Al Golden
Defensive Coordinator
Why did the team double-up on linebacker?
"I think he's a guy that we had high regard for. He had a grade higher than the current round. He can play stack linebacker. He has four-down value — early downs, third down and special teams. He was a team captain — a green dot. He had a 4.0 GPA. He's just a family-oriented guy. He's just a really impressive human being. He's going to have an immediate impact for us."
It seems like the team has put a high priority on off-field character being a big thing. How much was that talked about in the pre-draft process this year?
"I think it's always important. Obviously, the (fewer) things you're worried about off the field, the more you're focused on what needs to get done. In this particular case, Barrett had great recommendations. He was selected captain by his peers, and he clearly, pre-snap, was in charge of that defense. Those things are all important. It allows you the freedom to get some checks executed on the field. We like to do a lot of our stuff on the grass, so to speak, so we need guys that can think on their toes and get us in the right call, and he's capable of doing that."
How is his play style different from second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr.?
"This is a true stack linebacker now, where as Demetrius could be a little bit more of a combo with enough length to play a little more (off-ball) for us. I think Barrett is more of a stack linebacker, an in-box linebacker, but he has good coverage skills. He's good in zone. So he's just a little bit different in terms of the style of play, but equally as important."
In the past, the Bengals' base was five lineman and two linebackers. Are you planning on using three or maybe four linebackers sometimes?
"It just depends on how it shakes out, but if we need to play with more linebackers, or if it's bigger personnel and we need to play with four linebackers on the field, we'll certainly do that. And, obviously, if they're intelligent, then that helps because they can learn a multitude of positions for us."
Doesn't this feel a little like 2020 because you're double-dipping at linebacker and finding captains and high-character guys?
"That group stayed together for four or five years and went to a Super Bowl, two AFC Championship games and were division champions a couple of times. I think it's important you have high-character guys that will compete and understand the bigger picture in terms of leadership and on-field command and presence, and I think these guys do. I just met Demetrius (Knight Jr.) upstairs, and that's how I felt. Everybody felt, when he walked in, that he's a mature man. He's got a wife and child, and this is business for him. And I feel that way about Barrett (too). I really had a good sense (about him). He was one of the more authentic interviews that I did at the combine. I'm just really, really excited about the pick. For us, again, it was another non-wavering moment in terms of (the fact) this was the guy were hoping to get and it fell our way."
He also could have an impact on special teams ...
"No doubt, no doubt. All four downs — early downs, third down and special teams. That's what's attractive. When you get to this part of the draft, you're putting roles together, and we didn't feel we had to compromise any of those roles with Barrett."
When you looked at how the Bengals linebackers played on tape from last year, what do you want to see better from them as a unit going into this season?
"I haven't had that conversation with them yet, and I think it would be premature for me to say anything publicly, especially since I haven't even had them on the field yet. It's a fair question, but it's not fair for me to answer it publicly because I haven't sat down with each of them individually. I had a long talk with Logan (Wilson) last week, but in terms of (sitting down and saying), 'This is what you did, here's our evaluation, and this is our action plan moving forward.' Right now, we're just trying to install our techniques and our concepts and make sure the guys are off to a good start that way."
Generally speaking, when a group of linebackers is really humming along and complementing a defense and what it does well, in your mind, what does that look like?
"That's a great question. In my mind, I always go back to a picture that I have that's dear to me, is the pregame before the Super Bowl. I can envision it, left to right. Clay Johnston did early downs and special teams. Austin Calitro was really good on special teams. Markus Bailey on early downs and third down came through for us when Pratt couldn't play against he Raiders, and then he played for Logan against the Chiefs. I can go on and on. They all complemented each other. (Joe) Bachie started against Denver that year. So that's what you're looking for — a lot of guys that will be a pro every day and try to improve. We'll try to define roles for them clearly, and if you want a promotion, then execute your current role. It's pretty simple. A lot of those guys got promotions as the season went on, and ultimately that's what manifests in success. That's how I see it, big picture. Again, I am speaking about draft picks right now, but I would say the same thing about the current guys on our roster."
You coached against Dylan Fairchild and Georgia in January. What stood out about him?
"Strong, a finisher, had an edge to him. He had a nasty edge to him. He immediately makes you tougher. My son wrestled for a while, so anytime you can get a wrestler — it's just you out on that mat. That's one of the most brutal sports that there is. There's no escape, and here's a guy that exceled at it. He knows how to bend, knows how to use his hands and knows how to slide his feet, so I'm really excited about him. I know he's going to make us better."
With all three of the guys you've drafted on defense, they are probably three of the better athletes that are available in this draft. Was that something where you looked back on the film last year and what the defense did, and said, 'We need more athletes, we need more quickness on the field?'
