4/9/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's right. What's up? Good afternoon on Maleger. This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. I said that like I wasn't sure.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. This is ESPN fifteen thirty.
Thank you for listening, Hope for having an awesome, awesome,
awesome Wednesday afternoon, Very good. NFL Draft analyst is going

(00:22):
to join us in just about thirty minutes, Ryan Roberts
Rise and draft. This guy has joined us for a
couple of years now, and we are obviously getting closer
and closer and closer to the draft, which starts two
weeks from tomorrow. So a good time to have Ryan on.
I am looking forward to that conversation. It comes your
way in just about thirty minutes. We have posted a

(00:43):
show preview on Twitter at moegar. Go watch that and
you have a sense of everything that's coming up on
the show today. Our show preview videos are a service
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since nineteen thirty nine. Go to Emery f SeeU dot org.
For the first time this year, I was off for

(01:08):
the first Business Day special, so for the first time
this year, correct me if I'm wrong. The Reds are
going to be playing a game while we're on the air.
We're counter programming the Reds. The Reds are going for
a sweep in San Francisco today, a game that starts
at three forty five. And you know, there's a part
of the sports talk radio handbook that says you're supposed

(01:29):
to ignore the game. You're opposite of. Our audience isn't stupid.
I'm not saying that to pander to anybody. Our audience
isn't stupid. And so we're not going to pretend the
game isn't happening. In fact, we're gonna tell you what's
going on in the game. So if you're thinking, God,
i'd like to know what the Reds are doing, I
might go somewhere else. Ah, you don't have to do that,
because I will. I'll tell you. Oh, you could watch

(01:49):
the game while you listen to us the Reds last night.
We talked extensively yesterday about Hunter Green, and I will admit, like,
Hunter Green is my favorite Red If if you're allowed
as an adult man to have a favorite player on
your team, which you are, hunter Green is my guy.
And so I enjoy his personal success just a little

(02:11):
bit more and I think anybody who's ever had, you know,
a favorite player on a team can relate to that.
That doesn't minimize anybody's appreciation, certainly mine for Nick Lodolo.
Nick Lodolo has gotten off to an unbelievable start to
what is a really big year for him. Last night,
six innings of shutout baseball. He allows four base runners

(02:32):
his era on the young season, on the young season,
like anybody talks like that, zero point nine to six.
Like Hunter the night before, he operated, Nick did with
very little margin for error. The Reds didn't get a
run earlier last night than they did two nights ago,
and unlike Hunter Green, he didn't pitch into the ninth inning.
He was done after six, but still very little margin

(02:55):
for error. And Nick Lodolo kind of had to walk
a tightrope all night long, and he did successfully his
good I've said this before about Nickolodolo, and I'm not
sure I believe it anymore, But two years ago my
thought was Nickolodolo's best is better than the best of
any of these other pictures. I think Hunter Green has
frankly changed that conversation just a little bit. But you know,

(03:18):
you could have two really good pictures. In fact, that's
the idea here, is to have multiple of multiple really
good pictures, multiple really good hitters. Hunter Green is awesome.
Nickolodolo might not be there yet, but certainly this year
he's been trending in the right direction, and I think
we all believe that awesome is his ceiling, that there

(03:38):
is the potential there for this guy to be really,
really good for a really long time. I am going
to do something with Nick Loodolo that I did with
Hunter Green last year. I'll tell you what that is
in just a second. First, let's hear from Nick from
last night, courtesy of our friends at the FANDOL Sports Network.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Your command yet and if so, how encouraging is it?
On the other hand, you have a sub one e
R and you're still searching for the complete command.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
I mean, I maybe I don't want to sit here
and say I feel like I'm throwing the ball like
bad or by anythings, you know, But yeah, there's some
things I feel like I can still do, uh honestly,
in some aspects a lot better to what I feel
like when I'm at my best. But yeah, like like
we were talking about, I've there's two different things between
like control and command, and you know, like for the

(04:35):
most part, I have some command, but I feel like
for me it's kind of more control right now. I
still got some big misses that I would like to
get honed in. And but the big thing is, you know,
I'm pitching. I'm taking what the game's given me for
the most part right now. And uh, you know a
lot of that too is a trevy back there, you know,
guiding me through it.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
So let's talk about last nice game in particular.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Uh, as you're trying to hold it in.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
What was so effective last.

Speaker 5 (05:03):
Night for you?

Speaker 1 (05:04):
I think it's had a good mix.

Speaker 4 (05:06):
You know, I was able to when I was behind,
uh throw my slider in the zone.

Speaker 6 (05:11):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
For the most part, you know, I wasn't very I
guess probably predictable was a good word for it. But
nothing crazy. Honestly, there was nothing to me that that
stood out that was like, hey, this was my my
go to. I mean, I threw some good change ups
in there. I will say I got some fortune on
some good ones. I used the ballpark. Yeah, you know,
some balls were hit hard, but uh, you know, for

(05:33):
the most Carl, like said, I was, it was just
a good mix and kept them off balance enough for
the night.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
We talked after the game and pitching on a cold
night in this ballpark.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
I mean, the ball was going nowhere.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
You said, you don't pitch to that, but how much
does it help?

Speaker 4 (05:49):
Yeah, I mean I blame me. I'm not serving it up.
But the balls. There was a couple of balls that
were hit hard. You know that probably today either hit
off the wall or maybe you know, tested a little bit.
But yeah, I mean you can be probably a little
more aggressive in a hitter's count to saying, you know,
hit it and try to try to beat me to
this side of the park, which I did a couple

(06:10):
of times. You know, they still hit it well. But
you know one of those examples was Jake's play. I
mean those that was phenomenal. Yeah, yeah, there you go.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
There's Nicolodola with Jim Day on the FanDuel Sports Network.
It's important to credit the people you steal audio from.
Some in this business need to get that memo. We
think FanDuel Sports Network, we will also take any free
FanDuel Sports Network gear they send us. Nicolodola with Jim Day,
and you heard Nick mention the defense and the outfield

(06:39):
defense was very helpful last night, and we are going
to talk about that because that was a big storyline
this offseason. But I want to do with Nickolodolo what
I did with Hunter Green last year. So Hunter Green
was an All Star last season and ended up getting
some you know, peripheral saw young consideration. I think he
finished eighth, and this year Hunter's off to a great start.

(06:59):
He is a bone staff ace. A year ago, at
this time, in fact, nearly almost exactly a year ago,
Hunter Green made his fiftieth big league start. And if
you remember last year, his season got off to a
slightly uneven start. He was really struggling with pitch efficiency
last year, and so he had like a good start

(07:21):
where he gave up one run in six innings. He
had a start his first of the year last year
where he didn't get out of the fifth inning. He
gave up four runs, but more than anything else, didn't
get past the fifth because he hit one hundred pitches
in his first start of the season. And he had
a couple of other starts like that. And I remember
he hit start number fifty and I said, okay, there's
a bit of a line of demarcation now let's see

(07:42):
if he could use that experience that he has accumulated,
and let's see what starts fifty one through one hundred
look like. And you know, it's it's kind of an
arbitrary number, but if you take like a starting pitcher's
first full season is you know, essentially what thirty to
thirty three starts, and then their second season, the first

(08:03):
half of it is like, you know, sixteen seventeen starts.
For me, it was basically a season and a half
worth of starts. I feel this way about athletes a
lot of time that what to pay attention to is
the second half of their second year. I feel like,
and I say this with no scientific backing, that you
often get this this leap, this leap, or at least

(08:24):
you should get this leap. You've piled up experience, you've
gone through the process, you've gone through spring training or
training camp, depending on the sport, whatever it is, and
now year two, second half of it is when you're
supposed to take a major step forward. It skewed a
little bit because of the timeline with Hunter Green and injuries,
but I went fifty starts. Now, let's see if he
takes off and he did after start number fifty. He

(08:48):
made twenty two starts last year, and in those twenty
two starts he was terrific. Era of twenty of two
five Oh, he didn't give up a lot of Homer's
opposing batters had just won seventy three and he continued
that this year. Right, so he is now he has
made seventy five career starts. The first fifty there were

(09:08):
some flashes of brilliance. There were some tantalizing moments, but
a lot of frustrations. Since then, not a lot of frustration,
even more tantalizing moments, and he has established himself as
I think a legitimate staff face. Last night, Nick Lodolo
made his fiftieth big league start. Now he is charged

(09:30):
towards start number fifty with a full head of steem,
which Hunter Green didn't do last year. But like Hunter Green,
Nick has dealt with injuries. He's never made more than
twenty one starts at the big league level. Obviously two
years ago made only seven. He hasn't gotten through a
full big league season yet, and so it's taken him
a while to get to fifty starts. But he's gotten there,

(09:52):
and there's been a lot of good, especially the three
starts he has made this year. What I am curious
now is hopefully aided by health. And you know, with
a lot of these guys, you worry about that because
there are track records of not being healthy. But he's
made fifty big league starts. I am interested and excited

(10:14):
about what that could look like now moving forward. He's
piled up experience fifty starts. What do the next fifty
look like? And by the way, if the next fifty
look anything like last night or the two prior to
that this season, then we're gonna love the results. But
both of these guys nothing against Andrew Abbott or Graham Ashcraft,

(10:36):
who by the way, was terrific in relief last night,
Nothing against Brady's singer or Nick Martinez. Like I think,
the idea here is for Hunter and Nick to be
this one two punch or maybe one in one a
maybe the Jamar and t of the pitching staff. Right,
that's the idea here. They have now both hit fifty starts.
Hunter has cleared it since start fifty, He's taken his

(10:57):
game to a new level. Nickolodolo, do that If the
answer is yes, they're gonna have as good of a
one to two punch in their starting rotation as anybody
in this sport. And they will absolutely have Number one
a starting staff worth building around Number two, a one
to two punch that you would kill to take into

(11:19):
the postseason. Can the Reds get there? The answer is yes.
The Bats are gonna have to do their part. That's
a different story. But we did this with Hunter Green
last year, and I think we all love the results.
If this can, if this can take on a similar
a similar trajectory, if you will, is Hunter last year

(11:40):
with Nickolodolo and he could stay healthy and Hunter can
stay healthy, Give me those two in October? Yeah, Mo,
you think they're gonna play in October? Well, not with
this offense. And that's what's frustrating, right, that's what's frustrating.
We'll have that conversations separately if you want. But Nico

(12:02):
Lodola was awesome last night. He's been terrific so far
this year. And this is something that we have talked
about going back to twenty two, even before twenty twenty two,
when both guys made their respective big league debuts, Like,
those are the two guys who are going to be
the one two punch a top of the rotation the
next time. The Reds are good, well, they're a good

(12:22):
one two punch. I think only gonna get better. Are
the Reds good? The last two nights they've been good enough.
We'll see if that continues. Today. We'll see if they
are as the season unfolds. Sixteen minutes after three o'clock,
our phone numbers are five point three seven four nine
fifteen thirty and eight sixty six seven oh two three

(12:44):
seven seven six. What very few of us have done
so far this Red season and unfortunately something we have
to do yet again. Will do that next on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnatis. It is twenty two
minutes after three o'clock ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm olegar, thank
you for joining us today. Re's got some help last

(13:09):
night with their defense. Jake Frayley made a really nice
catch in the fifth inning last night, and uh, Gavin
Lux made a really nice place I was. I stumbled
on Gavin Lux's ut. They got some really good defense

(13:32):
last night. Jacob Herdabies made a really nice play to
end the ballgame on Monday night. We talked a lot
this offseason about the Reds being better at two things,
one running the bases, two that got to be better defensively.
I like analytics. I think analytics are very important. Analytics

(13:53):
are nothing more than information. Anybody who's anti analytics is
anti information. I don't know why anybody would be anti
in So I'm I'm all in on analytics, even those
I do not understand.

Speaker 7 (14:07):
That.

Speaker 1 (14:08):
Being said, I I don't have much use for fielding metrics.
I don't want to say I don't have use for him.
I want Nick Crawl to have used for him, and
I want the Reds decision makers to have used for him,
and I want Terry Francona had to have used for him.
Advanced fielding metrics can can bore me. I will make

(14:28):
that admission, and that's maybe more of an indictment against
me than it is anything else. What I could do
is I can tell you that I've I've watched all
twelve games and there haven't been that many moments where
I've wanted to throw something because of something the Reds
have done or haven't done. Defensively, they obviously haven't been perfect.
There was an error in that Sunday game by the

(14:50):
Giants by Elie Dela Cruz that came back to haunt them.
There was a mistake defensively by jam Or Candelario at
third base, missing attack a guy trying to steal third
that came back to haunt them. So there have been
some of these isolated incidents, but it's only a small
sample size. But through twelve games, I feel like they've

(15:12):
gotten better defensively and defense has won games for them,
and it certainly helped win one last night. That's good.
That's got to be acknowledged this team. I know I
always talk about margin for error. This team's margin for
error is really really, really, really really small. You shrink
it by being awful on defense, and you widen in

(15:33):
a little bit by being better on defense, by not
giving up bases, by not giving up outs. You know
that this team has been I think a little bit
better at that. And the reason I don't introduce defensive
metrics into the discussion number one, there are so many
and I think with those numbers as opposed to offensive numbers,
if you will, sometimes you could read one set of

(15:56):
defensive metrics and another set of defensive metrics and they
kind of tell different stories. I've watched the games. This
team hasn't been perfect, maybe not as good as they
have to be, but I feel like there haven't been
many as those like slap yourself in the head inducing
moments when the Reds have been in the field, as
opposed to last year, when I felt like I did
that all the time. I had a mark on my

(16:17):
head by the middle of the season because of all
the issues the Reds had defensively. Then there's the Matt
McClain issue, and I don't understand the insistence on playing shorthanded,
which has become a recurring theme over the years. Matt
McClain's really important to this team.

