll find out if that happens. I I just think

10:01

I think what they have needed and wanted is there in Murphy potentially if he

10:07

was there. I don't think he will be there. But I think one

10:09

of the tackles, you know, you're you're happy with all your with all of them, all right. I want to stay on the position that Byron

10:15

Murphy, the place Byron Murphy plays Byron Murphy, the plays what Byron Murphy?

10:18

The second place we'll do that this is live radio. Yeah, so

10:22

when I make mistakes there it is you just do it? Makes you human?

10:26

Sure? That's it? Yes? Makes me human? Yes? Accessible?

10:28

Accessible? Yes? Sure. Paul Danner Juniors here the Athletic dot Com,

10:33

The Growler Podcast, and I want to talk about your live podcast one

10:37

week from tonight. We'll get to that when we come back. He is

10:41

here until four o'clock. We are here till six on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati

10:46

Sports Station. It's three twenty. This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Moegger,

10:50

Paul Danner Juniors, here at the Athletic dot Com, The Growler Podcast,

10:54

the Mega Mock Draft Special which Paul Jmore, Butch Hobson, James Rapine Mock

11:01

Draft. Yeah, I will admit to you that I am midway through.

11:05

That's good. I mean, you know it gets only gets better. Yeah,

11:09

you go, It's it's fun. Speaking of the podcast, love that

11:13

exercise. Yeah, speaking of the podcast, you have a live post draft

11:16

podcast, yeah, from tonight. I am so excited about this. So

11:20

we've partnered with uh at MGM Sportsbook and Nation Kitchen at the Banks down there,

11:28

which if you have you've if you've been to a Reds game, you've

11:31

seen it's right down right down there across from JVP. The space is awesome,

11:35

it's perfect for what we wanted to do, and and they've just been a great partner to be in with here and so we're gonna be down there

11:41

seven o'clock Tuesday, April thirtieth. It's Bengals College Scouting director Mike Potts,

11:46

who spoke today the Press convers is gonna be there to when we'll break down

11:50

all the picks we've done. I've done this every year. It's one of

11:52

my favorite things that we are able to do because these guys have a year's

11:56

worth of insight and stories and path to every pick. There's so much nuance

12:01

to everything to really unpack, and Mike is the perfect person to do.

12:07

And we'll invite a bunch of other scouts who have hopped on with us in the past and go down there. We'll talk through that well food and drinks.

12:13

Of course, Nation just crushes if they have so much good food and

12:16

you come down listen, dude, we'll do draft talk and then of course

12:20

we'll myself and Jay and March will be down there. We'll be hanging out

12:26

having drinks afterwards talking If you guys want to catch anybody want to catch up, then So seven o'clock next Tuesday, Mike Potts will be our guest,

12:33

but we'll do a full live growler down there. This will be fun because

12:37

Tuesday, right seven o'clock your podcast, Mark will be there. Yeah,

12:41

I'm gonna come down. It's also game five if necessary, Nick Sixers.

12:46

Yeah. Mark's a big Knicks fan. Yeah, I'm a big Knicks.

12:50

We'll get you guys a screen I think we can get you guys a screen

12:52

over. So yeah, I mean, it could be fun. It could

12:56

be very fun. I'm just saying it could be big. Put them away

12:58

if necessary, if necessary necessary, probably won't, probably won't be. If

13:03

necessary, it'll be over. But no, it's gonna be great. So

13:07

Eric, come on down seven o'clock a week from tonight. I listened to

13:11

Zach Taylor yesterday and I listened to Mike Potts. Mike Potts understandably was not

13:16

nearly as revealing as he will be when he joins you. But I did

13:20

enjoy listening to Zach a little bit yesterday, just talking about the process because

13:24

me as I'm into the draft and I'm into who they take, but I'm

13:28

really I think it'd just be so cool to really be pulled back into the

13:31

room to just watch how Draft Night itself plays out. And I thought,

13:37

Zach, maybe a little bit more so than he has been since he arrived.

13:39

Was kind of interesting just talking about how the sausage is made during the

13:45

draft. Yeah, I mean, I think it's fascinating because I mean,

13:48

teams do do things differently, and the Bengals are built a little bit differently,

13:52

but you know they when you when you get into that room, it's

14:00

mostly done. There's especially on Thursday night, there's really I think there's this

14:05

idea that there's action. It's incredibly Thursday Night's incredibly boring in there because if

14:09

there's anything that they have done and put to bed, it's the order of

14:13

what's going to happen in round one, like one through eighteen, and really

14:16

the same for up to forty. You get way more action on day two

14:20

because you get a lot more trades are involved a whole day. Teams have

14:22

recalibrated their boards and things have changed, but Day one has been so structured.

14:28

You know where you would trade to, you know who you would talk

14:31

to. You probably have things set in place. If you're gonna move,

14:33

you know who you're gonna take, and what that order is. If it

14:35

gets to that, so it becomes almost like, Okay, get this out

14:39

of the way I would want to be in there on Day two. That

14:43

is the most action pack day. Everybody has needs that they're trying to fill,

14:46

things that they're reacting to. Everybody's trying to move. That to me

14:50

is the day that is the ultimate where you know, that's where you win

14:56

and loose in this league is accomplishing your goals with those Friday picks. And

15:01

I think that will be how this draft will absolutely be judged for the Bengals

15:07

this year, just because of the way they're set up, the extra pick,

15:09

their ability to move up and down if they want to, and their

15:13

needs that they have at very important positions. I think that is the most

15:18

fascinating day and we'll see how they handle it. We talked about Byron Murphy

15:22

and what they would do if he's there at eighteen and sign me up for

15:26

taking him fills an obvious need. Why don't I feel very good about what

15:33

they could do a defensive tackle later in the draft if he's not there,

15:37

Well, because there isn't any I mean there's not. There's not a ton

15:43

of players that no one's really gonna bring you that that's why those guys go

15:48

there. Yeah, have we talked so much about Byron Murphy that we make

15:52

the other guys seem like they just totally suck. No, I don't think

15:54

they any I don't think it do so, I think it's close. I don't know that he is at the top of their board. I mean,

15:58

I'm just a lot of people like Newton More. Yeah, some people like

16:02

and that's fine. I just you know, that's great. I mean you

16:04

can get He's he will bring you all the pass rush you want to.

16:08

I mean, that's that's what you're looking for. There's not as much of

16:11

the other stuff there as Murphy gives you a little more versatility, a little

16:15

more against the run, but you know, pass rushing from inside is as

16:21

valuable as it gets. So I I think you can accomplish. They have

16:26

put themselves into a position a little bit where yeah, you're not you're not

16:30

gonna get what you want after that, there's because there's that's where those guys

16:33

go. I think they can piece it together after that. I think there's

16:38

plenty of guys that that could come in here, but there's just not a

16:41

lot of history in this league of players coming from. Where the Bengals will

16:47

pick in round two around three and coming in and having big time impact,

16:52

and they kind of need some impacts they put They put themselves in this spot,

16:56

and that's why that feeling exist. My question was not so much about

17:02

the lack of talent, for lack of a better way of putting it.

17:04

After Byron Murphy, it's the position the Bengals are in and what they've done

17:08

to themselves specifically at that spot. Yeah, I think they would. You

17:14

don't ever want to feel like you have an obvious need, and I think

17:18

that they've done some certainly too. It doesn't feel that way. I mean

17:22

with Rankins and Hilly, they need bodies, but it doesn't feel like they

17:29

are just a disaster there. But they need pieces. I mean, they

17:33

need more in there, and they need it for this year and they need

17:36

it for the future. You don't ever want to have even that feeling. But that doesn't mean, you know, there's plenty of players that they could

17:44

sit here and grab Chris Jenkins at forty nine and everyone will by the time

17:48

they pick and the fourth round, everyone will already be sold that he's the

17:52

answer and that was the best thing that could have happened. Yeah, or any number of these guys that do have potential that you would take in the

17:59

second round, and they're part of a rotation and you can find a way to make it work, and then they'll take another one on day three that

18:03

can come in and be the new Josh Tupo and you can see how it

18:07

all fits together. Is that gonna be enough to slow down Travis Henry or

18:11

I'm sorry, Derek Henry. Derek Travis Henry school reference like that, Dereck

18:15

Henry, Sure job. I think I mean, I don't think you have

18:18

Baltimore this overall running game. Yeah, okay, I mean I maybe I

18:25

think you don't have You don't have to have DJ reader to stop the run.

