00:00The conversation about team chemistry and how important that's been.
00:02Why has it been this offseason maybe different than it's been in years past
00:05and what you've seen from this group?
00:07Well, I think that's a little bit of an ongoing story, right, as to how that develops.
00:11I mean, you can develop some of that in OTAs, right,
00:14but I think the crux of that gets developed in camp.
00:17We're together, you know, for a lot of days here, a lot longer.
00:20It's back-to-back-to-back days.
00:21It's not – and we're involved here in meetings longer.
00:27So I think a lot of that is still yet to be determined.
00:29But I do have a great feel – I have a good feeling, I guess, about the guys we brought
00:33in.
00:34And, you know, I think it's the level, not only experience, but the success they've had
00:38as both as players individually but then some collectively.
00:41We're bringing in, you know, multiple Super Bowl champions here.
00:44We're bringing in all pro players.
00:46And so I think with that comes a level of respect.
00:49Not that we didn't have some of those types of players here before,
00:52but I think when it's new and you're bringing it from different backgrounds
00:54and you try to combine that, right,
00:56I mean, that brings a renewed sense.
00:59And that's what's great about the game that we play, right?
01:01It's so many different backgrounds from so many different people.
01:04All get together to try to mesh that, and that's what makes it exciting to me.
01:08Joe said that this is the most talented roster on paper that he's played with here in Cincinnati.
01:12You are the longest-tenured assistant in the league.
01:15Is this the most talented roster that you've been?
01:18Oh, man, you're really challenging my memory.
01:22We've had some talented rosters way back, too, but I probably tend to agree with them.
01:26I think this is, you know, we've helped maybe fill in some holes, fill in some blanks.
01:32I don't know about blanks, but we've upped the level of respectability in some of those positions.
01:37So I probably tend to agree with that.
01:40But you're dating me when you start to ask me about some of those teams we had back early on.
01:46There were some pretty talented teams we had back early on, too, you know, 05, 06.
01:50Those were some pretty good teams back then, too.
01:52But I probably tend to agree with this on paper if it feels that way.
01:56Well, of course, we'll see what happens if somebody punches us in the mouth.
01:58That's when I really feel those guys come along.
02:01Along those lines, Darren, what is the characteristic you value most when you're, you know,
02:06you've seen so many Bengal teams here that you value the most that leads itself over the course of a
02:11season to success?
02:13You're talking just team in general?
02:14Team.
02:16Toughness?
02:17I think that that's part of it.
02:20There's a lot of them, I think, that have equal weight, right?
02:22Intelligence is one.
02:25Toughness certainly is one.
02:27You know, you have to have such great team players.
02:31You know, I think gone are the days of when there's so many individuals where, you know,
02:36one player can take over a game like they can, like they used to be able to.
02:40So, you know, I think having great team players who are intelligent and who are tough
02:46and who love to be, who love the game and love the process that it comes to take to prepare
02:51for a game,
02:52I think are all big factors for me.
02:54They're ones that I would look for.
02:55What have you appreciated the most about Zach Taylor and what you've learned about him his entire tenure here?
03:02Well, I think his ability to let guys do their job, and not that that hadn't been the case before,
03:10but I have a lot of respect for Zach, I think, knows what he majors in,
03:16and he knows that he's a great offensive mind.
03:19So, you know, I think that, you know, as the head coach, it's his responsibility for all three phases,
03:24don't get me wrong, but, you know, I think that he helps support me as a special teams coordinator with
03:33personnel.
03:34I think he has a solid feel for how the game day roster is put together, the 48 guys we're
03:40looking for,
03:41and I think he trusts me to handle my area.
03:45He trusts me to handle what I do.
03:46So that's one thing I really respect is he – I think he'll be hands-on if he needs to
03:51be,
03:51if he feels like he needs to be, but I do feel like that he trusts me to do my
03:56job
03:56and be, you know, a productive part of our – a productive third of the team.
04:01So that's a huge area of respect to add.
04:04There's not going to be a lot of pressure on Zach this year in y'all's form.
04:06It seems like he actually handles that pretty well.
04:09Why does Zach handle pressure maybe better than other coaches?
04:12I guess because of his very calm demeanor, right?
04:14I don't ever – I mean, maybe you would know more than I would about ever seeing him get ramped
04:20up
04:20other than somebody other than the officials, right?
04:22You know, he's good at that.
04:24I've seen that happen multiple times.
04:26But I think, you know, his demeanor and his ability to stay on an even keel is very good.
04:31He has a very good – he does a very good job of relationships with players.
04:36I think that he works with guys well.
04:39And I also think that when it comes time for him to make a stand, he'll make a stand.
04:44But I do think that his ability to, you know, reach each player, each guy from different backgrounds –
04:52it's tough for him because he's the head coach of the offense, right?
04:54He's the head coach of our team.
04:55He's the head coach of our offense.
04:56But he still has to have relationships with players on defense.
04:59But the majority of his time has to be spent with the offense.
05:02So I think his ability to, you know, get to those players on defense
05:07or get to the guys on special teams that matter I think is a really, really good quality of the
05:11ask.
05:11When you look at returner, Charlie's proven things.
05:14Keyshawn really popped at the end of last year.
05:17How do you view that spot this summer?
05:19Well, I view it as a pretty good competition, right?
05:22I mean, Charlie's the income of guy.
05:24I mean, he naturally should be.
05:25He's proven he can do it.
05:26He's scored three times in three years, but, you know, he's got to be able to stay on the field.
05:30And so, you know, I think having somebody like Keyshawn here pushing him in that regard is a huge factor.
05:37And I see it as a good competition.
05:39I see it as a competition as we go through training camp.
05:42They'll get a lot of – I mean, both those guys are going to get a ton of reps.
05:45And I think it's just part of the equation, right?
05:46I think also the other part of the equation is what they do on offense.
05:48Like, who do they feel the most comfortable with on offense?
05:51And if there's a deciding factor, it will be what they do as a return.
05:55Or just having snapper, holder, kicker first time in a handful of years kind of ironed out, is that a
06:01major advantage?
06:02Major.
06:03Yeah, a major advantage.
06:04You know, I sense this is – I mean, we were so fortunate here for so long to have, you
06:09know, the same snapper and Clark and the same punter and Kevin.
06:12And those are just mainstays, right?
06:13A few of the kickers change, but I knew there was going to come a time where this was all
06:16going to change.
06:17And we tried to put it together in pieces, you know, a little at a time.
06:21It all kind of ended up happening at once.
06:23And, you know, I feel like we've finally settled on the three guys who we're going to have here for
06:29a long period of time.
06:30So I believe it's a major advantage for us to go into year three.
06:33I believe that those three guys can be – will be a weapon for us that we use, whether it's
06:38flipping the field with Ryan,
06:40whether it's hopefully controlling the ball better than the plus 50 with Ryan and plus 50 punting,
06:44and then the ability for Evan to hit long kicks and be consistent on kickoff.
06:47So it's a big advantage for us.
06:49Amen.
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