Speaker 3 (16:37):
You know.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
When he got off to a really hot start the
first four or five games, many of us said the
same thing, which was he is their biggest off season addition.
He's not an offseason acquisition, but he's an off season
addition because while he was a Red last year, he
didn't play for the team because of injury, and I
believe in the games that he played in twenty twenty three,
he was the Red's best player. Looked major league ready

(17:00):
from day one, acquitted himself well at shortstop. Then when
he got moved because Ellie got here played a fine
second base. We like Matt McLain, but unfortunately Matt McLain's
always hurt. He's had a season ending obleaque injury, he's
had a season killing shoulder injury, and now he's got
a hamstrings train. I don't know the severity of a hamstring.

(17:22):
What I could tell you this. I've read all the
assurances that this is probably not that big of a deal.
You and I are Reds fans, We have history here.
How many times have we been told that such and
such injury is not that big of a deal and
the guy has to miss a bunch of time, including
with Matt McLain last year, if you remember in spring

(17:43):
training late he got scratched on the starting lineup in
a game, and it was we don't think this is
something that's gonna make you worry, like we think this
is gonna be something he can get over pretty quickly,
and then the dude never played. So I'm always a
little reluctant to breathe a sire a leave when I
read the quote about how this is something that's probably

(18:03):
not that big of a deal, because we've all seen
instances where something that's not that big of a deal
turns into a big deal. I hope they are right
when it comes to Matt McLean. But one of the
other issues that has come up has been, you know,
the Reds have some guys whose arbitration years the team

(18:24):
might want to buy out, like it did with Hunter Green.
The Hunter Green deal was great. It's good for Hunter
Green to get some financial security. It's good for the
Reds because Hunter Green is one of Baseball's best bargains.
But they guaranteed locked in his salary for those arbitration
years and bought out his first free agency year, and
he could still hit free agency in twenty twenty nine

(18:45):
when he's in his prime. And you're certainly being reasonable
if you wonder can they do that with Nick Lodola.
Many want to see the Reds do that with Elie
de la Cruz. I'm among them. Matt McLean. There was
a piece in the Inquiry earlier this week about why
Matt McClain and the Reds really didn't get something done,
and you know the answer was, well, he didn't play
last year. We all like Matt McClain, don't we. We

(19:08):
all would love if Matt McLain was a member of
the Reds for a while. We all understand that it
would be wise to buy out the arbitration years and
maybe Matt McClain becomes a bargain. But he's got to
establish a pattern of good health first. Doesn't he like
he's always hurt? That is not an indictment against his character.

(19:34):
It's a statement that's true. He is always hurt. He
has played in fewer than one hundred major league games.
Why well, in part because they called him up way
too late two years ago, which was stupid, But also
he's always hurt. Missed the last month two years ago,

(19:54):
didn't play at all last year. We're not two weeks
into the season. He's already back on the injury list.
Paying somebody long term or extending their contract, however you
want to put it, that's an investment. I need to
feel better about how good of an investment Matt McClain

(20:15):
is before I invest in him. I'm not talking about
his performance or his play or his production, talking about
his health. There needs to be an established pattern of
this guy not missing time before I even think about

(20:36):
what we're doing with him long term, and hopefully that happens. Look,
I wasn't that long ago. Tyler Stevenson kind of wore
the label of injury prone, and for two years he didn't.
You know. Now he's heard again, which sucks. But Matt McClain, man,
My very first thought when I saw, okay, this might

(20:56):
be a thing here was number one, how many games
are they going to play shorthanded until they put him
on the injured list? And the answer was three. They
used him on Friday for some reason. But also tap
the brakes on any contract talk because before I invest
I got to see health. Right now with Matt McClain,
we're not seeing health. It's a three thirty on ESPN

(21:17):
fifteen thirty. A few college basketball transfer portal thoughts coming
up in the four o'clock hour. But first, our guy
Ryan Roberts, rise and draft. This guy is awesome, good
draft analyst. He's with us. Next on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (21:29):
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Speaker 10 (22:05):
You're listening to the Home of the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
I'm gonna hold off on sports headlines for a second
because I don't want to make my guest way because
you know I'm I'm a polite host. Ryan Roberts has
joined our show this time of year for a couple
of years now. He is really good, actually was kind
enough because he also is very familiar with the Notre
Dame program. Joined us on the day of the college
football Playoff championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame,

(22:31):
and we also asked him about Al Golden, who we
knew then and now is the Bengals defensive coordinator. Ryan
is with a to Z Sports. You could get his
draft coverage at eight z sports dot com. He's got
a YouTube channel and he's on Twitter or x at
rise and draft and always kind enough to give us
a few minutes. It's good to have you, Ryan. How

(22:52):
are you I'm.

Speaker 10 (22:54):
Doing I'm doing great now. I appreciate you for all
the kind words. Man, it's very nice to you. Thank
you so much.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
Well, we enjoy having you. If if things go the way,
if you're a duke tob and if things go the
way you want, and let's let's avoid the scenario of
trading down. You're gonna pick a guy at seventeen? Who's there?
And who are you taking?

Speaker 10 (23:13):
Probably going to interior defensive line. Actually, I wouldn't be
opposed to helping the secondarius of Malachi Starks or even
you know, maybe a corner like a little Johnson is
slipping out of Michigan. But I really I'm still a
believer in building inside out, like I am ultimately, and
I think especially when the defense was in a much
better spot a couple of years ago, Like I think
of the impact that a guy like a DJ Reader
had right on the interior. So I think a great

(23:35):
conversation could be had between you know, do you like
a Kenneth Grant for Michigan?

Speaker 7 (23:39):
There?

Speaker 10 (23:39):
Who's more of your three hundred and thirty plus toown? Knows?
Do you like a guy like a Derek Harmon out
of Oregon who was kind of more of a He's
kind of a versatile kid that can play all over
the place. I mean, he's still six to four plus,
he's still three hundred and sixteen pounds, but he's a
little bit more of an a tax stile penetrator type.
I think if those two are on the board, I
would defer to a Derek Harmon. I'd like the upside
a little bit more. I think he could do the
things at the point of attack they need to do,

(24:00):
but also be able to create some havoc right and
you know, if they do keep Trey Hendrickson and they
you know, continue to have that potent pass rush on
one side of the field, I think that having a
guy that can threaten from the interior could be really
impressive as well. So Derek Harmon's a guy from Oregon
that I think it would be a tremendous fit if
he's there at seventeen.

Speaker 1 (24:18):
At which position and they have a lot of needs.
They're a weird team because we talk about their Super
Bowl window being wide open, which I think it is
as long as you have Joe Burrow and yet for
a team that has legit Super Bowl aspirations, they have
a ton of needs that they really didn't completely address
in free agency, and so understanding they've got a lot

(24:38):
of areas they've got they've got to fix. Where can
they at which position can they least afford to wait?

Speaker 10 (24:45):
I think it's I think it's probably on the defensive
line just in general. More on the edge, I think
more than anything, because again, you know, depending on if
Trey stays or Trey doesn't, it's a good edge group.
But I do think that after the first two rounds
or so, it really starts to taper off as far
as impact in the passing game, right, Like you could
still find guys third fourth round, like you know, the

(25:08):
Jared Ivys from Ole Miss, the Jack Sawyers from Ohio State,
or super physical dudes who will do a little bit.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
Of dirty work.

Speaker 10 (25:14):
It will be early down players. But to find impactful
pass rushers, especially if you do end up, you know,
moving on from a Trey Hendrickson at some point, like
I think that you really can't afford if you want
impact pass rushers to wait super long in this class.
I think corners deep safety's deep interior defensive line is
really deep as well. If we're just talking on the
defense side of the ball, I think impact pass rushers

(25:35):
on passing downs is kind of a It's an area
that I do think kind of tapers off pretty seriously,
probably in the midpoint of the day two somewhere.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
So you mentioned all those defensive positions, they also need
guard help. How deep is the guard class.

Speaker 3 (25:51):
It's actually a.

Speaker 10 (25:51):
Pretty good guard class overall. I think most people portray
the offensive line is not a great class because the
tackle group isn't great. I mean, there's a couple guys
like Will Campbell as she was headed debate of if
he tackles the guard, Kevin Banks and Texas has had
the same.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
Even Armin Membu.

Speaker 10 (26:05):
Has had some of that pushback, you know, kind of
back and forth. But I think either way, the tier
offensive line is a pretty good spot, you know, especially
if you view one of those players I just mentioned
as a guard to and that really bolsters a group.
And I think when you're talking about guys like Tyler
Booker from Alabama, Jonah Savana in the second round at
of Arizona, like there's a it's a good guard class overall.
I think you can get potential starters. Grays Abel another

(26:25):
guy that a lot of people like. I mean, there's
it's a deep group of guards. If you need to
tackles in this class, the conversation would be much different.
I do not think it's an over the good tackle class,
especially you need a lot of tackle, but inside of guard,
I think there.

Speaker 3 (26:36):
Is value to be found in this class.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
So you mentioned tackle, and I think the Bengals for
this season are happy with the two starters they have
a tackle. I think a lot of folks would like
to see them select a guard, whether it's in round
one or later. Take a guard that you can plug
and play there now, or at least add him to
the competition of guards they have with the idea down
the road that maybe they end up playing tackle. Are

(26:59):
there are there players like that that can be had
in round one? But I guess more importantly beyond round one.

Speaker 10 (27:06):
Yeah, I mean in round one, a couple of guys
that just talked about like, I mean, there's gonna be
some people that view Kelvin Banks from Texas for instance,
as a guy that can come in and play inside
but then eventually move on the outside. I mean, he's
a he's that's right his range too, Like I feel
like I keep mocking him right around that spot to
like eighteen to Seattle, So like he's a borderline top
twenty pick. I think in this class he might even
fall a little bit later. But you know, we'll see

(27:28):
here in a couple of weeks. As far as if
that definitely happens, I actually think that Jonahs Savane is
a kid. Although he seems intent on playing guard. He
started games at left tackle at Arizona. He started games at
right tackle. He's probably more of a right tackle in
the NFL level, but I think he is the length
in the athleticis to dude for sure, if you want
to slightly deeper pool, if you want to move down
to maybe more third fourth round conversation. As far as
like a developmental guy, I think Charles Grant out of

(27:50):
William and Mary's very talented. He's six or four. He's
throwing under leave the talents. He's a really talented athlete
who has length as well. And if you're a team
that wants to run a lot of zone, especially outside zone,
I think that he's a guy that can give you
some impact inside early but eventually be developed into a
starting offensive tackle. So there's certainly some of those guys,
but again, like it's just not a great overall tackle class.
So if that's like your ideology, I don't think that

(28:11):
there's like this massive bucket to pool from, but I
do think there's value to be found if you find
it in the right place.

Speaker 1 (28:16):
You mentioned the name that, as you might imagine, gets
brought up here all the time, and that's Jack Sawyer.
Whether you want to look at this from a Bengals
lens or just put the tape on and tell me
what you like or don't like, break him down for me, Yeah.

Speaker 10 (28:29):
I think it's gonna I mean, people are gonna make
this comparison that I'm sure they probably do already. Greg
b member wrong, but he's very same hubbard ish.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
I hate this. I hate this because Sam wasn't a
first rounder.

Speaker 10 (28:41):
Exactly, and I and Jack Sawyer is not a first
rounder either, like you just thought. He's not that type
of guy like Hubbard for me, was a rock solid player,
right like you played really good against the run, clean
up stack guy. You can do some movement stuff up roun,
you can twist them, you can do some other stuff.
But he's never gonna be.

Speaker 3 (28:56):
A great pass rusher.

Speaker 10 (28:57):
And that's the same thing I say with Sawyer, Like
Sawyer's gonna be a butt run defender. Absolutely, he's gonna
be able to hold the point of attack. He's going
to set it for an edge. He's going to be
impactful in the community, like he's.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
A great leader, like.

Speaker 10 (29:07):
All those intangible things that we kind of like roll
our eyes in a little bit. But he's just not
He's not bendy, right, Like, he just doesn't have a
great first step. It's a solid first step. He just
he's not gonna bend the outside track. He's not going
to threaten guys outside shoulders Like I just I think
he's going to be a five to six.

Speaker 3 (29:23):
Sac of year guy.

Speaker 10 (29:24):
And again, that's not a bad player by any stretch.
But are we gonna dress that guy to be a mainstay?
Are we gonna dress that guy to be impactful? Like,
I just think he's more of a really good role
player than he is a prominent football player. Right.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
So you just spoke and Jack Sawyer had a terrific
college career, like checks every intangible box, right, Like, seems
like a great dude. But as you might imagine. I've
heard the Sam Hubbard comparison a thousand times from people
who want to take Jack in round one, and I go,
if you're gonna make the case that dude should be
taken in round one, you can't bring up a guy who,

(29:57):
in Sam Hubert's case, had a really nice career and
he's a local kid, so we love him. But a
seven year NFL career, it never made a Pro Bowl,
was never an All Pro guy, rock solid player. He
gave you a good third round production. If Sam Hubbard
was a first rounder, you would feel slightly disappointed.

