Bengals’ refreshing ways with GM media meetings signal new era

Not too long ago, the Cincinnati Bengals took some mild heat for not making Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn available to the media, breaking a usual norm, at the NFL league meetings.

Quietly, though, the Bengals have made director of player personnel Duke Tobin available to the media a handful of times since the season ended and up through the end of the draft, a first.

And after the draft? All sorts of names even Bengalsa fans probably weren’t that familiar with were in front of microphones, even acting as general managers in the process, also something of a first for the franchise.

Tobin’s trio of assistant general managers were suddenly front and center in the public eye: Trey Brown, Mike Potts and Steven Radicevic.

The trio was merely talking football shop with reporters around and after the draft.

For example, on possible NFL draft steal Connor Lew, Brown said this, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com: "Lew's got the intangible items of football IQ and instincts you see on tape. He's the leader on offense. He gets them in the right protections and the right positions. He's very athletic, and he has strength as a blocker. He's got a lot of upside to grow into a starting center in time."

Or another guard they really liked and selected in the sixth round, Brian Parker.

"What sticks out is his versatility. He played at a high level at tackle, and he showed well at the East-West game when he kicked into center," Radicevic said, per Hobson. "He's coming into a great spot where he can compete for a backup spot with great guys to learn from. Ted. (Right guard) Dalton (Risner). It's a good fit for him to come in and develop and hone in on those interior spots while still playing tackle."

There was also Radicevic front and center talking about the trade for Dexter Lawrence, as captured by ESPN’s Ben Baby: