In The Trenches with Dave Lapham

Bengals DJ Reader | The Best Run Defender in the NFL | Bengals Defense is 11 Players One Heartbeat

Bengals stud defense tackle DJ Reader joins Dave Lapham In the Trenches on today’s episode! DJ is the true definition of In the Trenches as he has made a living of dominating some of the biggest bodies in the NFL and shutting down the best running backs in the game.
DJ is very motivated for the 2023 season after being snubbed for the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams the last two seasons. But at the end of the day, the Bengals success is what’s most important for him and the defense. One of eleven is a common theme when Dave interviews defensive players and the defensive staff. When you watch this defense on Sundays you can tell that all eleven players on the field trust the player next to them to do their job.
Bengal fans will definitely enjoy this special episode of In the Trenches with Dave Lapham presented by First Star Logistics.

Bengals Director of Scouting Mike Potts | Who Are The Bengals Targeting in the 2023 NFL Draft

Bengals Director of Scouting Tom Potts joins Dave Lapham in the Trenches on today’s special episode. The 2023 NFL Draft is only two weeks away and all Bengal fans have one thing on their mind, who will the Bengals draft and bring in to help this Super Bowl-caliber team?  
Mike Potts might not be a well-known Bengals contributor but that doesn’t mean he isn’t extremely valuable to the organization. Potts takes us through the recent free agent signings and previews the upcoming NFL draft. What positions will the Bengals be targeting in the draft and who will the Bengals bring in on official visits?  
Bengal fans you will defiantly like this episode of In the Trenches with Dave Lapham brought to you by First Star Logistics make sure to stay tuned for more draft content as we inch closer to the 2023 NFL draft. 

Eric Thomas Part Two: Who Should Bengals Draft - We’ve Never Had a QB Like Joe Burrow

In Part One of our conversation with former Bengals cornerback Eric Thomas, In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, dived into the team's success the past two seasons, success in free agency despite losing a couple key players, and the effect quarterback Joe Burrow has brought to Cincinnati and the Bengals,
In Part Two, Thoams and Lapham look at who the Bengals should draft in this month's annual NFL Draft, as the Bengals are scheduled to pick in the No. 28 spot in the first round.
Thomas also stresses to Bengals fans the franchise has never had a quarterback like Burrow despite the success of former Bengals signal callers Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, Carson Palmer, and Andy Dalton.

PART ONE: Former Bengals Cornerback Eric Thomas: The Joe Burrow Effect and New Secondary

Former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eric Thomas jumps back In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, in Part One of Two, looking at the success the Bengals have been enjoying the past two seasons.
Thomas, drafted in Round 2 of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Bengals out of Tulane, enjoyed six seasons in Cincinnati and still calls the Queen City home while coaching football and track.
As part of the Bengals' famous S.W.A.T. Team that played a significant role in reaching Super Bowl XXIII while earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, Thomas left a lasting legacy and still follows the team's success.
In Part One, Lapham and Thomas discuss what everyone talks about when looking at the Bengals, quarterback Joe Burrow and how he revitalized the franchise into one of the top destinations players across the league want to become part of.
Also, who better to discuss the revamped Bengals secondary after the free agency loss of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates, than Thoams? 
Lou Anarumo will have new free agent signings safety Nick Scott and cornerback Sidney Jones joining second-year players Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt as the Bengals also welcomed on the offensive side of the ball left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and tight end Irv Smith Jr. to one of the top offensive units in the NFL.

Bengals OC Brian Callahan | New Additions Will Make the Bengals Offense Elite in 2023

Bengals Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan joins In the Trenches with Dave Lapham on today’s episode brought to you by First Star Logistics. Coach Callahan talks about the Bengals recent free agents signings and how they will put this Bengals offense over the top in 2023.
Orlando Brown Jr is obviously the biggest addition to this Bengals offense literally and figuratively. The 4x pro bowler should bolster this offensive line to heights in 2023, finally getting Joe Burrow his elite blindside pass-blocker. Now the only question on the offensive line is the right tackle position which Lapham and Coach Callahan address in their interview today.
Another important piece to this offense is the tight end position. Last year Hayden Hurst was a huge surprise and quickly made a major impact in the passing game last season for the Bengals. Hurst played so well that he banked in on a 3-year deal in Carolina so Bengals reloaded again on a free-agent tight end in Irv Smith Jr. Smith was a high draft pick for the Vikings but never really found his footing in Minnesota and dealt with multiple injuries. He has a lot of the same upside Hurst did last season so the Bengals will look to replicate that same production and add to it by looking for a tight end in the NFL Draft.

Solomon Wilcots Part Two: When Will Joe Burrow Sign New Deal and More

In Part Two, with Solomon Wilcots, Dave Lapham and Wilcots waste little time with a continued look at the Bengals' free agent signings and the upcoming NFL Draft.
However, In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, digs deeper with Wilcots about the top storyline this offseason, Joe Burrow being signed to a contract extension.
When will Burrow sign a new deal?How much money will the Bengals give Burrow in his new contract?
All this and much more.

Solomon Wilcots Part One: New Day In Bengals History

This is Part One of Two with former Cincinnati Bengals standout safety Solomon Wilcots, who again jumps In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to talk about the Bengals.
The dynamic duo discusses why Bengals fans should be excited as it's a "New Day In Bengals History," according to Wilcots. The team again went out and signed top-level talent to fill positions of need after losing a couple of free agents.
Learn more about new left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., safety Nick Scott, cornerback Sidney Jones, and tight end Irv Smith Jr. as each will look to help the Bengals and Joe Burrow return to another Super Bowl.
Be sure to return for Part Two of our conversation with one of the sharpest football minds in the media, Solomon Wilcots.