Speaker 10 (30:14):
And I don't think that Jack Slayer is going to
be a first rounder. I think he's going to be
more in that third round window somewhere that ballpark is.
I just don't think the NFL was ever as high
as like some of the media were on him. I
just really don't think that they were. I would say,
like this, Mo, and this is always a funny conversation
I have with some like scouty buddies that I have
is that anytime I ask you a player's strengths, right, like,

(30:35):
give me run down the list of strengths for a
non quarterback, and like the first three or four, all
intangible base I'm like, mmm, that scary bad. That's not good,
Like for a pass rusher. I want to hear he's
got bang, he's got explosive first step, he understood, he's
twitched up like all these other things. It's first thing
I asked you about Sawyer. It's like, plays really hard,
it's a great leader, great locker room guy. I'm like, well,

(30:57):
that means that he's just probably not overly talented, Like
that's that's unfortunate. So yeah, I think he's a good player.
I think he's a glue player for locker room. Absolutely,
but no, he has no business being drafted first round,
especially at seventeen overall like that that's crazy, absolutely crazy.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
Ryan Roberts, eight is the sports I want the Bengals
to trade down. Can you can you speak to the
validity of wanting that? And can you point to a
team that I could hold out? Hope maybe says all right,
well we'll move up to seventeen and give him extra
draft picks.

Speaker 10 (31:28):
I think the Houston Texans at twenty five. This has
been kind of a conversation point, Like they they said
goodbye the Laramie Tunssel to shoot this offseason, obviously trade
them away. They also said goodbye to Kenyon Green, And
I know Kenny Green wasn't great for them at guard,
but you're still replacing two stars in the offense line.
And honestly, even with Laramie Tunsel, your offensive line wasn't
very good anyway. Right, So the worst case scenario for

(31:48):
them is if New England dress an offensive tag what four,
whether that is Membu or whether that's Will Campbell, whoever,
and they start the offensive line run earlier than expected,
then Houston's going to be in a spot at twenty
five with the like, man, are we going to get
a kid that can come in and play here? Like
It's similar to twenty nineteen when they had to settle
and take Titus Howard at like twenty six or twenty
five or something like literally the same range, And I.

Speaker 3 (32:11):
Just that can't happen to them again.

Speaker 10 (32:13):
I mean, they still have a really good quarterback on
a rookie contract, They still have a lot of optimism
in that room. I really think they need to get
out of that first round with the starting offensive lineman.
So if I'm Cincinnati, I would expect to see at
least the Houston AI COO flash at some point to
have that conversation, because if that run starts early, I
think that they could get a little bit desperate to
move up into the teams to make sure they can

(32:33):
get a Kelvin Banks or someone in that vein.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
All right, one more. You know Al Golden's work at
Notre Dame more than pretty much anybody, and what the
Bengals have done on defense has been interesting because they've
they've brought back some guys from last year's team, They've
made some additions. I don't know that they have made
as many additions in free agency as a lot of
people would like. And so the message is, you know,

(32:57):
some of these guys who didn't succeed under lou Anroumo,
Al Golden is going to get more out of them.

Speaker 8 (33:01):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
We could talk about how dangerous that approach might be
from a personnel perspective, but as somebody who knows what
Al can do, what do you make of their approach
on that side of the ball.

Speaker 10 (33:13):
It's a fascinating question. Like Al Golden for me, is
very detail oriented coach, and he has a good scheme
and he's going to make sure that guys are doing
exactly what the scheme asked you to do whether and
he can be flexible. I know Notre Dame was mostly
a heavy man team of the last couple of years,
but based on the the personal he has, I do

(33:36):
think that he can mix in some zone. I do
think that he can mix a match like. I think
he's a very smart football coach. But the one thing
I will say, and this is just from my Notre
Dame experience, is year one, Notre Dame has some talents,
but it was it was a little bit new to
the system, and he did take Notre.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
Dame a while.

Speaker 10 (33:52):
Like if you look Notre Dame year one compared to
year two and year three, they got a lot better.
Because coach Golden is admittedly he does run a pretty
complicated scheme like it does take a little bit to
get acclimated. So I do think for Cincinnati fans they
need to.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
Be a little bit patient.

Speaker 10 (34:07):
So I think that Al Golden is more of a
year two breakout type of defensive coach than he is
a year one defensive coach. I'm not sure he's just
gonna pick out the pieces and it's going to look
great near to start the year. I think during the
end of the first year, you're gonna start to see
that incremental growth. And then year two, I think is
when the defense hopefully has a little bit of a turnaround.

Speaker 1 (34:26):
If I watch Joe Burrows score ninety nine points in
three games and he wins none of them, I'm driving
out Golden back to South Bend. Okay.

Speaker 10 (34:36):
I am hopefully optimistic about Chris ash and what he
can do with defense quarter at Notre Dame. But I
know that Notre Dame would probably take you up with
that proposition.

Speaker 1 (34:44):
If that didn't happen so well, I hope to God
A doesn't. I know you have a lot going on.
I'm gonna bother you after the draft, but I always
enjoy your conversations leading up to it. Thanks so much, absolutely, brother,
Thank you for your time.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
That guys that he's good Ryan Roberts. Check him out
at eight is ease dot com and follow him on
Twitter at rise and draft good stuff from Ryan. Reds
and Giants are underway Cincinnati, looking for the sweep. Looking
for the sweep. Nick Martinez and Justin Verlander on the hill.
I don't know if Kate Upton is at this game.
But the game's not in Cincinnati, so I don't care

(35:17):
nearly as much as I did when Justin Verlander pitched
for the Giants at GABP twelve away from four o'clock.
The Bengals draft history recently is not great, which makes
their overall off season strategy. I'll use a big word.
It's not even a big word, perilous. We'll go with
perilous words that nobody actually uses in real conversation. Perilous.

(35:43):
We're gonna spend some time on that. We'll also chat
with Dante Corleo, the Godfather, chucking out the first pitch
at the Reds game on Saturday and getting set for
his final season anchoring the defensive line. That you see
that coming up at four to twenty. It's twelve away
from four o'clock. This is esp IN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (36:01):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (36:06):
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from Burlington Pike. About a twenty minute delay on Hoppel.

(36:28):
Another accident between Beakman and spring Grove Avenue and on
Kenwood it's an accident at Cooper Road on at Ezalic
with traffic.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
This report is sponsored by Rapid.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
Seven minutes away from four o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty on Moweger. Thank you for listening today. Hey, terring
you with me, I'm here. Congratulations to you. According to
the readers of CityBeat magazine, this is the fourth best
talk show host or this is the fourth best No,

(37:00):
I got that wrong. This is why it's not first.
This is the fourth best radio show in town. You're
the producer of the fourth best radio show in Cincinnati. Wow,
according to the readers of City Beat. Now, I am
not allowed to mention who were behind, but what I
can tell you is we rank higher than any show
in this building. So congratulations to you.

Speaker 5 (37:21):
Congratulation to you. I'm glad we got annalysed this year.

Speaker 10 (37:27):
Now.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
But here's the thing, now, this is very nice. We're fourth,
the fourth best radio show in this city according to
the readers of CityBeat, which is a fine publication CityBeat
dot com. My cousin just sent me this the fourth
best radio show in town. We rank ahead. They also

(37:48):
have in the top ten Willie Eddie and Rocky John
John and Friends, Kid Chris and Brian Thomas. I'm only
allowed to mention the ones that fall under the iHeart umbrella.
So that's congratulations to you, Terren. Now I will say
this that the readers of City Beat magazine also say

(38:08):
that ESPN fifteen thirty third best place to go for
sports coverage, third third, number one, seven hundred WL number
two Fox Sports Ohio. Now it hasn't been Fox Sports
Ohio since like twenty nineteen, but that's okay. It is
also worth mentioning. And I again, I'm I don't know

(38:28):
if we should be honored that we were fourth. I
don't know if we should be I don't know if
you get it? Do we get anything? Do you get
anything if you're number one? The readers of a city
Beat magazine have also named Marshall Kramsky of Channel nine
the city's best TV sportscaster. Now, I am going to

(38:49):
abdicate myself from having an opinion about this because I
like so many TV sportscasters in town. Marshall does a
tremendous job, a really really good job. And Joe Dannaman's
number two. Joe Dannoman is the dean of Cincinnati sportscasters.
Joe Danoman does an awesome job. We really are lucky
here when it comes to TV sports. We have some

(39:10):
wonderfully talented people, and Joe and Marshall certainly are at
the top of that list. Number three on the City
beat Le City City Beat rankings of sportscasters. Hang on,
I'm getting a team's call on my computer from I
don't know who that is. Who in their right mind
would be Who's I get? Somebody from area code three

(39:31):
to eight to zero is trying to get me to
join it. Shall we do it? Should I hit yes?

Speaker 5 (39:36):
That'll be funny.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
Yeah, let's let's see. Uh that's Columbus. That's Columbus. Well
now they I hit yes and it went away.

Speaker 5 (39:47):
All right.

Speaker 1 (39:47):
Well, that's a different issue. On the top three TV sportscasters.
I didn't mean for this to take up the entire segment.
You got Marshall Cramsky there at Channel nine, really good.
You got Joe Danaman at Fox nineteen awesome. Number three
Dan Horde. Now, Dan Horde is awesome like Dan Hord's

(40:08):
and all Uc Hall of Fame, Dan Hord is the
greatest football and basketball play by play man working in
the country. Agreed, right, I mean we would all. I've
never heard anybody say, man, Dan Horde's not for He's
the best. He's the absolute best. And I'm lucky to
work with Dan and I'm fortunate to call him a friend.
Dan hasn't been a TV sportscaster in town in twenty years.

(40:33):
Now he you know, he'll appear on television and he's
got a pot. Dan's everywhere, But what he is not
is a TV So I guess what I'm saying. I
don't know how I should take this ranking. Number our
show number four. Uh, that's that's really nice. But if
the same readers voted Dan Horde, who hasn't been a
TV sportscaster in twenty years, number three, number one, what

(40:56):
does that say about the other TV sportscasters in town?
Number two? Does this legitimize or delegitimize us? Finishing and fourth?
Fourth best radio show in town?

Speaker 5 (41:12):
I don't know, We'll get a T shirts made, fourth best.

Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, see if you can get the T shirt made
fourth best radio show in town thanks to a City
Beat Like, I feel like top three you get something, right,
fourth we it's like getting the Nickel medal in the Olympics.
So you don't really get anything. I came in fourth
in the Olympics. Nobody, nobody cares about No, not that
person doesn't get TV commercials.

Speaker 7 (41:31):
Now.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
The other issue is this team's college.

Speaker 7 (41:33):
Just god.

Speaker 1 (41:38):
Uh So there's a lot going on here at the
radio stations. As you could tell, that was really good
anyway for those who voted, Uh, I forget that this
is a thing every year until I see people who promote, like, oh,
vote for me for this, you know, best veterinarian, vote
for us. Whatever. If you voted for us, thank you,

(42:02):
fourth best radio show. Can we get some imaging done,
Like can we get like a top of the hour
open that says you are listening to the fourth best
radio show in town according to the readers of City
Beat magazine, And then just we start the show.

Speaker 5 (42:18):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (42:20):
By the way, a lot of pub right there in
that segment for City Beat Magazine. Dante Corleone is gonna
join us in just about twenty minutes. Brendanman and Jones
on baseball is coming up as well. I'm gonna continue
to be intrigued by who tried to call me on
teams and the Reds are plan right now, it's scoreless

(42:41):
in the top of the second inning. Nick Martinez and
Justin Verlander on the Hill on Getaway Day in the Bay.
Bengals offseason strategy is interesting. Now do we think it's
gonna work? We'll do that next four o'clock on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 11 (42:57):
Thirty fourth best radio talk show in Cincinnati show. Thank
you for listening to ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.

Speaker 10 (43:05):
Right there you go.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
Thank you so much, Taren. I'd have that on my
resume if.

Speaker 10 (43:10):
I were you, I'd put that.

Speaker 1 (43:13):
I'd put that on my Twitter bio.

Speaker 10 (43:14):
I might.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
I might have to put it in mind. How is
it I have to look at I have to pull
up City Beat. Is it fourth best radio show or
fourth best talk show?

Speaker 5 (43:26):
It says radio talk show.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
So there's two here. So there's radioh I finished fourth
in the radio talk show host category and our show
finished fourth in the best radio show. So there's two
different ones. Because not every radio show is a talk
show like there are just shows that play music, and
then the person doesn't talk or doesn't take phone calls

(43:51):
or doesn't have on many and then there are like this.
I think this would be considered I feel very comfortable
saying this, this would be considered a talk show. I
would be uncomfortable saying it's one of the best. So
we were the fourth best radio show.

Speaker 5 (44:04):
And you were the fourth best radio talk show hosts.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
Fourth best radio talk show in both categories. I'm listed.
We are listed ahead of anybody in the building, so
we can take a sense of pride in that. So
there you go, fourth best. Awesome, Well we have that
might be the poll question today. Thanks to United Heartland Insurance,

(44:28):
we have been voted by the readers of CityBeat magazine
the fourth best radio show in town. Is that good?
I don't I've had people text me I didn't know
about this, and then one of our former producers, Alex Egan,
texted me and my cousin Jared texted me, both congratulating me,

(44:48):
and I'm like, well, we finished in fourth. I don't know.
I don't know if that's good. I don't know, but anyway,
we are fourth best.

Speaker 5 (44:56):
On the stride for now.

