[Music] welcome into Bangals breakdown I am Tom Downey we are in a like battle against our Ravens Channel now 700 might sound like a lot of likes we're trailing by that's one video if every single person who's watching likes the video we can frankly flip that and double the lead Etc so help us out let's kick the Ravens butt off the field here like today's video and you'll get more ESPN videos as or more NFL videos here on the Bengals as well I did the full Ron bergy thing we're going to talk about ESPN and their kind of almost manufactured T Higgins drama could he sit out games could he be traded to the Chargers we'll discuss both of those things as part of a fairly lengthy T Higgins conversation on Today Show because ESPN's Adam Scher later last night says Higgins has not signed his friend franchise tag and will not report to OTAs next week in fact technically speaking he's not under contract therefore he's not able to report to OTAs now that also sets up this part we'll get to in a little bit by not being under contract you can't be fined for skipping mini camp and skipping training camp or at least parts of it and this really shouldn't surprise anybody you know Higgins is taking a bit more of a Hardline stance than Trey Hendrickson is who would be subject to fines even uh for mini camp and training camp obviously OTAs are all voluntary here as Paul derner pointed out on Twitter this is almost a one toone carbon copy of the Jessie Bates Playbook that's kind of what we're doing here like and I will also make note it's David moletta it's Jesse Bates and T higgins's agent it is the same from that perspective the main change from what Higgins did and what Bates did is there was no public trade demand from Jesse baits but the steps are almost one to one in terms of flopping out baits and putting in t Higgins right step number one you be mad about the the the Bengals Tag Jessie Bates step two you be ah I'm not happy about that from a player perspective step three you skip the workouts you skip training camp we're here we're in step three now step four could be you just watch the Priestess game in the suite you might do that again and then you report in late August and you're there in time for for week one of the regular season I would prefer if Higgin shows up earlier but he also knows the Bengals aren't going to resend the franchise tag like that's the only leverage point the Bengals have Beyond hey once games come you ain't getting paid we know it's it's awkward it's not fun we know where this is trending he'll be there for week one might not be there before July though so are you worried about t higgins's status with the Bengals it is today's pin comment so if that ad comes on YouTube that's fine take advantage of the ad head down to the pin comment and let me know are you worried about t higgins's status y for yes n for no let's continue along with a lengthy Higgins conversation today Adam Scher and Dan orlovski kind of got into it over a again a hypothetical scenario of well what if T Higgins skips games let's get to what shefer and orlovski said then we'll break it down for you shefer says so what's going to happen in the middle of the season if and when his knee's creaky his hamstrings tied his shoulder is sore is he playing through those injuries weeks before he becomes a free agent or will he be making a business decision now Dan didn't like this he clapped back and went you think a team is randomly going to pay you if you're not healthy shefer goes yes and or goes if he goes and play the way T Higgins has he'll get paid you're going to tell me that if T Higgins six or seven weeks in doesn't play I don't even want to put that out into the universe and I do think there's some very good points that are made by rovski now Sher tried to site Jus bird as an example of injured guy who got paid and bird did miss some time at the beginning of his final year in Buffalo but he didn't skip any games down the stretch it's kind of a bad example to use here frankly I think Dan orlovski is 100% right for a player who has had some injury history uh the other teams who are going to potentially pay him 25 to30 million they're going to want to see Higgins be healthy for a season right and oh by the way shefy Higgins did that last year Higgins in a contract year set to be a free agent played through injuries he was banged up a lot last year it was the hamstring several times he missed some games and in a Lost season battle through it it's kind of obvious to me that this is the path this team is going to go down that Higgins will battle through those injuries it's I think it's frankly weird to suggest otherwise from from that perspective that that that he wouldn't go down that particular path so prediction time how many games will th Higgins play in 24 we'll do regular season only know if you want to put 20 I get it it's funny but how many games will he play in 2024 sound off for me in the comments section of today's video now ESPN continuing their borderline anti- Bengals campaign also mentioned Higgin a trade to the Chargers as part of a best free agent fits piece that was the bonus a Higgins trade because they everybody wants Higgins out of Cincinnati for some reason frankly with with it being May and almost June I think a trade makes little to no sense for Cincinnati the timing isn't right you have