CINCINNATI — So far, so good with Joe Burrow’s right wrist.
The biggest question of the offseason wasn’t what the team was going to do at right tackle or who would replace DJ Reader or who would be drafted at No. 18 or what to do with Dax Hill or how to rebuild the secondary.
All of those are important but are dwarfed by the right wrist of Joe Burrow.
To the naked or amateur eye that isn’t trained to break down mechanics and timing, Burrow has been firing passes on time and in rhythm. He has looked strong and confident in his throws, both on and off platform as they say in the business.
Meaning he looks good in the pocket and when he’s on the move freelancing.
To Zac Taylor, who evaluates quarterback play for a living, he sees what we all see, a healthy Joe Burrow who is rebounding nicely from a complex surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right wrist.
“I feel really good about where he’s at, and so again, I didn’t set the bar for expectations,” Taylor told me Tuesday. “He’s been accurate, he’s been on time. He’s throwing with great velocity and power. You’d have to ask him what he thinks of his performance, exactly. But I like what I see right now.”
“I like what I see right now.” Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow’s offseason progress in practice pic.twitter.com/6k10TaOgrt
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The 27-year-old Burrow said he’s being more patient and realistic with the expectations on his body this offseason. He’s learned that with maturity and age. But that doesn’t mean he’s backed off on the work he’s done inside Paycor to get the train ready to leave the station in July.
“I’ve seen him,” Taylor said. “He puts in the work. He puts in the work behind the scenes that people don’t see, getting ready for practice with the trainers. And so again, he does a real good job preparing himself for practice.”
Burrow was also realistic with the media two weeks ago at the start of offseason practice when he indicated that he expects some soreness and discomfort as part of the healing process to get back to full strength.
Taylor knew coming into this offseason, with Burrow undergoing a relatively rare procedure for quarterbacks, that it would be impossible to set a specific timetable. Instead, he wanted to let Burrow’s progress dictate the workflow.
“Until you’ve seen him throw it’s hard to say this is what we expect,” Taylor said. “So obviously, there’s a lot of conversation with him just making sure we’re not overdoing anything. He’s always been a great communicator. Our training staff does a great job with (trainers) Matt Summers and Nick Cosgray and all those guys. So I feel like it’s been a really good offseason from Joe.”
“It doesn’t change how I evaluate his reps. I evaluate all of the guys. I think it’s good just for the team to get out here and get reps.”
Burrow has looked very sharp, completing 11 of 12 throws in 7-on-7s Tuesday, with one ball that could’ve been deemed a drop by Andrei Iosivas. Burrow’s throws outside the numbers have been particularly impressive, both in timing and strength.
Every single receiver – Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin, Jermaine Burton, Kwamie Lassiter II and all the tight ends – have looked in rhythm. Yes, it’s only OTAs and offseason practice but Burrow needs these throws now more than ever to make sure he feels confident in his passing once the pads go on in August.
“This is about being able to start training camp the right way,” Taylor said. “So putting ourselves in a position from a mental and physical standpoint, get in great shape. Let’s understand the expectations. Mentally prepare ourselves with the scheme. We get some reps in it, we get the install done a couple of times. So when we show up in late July for training camp, that these guys have the best shot to go compete on rosters.”
Zac Taylor likes to take this part of the offseason to bond with the other side of the ball. Yes, the head coach is also the offensive play-caller. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to show love to his defense and the men of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. With that in mind, Taylor allows new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to call plays with Joe Burrow while he spends more time on the other side of the ball.
“We haven’t had extensive offseasons so there wasn’t a lot to evaluate this last couple years, but it’s my time to spend more time with the defense and let the offensive coordinator call the reps during practice and talk to the quarterback and it’s good for me again, to get to know the defense players better, sit in those meetings, not devote all the time and energy on the offense and take more of a head coaching role,” Taylor said. “And so that’s always exciting for me. I always learn a lot, being over there with the defense. I always like being around those guys more and then kind of sitting back and observing the offense. But still, in all the meetings, still got my own ideas and expectations. And we do all that as we meet us coaches, but out here on the field get a chance to be more of the head coach and spend more time with the defense.”
At least publicly, Zac Taylor is not about to worry about three veterans under contract not showing up at voluntary offseason workouts. With some teams, the voluntary part of it comes with a “wink, wink”. But not in Cincinnati. Taylor would rather his players get their work in on their own and come to town when they’re ready as opposed to showing up and going through the motions. The veterans, Taylor says, have earned that right. And more to the point, he trusts them to get the right work in when they do arrive. Tee Higgins, of course, hasn’t even signed his franchise tag so he – like Jessie Bates in 2022, won’t be required to show up to minicamp.
“I think that they’ll get to work in at the necessary time,” Taylor said. “And please, we have a high turnout for voluntary workouts. I told the guys I understand it’s voluntary. I appreciate them showing up. The guys that don’t are still working hard elsewhere and they’ll be back at the right times. And the beauty is we know those guys, we know what they’re about and that they’ll be ready and focused when it’s time to come back.”
One of the most important assignments for the newbies on the Bengals offensive roster is to learn what Joe Burrow expects of his weapons. Namely, running back Zack Moss and tight end Mike Gesicki. Gesicki has been in the NFL since 2018 while Moss came onto the scene in 2020.
“I think you learn your quarterback’s tendencies, what he likes, what he doesn’t like,” Moss said. “Then understand your offensive line, especially your running back and kind of see what are guys’ strong suits and weaknesses and things like that. So, that’s kind of what I’ve always paid attention to. It’s been no different (here). It’s been real good so far. I’ve learned these guys and giving them a chance to learn me as well.”
What has the former Bills and Colts running back learned about Burrow?
“All business, all business type of guy, which I love,” Moss told me. “So get a chance to play one of the best quarterbacks in the league and things like that. That only makes you want to elevate your game and just do your best day in and day out and I think that’s everybody.
“It’s been great,” added Gesicki. “He’s been awesome. Obviously, physically, throwing the ball and all that kind of stuff but also, leadership-wise, vocally, just explaining all the nuances of routes and all that kind of stuff out there on the fly. So it’s been good and it’s been a fun process.”
