GH: The Bengals haven’t drafted a linebacker in five years, so you don’t have to be Paul Brown to figure out you’re probably looking, and I’m wondering what you think of this year’s crop of linebacker prospects.
MH: I think it’s a good crop. I think there’s a good group up top and then there’s a gap, and then there’s another kind of bundle of guys in the middle of the pack that are going to compete for that three, four spot. And then at the back, there’s a bunch of guys I’m actually going through right now. I struggle sometimes on the back end of the draft, because everybody’s got some sort of flaw, right?
Ultimately, at that point, you’re looking a little bit at what you need, and then you’re kind of betting on, what are your odds? This guy had 115 tackles, but he doesn’t have the measurables, while this guy has all the measurables, and maybe he’s the breakout fifth- round, sixth-round draft pick who in three years he develops into a guy who’s going to get another contract.
GH: So what do you need?
MH: I think when I get asked that question, I think it’s important to find the best player. You know what I mean? I think it’s dangerous to say, hey, we need a WILL or a MIKE or a SAM. or anything like that, because when you put that in there, you’re not necessarily finding the best player that fits your system. You’re just finding a position that fills a need.
I think what we have to do is be able to find the best player and then adjust the scheme. Let’s not pigeonhole ourselves into our scheme by saying we have to have this kind of guy and miss out on a player that could be a really impact player. That would be my approach.
GH: Do you think Logan’s potential running mate is in the draft?
MH: I think there’s one in there. We’ve got more needs than just linebacker. And so where you value that draft pick, we have to lean on our decision makers upstairs to do that. I’ll get up there next week for draft meetings, and I’ll have a nice sales pitch, and then we’ll wait and see what happens at the end of the week.
GH: You were last with Zac when he was a graduate assistant coach and you were a linebacker at Texas A&M about 15 years ago. What has stood out about him here as an NFL head coach?
MH: I think the way he’s ran this staff and built this staff. I think our staff is excellent. I think bringing in Al and allowing Al to build out his staff, and then cutting Al loose. One thing that has stood out is that he’s really empowered us defensively to build what we want to build. And I feel like he empowers us.
Outside looking in, he’s empowering his guys offensively as well, to build out this offense around Joe (Burrow) and what they want to be. We don’t have to be the Baltimore Ravens. We don’t have to be the Philadelphia Eagles. We don’t have to be the Buffalo Bills. We don’t have to be those people, although they’ve had sustained success. We just have to be us, and then maximize it.
There’s no feeling of elitism, and I say that because when you have this aura of ‘I’m better,’ or ‘I’m elite,” “I’m the head guy,” there’s a natural disconnect, and I don’t feel that with him, at least early on with the staff. It will be interesting to see how the players gravitate towards him, because I know Joe likes him.
And I think to capture the hearts and minds of the core players in the locker room with him, Logan, I think it allows (Taylor) to walk into that locker room and smile at a guy. Go dap it up with a guy and have a regular conversation where there’s the chance for a coach to cool out the best because the players trust you and they feel comfortable and safe around you. I think about the culture a lot, and I think that that’s a big thing.
GH: How did you guys get along, the young offensive coach and transfer walk-on linebacker?
MH: I was the starting inside linebacker and I mean the starting inside linebacker on the scout team (before Hodges became a pro prospect) … He always treated me well. That’s a big part of the reason I wanted to come here and then the relationship continued past that.
Even when he was at (the Dolphins), hell, I stayed at his house, and he let me in the building, and I went to an OTA and talked all night with him and Sarah, and the kids. I can’t say that we were best friends over the last decade, but we’ve definitely stayed in touch. And he’s always been somebody I’ve been able to reach out to him and take some guidance. He’s been really helpful. I’m happy to work for him. I’m really excited about this staff. I can’t emphasize that enough.
GH: You were in New Orleans with Drew Brees and you were a first-hand victim of Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase late in a game in New Orleans. Pretty good to go from Brees to Burrow.
MH: It’s funny you say that because in New Orleans, I remember, I was with Mike Nolan. He was the linebackers coach for the first three years. And Peter Giunta, who had been in the league a long time. I remember those guys emphasizing to me, ‘Don’t take Drew Brees for granted. Don’t take Drew Brees for granted. You don’t get around these types of guys very often.’
Mike was speaking on that because he was around John Elway early on, and then got around Drew for his last three years. And so he was around two guys that are going to be Gold Jackets.
I don’t know that I can, out of respect to Drew, put Joe there yet. But I have definitely told people that it is exciting to be around somebody that no one disputes is great. You can make certain statements that are facts and that’s one of them.