Bengals DC Lou Anarumo | New Additions Will Boost The Bengals Defense

#bengals #cincinnatibengals #davelaphamCincinnati Bengals Defense Coordinator Lou Anarumo returns to In the Trenches with Dave Lapham, brought to you by First Star Logistics. Coach Anarumo and Lapham talk about the future of the Bengals defense following the losses of Von Bell and Jessie Bates in free agency and the recent signings of safety Nick Scott and cornerback Sydney Jones.   
Anarumo is excited about the newest additions to the Bengals' defense, as Scott was a huge player for the Los Angeles Rams when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Jones was a 2x All Pac 12 player and a projected first-round NFL Draft pick before suffering an injury before the draft that dropped him to the second round. Jones is a great depth piece at the cornerback position, and as Anarumo says in this exclusive one-on-one with Lapham, "you can never have enough capable corners."  Both players bring youth and less of an impact on the Bengals overall salary structure.
As we inch closer to the draft, will the Bengals look to add more veteran help or draft heavy on the defensive side of the ball?

Bengals LT Orlando Brown Jr. One on One with Dave Lapham

The biggest news this offseason for Cincinnati Bengals fans was the free agent signing of left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., a four-time Pro Bowl selection giving Joe Burrow a major anchor to help protect his blind side.
A lot will be expected of Brown after the Bengals signed the unrestricted free agent to a four-year contract that runs through the 2026 season worth a reported $64 million, including a $31 million guaranteed at the signing, the most for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
Brown fully understands the pressures of the NFL growing up around the game and learning from his late father, Orlando "Zeus" Brown, who played with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens (1993-2005) after going undrafted out of South Carolina State.
After a standout career at Oklahoma, Brown decided to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft, where the Ravens selected him in the third round, pick No. 83. After three seasons and two Pro Bowl selections; Brown was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs where he'd earn two more Pro Bowl selections and help the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles to give him the first of what he hopes will be several Super Bowl rings.
In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, enjoyed spending some one-on-one time with Brown to discuss his football journey and his excitement to be coached by Frank Pollack, play next to Cordell Volson, and protect Joe Burrow, who Brown was able to spend some quality time with in New York a few weeks ago.

Dave Lapham: Talks New Free Agent Signings By Cincinnati Bengals

For Cincinnati Bengals fans, the early stages of NFL free agency had many scratching their heads and wondering what the Bengals were thinking as multiple players on both sides of the ball left for other teams.
However, soon afterward, Duke Tobin and the Bengals' front office went to work, making a significant splash in signing left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to add more protection for quarterback Joe Burrow.
More recently, the Bengals added another offensive lineman, Cody Ford, to go with safety Nick Scott, cornerback Sidney Jones IV, and tight end Irv Smith Jr., leaving Bengals fans excited about the team's direction as we count down the days to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Dave Lapham was in the First Star Logistics studio and looks at the newest members of the Cincinnati Bengals signed during free agency.

Joe Burrow: From Bulldog To Bengal with Scott Burson and Sam Smathers

We welcome authors Scott Burson and Sam Smathers to In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss their new book, From Bulldog to Bengal: The Joe Burrow Story Through the Eyes of His Hometown (now available for preorder) from Orange Frazer Press.
Both Burson and Smathers have deep ties to Athens County and bring two different perspectives to the journey of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow from his days playing for Smathers in the area's youth football program and Burson's background growing up in Athens with a father who organized the areas youth recreation programs back in the '60s.
Both could bring a great deal of information on the growth and development of Burrow. However, much like the standout quarterback, both looked to bring those who've watched Burrow rise from local high school standout at The Plains (Ohio) Athens High School to Heisman Trophy winner and College Football National Champion at LSU after a three-year stay at Ohio State to the overall No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Bengals.
While interviewing over 60 people from Burrow's hometown and the blessing of Joe's parents, Jimmy and Robin Burrow, who read each chapter as the book was coming together. 
Smathers, who was Burrow's first football coach, and Burson have put together, in great detail, the stories and experiences of what it was like to watch the kid everyone still calls Joey, just a kid from The Plains, go from neighborhood kid to NFL Superstar.

Ken Riley II Celebrating His Legendary Father and Bengals NFL Hall of Famer Ken ”The Rattler” Riley

On this episode of In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, we join Ken Riley II to honor his late father Ken Riley who is a Bengals icon and one of the best defensive backs in NFL history.
Later this summer Ken Riley will become the 2nd player in Bengals history to be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame. After his college career at Florida A&M Riley was drafted in the 6th round by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1969 NFL draft. Riley became a cornerstone of the Bengals defense recording 65 interceptions which is still 4th most in NFL history. Riley is regarded as the best defensive player in franchise history and was a major contributor to the Bengals first Super Bowl run in 1981/82. Riley also was part of the inaugural class of the Bengals Ring of Honor. Riley sadly passed away in 2020 before he saw his name called for the Hall of Fame, but his legacy will now live on forever.
Ken Riley II and Dave not only talk about "The Rattler's" legendary on-field performance but also about how special of a dad and roll model Riley was to his son and grandchildren. You won't want to miss this very special episode of In The Trenches with Dave Lapham!