Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals

On the surface, it was a quiet day for the Cincinnati Bengals while they worked on a clear priority in upgrading offensive guard. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down the latest as the Bengals are one of the teams in pursuit of Teven Jenkins' services. While we waited until nearly midnight to record in case the move was coming, we're still waiting. The guys also discuss where the Bengals -shoul...

The Cincinnati Bengals made a number of moves to improve the floor of their defensive line as free agency began on Monday, in addition to adding a Super Bowl linebacker and bringing back Samaje Perine to solidify the RB room. We're still waiting for the impact moves that will move the needle more significantly than the floor-raisers they signed early. We're still waiting for extensions for Tee Hig...

Myles Garrett signed a $40 million extension, D.K. Metcalf got a $33 million deal from the Steelers after he was traded, and both of those moves could drive up prices for contracts the Bengals haven't gotten across the finish line yet with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down the latest NFL market developments, take a look at a few external free agent targets as t...

The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a 3-year deal with tight end Mike Gesicki, reportedly for $25.5 million and $12 million in the first year. Jake Liscow and James Rapien get into the impact of bringing Gesicki back to be an extra weapon for Joe Burrow and the passing offense. Plus, we break down the Trey Hendrickson situation as of Saturday morning, including how we got to this point and what to ex...

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses the veteran wide receiver market ahead of NFL Free Agency after the DK Metcalf trade request, Davante Adams release, and Chris Godwin's pending free agency. Plus, they also dive deep into whether or not Aaron Rodgers will play in 2025 and if he does, do the New York Giants make sense and all of the NFL news, Free Agency rumblings and more. Support Us By...

Trey Hendrickson has been asking the Cincinnati Bengals to redo his contract for years, and finally has been given permission by the team to explore his trade market. Jake Liscow is joined by Joe Goodberry to break down what appears to be a failure from the Bengals' front office in its offseason mission to get long-term deals done with its stars, what trade compensation might look like, and how th...

Sam Hubbard's retirement from the NFL may have been expected, but has financial and football implications for the Cincinnati Bengals. Jake Liscow and James Rapien reflect on Hubbard's legacy after an overachieving 7-year career, discuss the role he filled for the Bengals, and reset the salary cap picture after the cut. We break down the latest on the state of negotiations between the Bengals and t...

The Cincinnati Bengals made the franchise tag official for Tee Higgins on Monday, but they're still working on getting a long-term deal done. Jake Liscow and James Rapien react to the news we were expecting, and break down the interesting editorialization in the Bengals' press release, the timing that the club should be targeting to get the deal done, and the salary cap implications of the $26.1 m...

The Cincinnati Bengals released Alex Cappa on Monday morning, the second early cap cut in recent days as they prepare for free agency with obvious replacement needs. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down whether it means anything that the Bengals are getting their cuts done earlier this year, and what other cuts we should expect. And as the Bengals are turning the page from key players from deep...

With contract negotiations heating up, the spotlight is on Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down the latest rumors and news about ongoing negotiations between the Cincinnati Bengals and their star priorities this offseason. Plus, we explore news around a potential Mike Gesicki re-signing, how it may come to fruition, and why it might not make sen...

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses whether or not Abdul Carter will be the 1st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and whether or not if it's more important in today's NFL to have a game-changing pass rusher in comparison to other positions. Plus, will Ja'Marr Chase become the NFL's highest paid non-QB this offseason or could there be another player that gets that type of bag and is banni...

As the offseason begins, the Cincinnati Bengals are set to address their early-season struggles with Zac Taylor considering changes to the offseason program. We break down what that could mean, and then dive into some of the takeaways from other coaches' comments at the combine. That includes Dan Pitcher alluding to a desire to maintain the 12 personnel packages that succeeded with Erick All last...

Besides just retaining and/or extending their stars, the Cincinnati Bengals have spelled out a clear agenda with areas of focus for talent acquisition this offseason. There's a focus on the trenches, and there may even be hints that the traits they look for in defensive linemen could be changing with the new defensive staff. Plus, Duke Tobin remained effusive in his praise of Dax Hill. Jake Liscow...