Speaker 1 (44:57):
Yeah, the next year we're going to crack the top three.
I don't know who we have to bribe. I don't
know if we I don't know what we have to
do to crack the top three. Not allowed to mention
who is in the top three, but I would love
to find out what can we do to crack You know,
the answer is do better shows. But let's be honest,
our capabilities of doing that are pretty limited. Dante Corleone

(45:21):
is not the fourth best UC football player. He's far
far higher than that. He is going to join us
in just about ten minutes. Brendanman and Jones on baseball,
Reds and Giants are scoreless. San Francisco batting in the
bottom of the second inning, Martinez versus Verlander. Red's looking
for a sweep. So we had good stuff from Ryan Roberts.
By the way, Joe Goodbarry is going to be on

(45:42):
our show tomorrow. Everybody loves Joe. So we have good
list of draft analysts coming up over the course of
the next couple of days. Ryan was awesome. We'll podcast
that Joe will be terrific tomorrow. This draft is interesting,
and the draft is interesting every year, like that's a
no statement. That's the sort of thing that you say
and then you don't get to be voted the fourth
best radio talk show host in Cincinnati. But it's interesting

(46:06):
number one from the perspective of wanting the Bengals to
trade down, and it feels like that's going to be
tough to do because I think there's a lot of
teams that want to trade down. But if you look
at team needs for the Bengals, and if you look
at any draft guide team needs, the list looks like

(46:29):
the list of team needs that you would read before
free agency. Free agency this year for the Bengals has been,
by the way, by Katie Blackburn's own admission, a little underwhelming.
That does not mean that they have not acquired good players.
I think they have. I think most of us believe

(46:49):
they have. But I think relative to what most of
us felt the Bengals needed and the money they had
to spend, it's it feels a little underwhelming. And what
they have certainly done is kick the can down the
sidewalk a little to the draft. Well, here we are.

(47:12):
The draft starts two weeks from tomorrow, and I don't
think this is a real extreme statement. I think if
if the Bengals with in this year's draft, it's going
to become exponentially more difficult for the Bengals to win
the Super Bowl. The reason why, one of the reasons
why at least the Bengals have had two non playoff

(47:35):
years in twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four, has
been that they haven't drafted well. And one of the
reasons why we are still talking about players who have
left is they haven't drafted well. I'm the first to
admit last year's class showed some promise. I think it's
dumb to hand down a grade or an indictment or

(47:57):
even give it a passing grade after just one year.
But the twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two and
twenty twenty three draft classes, top to bottom haven't been
that good. That Chase Brown's a good player, Jamar Chase
is a great player. Some of those guys drafted in
twenty twenty two have shown flashes, but for the most part,
like there's there's, there's not a lot there, but a

(48:17):
lot of picks who just have not panned out, and
that's why they are where they are. So what's interesting
to me is they're really heavily leaning into something that
they haven't been good at free agency. They've had mixed results,
like last year's free agent class, not great, but they've
obviously hid in free agency with other players, primarily because

(48:38):
they had to overpay. But this is this is a
huge draft for this team, I believe, and again I
don't think this is that profound as statement. If the
Bengals win the Super Bowl in the next three years,
this year's draft and you could probably fold. You can't

(48:59):
you could fold last year drafted to the conversation as well,
the twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five drafts will
have yielded awesome and immediate results. And if they don't
win the Super Bowl in the next three years, barring
you know, a catastrophic Joe Burrow injury, chances are the
number one reason why is going to be they continue

(49:22):
to not be very good in the draft. But what's
interesting is they've they've heightened the importance of this year's
draft by being relatively inactive in free agency, and again
they haven't sat it out. In fact, if you compare
what they did in free agency this year to what
they were doing, you know, fifteen twenty years ago. It's
it's it's been a robust offseason, but I think relative

(49:46):
to what we watched unfold last year with the defense
and with the offensive line, what they've done this year
is i'll say disappointing. Like I wish they were in
a better place at guard, I wish they were at
a better place at edge, I wish they were at
a better place than the secondary, and instead, like you

(50:08):
look at this draft, they need every area covered on defense.
Dana and I were talking yesterday about the defensive line,
the interior. The Bengals seemed to be, at least from
his perspective, pretty happy with where they are. I would
like to see another guy they're making the centerpiece of
their offseason the draft. Now, the draft is obviously a
huge part of the offseason, but it does feel like

(50:30):
they've de emphasized free agency and they're leaning really heavily
into the draft. And that would be fine, except they
haven't drafted well. So a draft of utmost importance, a
draft which has taken on at importance because of what
they haven't done in free agency, is being led by

(50:52):
someone who hasn't recently drafted well. They are very much
pinning their championship hope on something that they haven't been
good at. It may work, it may not work. And
Joe Burrow may be so awesome this year that he

(51:12):
makes up for what they're not good at. Who knows,
But I think if you're a Bengals fan, you're justified
for feeling uneasy, immensely important draft, underwhelming, free agency run,
really leaning into something they haven't been good at. If

(51:35):
they with in the draft, there are super Bowl chances
really take a hit. How do we feel about that? Again,
they may nail it. They may draft three or four
players that can make an instant impact. That they may
among those three or four players, take two who they
invest in down the road long term, maybe one who's

(51:57):
a perennial Pro bowler. Maybe one ends up up being
a Ring of Honor guy one day. I don't know.
And again, the recent class is it's not that they
haven't taken some really, really good individual players. They drafted
Jamar Chase pretty good. They drafted Chase Brown pretty good.

(52:17):
They drafted Marius Mims, who I think we're all excited about,
in a handful of other guys in last year's class.
But for the most part, man in a year where
the draft really really really matters, and like the draft
always matters, but for this year's team, it matters now.
We've talked about this for months. Gotta find dudes who
can help you this year. Your first round pick this year,

(52:38):
can't get a red shirt. We can't do a Dax
Hill and just go add the first year doesn't matter.
We can't do a Miles Murphy and go add the
first year doesn't matter. Like that guy at seventeen, assuming
they use the seventeenth pick, that guy at seventeen, regardless
of position, that guy's got to help right now and
then later on in the draft. Gotta find players who
can help right now. Can't rafting projects, can't do a

(53:02):
Marcus Hunt. Can't draft some guy because he's tall, has
a bud cut, a buzz cut, and used to throw
the shot put like, uh need football players need football
players who can come in and play football and help
win right now. They haven't been really good at fighting
those types of players. This process may work, and history

(53:26):
may look back on this offseason as one where the
Bengals absolutely nailed it. Duke Tobin may be Executive of
the Year, but I think if you're a Bengals fan.
I think not only are you justified for feeling kind
of nervous, I don't know how you're not like this

(53:47):
this this process because of their recent history and the
importance of it and all the needs they have. I
don't know, man, I don't know. You know, this is
not the time of year for past and again they
got Joe Burrow, so they're gonna be relevant. I find
it hard to believe that if Joe plays seventeen games
this year or gets through a full season, they'll be

(54:09):
on the outside looking in. I think last year is
going to prove to be a massive outlier in the
career and history of Joe Burrow. But the idea is
to win a championship. They need to do well in
this year's draft to win a championship. They've not done
well in recent drafts. I'm making a face right now.

(54:29):
This is an audio platform, like I can best explain.
We're gonna have to put this clip on social media.
I could best explain how this Bengals fan feels by
just making that face like it's the like, really, are
we doing this face? I don't know, man, That's not

(54:52):
an indictment against the players in the draft. Either it's
a statement about what the Bengals haven't done. It's also
acknowledging this draft's importance, and it's acknowledging how much more
important the Bengals have made it because of what they
didn't do in free agency. Eighteen minutes after four o'clock,
Our phone lines are open at five point three seven

(55:13):
four nine, fifteen thirty and eight sixty six seven oh
two three seven seven six. Dante Corleone will be with us.
He'll be a guest. I think he'll be the first
guest since we were officially named the fourth best radio
show in Cincinnati, So quite an honor for the Godfather.
He joins us next on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 8 (55:32):
Thirty, ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

Speaker 9 (55:38):
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(56:01):
near tap that's an accident onto the left shoulder, and
ken Wood an accident at Cooper Road on that he's
ound like with traffic.

Speaker 8 (56:08):
This report is sponsored by Bankers Swings.

Speaker 12 (56:11):
The first pitch bounces it down the first base line,
off the glove of the leaping wade, down the right
field line against the sidewall.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
One run home.

Speaker 12 (56:19):
Here comes Freedle to score around the third spinal and
de la Cruz is into second with a two run double,
three nothing Reds.

Speaker 1 (56:29):
I turned the microphone on. That's Tommy Thrall on the
Reds Radio network and seven hundred WLWLI Denna. Cruz with
a two run double in the top of the third
inning to give the Reds a three to nothing lead
against San Francisco and Justin Verlander and the Reds are
still threatening with two on and two outs. Tom sorry,
two on and one out in the top of the third.
We will keep you updated on that game all afternoon

(56:52):
long twenty three after four o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty vi UC Spring Showcase is on Saturday, and the
centerpiece of a day filled with activities is going to
be the open football practice from ten no from twelve
until two o'clock on Saturday. There's gonna be autographs, there's
gonna be all sorts of games and fun, and there's
gonna be activations, and there's a UC baseball game, and

(57:15):
then everything's going to culminate with Bearcats at the Ballpark
Night on Saturday, Reds and Pirates with Dante Corleone and
Joe Royer throwing out first pitches. Also, on top of that,
The Godfather is going to be at Bucketheads on May
seventh and fifty West Brewing on May twenty first as
part of a UC's twenty twenty five Ball and Brew Tour,

(57:35):
So go check those out. Dante Corleone is with us.
Let's start by talking about the first pitch. Have you
have you been throwing? Have you been loosening up your arm?

Speaker 6 (57:44):
Yes, sir so. A couple of years ago I threw
a first pitch at our university. We couldn't play Miami.
I didn't do so good. So I've been practiceding with
coach Sat Hopefully I get a strike to comrade.

Speaker 1 (57:55):
All right, you say you didn't do so good? I
mean it wasn't like a like an embarra, seeing like
Mark Mallory type first pitch. It just wasn't a strike, right, Yeah,
it wasn't a strike.

Speaker 6 (58:05):
It was the ball.

Speaker 1 (58:05):
Okay, are you gonna be throwing from the mound?

Speaker 6 (58:09):
I gotta throw from You.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
Have to throw from the man. Now. Joe Royer is
also going to be throwing on right yep? Is he
gonna throw from the mound?

Speaker 6 (58:16):
If he see me throwing from the mount, he gotta
do it always. All the competition.

Speaker 1 (58:22):
Very good. That's uh, that's gonna be a lot of fun.

Speaker 9 (58:25):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
Springball is nearing its end. What progress has the teammate
over the last couple of weeks?

Speaker 6 (58:32):
I was just building that connection. Uh, just improving from
the year ago to today, just building in bringing the
right guys, in getting them formatted with the defensive scheme
or offense scheme necessarily, but just getting people discomfortable of
their roles and moving forward to the off season.

Speaker 1 (58:48):
Again it has to be and you know, there was
obviously your individual journey last year and what you dealt with,
but also as a whole the unit. Last year there
was a new scheme being implemented, and so there's continuity
this year with your unit. How much does that help?

Speaker 6 (59:04):
Yeah, First of all, it's always gonna be good to
have your DC two years in a row. You know,
it's always gonna be hard to play with a new
game and then learning on the go as well. But
now we're a year in with Coach Bike and Coach
braswell defensive game and we just get more comfortable in it.
And we got a couple of guys come back from injury,
Michael Coma and Jay Hunt to a big factors from

(59:24):
last year and on d line and getting them back
out there seeing them move around the game is a
good good thing for Cincinnati.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
What do you think will be the strength of this
defense this coming season?

Speaker 6 (59:37):
Just the overall unit, just getting after the quarterback, just
plan as one, not getting disconnected, or just everybody plans one.
So the back end community came with the front end
and et cetera. So we're just gonna play us one
and we're just gonna play hard at the play.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
Made the decision to return to the University of Cincinnati,
and look a year from now, right, we're we're all
gonna be paying attention to the draft process and waiting
to see your name get called. Are you going into
this season thinking, you know to you obviously want to
have a great year. You want to have a great
year individually, you want the team to turn things around,
you want to play in the postseason, all of that.

(01:00:14):
But you personally, are there things you're looking to work
on this season that will pay off a year from now.

Speaker 6 (01:00:20):
Yeah, it's just not necessarily about stats, just about proving
people wrong, Like I just still play at a high
level even with the condition I have likes. That's one
of my main covies this year. Just keep proving people wrong,
doing offseat and conditioning with the team and just keeping
up with the team, things like that, Just proving the
scouts I can still play at a high level and
hope to get my name called.

Speaker 1 (01:00:40):
Talking with a lot of players who were a part
of the team last year, and we all know how
things went down over the final five games and nobody
wants to repeat of that. It's been interesting hearing some
of your teammates talk about the new guys and how
they've kind of taken on that chip on their shoulder,
right even though they weren't here last year. They want
to get this thing turn around. They want to prove

(01:01:01):
that last year is not what you see football is.
Do you sense something similar.

Speaker 6 (01:01:07):
Yeah, and that's that's a test to coach Nicko on
his staff harping on it during our season, like, I
know you came for winning programs, but we have struggled.
But you have to buy in if you want us
to win, And they did just that. Like Tylerie Walker,
he's one of the guys I selected as one of
our crew captains and one of our leaders, and he's
gonna be one of the biggest ACCECTUY guy of the
poll this year, just because how hardy run and his leadership.

(01:01:29):
I always challenge him every day to be more vocal,
and I know his presidents gonna speak.

Speaker 1 (01:01:34):
Gavin Garrett Hart is back. I would imagine you two
by now are an old married couple. Given how long
you've been practicing against each other, what is it like
to have another year of going up against him in practice?

