With the addition of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie and Geno’s pupil Larry Ogunjobi in the defensive tackle, the Bengals are ready to start two defensive matches in Taylor’s first game, which opened the 2019 season in Seattle . The Fab Five joined the Cincinnati media on a March Madness Friday. No doubt, they said, Toca was a draw.
“Just by looking at what they are building. Over these four years playing against these guys, I saw the type of players they had and what they were building,” said Hilton, the former Steeler. “As soon as they brought Joe (Burrow) to be the guy in the franchise, he showed me what he’s capable of and it definitely attracted me here. I’m excited to be here and get the train going.
With those players in the fold on Thursday night and Reiff on his recruiting visit, Taylor deftly gathered everyone together in an upstairs room at The Precinct, a location on Ruby’s east side. Ahead and at the center of his recruiting effort was Burrow and he apparently had Reiff practically in hello.
“Exactly the way he behaves,” said Reiff. “Loads up with himself. He looks like a realistic Cincinnati guy. We just sat there for a while. But really impressed with him. … Resistant, from the Midwest, worker. Come to work.”
Hilton, who played with Big Ben in Pittsburgh, also felt Burrow’s great presence. All five could see it when they passed the rehab room and Hilton saw it at dinner.
“Dude, just talking to him. Like I said, he has an aura about him,” said Hilton. “He’s a young guy, but he runs the room. He prides himself on being the team leader and just embraces the room.”
Reiff, 32, is the endurance piece of Bengals’ week-long free agent effort spearheaded by professional recognition director Steven Radecivic.
Bengals started the week looking for line attackers and also edge rushers. They had a plan in which, if the reduced $ 15 million wage cap lowered prices, they thought they would have a chance to grab two edge rushers while running away from a guard.
But they were also prepared if prices were at pre-pandemic levels and, like last year on the first day of free agency, when they quickly got rid of defense advocates, they adjusted to the growing numbers and moved on to another plan they had idealized.
They knew they had to drop a large number on just one rusher and did so when they signed Hendrickson on a club record $ 60 million contract on the first night of the free agency. Also, on that first day, they were apparently interested in the best guard on the market, Joe Thuney. But as the bid went over $ 50 million, they also knew that Reiff was there and were realizing that there were also some good cornerbacks. They ended up getting two tickets at Hilton and Awuzie for what many were paying for a cornerback.
Ogunjobi has been a thorn in the side for the Bengals while playing in Cleveland and they had good grades in it. While filling the need for a technique three on Wednesday night, Radicevic was constantly on the phone, making Reiff pay a visit on Thursday.
“My agent came to me and said, these guys are being very persistent,” said Reiff. “Would you like to see what they are? I said, for sure. Because we weren’t in this division we didn’t really have a lot of crossover, but when I got here I was really impressed with the guys, coaches and I’m excited.
“To tell you the truth, if it didn’t work out. I just wanted to see the stadium. If it didn’t work out, I played nine to ten years, normally you play in many stadiums and I didn’t play here. If everything else failed, at least I I could say that I saw the stadium. “
Reiff was the key. The Bengals wanted to give him more than a tour. They didn’t catch Thuney, but they also knew they had a chance against Reiff, one of the NFL’s most consistent attackers since the Lions pulled him out of Iowa in the first round of 2012. A proven protector for Toca has always been a priority.