Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati Bengals DECLINE Significant Trades, Trey Hendrickson STAYS—What’s Next?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Cincinnati Bengals just didn't do enough as the NFL trade deadline has come and gone. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What are Bengals fans and welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. He's James Rapine. I'm Jake Liscoe, and we are your host of Locked on Bengals. has been covering your Cincinnati Bengals here on this podcast since 2016 through the ups and downs.

Starting point is 00:00:38 And we're currently in a down. It's another down episode, James. I'm sick of saying this at the beginning of episodes, but the times are thin. It is not thick. But we've had you covered here daily on this podcast for quite a while now, making it your best of one-stop shop consistently for all the news analysis, everything going on with the Cincinnati Bengals. Today we're covering the trade deadline that came and went with the Bengals making a minimal moves in

Starting point is 00:01:05 2025's trade deadline and the everydayers new this episode was coming. Welcome back to everyone who makes Lockdown Bengals part of their everyday routine and all of you who make Locked on Bengals your first list and we appreciate all of you very much for those great listening habits. Today's

Starting point is 00:01:21 episode is sponsored by a Fandul where new customers can bet $5 and if your bet wins you'll get $300 and bonus bets to use across the app and James if you had bet that the Bengals were going to trade one player, a player who started of the year as a captain who ended up getting benched, get a seventh round pickback, and that would be it.

Starting point is 00:01:40 I probably would have bought it. He probably would not have gotten great odds, honestly, because of this team's history. That doesn't make it any less disappointing. That doesn't make it any less substandard for what this team had to do. And just like we talked about yesterday, James, they had to be really honest with themselves and where they are. And it doesn't feel like they got there. Well, it doesn't feel like they got there for a few different reasons.

Starting point is 00:02:05 And that's what's tough. It's like you could have sold me on the idea of trading Logan and Cam, for example, or trading Logan and Joseph Osai because he's in a contract year. And we could go over all the guys that we went over yesterday, of course. I get why trading tray sounds scary and tough. But you're three and six. and so it's it's one of two options Jake it's because you definitely have have the time to take the long view you're not preparing for a game you're not thinking about that this week the Bengals were blessed with a buy and so you get the buy and if you're a front office you can kind of take a breath look at things and say all right are we going to pay tray this off season are we going to franchise tag trade this off season are we going to sign tray Hendrickson to a long-term deal this off season Does it feel like that?

Starting point is 00:02:57 Does it feel like that's coming? Because I don't think so. I don't think Trey Hendrickson is expecting that. He talked yesterday, and I tweeted out the full video of that. I know he talked to reporters today. I didn't go to practice today, and most of the team didn't show up to practice today. So I don't feel bad about doing that. That's the one where it's really tough because you look at the big moves that happened.

Starting point is 00:03:21 And this was a very active trade deadline. And you wonder what the offers were for Trey Hendrickson, because I got to be honest, Jake, if it was a two, maybe just a two, but if it was a two and anything, I would have seriously considered it because, I'll go back to this, because I know the Bengals don't plan on paying Trey Hendrickson long term. Not because Duke Tobin called me or Mike Brown called me, but because their actions have told us that. So unless they plan on paying him long term, why would they at 31 and he's going to be 31 next month? then why keep him at three and six, knowing that your season is one loss away, probably from being completely over, even mathematically, certainly two losses away from that. And it's just unrealistic when you look at the back half of that schedule of them really going on a true run with or without Trey Hendrickson. They should have moved them, assuming those offers were there for a day two pick, round two pick, and then some. And I do think those offers were there, Jake, and that's what's really frustrated.

Starting point is 00:04:24 Yeah, I mean, you saw the trades that happened today. Quinn and Williams gets a future first and a current second. Saus Gardner gets two firsts and a former second round pick, I think A.D. Mitchell was for the Indianapolis Colts. And he's obviously had a tumultuous start to his NFL career. So it's not like that's a huge asset, a bit of a throw-in. But he is an asset, nonetheless, that has talent, that has shown upside. And so there were huge trades today for big stars that have been people. paid recently. The difference is they're younger. And it's probably the biggest difference.