18:30

You know, you can find other ways to do it. Lou Anumo

18:33

will be in charge of scheming that up. They had DJ reader last year

18:37

and they didn't stop the run very well. I don't disagree with that.

18:41

I think that's partially on lou Ana Rumo's lap. Is you got to figure

18:47

out how to do this? Is there a new way that you've got to

18:51

construct it? What is that run fits always comes back to run fits?

18:55

Isn't it run fit practice? Can we put you You've often talked about jobs

19:00

that you would like to hold at the Bengals. Could we make you like

19:03

director of run fits and just have you run drills helping everyone with their run

19:10

fits? Like is that? Can I make this? Can we find a

19:12

way to produce this? Maybe? But I just I have you know,

19:17

we were talking about like nightmare scenarios. Mine is we get to like five

19:21

or six weeks in and they're getting beaten up upfront and teams are running up

19:26

and down against them, and I gotta listen to analysts talk about run fits.

19:29

Yeah, it's coming. Whenever I'm hearing somebody talk about run fits,

19:33

First of all, I get really bored very quickly. Second, nobody ever

19:37

talks about run fits when they're stopping the run, right, not a lot

19:40

of runfit columns being written when they're stopping the run. Yeah. I haven't

19:42

gotten a whole lot of clicks on my gap discipline story, you know.

19:47

So I if we get to October and you and I are talking about run

19:51

fits, I'm gonna go back to the draft in the entire offseason and Goo

19:56

could have fixed it. To have fixed it, no, I I've said

19:59

it a bunch of time. I think it's the one criticism of how free

20:02

agency unfolded with them is that they didn't have one more guy in there that

20:04

feels solid, disserviceable right to kind of be in that mix. And and

20:11

we'll see if they can find a way to get this in this draft. But I mean, that's what's in front of them. That's why it's important.

20:15

That's why day two is important. If they don't get that on day

20:18

one, is they got a pinpoint that and find it all right, I

20:22

want to explore a long shot possibility and your individual nightmare scenario. Okay,

20:27

Plus i'd like your thoughts on Bill Tobin. Yeah, we'll do three thirty

20:33

Paul Danner Junior. By the way, Taren, we're trying to have the perfect show today, two for two, hitting the brake on time. Um

20:38

the way, he's Paul Danner Junior. We're aiming for a perfect show today.

20:42

It can happen, No, it can't. This is ESPN fifteen thirty

20:45

Cincinnati Sports Station Sincy three sixty with Tony Pike. If we want to move

20:51

on dot to keep going and Boston Elmore, I think you should continue.

20:55

Let me keep going there Sincy three sixty Tomorrow which twelve News on ESPN fifteen

21:00

thirty. Cincinnati's espnes are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet, Home of lifetime powertrain

21:07

protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family to yours for life, kelseychev dot

21:12

Com. Game two of four with the Phillies tonight at GAVP. Red's trying

21:17

to bounce back after getting shut out in two hit last night. Andrew Abbott,

21:21

Well, I'll get the ball for Cincinnati, Paul in the quick Hits

21:23

segment that I do with Tony and Austin, I was asked if I would

21:26

get your thoughts on tonight's Red starting lineup. All right, let's go.

21:32

Stu Fairchild leading off. Well, that's not a great start. Spencer Steers

21:36

and left. Stevenson is catching Candelario's playing third, batting fourth, ces at

21:41

first, Ellie is betting sixth again playing short stop. Nick Martini providing protection

21:48

for Ellie in the seven hole. Santiago Espinal, who might be the worst

21:52

offensive player the Reds have ever had, Well, come on playing second base.

