Bengals News (1/14): Talking special teams

Old School Scribe Podcast | Dave Lapham's look at the 1981 Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl season
One of those landmarks stands as the right guard for the Bengals greatest team ever, their first Super Bowl team. And the only way to begin celebrating the 40th anniversary of 1981's highly-ranked juggernaut of the NFL's No. 2 offense and No. 12 defense is to have Lapham kick it all off in the first Old School Scribe Podcast of the year.

Bengals Booth Podcast: Interviews with Dave Lapham and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons
It's "The Comeback" edition of the Bengals Booth Podcast as Dave Lapham joins Dan Hoard to discuss the return of Joe Burrow and offensive line coach Frank Pollack. Plus, the duo answers questions from fans in the #AskLap segment and an interview with special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow discussed his early work in rehab after knee surgery
"I think they did a very good job of understanding what I do well and tailoring it to me early on," Burrow said of his Rookie of the Year season that was cut short in the tenth game with a torn ACL. "And I think I took steps later in the year that allowed us to open up the offense a little bit. The next step is just hitting on those deep balls. We were so efficient in the short passing game that when we start hitting on those deep balls, it's going to be tough to stop us."

NFL Rookie Rankings 2020 - Justin Herbert vs. Justin Jefferson, Chase Young vs. Jeremy Chinn, more
How does the rookie class stack up? Nine ESPN writers and analysts ranked their top 10 rookies for the year. We tabulated the results, using Heisman-type scaling for each ranking, which gave us an overall list. To be clear, voting was based on the regular season, and playoff performance thus far was not factored into the ranking. The Buccaneers placed two players among the top 10, and five first-round picks closed the year on our list.

PFF: Bengals CB is free agent Cardinals should sign in offseason
If there is one move they should make, according to Pro Football Focus, it should be a cornerback. In particular, in PFF’s article matching a free agent to each team in the league as the player they should target, Arizona should add a Cincinnati Bengals cornerback for the second year in a row.

Bengals trainer comments on Joe Burrow’s rehab and recovery timetable
With Joe Burrow back in town, the Cincinnati Bengals will now help him along during the rehab process in the wake of his reconstructive knee surgery.

Cincinnati Bengals Beef Up Trenches and Defense in Latest Mock Draft
"The Bengals (and Joe Burrow) might be on pins and needles at No. 5, hoping Sewell gets past the Jets, Dolphins and Falcons," Brugler wrote. "Sewell isn’t the flawless prospect some make him out to be, but he is still an outstanding player with his big-man balance and flexibility — and he doesn’t turn 21 until October."

Ranking the 2020 Quarterback Class, the Cincinnati Bengals' Secondary and Top Dollar Free Agents
James Rapien and Jake Liscow discuss Pro Football Focus' ranking of the 2020 quarterback draft class, which includes Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, plus a breakdown of the Bengals' secondary and a breakdown of the top dollar free agents that Cincinnati could be interested in.

Dehner Jr.: Five thoughts of Bengals' season aftermath – The Athletic
The impact of Frank Pollack's return, a bold Steelers prediction, building around Joe Burrow, Jessie Bates' latest snub and more.

Around the league

NFL Divisional Round X-factors: Who could fuel a Super Bowl run?
NFL franchises use contextualized data to create competitive advantages. In order to realize an edge, teams need to employ the right data in the right way at the right time. This means distilling, interpreting and applying only the most influential data in a framework that accounts for personnel, opponents and evolving game situations. My goal is to be your analytics department. Each week this season, I want to work for you by giving you a peek into which numbers flag in my models as the most impactful ... or the most misunderstood.

Eagles request to interview Cowboys OC Kellen Moore for head coaching job
Moore recently signed a three-year contract to remain the Cowboys offensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy. The former quarterback had been garnering interest from Boise State, his alma mater, for their head coaching gig.

Pros and cons for each remaining NFL head-coaching vacancy
In my experience throughout my three-plus decades in the league, teams searching for both a general manager and head coach are likely to first hire the person who will have final say on draft decisions. But no matter who has the final say, the best GM-HC tandems work collaboratively to build a roster. During my time as general manager for Washington and Houston, I always felt it was my job to bring in players who fit the coach's system. Our organization never took a high draft pick, made a trade or carried out a major free-agent addition without the head coach signing off on it. Some of the teams listed below must figure out the decision-making hierarchy, and some already have.