Starting point is 00:04:58 Trey's on an expiring deal. So if you acquire Trey Hendrickson, you have to deal with the contract that that will come with that, probably if you want to keep them. And if you don't want to keep them, then the price is going to be lower. You don't just like typically see big returns for players like that. And that's what's weird about the NFL too, right? Like Logan Wilson gets a seventh round pick. And we'll talk about the details there, the financial ramifications and why it was just a seventh round pick. When you see, you know, mid-tier receivers getting traded for multiple picks, including early day three picks, a fourth and something, it's just there's differences in age, differences in contract situation, differences in value. Logan Wilson was benched. And so like,

Starting point is 00:05:43 that's part of it too. The thing that I go back to, though, is like you said, if there's a second round pick that's offered. And maybe they didn't get that offer. We don't know. Maybe we'll find out what offers were out there in the company. I'd be stunned. I'd be stunned if they didn't get offered a second, but go ahead. You're right. We're not in the room. You're right. Then you really have to have have an idea of what your plan is. And this is a whole point yesterday. This is a whole reason that we're talking about, yeah, they should probably trade Trey Hendrickson. They should probably trade anyone who isn't part of the solution in the future because we don't think the Bengals see Trey Hendrickson is part of the solution in the future. If they come out of this and they say, ah, you know what, maybe we need

Starting point is 00:06:23 to reconsider our stance on paying Trey Hendrickson long term. And there's no reason to think that the Bengals will do that now that Trey is going to be entering a season in which you will already be 31 years old, then maybe it's different, but I can't convince myself that that is the Bengals position. Do the Bengals think that they can just franchise tag Trey again and get one more year with Trey is that their plan is that why they didn't make the move you want to deal with that soap opera again all off season the effect that that has on the locker room the effect that that has in in everyone talking about the Cincinnati Bengals and this distraction you can't tell me that's not a distraction I don't believe you I don't I don't buy that either

Starting point is 00:07:04 and so if that's what it is you know we know it's been a distraction like I love that talked yesterday, but do you think it's a coincidence that trade talked yesterday? And we asked him to, but he just was in the locker room. We haven't seen train a while, right? And shout out to him, you know, and he answered the questions the right way. Guess what? I think he probably deep down if you gave him truth ceremony. He didn't say this at any point to me, but I'm just being clear, I think he wanted to get traded because it would be a chance to get paid. And he's been yanked around and pulled around and all those things. Like, that's tough. That's, that's, that's, it's it's tough and what makes it harder is you're not a contender you might not have much to play for

Starting point is 00:07:55 in the back half and if you don't have much to play for in the back half well and this is where my mind goes is i want to be bad enough to have a top 10 pick this franchise hasn't had a top 10 pick in a while and it sucks that we're here and i didn't want to be here but guess what they're three and six they've scored 80 points the past two weeks and somehow joe flacko has led them to the number one offense in the league over the past month. They're close to it. And guess what? They're one in three.

Starting point is 00:08:20 That sucks. It sucks that they're in this position, but they are. And so I'm thinking, oh, man, don't pick sixth overall. Seventh overall. Don't want to pick 16th. Don't want to pick 18th. I want the choice of the, man, these are the five guys. Four of them are going to be on the board.

Starting point is 00:08:40 And boy, oh, boy, are you going to be in great spot? And I could name me, I'm not into draft prep at all right now. And I don't think you are. You might know more than me at this point. But I don't do any draft this early. But the earlier you pick the better. Maybe you don't get snipped with Walter Nolan, right? Everyone's talking about, oh, Walter Nolan, look at him.

Starting point is 00:09:01 Maybe that doesn't happen. Maybe you get your guy. And so that's in the back of my mind as well. If Trey Hendrickson's out there, maybe he does win you a few games. But you're not really in playoff contention, but you're not in tanking contention. and that's a hell of a place to be right in the middle. Just continuing to play in purgatory. Like we're back here with Joe Burrow, and I know he's hurt.

Starting point is 00:09:22 But with Joe, Mar Chase and T. Higgins on your team. I mean, it's maybe technically speaking too early to talk about tanking and this team's ability to tank, but I don't think they really need to try. We're seeing the defense continue to get worse on pace to be a historically bad defense, a historically worst defense in Super Bowl era, maybe longer in many categories. And I know the offensive context and the rule changes in the NFL are part of this. But I imagine DVOA is era adjusted. That will continue to look bad as Bengals defense right now is the second worst defense in the DVOA era.

Starting point is 00:09:58 And they've just played two bad offenses, statistically speaking, in the last two weeks. And it continues to get worse. We'll continue the conversation about the Bengals' lack of activity at the trade deadline. Cam Taylor Britt, still a Cincinnati. Bengals as well as we've alluded to Logan Wilson, the one bengal actually traded. So we'll dive into the other bits and pieces of this trade deadline pertinent to the Cincinnati Bengals coming up next. Today's show is brought to by Fandall.