21:57

I mean, that's how bad he is playing. And he'll get four

22:00

hits tonight playing second base and betting eighth. And then Will Benson in right

22:04

field, batting ninth you know, wasn't Stevenson just hitting ninth like a week

22:11

ago? Weren't we? I mean I feel like, yes, and now

22:17

we've moved to this he was you read him third there? Correct? Yes,

22:21

Yeah, we just it's fine. I don't mind Matt Messmith Ellie.

22:25

Here's the thing, like it's like it's like, okay, don't touch anything.

22:30

It's working, okay, Like nobody nobody getting near him, don't look

22:34

at him, don't change the spot in the buying order like it's working.

22:37

Just let it keep going. So I feel like that's I'm okay with that

22:41

with just leave him there. You could put somebody a little bit better behind

22:47

him. I get it, but I don't. I don't the rest of it though. We're trying too hard, aren't we. Yes. I go

22:53

back to one of the one of the best and then eventually worse things about

22:59

Dusty Baker was he really believed in guys feeling comfortable every day coming in,

23:03

knowing exactly where that was going to be and where they were gonna hit.

23:07

Yes, and gave people long runs of doing the exact same thing in the

23:11

exact same spot every single day off, sometimes to his detriment. Later in

23:15

the season, but players really appreciated that. Players really like they feel comfortable

23:22

coming to the ballpark every day. It means something. I think today's player

23:26

is very much used to moving all around more so, much more so.

23:29

Yeah, and so that's not as big a deal as maybe it was in

23:33

the time that we're talking about. But I don't think it's under I still

23:37

think it's a deal. I still think it's a thing where you do want

23:41

to be leaning into comfort more often. I'm not a manager, I'm not

23:44

here too. I think eventually you either got players that can hitter you don't.

23:48

It doesn't really make that big of a difference. But I do like

23:51

comfort when possible, and there is always so much movement. The one thing

23:55

I remember most about Dusty Baker's lineups, it didn't matter who it was.

24:00

The center fielder was batting lead off. Drew Stubs, Drew Stubbs, Willie

24:03

Taveres, Corey Patterson shouldn't suit Choo. I mean, it just it did

24:07

not matter, didn't matter the center Jerry Harriston, the center fielder was hitting

24:11

lead off. Yeah, you think he's always just had the position written down

24:15

and it just didn't really matter. Yeah, that's great. I love that

24:18

idea. Yeah, I could go down Old Red's lineup wormholes with you.

24:22

But the drafts in two days. Is there any scenario where the Bengals draft

24:30

a wide receiver in round one? Yeah, a trade back? I think

24:40

if you traded back, if they, if they, if you know,

24:44

something happens and the guys they like, and you're sitting there looking at the corners. I was talking with this somebody today. You know, the Eagles

24:49

are known for moving up in round one, and Howie Roseman that's just kind

24:52

of hit his thing, right, they need corners. If one of those

24:56

corners is sitting there because the round tackles happened, I could I could see

25:00

him calling the Bengals about moving You move back to twenty two. Okay,

25:03

now you're thinking a different You probably are hoping to get somebody, but maybe

25:06

that person doesn't get to you. Move back one more time. Now the

25:10

receivers are in play. Now you're talking about a lot of guys, whether you're talking about Lad McConkie or Ady Mitchell or whoever you like. I think

25:18

McConkie would be a dream fit for them. That conversation only happens then I

25:25

don't see any of the other receivers being even tempting for them at eighteen.

25:30

I just don't see. I don't believe that to be the case. But

25:33

I think if you move back and you gained a bunch of picks as part

25:37

of the payoff there, you could make a real argument for a receiver at

25:42

that point. But I think that's the only scenario, and that's obviously slim.

25:47

Is your personal nightmare scenario on Thursday night, brock Bauers being there at

25:52

eighteen. No, No, I don't. I don't care. I'm not.

26:02

I don't know why I'm painted as this, Like Hugh Anti, he

26:07

may be fine. I just don't believe that that's the direction that you should

26:11

go with a first round pick. No matter, just seen enough of this.