Speaker 6 (01:01:48):
Yeah, I know, I know we tired of seeing each
other every day. But Gad was a great He's a
great leader man. We needed him, especially if we want
to accomplish our goal this year. He's one of another
vocal leader that all. So it's like a person that
you can always rely on if you're not having the
best day, you're gonna say, Like, for me far as
leadership wise, I can always follow on him. But he's
a guy that can just keep give people motivated to

(01:02:11):
work out even though we were crazy Niko and stuff
like that.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
That's a unit that's gone through some change as well.
The offensive line, right, there was so much continuity from
twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four. Give me an
assessment of that group as a whole. On the other
side of the football, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:02:27):
Like some nery's not gonna stick out, but like the
whole unit along is improving every day. Like it's gonna
take one day at a time for them to improve.
But guys like tiring we got from Ball State's another
like hall greedy guy. Evan King saw another hard greedy guy.
I want to play like. This old line is more
motivated than ever because everybody to pee for a spot.
So it's no besides Gavin Gerhart, but other possessions. They're

(01:02:50):
fighting every day, so it's not gonna be easy for us,
so walk all over them. So they're gonna keep being
greedy and keep trying to see to get a certain spot.

Speaker 1 (01:02:58):
The Godfather Dante early on is with this the spring
Showcase on Saturday, and then two Ball and Brewed Tour events.
One at Bucketheads, which that's in my backyard, so I'm
coming to that. The other at fifty West Brewing on
the east side. Does Buckethead still have the Godfather Burger?

Speaker 6 (01:03:14):
Of course, just on there for thanks forever now, and
I think we're working on something in the summertime. But
you know, Tom, he's a great guy man. He's like
a big brother than me. I talked to him almost
every day. Still, just that relationship we got. This is
gonna go a.

Speaker 1 (01:03:29):
Long time, all right. So you've got the conclusion of
spring ball, You've got some events that you're a part of.
For U see, you've got thrown out the first pitch
on Saturday night. What will you be doing beyond all
that this offseason?

Speaker 6 (01:03:43):
This keeps my I know, I lose the focus of
my cardio. Always got to make sure I'm doing something
extra every day to keep my weight below and make
sure I'm out there for all three downs.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
All right, that's football? Like, are you doing anything fun
this offseason?

Speaker 7 (01:03:57):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (01:03:58):
Yeah, you know, I got a little frenchie at home
I like to chill out with. That's pretty much it.
I'm not a guy that really leave the house.

Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
The frenchie is the dog.

Speaker 6 (01:04:09):
Yeah, okay, you know Zach immediate guy like to keep
me busy, man, keep me out the house. I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
Well, very good. All right, Well, I'm looking forward to
the Spring Showcase on Saturday. But I'm gonna be watching
that first pitch very very closely, and I hope you throw. Well,
you you're just gonna throw straight fastball.

Speaker 6 (01:04:32):
I gotta throw fastball. That's the only one I can
throw anything.

Speaker 1 (01:04:35):
Else, do you know what I mean? What what's the
radar gun gonna read?

Speaker 6 (01:04:40):
You gotta be an eighty plus. I'm a strong guy, man.

Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
Yeah, all right, well, I'll be paying close attention. You
need to throw a strike. And uh, I can't thank
you enough for doing this. Best of luck throughout the
course of the off season, and I hope you guys
have a great year. Man, thanks so much, thank you.
You got it. The Godfather Dante corleone noon to two
of the open practice that you see, tons of autographs,

(01:05:04):
lots of stuff happening in and around the game. The
UC Baseball team plays at three o'clock and then Dante
and Joe Roy are throwing out the first pitch at
GABP and again the two events, first one at bucketheads.
These are a lot of fun that's going to be
on May seventh, and the second at fifty west right
throwing Wooster Pike on the twenty first. There you go,

(01:05:25):
twenty eight away from five o'clock. Rads are crushing the Giants,
not exactly an insurmountable lead, but a comfortable one. We'll
say five nothing Cincinnati on top of San fran As.
The Giants pat thankfully not wearing those jerseys they were
last night in the bottom of the third inning. Sports
headlines and you see is losing a guy I wanted

(01:05:47):
them to keep. We'll get to that next on ESPN
fifteen to.

Speaker 8 (01:05:51):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:05:56):
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(01:06:17):
to seventy five disabled vehicle on the ramp to Taylor
Mill Road, and Montgomery wrote it as an accident before
fields eardle on that e zalk with traffic.

Speaker 13 (01:06:28):
This report is sponsored by all stationing to the fourth
the best radio show in Cincinnati, according to the readers
at CityBeat magazine, The Moeger Show on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
We got that is that AI? We got that turnaround
very quickly. Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Shovin Life,
Home of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from
their family to yours for life, kelseyshow dot Com Red's
are beating the Giant and Snick Martinez throwing well three

(01:07:01):
shutout innings. It's five to nothing, Good guys. As the
Reds come to plate in the top of the fourth inning,
two Ribby's apiece for Ellie Dela Cruz and Gavin Lux,
Cincinnati scored their first run on a TJ. Friedel double
and a ball that would have been out of the
park at most Big League yards. Reds looking for a
sweet five zip. Good guys. I use the term good

(01:07:23):
guys twice top four in San fran at a ballpark
that I badly want to go to Gisel James is
returning to the University of Cincinnati. I believe. I believe
Chad Brendle had this first. At the moment, Chad is
fighting with the folks at Barstool Sincy on Twitter. That's

(01:07:44):
what's happening right now. But Gisel James is coming back,
which is I I was asked today how I felt
about this. I thought gigsel season this year was really
disappointing relative to what I was hoping he would give
the Bearcats this year. You know, UC's offense at times

(01:08:08):
this season was kind of directionless. It was at times
hard to articulate what they were trying to do. It
was not very productive, It didn't put a lot of
pressure on opposing defenses. They weren't really great at any
one thing. And the catalyst was supposed to be Jizzle James.

(01:08:30):
I just I expected more. He doesn't get to the
free throw line enough. I don't think he's aggressive enough.
I think he settles a little bit too frequently. I
don't think he puts pressure on defenses nearly enough. And
these are all things that after watching him as a freshman,
I thought he would do more of this year. Hopefully

(01:08:53):
that changes. So I wasn't rooting for Gizzle to hit
the portal. I'm rooting for a better version of Gisel
James this year. I don't know how you could watch
the Bearcats last season and think, God, you know what,
this guy has progressed and improved significantly from what he
was his first season. So I'm very much on board

(01:09:14):
with him coming back. But the version we see this
year this coming season has to be better than the
version we just saw this past year. The good news
is based on having watched him his first season. I
think we all believe that he is still capable of
doing what, unfortunately he didn't do last year. I think

(01:09:38):
with a lot of these guys that have left the
UC program specifically, you know, you don't want to sound rude,
I hope they all go on and have a successful
at a enjoyable college basketball experience elsewhere. This team wasn't
very good this season. They were seven and thirteen in
the Big Twelve. They didn't come close really to making

(01:10:01):
the NCAA tournament, and so as names have been added
to the pile of players who are hitting the portal like,
there's a part of me that would like to see,
you know what Tyler Betsy's gonna turn into because he
can shoot the ball well from outside. But for a
guy that didn't contribute that much to a team that

(01:10:23):
wasn't that good, it's hard for me to shed a
tear that he's not coming back. Josh Reid hitting the
portal was a little surprising to some, and Josh did
some really good things over the second half of the season,
but it took two and a half years for him
to start to contribute, and I'm not sure he contributed
consistently enough for any one of us to view him

(01:10:44):
as a real, true cornerstone to the team. Dylan Mitchell
hitting the portal I disappointed me, not because Dylan's doing
the wrong thing or betrayed anybody or anything like that.
I just I think he's a good play And it's
interesting Tony was talking about this earlier today, where I

(01:11:06):
think there are a lot of folks who looked at
Diylan Mitchell and said, good written. So and I'm going
really like, we talk all the time about roster construction, right,
roster construction. You don't want just a collection of dudes,
it's roster construction. I'll throw this into a conversation about
the Bericats. We had Richard Patino on the show last
week and we talked about, like, you know, you don't

(01:11:28):
want to just get a team, You want to build
a team with a roster filled with players who compliment
each other. You see, needs better players. They need Big
twelve all Big twelve caliber players. If they're really going
to compete at the highest level of the Big twelve,
they're gonna need NBA players. But there's room for complimentary pieces.

(01:11:54):
Can Dylan Mitchell be your best guy? Probably not? Probably not.
It doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well, but I
thought did enough things well enough that there's room for
him on a better roster. And I think sometimes, like
all these players, we look at him and go, well,

(01:12:14):
you know, that guy's not a star. His numbers are
kind of meek, Like you're looking to build a team,
and you know, I mean, the Bearcats need a lot
of guys. I would have been more than okay with
Dylan Mitchell being one of those guys. Are there deficiencies
in his game?

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (01:12:29):
Is he Can he be your best big offensively? Probably not.
You know, his game is putbacks and lobs and stuff
like that. But he's active on the glass, Like, there's
a lot physically that I think he can do with
another year of experience, in another offseason of development. I
really thought there was something there, and so I held
out hope that they were going to figure out a
way to keep him. I'm surprised at the pushback to that. Again,

(01:12:51):
Is he a star?

Speaker 9 (01:12:53):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
But I just I put it to Tony this way, Like,
if you're a huge Bearcat fan and you don't like Xavier,
how would you feel if Dylan Mitchell went to play
for Xavior? Would you be enthusiastic about playing against him?
On a team that was well constructed? Last year's UC team,
that roster, it's construction raised a lot of questions. Right,

(01:13:14):
They didn't have a real great big, They didn't have
a true four or five man that you could throw
it to. Like, they weren't a great shooting team by
any stretch. They didn't weren't awesome in transition, Like, there
were a lot of things they didn't do well, but
on a better constructed roster, which is the goal this offseason, right,
to construct a better roster. You mean to tell me

(01:13:35):
there was no room for Dylan Mitchell? Come on, I'm
not telling you he's an all big twelve guy, but
on a better constructed roster. By the way, like this
conversation can be extended to Dan Skillings too. Dan Skillings
had a disappointing season. I think all of us who
care about UC basketball would agree with that, right, a
disappointing season, so he hits the portal and instantly I

(01:13:57):
think it was Jeff Borzella reports like Ali Bama is interested,
Baylor's interested, Florida is interested, a long list of schools,
and I know there were some folks who are like,
huh wait, really, well, yeah, they're interested. They're not interested
in him being their best player. They're interested in adding
him and his skill set to a team that's well

(01:14:18):
constructed that allows him to tap into some of the
things he can do really well. Now, I think with Dan,
quite frankly, and this is just my opinion, there's a
level of commitment to the sport that he's going to
need that I'm not sure he entirely had or that
he demonstrated this past season. But all right, he's not
a star. You're not recruiting him to be your best guy.

(01:14:40):
But on a well constructed roster is there a room
for him. I still believe the answer is yes. Maybe
not as a thirty minute guy, but I still believe
the answer is yes. I feel that way about Dylan Mitchell. Again.
I'm not going to tell you he's my all time
favorite player. If next year the idea was Dylan Mitchell
is going to be their best guy, that's a problem.
But if the idea is to spend this offseason using

(01:15:03):
the portal and using the players who have committed to
the program, to having a better team, having a better roster,
having more clearly identified roles, which was a problem this year,
being able to do more things offensively. You mean to
tell me there was no room for Dylan Mitchell. If

(01:15:23):
the answer is yes, If you're nodding along, I think
you and I watched entirely different players this year. Thirteen
away from five o'clock, five point three, seven four nine,
fifteen thirty and eight six six, seven oh two three
seven seven six. I believe if you were headed to

(01:15:43):
Prasco Park for the Joe Nuxall Classic, that they have
stopped the Cincinnati Miami game in the fifth inning, that's
going to be a no contest. And I think the
nightcap is supposed to start at six. My understanding is
they're not going to play that. Look into that for me.
If if you're headed to Prasco part tonight, you may

(01:16:04):
want to check out what they're doing. But I just
got the release here that Cincinnati and Miami is no
contest due to whether game is called on the top
of the fifth inning. So they're going to cancel the game.
And there you go. Keep that in mind if you're
headed to Prasco. It's twelve away from five o'clock. Giants
have scored the fourth. It's five to one, Cincinnati bottom four.

(01:16:26):
San Franz still at the plate. Brendiman and Jones on baseball.

Speaker 8 (01:16:29):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:16:34):
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(01:16:57):
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In two seventy five that's been moved away from the
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Speaker 13 (01:17:06):
This report is sponsored by the fourth best radio show
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Speaker 1 (01:17:17):
That's right, big big day here, number four, number number four, right,
Ellie de la Cruz, by the way, putting on a
show in shortstop today. The Reds are good defensively. It's
five to one Cincinnati, top of the sixth sending Reds
trying to sweep the Giants and if they do, and

(01:17:39):
if they do, they will have won the season series
against San Francisco. And remember, like you know, tiebreakers, that's
what it comes to. We don't play game one sixty
three anymore. So that big game, big game on April
the ninth, Huge, huge two RBIs apiece for Lux and
Dela Cruz and RBI for TJ. Friedel and a strong

(01:18:02):
start for Nick Martinez. Five to one Reds on getaway
Day in San France. We will keep you updated well
at least until six o'clock and then I'm leaving and
you're on your own. Five point three seven fifteen thirty
is our our phone number. I'm I'm counter programming the Reds,
as we say in the business, so I'm not really
supposed to talk about them. But I as as much

(01:18:25):
as there's been complaining about the offense and the complaints
have been justified, and as much as we've talked about
the really good pitching the Reds are getting starting and relief,
we spend a lot of time this offseason wondering are
they going to improve defensively? Now, it helps when guys

(01:18:48):
make great plays like Jake Frehley last night, like Jacob Herdabies,
like Ellie Dela Cruz today like that, that helps. But
more than anything, what I think a lot of us
were wondering was are are they going to reduce the errors?
And are they going to reduce the things that defensively
might not show up in the box score, like when
a guy throws to the wrong base or gives a

(01:19:09):
base runner an extra base, that sort of thing. They
haven't been perfect, but they've been better. I put this
on social media last night. I don't know what fielding
metrics say. I love analytics, Fielding metrics to me are
very boring. I just know what I've watched, there haven't
been that many moments. There have been some, but there

(01:19:30):
haven't been that many moments where I've wanted to throw
something or smack myself in the forehead because of what
the Reds have done in the field. That is progress,
because when I think of last year, I think of
a team that was at times last year just abysmal defensively.
They have been much better and they've made some really
good plays, including today, So it's been nice to see.

(01:19:53):
I'm not pessimistic about the Bengals this year. Look, man,
they have Joe Burrow, a good offense. As bad things
were last year, acknowledging the schedule got easy late. As
bad as things were last year, they went nine and eight.
Like we asked this all the time about athletes and
teams and organizations, How good is you're good? How bad

(01:20:13):
as you're bad? Like the bad for the Bengals was,
they still won more games than they lost. They're not
drafting in the top ten, they're not drafting in the
top five, they're drafting kind of in the middle. Now,
nine and eight this year will be totally unacceptable. Nine
and eight this year, and I don't want to be
Zach Taylor. My guess is, if Joe Burrow plays a
full season, the Bengals are in the playoffs. Again. I'm

(01:20:34):
gonna double down on what I said last year, but
I was wrong about I said a year ago. If
if Joe Burrow plays a full season, it's impossible for
me to imagine the Bengals not being in the playoffs. Well,
I didn't get that right. I'll say it this year.
Joe Burrow plays a full season, it is impossible for
me to imagine the Bengals aren't gonna be playing in

(01:20:55):
the playoffs next January. So they're starting from a really
good place, a really good play because they have the
best quarterback in the NFL. And I believe that that's
not me being a homer. That said, the dude had
an MVP caliber season last year, and they didn't come
that close to making the playoffs. They needed to win
their last five games to even have a chance. A

(01:21:20):
team last year was undone by its defense. Joe Burrow
played at an MVP caliber level and they didn't make
the playoffs. That is an absolute organizational failure. Absolute organizational failure,

(01:21:41):
and it was the result of bad drafting, mostly bad drafting,
there was some bad luck. There was a free agent
class last year that you really didn't work out. But
they had a quarterback who had an MVP caliber season
and they did it make the playoffs. So there's a

(01:22:03):
couple of things about that. Number One, it highlights how
many deficiencies and how many holes they had last year,
and they had a bunch. And by the way, not
just on defense, the interior of that offensive line. Look,
there's a reason they moved on very quickly from Alex Kappa,
the interior of the offensive line and the overall defense.

(01:22:25):
As we sit here right now, yes, Alex Kappa is gone,
but the team itself is not that remarkably different from
the one that wasted Joe Burrows MVP caliber season last year.
As we sit here today, they've brought back a lot

(01:22:47):
of guys. They still have some guys that I think
a lot of us either thought they were going to
move on from or wanted them to move on from.
They haven't been totally static at guard, but the player
they brought in in free agency, a lot of folks
are still trying to figure out how he fits in. So,

(01:23:08):
you know, we talked about guard at the start of
the off season. They haven't addressed it to the degree
that a lot of us either hoped they would or
thought they would. We talked about overhauling the defense. They've
added some players. I don't think anybody would say they've
overhauled it. So that stuff we said they needed to do,

(01:23:31):
that stuff we hope they would do, haven't really done
it yet, but they can in the draft. And here's
where skepticism creeps in. Skepticism is earned. You know, whenever
I hear somebody say, mo, you know you and Tony
and Austin, you guys sometimes are too negative. No, I'm

(01:23:52):
actually one of the most optimistic people you will ever meet.
But what teams do and what players do, when what
organizations do, regardless of sport, that that feeds skepticism, it
breeds cynicism. Well, what the Bengals have not done well

(01:24:13):
recently is draft. What they have amplified this year is
the importance of the draft. The draft is obviously important
every year, but when you don't take that many big
swings in free agency, and by the way, Katie Blackburn
at the owners meetings even acknowledged, like, yeah, what we
did with Jamar and t in the process that unfolded,
you know, really affected us in free agency and we

(01:24:34):
we you know, we it it. It shaped what we
did in free agency. And let's be honest, nothing against
some of the players they have brought in, but I
think relative to what a lot of us thought. I mean,
I sat here in December and January and I listened
to you, I listened to Bengals fans, you know, talk
about what they needed to do this offseason. They really
haven't done any of it. So now it's the draft.

(01:24:59):
It's a draft that's going to go a long way
toward determining whether the Joe Burrow era is as successful
as we think it can be and as we hoped
it would be. Right like, not the first time I've
said this, and not the last. If the Bengals win
a Super Bowl over the next couple of years, this
draft is going to be a major reason why. And
if the Bengals don't win a Super Bowl over the
next couple of years, this draft is going to be

(01:25:20):
a major reason why. This draft is going to be
a major reason why Zach Taylor is either here for
a long time or bounced. Like this draft is huge.
We would say that even if the Bengals were more
aggressive in free agency. The fact that they're not amplifies
already an important draft. Where the skepticism comes in is

(01:25:43):
their draft track record. It's not great. And so I admit,
and maybe this is just me, I admit to feeling
some unease. You're amplifying the importance of a process that
you have not been great at. Okay, okay, you are

(01:26:07):
all right. I mean, like if if you took anything
in life that you're not good at and you do
it again, and but it really really really really matters,
Like there's gonna be some skepticism that it's gonna work.
And I think that's where a lot of this are
as it relates to the Bengals in the draft this year.
And that's not an indictment against the players available. It's

(01:26:30):
not an indictment against what possibilities this draft holds. Like
we had Ryan Roberts. You're gonna hear from him in
just about twenty minutes. Like there's depth of guard according
to most analysts. There's depth on the defensive line, especially
at edge according to most analysts, Like there's some players
to be had at safety and linebacker, Like there's there

(01:26:50):
is an opportunity to get better here, and if they
can take advantage of that opportunity and emerge from this
draft with a lot of guys who can help right now.
We're not talking red shirt years, but help right now,
then you can hand things over to Joe Burrow and
go all right, you got a better football team, go
win it. With their track record being what it is.

(01:27:14):
I think you're being completely reasonable if at your most
gentle you're not sure that's gonna happen, and at your
most skeptical you doubt that that's gonna happen. It is
the team that hasn't drafted well, leaning very heavily into
the draft. And by the way, they have six picks,

(01:27:34):
not like there's a multitude of picks in certain rounds.
They're not drafting early this year. They're taking the seventeenth
or taking seventeenth. Overall, I love the draft, I love
the process. I love what the draft can do for
this team. I wish it wasn't emphasized this year nearly
as much. I can't help but ignore their recent failures

(01:27:55):
in the draft, So we'll see. It's the question of
the offseason right now. Like as much as the Trey
Hendrickson thing has taken up a lot of space and
we'll continue to And for all the attention paid to
t Higgins and Jamar Chase and that whole dynamic, the
question of the offseason really is how do they put
Joe Burrow in a better position to win with a

(01:28:19):
better football team. Some of those answers are gonna have
to come from within. They're gonna need better play at corner.
At some point, those guys have to prove that they
were worth taking in the draft. You're gonna need some
players to perform better than they already have. Hell, you
might need Joe Burrow to perform better than he did
last year. But in terms of roster composition, got to

(01:28:41):
give Joe Burrow a better team than the one he
had last year. I don't know that they've done that yet,
And that means they have to do it in the draft,
and that's something they haven't been very good at recently.
Does that change. That's the story of the off season.
That's the story of the off season. If the answer

(01:29:04):
is yes, this team can win the whole thing. If
the answer is no, it's gonna be really interesting. Like
but be honest, man, And there's there's there's a lot
of there's a lot of space between what the Bengals
have been the last couple of years and and hoisting
the Lombardi Trophy Like I don't, I don't necessarily believe
in Super Bowl or Bust in any given year, Like

(01:29:27):
that's that's hard to do. But if if they're if
they've wasted another really good Joe Burrow season, do you
even want to start to think about what those conversations
are gonna sound like regarding the head coach, regarding Joe,

(01:29:48):
regarding his level of happiness, Like you know, we we
we watched Joe Burrow last season. And I'm not even
talking about the T Higgins thing, although you could fold
that into the conversation, like that was a p stoph
QB last year, that that was a guy who watched
everything happening around him. He visibly looked unhappy, he sounded unhappy,

(01:30:13):
and I think that unhappiness really fueled a lot of
the stuff He went on to say about T Higgins
and others. What do you think happens if Joe is
on the outside looking in in nine months, That's what

(01:30:34):
we'll be entertaining. If they screw up this year's draft.
It's immensely important. And that's not the typical like, well,
the draft is important everything. Like for this team this year,
it's they've made it more important. They also have to
be better at it. Seventeen after five, Reds have scored
again and are threatening to blow this bad boy open.

(01:30:54):
It's six to one Cincinnati Top six. Reds have the
bases loaded and TJ Friedel at the So it's looking
good so far. It can get even better if TJ
drives in some more runs. Six' to One reds top
six In San. Francisco Justin, verlander by the, way this
is the second time he has pitched this season against The.

(01:31:15):
Reds Justin verlander is a first, ballot no, Doubt hall Of.
Famer andy's married To Kate, upton assuming they are still.
Together she will be with him In cooperstown when he
makes his speech and he won't have to wait very.
Long but that dude is. Washed it's eighteen after. Five

(01:31:35):
this IS espn fifteen Thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (01:31:37):
Station CINCINNATI'S espn fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 9 (01:31:43):
From THE Uc Health Traffic. Center april is Donate lifemonth
the register to become an organ donor or Explore Living
donation at UCHealth dot com slash Transplant east found two
seventy five AT i seventy five on The ohio side right.
Lane they're blocked off from an accident also on eastbound
two seventy five disabled vehicle on the ramp To Taylor Mill,

(01:32:06):
road and on Eastbound State route thirty two another accident
At Mount Carmel Tabasco. Road and that he's not like with.

Speaker 1 (01:32:13):
Traffic did you get a plaque to hang in the?
STUDIO A t? Shirt be a, banner a? Banner we
have a banner in. Here do we get like a
memo from THE ceo Of? iHeart does he does he
like or does he send out a memo to like
everybody in the company congratulating. US i, mean if you're

(01:32:35):
gonna do, this there needs to Be and, again maybe
fourth isn't good. Enough maybe the shows that finish in
the top, three like they're gonna have a big party for,
them and we're not invited because we only came in.
Fourth BUT i just you, KNOW i like. Context i'm
looking for, context that's that's. All And i'm looking for free.

Speaker 11 (01:32:52):
Stuff well, SEE i went back in history a little
bit because they have it on their.

Speaker 5 (01:32:56):
Website. Yeah between nineteen you were the eleventh best AND i.

Speaker 1 (01:33:00):
Was eleventh best in twenty.

Speaker 5 (01:33:01):
Nineteen, yes.

Speaker 1 (01:33:05):
And i've moved up to. Four now what category is?
That because there's two categories there show and there's. Hosts
i'm not interested in. Hosts i'm interested in show. Show
so we were the eleventh best show in twenty. Nineteen,
yes and over the last six years we have moved
up seven spots to number. Four correct all those other,

(01:33:26):
years do you know how we? Ranked?

Speaker 5 (01:33:27):
No because they only show show the top?

Speaker 1 (01:33:28):
Three this is so in twenty nineteen they decided to
embarrass us by showing the top, eleven and this year
they're doing with top. Ten, yes, well we're number, four
fourth best radio show in, town according to the readers
At City beat. Magazine all, Right, MIKE i got four

(01:33:49):
minutes for, You, mike what's?

Speaker 13 (01:33:50):
Up?

Speaker 7 (01:33:51):
Okay so that would make you a number one. Seed
then in THE ncaa, TORMENT i would be a one.
Seed that is?

Speaker 1 (01:33:57):
Correct, yeah very? Good that's well put, Yep, well you
know relevancy is?

Speaker 7 (01:34:02):
Relevancy Uhhad campbell is going to be their? PICK i
almost guarantee. It, hey you, know you, KNOW i know
you love transparency and interesting and that's WHAT i gave you.
Yesterday you, know it just came up in the conversation
as soon AS i Called tony and them guys, today was,
like oh, man well what happened you, know to kill

(01:34:25):
somebody or a?

Speaker 10 (01:34:26):
Bank, no you didn't pay your.

Speaker 1 (01:34:28):
Taxes but you know, what what we we value transparency
on this. Show we we love you, know this show
is an open. Book when when when you know that
WE I i think that's important if you want to
if you want to do a, show like if you
want to have the fourth best radio show and in any,
market but in particular this, ONE i think transparency is very.
Important and especially someone like yourself who calls on such
a regular, BASIS i think it's important that the audience

(01:34:50):
knows as much as they they can about.