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Starting point is 00:10:59 for from props, odds, and so much more. Of course, they have the Bengals and the NFL futures. And if you look at the Bengals, they're plus 1,700 now in the AFC North. It's bad, Jake. Let's go. Only the plus 6,000 are worse. It seems like a two-team race for the AFC North title right now. Regardless, Fandall is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. That's $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins with Fandall. Head to fandle.com to sign up and play your game with Fandle, the official sports

Starting point is 00:11:29 betting partner of the NBA. So there's one trade that the Bengals make here, right? Logan Wilson for a seventh-round pick. We talked about how many players yesterday. We didn't even talk about a couple of the offensive linemen on short-term deals like Dalton Reisner you could make an argument for Lucas Patrick you could have made an argument for there are other guys that we didn't know a fan I think we did mention him but there are pieces on the offensive side of the ball too the reason that we spent so much time on the defensive side of the

Starting point is 00:11:58 side is because that's the side that needs to blow up right but not only do they only trade Logan Wilson for a seventh round pick which gets on some salary cap relief this year next year it's a salary dump this is the same return that the Bengals gave up for Khalil Herbert last year yeah And that's a guy that started this year for you as a piece that you're building your defensive round as a captain on this team that Al Golden knew well, obviously didn't go that way for Logan Wilson. Who's talking on podcasts about he thought he was going to retire in Cincinnati. Obviously didn't go that way. Things change quickly in the NFL. But not only do they not sell in a significant way that returns assets of particular value.

Starting point is 00:12:40 Maybe that seventh round pick helps them move around late in day three. Maybe they get up into the sixth round. Okay. But that's what we're talking about. Instead of anything that signifies a plan for what this team is going to do to escape this cycle they're in on the defensive side of the ball. I get it. I get it.

Starting point is 00:13:00 I think it's twofold. One, I wasn't expecting much in return. And so not shocked at all by the return. Me neither. I think, so that's one. Two, the big regret here is if I was, was the front office. And I've had some speculation, like people have been like, oh, well, is the front office making them play these young guys? I don't think that's the case.

Starting point is 00:13:22 I think the coaching staff has certainly made a decision to pivot and go young. And it's an interesting decision. If I was the front office, I would have said, no, you're not benching Logan. I would have done it the other way. Hey, how about you hold on for a few more weeks and let us try to get a bit more for Logan and go that route where it's the other way where he's still your captain. He's still your main guy. He's still wearing the green dot. He's still, and maybe you get a bit more. But once he was benched, you look at that contract, you look at he's 29, you look at the injury last year and everything that goes with it, this was it. Pick swap, seventh rounder, whatever, you just need someone to take that salary. And you can get into the salary details in a second.

Starting point is 00:14:05 They saved cap space this year and next year. There's also a dead cap hit with both years anyway, but it lessens and that's why you do this deal. It's really not because of the seventh round pick. It's because of the contract. You're paying Dallas and given them Logan Wilson. Essentially, you're paying them Logan Wilson to get that contract off your books. And that's really what this is. And I've seen a lot of people say, I can't believe we only got a seventh router for Logan.

Starting point is 00:14:31 But the contract part of it, that's what it is. Dallas is buying that contract. So they didn't have to give up much to get Logan Wilson in town. The other facet here that I think leads to it being a seven. seventh round pick because the Bengals do get a full pick. They add a pick. It's not a pick swap trade. It's not like they get a fifth and give up a seventh or something like that. It is a full pick. And even though it's a seventh round pick, teams see that differently. They, of course, adjust pick swaps to be like, oh, yeah, this is roughly worth a six round pick if we do this

Starting point is 00:15:02 pick swap. But they get a full pick. That does change it a little bit as well. But like you said, it's a salary dump move for a player. The Bengals no longer saw it in their plans this year, or in the future, that's going to be more time for Orrin Burks. That's going to be more time for guys down the depth chart if there are injuries at the position. And it's going to mean that Barrett Carter and Demetrius, they continue to go through their trial by fire. And boy, have they been burned. And hopefully they can start to avoid some of those flames in the second half of the season. But from a financial perspective, the Bengals do save $2.68 million in cap and cash.

Starting point is 00:15:41 in 2025, they save $2.55 million in Capspace in 2026. Andre Pirada on Twitter at Andre Pirada 13 has a full breakdown of everything going on with the financials. That's the basics that you care about. What this eventually probably translates to is $5 million or so in Capspace savings in 2026 because they're not going to spend that $2.68 million this year, are they? Maybe I don't think so. They probably just roll it over, leads to $5 million available to the Bengals next year, in a contract that they were going to get out of either way, the way this season is gone.