26:15

You're just trying to set me up to do another Bowers rant. I

26:18

am because do we need? Can't you just play the last ones? Because

26:22

it's not to me. It's it's not about Bowers. It's about not It's

26:27

about what you're going to have to put up with if Bowers is there and

26:32

they don't take him, and then he goes to Pittsburgh, yes or wherever?

26:37

Correct, Pittsburgh obviously nine catches against the bank, he's he's Sam Laporta,

26:42

and we end up doing this whole thing again. I get it.

26:45

Yeah, that's fine. I don't. I don't. I'm I'm willing to

26:48

eat that because there's also a chance he'll be any of the other tight ends

26:52

that have been drafted in the first round over the last decade that have not

26:56

been anywhere close to or definitely haven't been the best tight end in their class.

27:02

That's that's all. Do you have if that's not your own personal nightmare

27:06

scenario? Do you have one? They trade back and add ten seventh round

27:14

picks to keep me there as late as possible in the Saturday night and steal

27:21

the best drink of the year from me, which is Saturday night after the

27:25

draft, file the last story and podcast and sit down and top shelf bourbon.

27:30

That's your favorite one? I thought the entire year, I work in

27:36

a normal just strictly talking like that circumstance. I mean, I've heard you

27:40

and Jay talk about this. I always thought it was after the last preseason game, but it's it's absolutely okay. So much work in front of us

27:45

at that point. This is like the end of our this is schools out

27:48

for summer. I mean, this is the end of a hard run,

27:52

okay, and that it tastes nothing tastes quite as good as a Saturday night

27:56

drink. Nothing very good. I mean, we could do a beer debate

28:00

like vacation beers and long beers, and from my point of view, it's

28:07

hard to topple, hard to topple that one. I gotta think what mine

28:11

would be? What would yours be? Um, well, after the Knicks

28:17

win the next champion, that's a personal thing. I'm like in a professional

28:21

setting. H Well, let me think about that. Think about it,

28:26

okay, and we can come back to it. We will. It is, uh, sixteen minutes away from four o'clock so far, I don't want

28:32

to jinx it. This is like celebrating a no hitter in the third inning,

28:36

but three for three en route to hopefully a perfect show. Yeah,

28:41

you know what. Perfect show is not about performance. It's not about having

28:45

opinions that are proven to be true or not stumbling over yourself. Perfect show

28:48

is hitting all the breaks on time. Everybody has to show up, yep,

28:52

And you got to hit all the breaks on times, right, So

28:55

I showed up Terrence here, you're here, You've hit all the breaks on

28:57

time. There you go. That's a good start. We decided yesterday that

29:02

we're gonna take a stab at executing a perfect show. Do we have to

29:06

like break into other programming on other stations to be like alert? Moeger is

29:11

two thirds of the way perfect show progress per show in progress. Don't go

29:15

in there and talk to him or look at him. Perfect show alert?

29:18

Yeah, you need that. It is quarter to four. He's Paul Danner

29:22

Junior Live podcast. The Growler Podcast a week from tonight at Nation and bet

29:27

MGM at the Banks starts at seven o'clock. Go see, Paul. I'm

29:32

gonna come by. We need you there, need me there by any stretch

29:36

of the imagination there sure, just for comic relief. To want my draft

29:41

grades? Is that what you're gonna want? I want you to show up

29:45

and criticize Mike Potts on their picks. I will be like, I cannot

29:48

believe, yes, but you know how bad they are at run fits.

29:52

Where do you get off taking this guy? It's a quarter to four.

29:56

This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station and away from four o'clock. Paul

30:00

Dayner Junior, Theathletic dot Com and the host of the Growler podcast What Shall

30:07

Be Done Live at BEDMGM and Nation a week from tonight. Mike Potts will

30:11

be there. Yes, director of College can Yeah, it's gonna be awesome,

30:15

he said today. Specifically, you know, I'm close to the vest.

30:19

I'm not gonna say anything. I can have much more detailed conversations about

30:22

all this after the draft, and I thought, oh, well that's convenient.