Speaker 7 (01:34:52):
You, yeah and it didn't you, know it's not something
you go around to, go, HEY i was uh in
federal prison camp a Furry, yeah you don't tell people. That,
Well i've forgotten about. It we were talking About veto
and the home, Dog so that's WHY i came.

Speaker 1 (01:35:08):
Up so IF i ever spend time in prison AND
i get. Out i'll probably tell people every day because
you know. THAT i think there's a fear. Factor it
stills fearing people like that guy did.

Speaker 7 (01:35:20):
Time yeah for a, while but it's been almost forty
four years. Ago, yeah that's a long time of. IT
i Think hunter loved you Know hunterson In, california, Right, Yeah,
Yeah so he showed it.

Speaker 10 (01:35:36):
Yesterday the weight.

Speaker 7 (01:35:37):
Pitch he likes that low humidity and feeling, good not
sweating too. MUCH i bet he was in seven seven because,
boy he looked LIKE i saw younger. Yesterday you are absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:35:48):
Correct, well the biggest issue with him early in his
career was he's always had this. Stuff he's always had
a great. FASTBALL i think there were two. Things number,
one can can he get his secondary pitches to a
place where he's willing to throw them at any point
in the, Count and the answer is. Yes and then
along with that is can he be more pitch? Efficient
and you, know let's be, honest an opening day this,

(01:36:09):
year he was, not but over the course of the
last calendar year he has. Been and that was the
thing that stood out the other. NIGHT i, mean you,
know pitchers don't throw complete games. Anymore they really don't
throw complete game shutouts, anymore and they're rarely left in
to protect a one nothing lead or to nothing. LEAD
i guess the other night the Way Hunter green was

(01:36:30):
and he was able to do that because he went
into the ninth inning with only eighty five. Pitches that
is great pitch, Efficiency yes it.

Speaker 7 (01:36:37):
Is and you Know i'm watching. This the red went
from the sixth best pitching staff to the third in three.

Speaker 6 (01:36:46):
Days it's with this.

Speaker 7 (01:36:48):
Series they were ranked sixth On friday Or, thursday and
now they are.

Speaker 1 (01:36:52):
Third, yeah, right at the risk of AND i don't
believe in, jinxes but at the risk of jinxing them
today and they have just Pulled Nick martinez as with
The giants having cut the lead to six to. Three
this starting, staff which we thought was going to be a,
strength which was a strength last, year this starting, staff
and it's still. Early AND i don't think it's just

(01:37:12):
the starting staff. EITHER i think they've got some decent
options in the. Bullpen this is a pitching staff you
can win. With this is a pitching. Staff you can
get to the postseason with this pitching. STAFF i fear
that though you cannot when the offense is as anemic
as it has, been and so the question, becomes how
does the offense get? Better is it merely getting? Healthier

(01:37:33):
is It Will benson and Noelleve? Marte is it acquiring
about it the deadline and treading water until? Then but
the good news is you've got a part of your
team that looks like it has a chance to be
good enough to get you to the. Postseason it sure.

Speaker 7 (01:37:48):
Does And i'll tell you another interesting. Stat as of Last,
thursday The red dra at, home this is great was
two point eight. Three on the road was almost a point.
Higher so that is a great stat for The.

Speaker 1 (01:38:00):
Reds it is it Is, MIKE i, GOTTA i gotta
do you when you go to, prison do you get
to keep the?

Speaker 7 (01:38:06):
Uniform hell, No well no you don't. Have you have
to take it and turn it in to turn You
if you.

Speaker 1 (01:38:14):
Don't get to keep it's not like a like if
you play for The, reds they give you the jerseys.

Speaker 5 (01:38:18):
Time yeah, no, no.

Speaker 7 (01:38:21):
Mom and a real quick one before you. Go when
you go To San francisco To Oracle, park which is the,
best don't Say san fran to people up. There i'm
telling you they. Will they. Will they get so goofy
offended about that instead of Saying San, francisco it offends.

Speaker 1 (01:38:38):
THEM i have no idea what well, now now WHEN
i do go To San, francisco Which i've never been,
to AND i don't have any concrete plans, TO i
JUST i badly want to go to that. Ballpark, Now
i'm going to call It san fran to.

Speaker 7 (01:38:48):
Everybody yeah, yeah all, right oh, yeah, yeah you'll put
you in the corner or.

Speaker 1 (01:38:54):
Something like if, somebody if somebody comes, Here, mike thank.
You if somebody comes here and Says, cincy you, know, okay,
fine call It. CINCY i don't like calling It. Sincy
you will never hear me Say i'm From. Cincy but
if somebody's Like, sincy you, know h enough problems in my.
LIFE i don't. Care you're gonna hear a great draft

(01:39:15):
analyst Next.

Speaker 8 (01:39:18):
CINCINNATI'S espn fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 9 (01:39:23):
From THE Uc Health Traffic. Center april Is Donate life.
Month to register to become an organ donor or explore
Living donation at UCHealth dot. Com slash Transplant east found
two seventy five AT i seventy. Five that's an accident
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vehicle east found two seventy five on the ramp To

(01:39:43):
Taylor Mill road partially blocked. Off traffic still can't pass
and westbound State we're aute one twenty nine an accident
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Speaker 1 (01:39:55):
The Bell draft analyst kind enough to join, us as
he does every. Year if you're running the angles and
things go the way you, want picks one through, sixteen
who you'd taking at seventeen.

Speaker 10 (01:40:06):
Probably go an interior defensive. Line, ACTUALLY i wouldn't be
opposed to helping the second aias Of Malachi starks or
even you, know maybe a corner like a Wil johnson
is slipping out Of. Michigan BUT i Really i'm still
a believer in building inside, out LIKE i am, ultimately
AND i think especially when the defense was in a
much better spot a couple years, Ago LIKE i think
of the impact that a guy like A Dj reader
had right on the. Interior SO i think a great

(01:40:28):
conversation could be had between you, know do you like
A Kenneth grant For? Michigan there who's more of your
three hundred and thirty plus pound. Nos do you like
a guy like A Derek harmon out Of oregon who
was kind of more of A he's kind of a
versatile kid that can play all over the. PLACE i,
mean he's still six to four, plus he's still three
hundred and sixteen, pounds but he's a little bit more
of an attack stile penetrator. TYPE i think if those
two are on the, BOARD i would defer to A Derek.

(01:40:50):
Harmon i'd like the upside a little bit. MORE i
think he could do the things at the point of
the type that you needed to, do but also be
able to create some havoc right and you, know if
they do Keep Trey hendrickson and they you, know continue
to have that potent pass rush on one side of the,
FIELD i think that having a guy that can threaten
from the interior could be really impressive as. Well So
Derek carmon's a guy From oregon THAT i think it
would be a tremendous fit if he's there at seventeen.

Speaker 1 (01:41:11):
At which position and they have a lot of. Needs
they're a weird team because we talk about Their Super
bowl window being wide, open WHICH i think it is
as long as you Have Joe, burrow and yet for
a team that has Legit Super bowl, aspirations they have
a ton of needs that they really didn't completely address
in free, agency and so understanding they've got a lot

(01:41:31):
of areas they've got they've got a, fix where can
they at which position can they least afford to?

Speaker 10 (01:41:37):
WAIT i think IT'S i think it's probably on the
defensive line just in, general more on the, EDGE i
think more than, anything because, again you, know depending on
If trey stays Or trade, doesn't it's a good edge.
Group BUT i do think that after the first two
rounds or, so it really starts to taper off as
far as impact in the passing, game, Right like you

(01:41:58):
can still find guys third fourth, round like you, know
The Jared ivys From Ole miss The Jack sowers From
Ohio state or super physical dudes who will do a
little bit of dirty work and will be early down.
Players but to find impactful pass, rushers especially if you
do end, up you, know moving on from A Trey
hendrickson at some, point LIKE i think that you really
can't afford if you want impact pass rushers to wait

(01:42:20):
super long in this. CLASS i think corners deep safety is.
Deep interior defensive line is really deep as. Well if
we just talking on the defense side of the, BALL
i think impact pass rushers on passing downs is kind
of A it's an area THAT i do think kind
of tapers off pretty, seriously probably in the midpoint of
the day two.

Speaker 1 (01:42:36):
Somewhere so you mentioned all those defensive, positions they also
need guard. Help how deep is the guard.

Speaker 10 (01:42:43):
Class it's actually a pretty good guard class. OVERALL i
think most people portray the offensive line is not a
great class because the tackle group isn't. GREAT i, mean
there's a couple guys Like Will campbell FROM lsu has
had the debate of if the tackles the, Guard Kevin
backs And texas has had the.

Speaker 3 (01:42:58):
Same Even Armin membou has had.

Speaker 10 (01:42:59):
Some of that push, back you, know kind of back and.
Forth BUT i think either, way the tire offense line
is a pretty good, spot you, know especially if you
view one of those PLAYERS i just mentioned as a
guard to then that really bolsters a. Group AND i
think when you're talking about guys Like Tyler booker From
Alabama jonah said and in the second round at Of,
arizona like there's it's a good guard. Class, OVERALL i
think you can get potential. Starters Gray's abel another guy

(01:43:19):
that a lot of people. LIKE i, mean there's it's
a deep group of. Guards if you need to tackles
in this, class the conversation would be much. DIFFERENT i
do not think it's an overly good tackle, class especially
you need a lot of. Tackle but inside of, GUARD
i think there is value.

Speaker 3 (01:43:30):
To be found in this.

Speaker 1 (01:43:31):
Class so you mentioned, tackle AND i think The bengals
for this season are happy with the two starters they
have a TACKLE i think a lot of folks would
like to see them select a, guard whether it's in
round one or. Later take a guard that you can
plug and play there, now or at least add him
to the competition of guards they have with the idea
down the road that maybe they end up playing. Tackle

(01:43:52):
are there are there players like that that can be
had in round, one BUT i guess more importantly beyond round.

Speaker 10 (01:43:58):
One, YEAH i mean in round, one a couple of
guys that just talked, about, LIKE i, mean there's gonna
be some people that View Kelvin banks From texas for,
instance as a guy that can come in and play
inside but then eventually move on the. OUTSIDE i, mean
he's a that's right his range, Too LIKE i feel
LIKE i keep mocking him right around that spot to
like eighteen To, Seattle so like he's a borderline top twenty.
PICK i think in this class he might even fall.

Speaker 3 (01:44:20):
A little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:44:20):
Later but you, know we'll see here in a couple of.

Speaker 10 (01:44:22):
Weeks as far as if that definitely, HAPPENS i actually
think That Jonahs savanea is a. Kid although he seems
intent on playing. Guard he started games at left Tackle,
arizona started games at right. Tackle he's probably more of
a right tackle in THE nfl, level BUT i think
he is the length in the athletics to dude for,
sure if you want to slightly deeper, pool if you
want to move down to maybe more third fourth round.
Conversation as far as like a developmental, GUY i Think

(01:44:43):
Charles grant out Of william And mary's very. Talented he's
six or, four he's throwing.

Speaker 3 (01:44:46):
Under leave the.

Speaker 10 (01:44:46):
Puns he's a really talented athlete who has length as.
Well and if you're a team that wants to run
a lot of, zone especially outside, ZONE i think that
he's a guy that could give you some impact inside
early but eventually developed into a starting offensive. Tackle so
there's certainly some of those, guys but, again like it's
just not a great overall tackle. Class so if that's
like your, IDEOLOGY i don't think that there's like this
massive bucket to pool, from BUT i do think there's value.

Speaker 3 (01:45:08):
To be found if you find it in the right.

Speaker 1 (01:45:09):
Place you mentioned the name, that as you might, imagine
it gets brought up here all the, time and That's Jack.
Sawyer whether you want to look at this from A
bengals lens or just put the tape on and tell
me what you like or don't, like break him down for, Me,
YEAH i.

Speaker 10 (01:45:23):
Think it's GONNA i, mean people are gonna make this
comparison That i'm sure they probably do already correct ME
i for, wrong but he's very same hubbard.

Speaker 3 (01:45:29):
ISH i hate.

Speaker 1 (01:45:30):
THIS i hate this Because sam was a rounder.

Speaker 10 (01:45:34):
Exactly AND i And Jack sawyer is not a first rounder,
either like you just. Thought he's not that type of
guy Like hubbard for, me was a rock solid, player
right like you played really good against the, run clean
up stack. Guy you can do some movement stuff up,
front you can twist, them you can do some other,
stuff but he's never gonna be a great pass. Rusher
and that's the same THING i say With, Sawyer Like
sawyer's gonna be a kick butt run. Defender, absolutely he's

(01:45:55):
gonna be able to hold the point of.

Speaker 3 (01:45:56):
Attack he's gonna set it firm.

Speaker 10 (01:45:57):
Edge he's gonna be impactful in the, Comunity like he's
a great, leader like all those intangible things that we
kind of like roll our eyes in a little, Bit
but he's just Not he's not, bendy, Right, like he
just doesn't have a great first.

Speaker 1 (01:46:08):
Step it's a solid first.

Speaker 10 (01:46:10):
Step he just he's not gonna bend the outside. Track
he's not going to threaten guys outside, Shoulders LIKE i
JUST i think he's going to be a five to
six sac of year. Guy and, again that's not a
bad player by any. Stretch but are we gonna dress
that guy to be a mainstay or were gonna dress
that guy to be? Impactful LIKE i just think he's
more of a really good role player than he is
a prominent football.

Speaker 3 (01:46:29):
Player.