Starting point is 00:16:22 Yeah. And so instead of basically instead of keeping Logan around, this is really it. And this is how to explain it where people will probably understand the best because I get it on the surface. You're like, what in the world? Instead of keeping Logan around through the rest of the year and then cutting him and eating a six plus million dollar dead cap hit. for the 2026 season. The Bengals traded him today. They get an asset, even if it's a lowly asset and a seventh round pick.

Starting point is 00:16:49 They save a little cap space this year and next year. All of it's probably going to go toward 2026. That could help with an extension for Dax Hill, an extension for DJ Turner. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe an extension for Trey Hendrickson or Trey Hendrickson's franchise tag. You just, you never know as you shake your head. But like, that's what we're talking about here. And that's what's also wild about this is like when you talk big picture and big plan, they better understand that they're going to have to do like full 2020 and 2021 like heavy reset

Starting point is 00:17:25 where you get asset, like quality asset, quality players in here. And that's finding free agent hits, finding drafts that like you're going to have to do it all to fix this defense. And they may say, oh, well, some of these young guys are going to be hits. Well, right now they're not. And so we better see that post by some of these young guys start to come on a bit. And the difference is this time you have a 2026 salary cap hit for Joe Burrow at $48 million. For T. Higgins at $27. Let's round up, $27 million for Jamar Chase at $26 million.

Starting point is 00:17:59 For Orlando Brown, who we'll see what happens there at $22 million. For BJ Hill. That's the one. We'll see what happens there at $12 million. dollars. Mike Gaseki at seven and a half million dollars, T.J. Slayton at eight and a half million dollars. The point that I'm making here is that they have a lot more significant money on the books allocations that they have to deal with as they try to reset this defense. Well, that's why they, I really would have shopped BJ Hill hard today. And like more so than

Starting point is 00:18:35 Cam Taylor Britt, rookie deal, who cares? More so than like Jordan Battle, you know, guys like that, like rookie deals, fine. Even Osai, expiring deal, fine. But like getting BJ Hill, like if you could do that, like if you could get another seven for BJ Hill, as weird as that sounds just to get that money gone, give Chris Jenkins more snaps, see what McKinley gives you, fine with that. And clearly that is not where they're at. Maybe they didn't get any offers. I doubt that. I think you could have gotten a seven for BJ. I do because it's hard to find any defensive tackle up this time of year where guys are going to be able to play. a starter level snaps for you.

Starting point is 00:19:12 I've got a would you rather for you. And it's going to be. Oh. It won't be very fun. I was excited. I thought it was going to be fun. Okay. Sometimes would you rathers aren't the most fun thing in the world.

Starting point is 00:19:28 We'll finish up with closing thoughts on this trade deadline that came. The Bengals weren't buyers either, which we discussed a little bit. Some of the prices that were paid for the teams that did find themselves in the buyer rule. were quite steep and it's hard to blame them for not being involved in the deals that did happen today. Not really too upset about that. I just think they came up short overall.

Starting point is 00:19:50 But we'll get to the would you rather to wrap up on the trade deadline as it pertains to the Bengals' future plans. And surprise, the Bengals aren't making big changes to their coaching staff. Those two topics to finish the show next. Nobody likes paying rent. But if you must, you might as well get something for it. And that's where Bill comes in. Bill is changing the game by turning your rent payment into real rewards they can actually use real

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Starting point is 00:20:40 you can earn rewards all the time with Bill. Turn your rent into rewards. Start earning points around your neighborhood by going to joinbilt.com slash locked on NFL. That's joinbilt.com slash locked on NFL, J-O-I-N-B-B-T, joinbilt.com slash locked on NFL. Make sure to use the link. So we sent you at joinbilt.com slash locked on NFL. So as I was thinking about the Bengals not making significant moves at the trade deadline. My thoughts were essentially, okay, so they traded one place.

Starting point is 00:21:13 for a seventh round pick. It was a salary dump. There were a bunch of big deals that went on. We know that the Bengals had interest on at least a couple of players. They kept those guys around for this season in a season, which, as you said, they're three and six. We'll see if they have something to play for down the stretch. Maybe the plan is to just let those guys walk.