Duke Tobin took to the Indianapolis podium for his annual combine press conference, where he shared the Cincinnati Bengals' agenda for a crucial offseason coming off a disappointing season. Jake Liscow and James Rapien break down the biggest takeaways, where Tobin sent a message to the league that the Bengals feel like they'll be able to get long-term deals done with their stars and make moves to...

Can the Cincinnati Bengals leverage the NFL draft to boost their championship hopes? Hosts Jake Liscow and James Rapien explore potential picks, key positions like tight end and edge rusher, and the influence of new defensive coordinator Al Golden. What kind of tight end fits what they'll be looking for this year? Will they prioritize interior defensive line early? We answer those questions and mo...

Can the Cincinnati Bengals leverage the 2025 NFL Draft to enhance their team? CBS Sports Draft analyst Mike Renner joins us to discuss top prospects who could transform the Bengals' lineup. From defensive line standouts to tight end Colson Loveland, we explore potential game-changers. We also highlight key linebacker and safety prospects like Malachi Starks and Xavier Watts. Discover the draft str...

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses which teams who finished near the bottom of the NFL last season will more than likely remain in the basement this upcoming season, which NFL Draft prospect is the best pound for pound player, a debate on Cam Ward/Shedeur Sanders, and where players like Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Rodgers, and Deebo Samuel would be the best fits. Support Us By Suppor...

After covering what we should expect from Al Golden's fronts as he takes over at defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, part 2 examines Golden's coverage preferences from Notre Dame. Jake Liscow and James Rapien are joined by Mike Santagata (bengalstalk.com, Always Gameday in Cincinnati podcast) to break down how Notre Dame managed to be so good playing so much single high man coverage...

New Defensive Coordinator Al Golden is bringing some changes to the way the Bengals play defense in 2025. Jake Liscow and James Rapien start a deep dive into what those changes will look like with guest Mike Santagata (bengalstalk.com, Always Gameday in Cincinnati podcast) breaking down the switch to a 4-3 base defense, what a Vyper is, and what stylistic changes we should expect from the Bengals'...

It's tough to find good alternative plans for the Bengals that don't involve keeping their stars, and today we turn our focus to the case for trading Trey Hendrickson. Jake Liscow and James Rapien start by breaking down some of the arguments in favor of trading Hendrickson and some of the flaws in those arguments before diving into what the extension could look like, and what contract  demands cou...

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins, per our own James Rapien's reporting. Jake Liscow and James break down the news, from Higgins' increased value compared to last year, why the move was expected and necessary, how this year is different from last year from a long-term extension perspective, and why the Bengals should be incentivized to get a deal done as s...

The Cincinnati Bengals have no excuses to not get their major deals done this offseason. Despite what you've heard from national shows in the last few weeks, there aren't cash or cap constraints! Jake Liscow and James Rapien continue to push back on narratives about how "difficult" it will be for the Bengals to navigate this offseason and how their decisions can show a commitment to winning with J...

In this week's NFL Squad, the crew discusses which teams are closer to the Philadelphia Eagles after their Super Bowl win, which NFL trade makes sense for Aaron Rodgers, Deebo Samuel, or Cooper Kupp. Plus, the squad discusses the ideal fit for their respective teams in the NFL Draft. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! LinkedIn LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to t...

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt officially requested a trade this week. James Rapien reacts to the request, discusses Pratt's trade value and makes a prediction about the veteran's future. He also answers your questions about the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bengals' offseason strategy, the front office and more!  Join the Locked on Bengals Subtext Community: joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengals  F...

As the national media portrays the Cincinnati Bengals' salary cap situation as "difficult", they were the talk of the town among non-Super Bowl teams in New Orleans last week. Jake and James are joined by Elise Jessie of BengalsTalk.com to discuss what she heard on Radio Row about Joe Burrow's clear agenda for the offseason, focused on managing the salary cap to keep their stars and field the best...