30:26

Then I'm glad we're gonna have you there. It's gonna be the perfect

30:30

opportunity to do it, so we'll open up the box on it. Uh.

30:33

Detroit is hosting the NFL Draft this year. Yeah, I don't know

30:40

when. Okay, I know where. You know where I'm going. I mean, I have to have you can go down to. They want to

30:47

host it. Uh, Yes, they've been trying to for a long time.

30:51

The lack of facilities in the city have gotten in the way. Okay,

30:53

hotel rooms, all that stuff. We're trying. Yeah. I think

30:57

once the All Star Game went so well, I thought that it was gonna

31:00

be and then the NFL Draft started moving. But I just I think that

31:03

there are there's a lot going on there, you know, I just feel

31:07

like them. I feel like the Bengals don't get as much attention and love

31:14

and respect from the NFL offices often, no doubt, and Cincinnati isn't like

31:18

of course Detroit isn't. But I just I think there's something in the way

31:22

there, because how are they not even in the conversation on some of this

31:26

stuff? I mean, what are we doing here? We're gonna go to

31:30

Green Bay, You're gonna go to I mean, so it should be happening.

31:34

But I do think that the city needs to have be more prepared for

31:37

a big event like that than they currently are in the eyes of the NFL.

31:42

Gotcha, Yeah, Duke Tobin's father passed away. Yeah, Bill Tobin.

31:47

I think there are a lot of people who know the name but really

31:51

didn't know that for much of the last twenty years, a figure with his

31:56

NFL life, with his football life, was working for the Bengals on a

32:00

I thought it was cool that Zach yesterday talked about his his small role but

32:04

still his role in sort of signing off on Evan McPherson in the What a

32:07

great story because Kevin Butler was the rookie kicker, I mean people free.

32:12

He basically built the eighty five Bears. I mean, like yes, you

32:16

know, and it talked about taking Kevin Butler and that being a big part

32:19

of going to the Super Bowl. He was, of course there for a

32:21

rejuvenation of Indianapolis in the nineties and has been more behind the scenes here with

32:27

with Duke and Cincinnati. But I mean just the amount of institutional knowledge and

32:34

instinct that that they had to be able to tap into here over the last

32:37

couple of decades, just in Cincinnati, not even you know, is that's

32:42

so valuable When you get to those spots, right you're like, should we

32:45

And it's like, well, let me tell you how this worked out,

32:49

and you know where you've just seen it and you've been through all of that

32:52

stuff. And I remember, you know, last year right at this time,

32:57

actually I wrote a big feature on Duke sort of like kind of he's

33:00

such an anonymous exec and and and was, you know, maybe the best

33:06

executive that nobody knew. And he told me in that piece he said,

33:10

you know, I my I think my father, I'm you know, I'm

33:14

biased. I think my father is the best scout this league has ever seen.

33:17

In my opinion, and I think he is viewed through that lens like

33:22

he just had an unbelievable skill for that. And I think his the genuineness

33:30

that he had is what helped him establish that. And you see that in

33:34

Duke Tobin if you're familiar with I mean, just the down, down to

33:37

earth, genuine nature of that family. And you know, I had few

33:43

interactions with Bill, but you know it's it's notable, and you hear that

33:47

from everyone, and so it's tough. Man Like, I can't imagine this

33:52

right now, going going through this, you know this has been going on,

33:57

so going through this, during this whole process and now, I mean,

34:00

anybody that's ever lost somebody, a parent knows exactly how hard that entire

34:06

process is and how much it weighs you down. So I can only imagine

34:10

how you know, hard this season, this draft season has been for Duke.

34:15

I'll see you next Tuesday here and then and then we can go.

34:20

You can even carpool with me if you want. We could go down together. Oh, you have to finish the show. You want to stay here

34:23

at all? Six, I don't here, welcome to I really don't want

34:25

to. Sure, I know I've got stuff to I gotta make sure.

34:28

We have to get down there and set everything up. All right, You're

34:30

ready to go. It's the perfect shows up for grabs here. Oh see

34:34

you next week. Goodbye. Five Away From for ESPN fifteen thirty. This

34:37

report is sponsored