already budgeted for accounted for built your roster your salary cap based on having T Higgins on this football team SO trading him now doesn't get you those benefits you don't get those picks right now you don't really get to use that cap s cuz who are you going to use it on right there's no free agents you're going to sign to replace Higgins might change your draft strategy maybe you would have drafted Brian Thomas probably not but still the time to maximize was months ago doing it now is it going to get you the same value or the net return and Higgins is still a really good football player and we have I have made this point many times and I'll continue to make it the Bengals goal is to win now they are not here to sit around and say okay well we'll just try to maximize assets that is not the path this organization is trying to pursue their goal is to win a Super Bowl in 2024 that's really hard to do but that is what they are trying to accomplish and it's been made very clear by this organization despite the um status involving Higgins and the trade demand Etc this is an organization that wants to have Higgins here because they think it gives them the most success for the upcoming season now if you want to get the rookie jersey for the Bengals first round pick that is am Marius Mims go to chatsports.com amarus Mims it'll redirect you to the fanatic site that has the Mims jerseys no uh Marvin Harrison Junior drama on that front chatsports.com amarius Mims that link will be in the comment section and the description of today's show let's talk defense briefly here and what we are hoping for is growth out of Miles Murphy and what I found a kind of interesting comment made by Murphy uh he said he is in better football shape now compared to his rookie campaign saying quote there's a difference between combine condition and football condition I was in great combine condition last year but not in good football condition now I'm in really good football condition this season on one hand look I get where my Murphy is coming from I I I I this is kind of kind of what I mentioned Marvin Harrison too hey he wanted to be in football shape I also find that more of an excuse and less of a reason there are reasons and excuses for everything in life I think that was more of an excuse he had time to get into football shape combines in February you in March he takes some time off whatever he he's got April and May and June and July like he should be able to get into football shape by then now he was better down these stretch and and maybe he meant more I was in b shape for ELA football now I'm going to be in a shape it's another way of saying I'm in the best shape of my life which I I get a little bit peeved and annoyed by because it's just happens every year no matter what everyone's always in the best shape of their life so hopefully we get a better version of Miles Murphy this upcoming season do you buy that do you think Miles Murphy will break out this season a for yes B for no go ahead and take advantage potentially of an ad here coming on YouTube go vote in the comment section A for yes B for no Murphy last year had three sacks three tfls 20 tackles I think most of us would agree that is not exactly the type of of production impact Etc that the Bengals need to have especially this year out of their first round pick they need to get more from that perspective they have Hendrickson he's back he's at OTAs he's he's not going to go anywhere um huard's coming off his own injury Murphy's supposed to be a long-term piece for this football team he wasn't making a real impact that's out a one play in the first half of the Season most of his production came he had a great game against Tennessee almost all of his production all but five tackles came in in the back uh nine or after week nine so I need more of that if if we can just double the numbers for miles Murphy I think is doable based on how he played down the stretch last season it's probably a pretty solid season two now make sure you don't miss out on anything here on Bengals breakdown around the Bengals hit that sub button youtube.com/ balv for more free Bengals YouTube videos hit that sub Button as we continue to grow here at Bengals breakdown now before we go I did want to get to one kind of funnier story you might have seen this on social media last night thanks ml football for spreading false information you might have seen the photo we'll get to here in a second of Joe Burl the these these luscious long locks the long hair looking like a dude at a stranger things or I think more particularly looks like anakan Skywalker it's just flipped right here's the problem with this photo it's fake it's not real this the the the hair is photoshopped now I had this is what was posted by by James or p and my buddy Charlie Clifford posted one too Joe burrow rocking the hair today down down at Bengals offseason workouts that hair is not long in the back there's no long mullet it's longer hair but it's not like the mullet you know rocker style haircut so it was photoshopped and frankly Joe burrow for a good portion of the workouts this this offseason has been wearing a hat I think he saw the photos and went that's not my hair I have to lay that out clear I bet they'll ask him about it too by the way today but no he he does not have Anakin Skywalker sare [Music]