Speaker 1 (01:46:30):
Right so you just spoke And Jack sawyer had a
terrific college, career like checks every intangible, box, Right, like
seems like a great. Dude but as you might. Imagine
i've heard The Sam hubbard comparison a thousand times from
people who want to Take jack in round, one AND i,
go if you're gonna make the case that dude should
be taken in round, one you can't bring up a guy,

(01:46:50):
who In Sam uberts, case had a really nice career
and he's a local, kid so we love. Him but
a seven YEAR nfl career has never made A Pro,
bowl was never an All pro, guy rock solid. Player
he gave you a good third round. Production If Sam
hubbard was a first, rounder you would feel slightly. Disappointed
AND i.

Speaker 10 (01:47:08):
Don't think That Jack slayer is going to be a first.
ROUNDER i think he's going to be more in that
third round window somewhere that ballpark. IS i just don't
think THE nfl was ever as high as like some
of the media were on. HIM i just really don't
think that they. WERE i would say it like, This.

Speaker 3 (01:47:20):
Mo and this is always a funny CONVERSATION i have with.

Speaker 10 (01:47:22):
Some like scouty buddies THAT i have is that ANYTIME
i ask you a player's, strengths, right, like give me
run down the list of strengths for a non, quarterback
and like the first three or, four all intangible Base i'm, like,
mmmm that's scary, bad that's not, Good like for a pass,
RUSH i want to hear he's got, bang he's got
explosive first, step he understand he's twitched up like all

(01:47:44):
these other. Things it's first THING i asked you About.
Sawyer it's, like plays really, hard it's a great, leader
great locker room. Guy i'm, like, well let me, said
he's just probably not overly, talented, Right like that's that's.
Unfortunate so, YEAH i think he's a good. PLAYER i
think he's a glue player for a locker. Room absolutely,
no he has no business being drafted first, round especially
at seventeen overall like, that that's, crazy absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:48:05):
Crazy Ryan, roberts eight is the SPORTS i want The
bengals to trade. Down can you can you speak to
the validity of wanting? That and can you point to
a team THAT i could hold? Out hope maybe says all, right,
well we'll move up to seventeen and give him extra draft.

Speaker 10 (01:48:20):
PICKS i think The Houston texans at twenty. Five this
has been kind of a conversation, Point like they they
said goodbye The laramie tunsel to shoot this offseason obviously
trade them.

Speaker 3 (01:48:29):
Away they also.

Speaker 10 (01:48:30):
Said goodbye To Kenyon, Green AND i Know Kenny green
wasn't great for them at, guard but you're still replacing
two stars on the offensive, line and, honestly even With Laramie,
tunsle your offensive line wasn't very good. Anyway, Right so
the worst case scenario for them is If New england
dress and offensive tag what, four whether that Is membu
or whether That's Will, campbell, whoever and they start the
offensive line run earlier than, expected Then houston's going to

(01:48:51):
be in a spot at twenty five with the, like,
man are we going to get a kid that can
come in and play? Here Like it's it's similar to
twenty nineteen when they had to settle and Take Tightest
howard at like twenty six or twenty five or something
like literally.

Speaker 3 (01:49:03):
The same, Range AND i just that can't happen to them.

Speaker 10 (01:49:06):
AGAIN i, mean they still have a really good quarterback
on a rookie, Contract they still have a lot of
optimism in that. ROOM i really, say they need to
get out of that first round with a starting offensive.
Lineman so If I'm, CINCINNATI i would expect to see
at least The Houston Aari coo flash at some point
to have that, conversation because if that run starts, EARLY
i think that they could get a little bit desperate
to move up it to the teams to make sure

(01:49:27):
they can get A Kelvin banks or someone in that.

Speaker 1 (01:49:29):
Name all, right one. More you Know Al golden's work
At Notre dame more than pretty much, anybody and what
The bengals have done on defense has been interesting because
they've they've they've brought back some guys from last year's,
Team they've made some. ADDITIONS i don't know that they
have made as many additions in free agency as a
lot of people would. Like and so the message, is you,

(01:49:50):
know some of these guys who didn't succeed under Lu An,
Arumo Al golden's gonna get more out of. Them we
can talk about how dangerous that approach might be from
a personnel, perspective but as somebody who knows What al can,
do what do you make of their approach on that
side of the.

Speaker 10 (01:50:05):
Ball it's a fascinating. Question Like Al golden for, me
is very detail oriented, coach and he has a good
scheme and he's going to make sure that guys are
doing exactly what the scheme asked you to.

Speaker 3 (01:50:20):
Do whether and he can be.

Speaker 10 (01:50:21):
FLEXIBLE i Knowe Notre dame was mostly a heavy man
team of the last couple of. Years but based on
the the personality, HAS i do think that he can
mix in some. ZONE i do think that he can
mix and. Match LIKE i think he's a very smart football.
Coach but the one THING i will, say and this
is just from My Notre dame, experience is year, One

(01:50:41):
Notre dame has some, talents but it was it was
a little bit new to the system and it did
Take Notre dame a. While like if you Look Notre
dame year one compared to year two and year, three
they got a lot. Better because Coach golden is admittedly
he does run a pretty complicated, scheme like it does
take a little bit to get. Acclimated SO i do
think For cincinnati fans they need to be a little bit.
PATIENT i think That Al golden is more of a

(01:51:04):
year two breakout type of defensive coach than he is
a year one defensive. Coach i'm not sure he's just
gonna pick out the piece and it's going to look,
great you, know to start the YEAR i think during
the end of the first, year you're gonna start to
see that incremental. Growth and then year, TWO i think
is when the defense hopefully has a little.

Speaker 3 (01:51:19):
Bit of a.

Speaker 1 (01:51:20):
Turnaround IF i Watch Joe burrows score ninety nine points
in three games and he wins none of, Them i'm
Driving Al golden back To South.

Speaker 3 (01:51:27):
Bend.

Speaker 10 (01:51:27):
OKAY i am hopefully optimistic About chris ash and what
he can do with defense quarter At Notre. Dame BUT
i know That Notre dame would probably take you up
with that proposition if.

Speaker 1 (01:51:38):
That didn't, happen so, WELL i hope To god a.
DOZEN i know you have a lot going. On i'm
gonna bother you after the, draft BUT i always enjoy
our conversations leading up to. It thanks so, much, absolutely,
Brother thank you for your. TIME i appreciate. It that's my.
Guy Ryan roberts rise In draft On twitter AND adz
sports Dot. Com we got a guest you want to
hear if you got a kid who plays high school Baseball.

Speaker 8 (01:51:58):
Next CINCINNATI'S espn fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 9 (01:52:05):
From THE Uc Health Traffic. Center april Is Donate Life.
Month the register to become An oregon donor or explore
living donation at uchelp dot. Com slash Transplant east found
two seventy. Five it's a disabled vehicle on the exit
ramp To Taylor Mill, road partially blocking off that ramp
Westbound State route one. Nine another accident that At Hampshire.

(01:52:28):
Drive keep in mind ten mile the road remains blocked
off due to storm damage Between wagner And Cole road
on that ezalk with.

Speaker 1 (01:52:36):
Traffic this reporting spons this is kind of, cool especially
if you've got a son who plays high school baseball
or is maybe going to be playing high school. Baseball
Kyle weldon is with. Us this guy's like mister baseball
in The Tri. State he is with The Prep Baseball,
report nationally known scouting service for high school baseball, players
which by the, way there had been a whole bunch
of high school baseball played in recent days because of

(01:52:56):
all the. Weather hopefully that changes here very. SOON i
wanted to talk a little high school baseball at about
What kyle does with, him so he is a kind
enough to join. Us it's good to have, You. Kyle
how are you happy to be?

Speaker 7 (01:53:07):
Here?

Speaker 14 (01:53:08):
Man excited for?

Speaker 6 (01:53:09):
It thank you for having.

Speaker 1 (01:53:10):
ME i appreciate you doing. THIS i, think and you
you could certainly confirm, this or you could throw cold
water over this if you. WANT i think that this
is an underrated hotbed this area when it comes to prep.

Speaker 14 (01:53:20):
Baseball, Yeah ohio's produced talent for a long. Time obviously
the highlights get shown on throughout the. Country whe baseball's
played year, round but there is there's a lot of
great talent coming out of the state Of. Ohio it's
an incredible stay for.

Speaker 1 (01:53:33):
Baseball, yeah no question about. That so give me an
idea of what you guys do with THE Prenp Baseball.

Speaker 14 (01:53:38):
Report, well our main job is to travel around and
evaluate players and then communicate the college coaches what we.

Speaker 7 (01:53:45):
See.

Speaker 14 (01:53:46):
Now we do that in a number of. Ways got
the website where.

Speaker 6 (01:53:48):
We have our.

Speaker 14 (01:53:49):
Rankings we go out and we scout tournaments and scout
games in the, spring and then we hold our own
events throughout the winter in the summer to evaluate.

Speaker 1 (01:53:56):
Guys can it be hard for a high school, base
especially at a smaller, school to catch the eye of
college recruiters relative to sports like football and. BASKETBALL i think.

Speaker 14 (01:54:09):
Ultimately they're going to find you if you can. PLAY i,
mean our service just helps provide that, spotlight particularly for
the player that you're talking. About we're on a state,
level so we've got a team of people working on Just,
ohio which really helps us dig deep into the smaller
schools and help guys you, know the big you, know top,

(01:54:30):
ten top point players in the in the. State those
guys are going to get seen no matter what we.
Do but it's the rest of the guys THAT i
think our service really gives you a bot of bang for.

Speaker 1 (01:54:39):
The bucks for so how, often and you've got a
team of people that work for, you how often do
you get a chance to see let's say your, average
really good high school baseball.

Speaker 14 (01:54:48):
Player we're going to see that player over the course
of the year five or six different.

Speaker 1 (01:54:53):
Times and then you, know there's obviously high school, ball
but there's all sorts of other. ORGANIZATIONS i would imagine
that you guys are paying attention to what those teams.

Speaker 14 (01:55:02):
Do it's a huge part of our process just being
in touch with summer coaches around the, state their high school,
team in any other organization that they might be affiliated,
with it could be a training. Facility we're connecting with
those guys all the time to try to understand where
these players are at right now where they might slot
in the, future evaluate their skill and get, input and we.

(01:55:23):
Can't we're not there every day with every. Player so
our relationship with summer, coaches facilities and high school coaches
is huge just to get input on.

Speaker 1 (01:55:33):
Guys are summer facilities here all they're made out to.

Speaker 14 (01:55:35):
Be there's a lot of really good ones in The Tri,
state a lot of good baseball people doing a lot
of good work and helping players navigate this crazy amateur baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:55:47):
Team at what age can you typically start to tell
whether or not a young man has the ability to
play at the collegiate level and understanding the collegiate. Levels that's, expansive,
Right we're talking about like d one kid all the
way down through junior. College but typically when when can
you start to tell that a kid is going to
have that sort of. Potential you start to see it.

Speaker 14 (01:56:08):
Kind of, early but you, know things. CHANGE i think
the it's really easy to see the ones.

Speaker 10 (01:56:12):
That are obvious really.

Speaker 14 (01:56:13):
Early guys just move, different they have a different level
of understanding for the. Game but then you get the
guys that come in late and they develop late and.

Speaker 3 (01:56:23):
Pop up on your.

Speaker 14 (01:56:24):
Radar you, know there's third, freshman sophomore year high. School
some of the other guys you're seeing it when they're
twelve years.

Speaker 1 (01:56:29):
Old you're your. Life it's a little. Different everybody's a
little bit. Different, yeah you're you're a hitting.

Speaker 3 (01:56:35):
GUY i.

Speaker 1 (01:56:35):
HEAR i hear people who cover professional baseball all the
time complain about how pitchers are being taught at the amateur, level,
right and sometimes there's maybe too much of an emphasis on.
Velocity it's somebody who's in the weeds at that. Level
do you share that.

Speaker 14 (01:56:48):
OBSERVATION i THINK i think it's really easy to pick
that pick at that and pick up the injuries and
say this is a this is a huge. Problem the
problem really is it's it's. Working at the major league.
Level guys who throw harder are generally having more. Success,
NOW i think the way you get there can probably
be a little bit rushed at. Times at the younger.

(01:57:09):
AGE i would personally take a guy who's command over
velocity and then work the velocity up as he matures
and as the body develops and he's able to handle.
That but, yeah you see it quite a bit younger
guys throwing really, hard really, young and you, know oftentimes
that leads to an injury at some. Point you just
hope that they're doing everything they can to keep themselves.

Speaker 1 (01:57:31):
Healthy The Prep Baseball report where can people find out?

Speaker 14 (01:57:34):
More if you go To Prep Baseball report dot, Com
prep baseball dot, com that'll take you to our. Website
we've got, rankings, events all kinds of, stuff highlights them
where you. Know we cover this the whole state this,
spring so we cover in all the high school.

Speaker 1 (01:57:47):
Games it's gonna be a very busy man in the
coming days and. WEEKS i appreciate the time, man thanks so.

Speaker 14 (01:57:53):
MUCH i appreciate him a thank.

Speaker 1 (01:57:55):
You That's Kyle, weldon our, guy our New prep baseball,
guy good At Prep Baseball report dot. Com Prep baseballreport
dot com shows, Over got to go Tomorrow Chad, Brendel
Joe goodberry and as of, now we are scheduled to
talk WITH Uc basketball's NEW gm that may be moved
to next. Week we'll find out if it. Is join
us tomorrow at three oh. Five thanks to A terran

(01:58:16):
plan for producing and thanks to you for. Listening have
an awesome. Night this IS espn fifteen Thirty Cincinnati sports.
Station

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4/9/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

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