Starting point is 00:21:33 I don't know that you can play in the compensatory waters. Typically, if you're a historically bad unit, you don't have the luxury of letting players walk in free agency to try to recoup compensatory picks because you don't have the developing or already paid talent that makes those players expendable. So you probably have to sign players to offset. Anyway, going too far down that road. But the would you rather was, I was thinking, like, is it worse to just let everybody

Starting point is 00:22:00 walk or go through another offseason of drama with Trey Hendrickson on the franchise tag? So would you rather, James Rapine, Cincinnati Bengals let Trey Hendrickson walk, or go through another offseason into August with Trey Hendrickson on the franchise tag. Oh, boy. Yeah, you're right. This one sucks. This is not fun. It's not fun because it shouldn't be, neither one should be an option.

Starting point is 00:22:30 It should be either tag and trade or sign long term. And they should have known that ahead of today when they made the decision to keep him. But I mean, I would try to extend it. No doubt. I'm just, I'm just explaining if someone just, joined us and heard would you rather obviously the answer the truth should be in the middle it's not i get it i see i would rather i would still rather the tag and the drama because i'm not my personal i i'm not of the belief to let talent walk out the door the bengals are pretty good at ignoring the drama

Starting point is 00:23:10 and you could still get something back even if it goes into august you could get something back let's say next year if he's still a good player here's the problem with that and in this is why it's it's painful and why i if it were me that's what i would do but for the bengals it might be better to let him walk this is the same team that during free agency was so focused on getting jamar and t done that they didn't do anything else that they were sitting on their hands like i am right now if you're watching on youtube i just put my hands sitting on their hands like oh well we got to get jimar done we got to get tea done that they have all the time in the world to get those guys done and so if you have trained sitting there eating up all this cap space, how much are they actually going to do to get

Starting point is 00:23:49 this defense where it needs to go? And I get it. It's not a great free agent class. It's not projected to be. I don't care. There are still players to be had and there's still moves to be made. And there's certainly a hell of a lot of guys that can help this defense. There are.

Starting point is 00:24:02 In any free agent class in the history of the NFL, there will be guys that can help this defense. And so that would be my fear there. And it almost from a Bengals standpoint makes me want to say let Trey walk, not because I don't believe in Trey but because at this point you can't let Trey impact the long-term vision if you're not willing to sign him or trade him for assets and clearly they weren't willing to trade him for assets that we're aware of that realistic value and history tells us that they're not going to pay him a long-term deal this offseason. So figure out a plan, man.

Starting point is 00:24:38 I know, I know. That's where we're at, right? I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to them. this they put together a really good plan to build around a rookie quarterback contract and they've done it a few times when they've had quarterbacks on rookie contracts the last three times they've went to playoffs they've had promise they've had fan bases excited and he don't went to the playoffs five straight years the bengals were about to miss it for the third straight year with joe burrow on the team and i know joe's been hurt for two of those years

Starting point is 00:25:13 but this defense wouldn't be significantly better if Joe Burrow were playing quarterback. Might be a little bit better. Wouldn't be significantly better. So we're at a point where I don't know that faith in the front office could get any lower, that the ownership approval ratings around Cincinnati could get any lower. I think they've dug themselves into a significant hole from the messages we've gotten, for example, from our insiders, Lockedongles, Insiders,

Starting point is 00:25:44 to join subtext.com slash lockdown Bengals where you've been kept in the loop all day. Like, hey, I really appreciate what you guys do, but I'm out or see you next year at best. Or I'm not going to support this team anytime soon again. Like, that's where people are right now. Please still support us regardless, just throwing that out there.

Starting point is 00:26:05 You might not need to be locked in on the Bengals, but be locked on Bengals. We would appreciate. that but like that's where people are is why i bring that up like yeah this is nearing another low point and that's with joe burrow t higgins jemar chase on the team and this offensive engine that clearly works as joe flacco has demonstrated so clearly in the last few weeks yeah it's uh it's wild one i'm gonna tell a joke to lighten the mood a little bit maybe duke tobin mike brown and the blackburn should get together and put a 45 day 45 point playing together

Starting point is 00:26:37 45 days, 45 points, boom, back in business. I don't know if you get that reference. Some will, some won't. It's okay. It's all right. Some will. I'm going to leave it there. I'm going to let it linger, make it awkward.

Starting point is 00:26:49 Look, this is supposed to be a championship level football team. Zach Taylor on Monday said they have a championship level defense. You, me, and everybody listening and watching, no, that isn't true. People in the building know that isn't true. Al Golden said, oh, yeah, I believe in the personnel. Look, the coaches have to say that. I was ranting. So I'll reveal this.