"I just think we wanted to improve as many areas as we can. You improve — you either acquire improvement or you develop it. We are just as eager to develop it with our current group as we are acquiring it. So, there will be some changes in terms of techniques and things like that, that we've got to make sure we teach correctly and drill down on it. But again, we're trying to improve every position. That's what's going to drive this thing. That's what we have to do at every position, and sometimes adding guys that are part of the competition drives it as well."
You guys have a lot of linebackers on the roster right now. As you look at Day 3, how do you balance getting a player you hold in high regard versus addressing positional need?
"I think you're going to take eight or nine (linebackers) if you can. We're right around there now, I think. That's the number. We'll see how it shakes out, but again, when the crossroads of evaluation and opportunity meet, in terms of need — there was a need and the evaluation was high — it's hard to pass up that prospect."
Some of the players that you coached the past couple of years have been taken. Some were still available when you were on the clock. Is that difficult for you, knowing the emotional attachment to your guys?
"For sure, but this is certainly bigger than just my part in it. When you're talking about — my goodness, the scouts upstairs have been — I met a kid one time at the Combine or went to see him one time or evaluated him in one day. The scouts upstairs have been doing that for multiple years, and watching these trends. That's why they're so valuable. And we've got position coaches, so there's so much that goes into it. Obviously, I'm pulling for those guys to all get drafted and find homes and have successful careers. If it works out for us, then it works out for us, but at the end of the day, it's about everybody upstairs coming together and identifying guys that can change our program."
You talked about numbers, you have only four defensive tackles on the roster right now. What do you feel like you have there in terms of pass rush specifically on the interior defensive line? Is that something that's been on your mind in these conversations?
"Yeah. Obviously, we're big and we're strong with B.J. (Hill) and T.J. (Slaton Jr.). And we've got Kris (Jenkins Jr.) and McKinnley (Jackson). The other thing that we've done a lot in the past is just make sure we have size in Joseph (Ossai) and Cam (Sample), and guys like that who can rush inside. For us, the spring is generally about — if we're playing four-down, there's four spots on that defensive line, and just making sure that everybody rotates through there. So, you find the best combination. It's not so stratified that, 'The end has got to play here.' Maybe your second-best end is a number-one third-down rusher. So, we'll make sure that we rotate that around a lot to get a good look at everybody. But I won't discount anybody, especially not Kris and McKinnley, who were banged up a little bit in preseason and had a little bit of a slow start to their journey here in the NFL. I can't wait to get them back out there and start working with them again."
You mentioned Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample. Are Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy going to line up inside potentially?
"Sure — anybody could. Again, whatever is going to make sure that we can affect the quarterback and make as many plays as we can possible — either hits, hurries, ball disruption or a sack itself. Whatever creates more disruption and whatever that combination is, and again, to go where you want to go on this journey, you've got to do it for 21 games. So, we need vertical and horizontal depth to do that. What I mean by that is some of those guys have to learn to go inside. Some of the linebackers have to learn to play on the edge and so on."
Getting back to the Barrett Carter interview at the Combine, you said it was maybe the most impactful. What was it particularly about that interview?
"His priorities. First of all, it wasn't canned. It wasn't practiced. I thought it was really — the word that I wrote down on my notes was, 'Authentic.' The relationship that he had with his pastor back home, 4.0 GPA, team captain. We have a sign down here in our weight room — P.H.A.T (Physical, Hungry, Accountable, Teammate). He's that. He's a guy that is a culture creator and he'll improve ours."
When you talked with Shemar Stewart yesterday in the building, what was that like?
"Really good. He was here this morning, too. Again, talking ball. Just inquisitive, and I'm really looking forward to getting him back whenever the rookie minicamp starts. But those guys are leaving with iPads. There's a premium right now in terms of, let's get jumpstarted, let's make sure that everybody has a really good springboard on the first day they go out there."
Did you expect three of the first four picks to be on your side of the ball?
"You never know how it's going to work out. But I think, certainly in the last two cases — obviously, Shemar (Stewart) was graded really high by a ton of people — but in the last two cases, we felt like we got really high value. I'm sure we'll continue to do that, whether it's offense or defense. These next couple rounds, there's going to be guys in Round 5 that have fourth-round grades. And I mean multiple, cross-checks — scout to scout, coordinator to position coach. That's the matrix we just did upstairs with Barrett (Carter). We had a bunch of grades that were not where he was taken. They were better, so that's what created it."
On paper, how much different or better are you now than you were coming into the draft, both on the defensive line and at linebacker?
"I feel like we're two-deep at linebacker now. If we're playing 4-2 (alignment), we still need some help in terms of if we're playing a base 4-3 structure. So, I just feel like we have six, seven linebackers. I think we have more (defensive) ends now. So, I think we've fortified a bunch of positions. It just gives me a sense of, 'OK, now we can plot the course,' because we were waiting for, 'Are we going to be a big nickel team against 12-personnel? Are we going to be a base team?' So, at least we know now we have the components to go ahead and invest in a base package if we wanted to."