Starting point is 00:27:14 I don't hide my opinion, right? So like when they drafted Demetrius Knight, I was like, what the hell are you guys doing on here? I said that. What are you guys doing on here? I can't believe it. Tate Ratledge was right there.

Starting point is 00:27:23 Why, like coaches know that too? I said it behind the scenes too. It's not like, I say it here. And then I'm like, oh, man, well, I couldn't believe they did that.

Starting point is 00:27:31 And there's nothing to do with Demetrius. But I was like, what are you guys doing to a coach? And coach was like, look, once they get in the building, we're coaching them. We can't worry about who does what or how they get here. All those things we're coaching them. And so I don't expect Zach Taylor to crap all over his locker room and crap all over the defense and say they're not good enough.

Starting point is 00:27:53 I don't expect Al Golden to say that. But guess what? We can say that because they aren't good enough. The whole league knows they're not good enough. And so how do they figure out the plan, put together a plan, And this is the same front office that did this in 2020, in 2021. And boy, oh, boy, where there are a lot of hits then. How do you do that to a lesser, I don't know if you're going to have that kind of hit rate

Starting point is 00:28:19 and free agency on defensive players because it was wild. But you have to do that. But you also have to hit on some in the draft. And because of all those contracts that you mentioned, they need to have a plan. It doesn't feel like they do. It feels like that they handled the trace situation by the seat of their pants throughout the offseason. Oh, well, yeah, we'll give you permission to see. could trade oh yeah well we'll do just assuming just assuming that a deal would get done and it didn't

Starting point is 00:28:43 because trade was dug in and now i think everyone's pretty much worse for where versus where they could have been had they had a plan and either extended him or moved him before free agency and then you use those assets in the draft and you have that free agency money to use elsewhere on maybe a real defensive tackle that's going to help you and bolster your pass rush and that's not a shot at t j slayton more of a shot at them bringing back bj hill like all things that happen when you have a plan. I'm not sure how many of us put together our free agent plans, Jake, and said, all right, you got to bring back BJ Hill, right?

Starting point is 00:29:18 Like, it's when you fly by the seat of your pants. A few years ago, Jermaine Pratt, I don't think anyone had us bringing, you know, in their free agent plan had, oh, the Bengals should bring back Jermaine Pratt. And they do that. They pay Logan Wilson. All these guys they've gotten it wrong with that they've kept from the super bowl run and it's really hurt them and the guys they should have kept or should have extended Trey Hendrickson are still left kind of lingering and being a distraction.

Starting point is 00:29:49 Duke Tobin said in the offseason that maybe they held on to the try to keep the band together too long. Yeah. And that continues into the year, continues to bite them. And they're going to continue with this coaching staff as we kind of expected. I mean, there's a clear argument, I think, to have moved and tried something on the coaching staff. But when you step back and think about it, I think the message is essentially that Zach has hitched to these guys. And this is the, they got it.

Starting point is 00:30:20 I don't even know what it takes for me to get to a place where I say, yeah, you should keep this coaching staff together after this season. It would have to be a heck of a back half of this season. This defense would have to rebound in a significant, significant way. Zach Taylor is not an offensive coordinator. We'll have more on the coaches, I think, and the future thereof throughout this week. We're going to say the words dead cat bounce again. You are. You're Marines, repins, chagrin.

Starting point is 00:30:48 I hate it. I hate that phrase. Like, I hate it. You're not wrong. Still hate it. Also, did you see Joe Burrow as the Joker? Can we end on a good note? Did you see Joe Burrow as the Joker?

Starting point is 00:30:59 Is that a good note? I thought he pulled it off well. I was like, oh, all right. I mean, he did well with the costume. Yeah, that's all it is. What is Halloween, man. Don't read into it. Come on.

Starting point is 00:31:14 I've got thoughts about the Joker as a costume. Wow. But that's okay. Wow. Joe Burrow. You're saying he's going to create chaos and be a villain and blow his way out of that. Wow.

Starting point is 00:31:28 That is not what I'm saying. Wow, Jake. That's going to do it for this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. We well circle back to the coaching staff. It is the by week. We still have to get back to some first half of season tape, some bears tape, what's working on offense, what's going on with these young players on both sides of the ball. I know that a lot of it is going to be the same. But we continue to dive through the film and look for the things that are there.

Starting point is 00:31:53 Because when there are going to be signs, if there are going to be signs of something happening that suggests promise for the future, we will find it as we dive through the film. So that will be coming over the course of the biweek as well. A whole lot of biweek conversations for you. Until then, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. And have a good one.

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