Much has been said about the vibes around the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.
Namely, they’re very good.
The Bengals have new leadership in the front office, it seems, and went all in. But after years of contract drama, there was none of that this offseason.
It helps that Joe Burrow has very obviously been expanding his leadership in the locker room and how he approaches things.
That includes getting a little nastier.
“If something isn’t up to a standard, then calling it out right then and there,” Burrow told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Maybe a little louder than I have in the past. That’s a growth as a leader that maybe I keep doing it, maybe I don’t. I don’t know, but certainly try it out and just try to bring a little intensity to the room.”
So far, so good, right?
Burrow’s aware the plan could end up backfiring. But while it’s out of his comfort zone, it’s clear that he’s matching the all-in vibe.
“This offseason I really focused on trying to bring urgency to the room and try to just get everybody to understand the level of urgency that we have this year,” Burrow said, per Hobson. “The level of play that’s going to be required from every individual who steps on that field. I’ve tried to communicate that. I’ve tried be a little more vocal in a mean way. I think that’s a little out of my comfort zone, but that’s somewhere that I’m improving. Maybe it’s good and maybe it’s bad, but we’ll find out.”
So, it’s not just Burrow being seen more in public and leaving his comfort zone. It’s not just being seen consistently with guys like Dexter Lawrence while out and about.
Fitting, too, considering the Bengals focused on finding defensive leaders to help out that young depth chart. Burrow’s doing his part on his side of the ball, which spreads across the entire roster and organization, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Joe Burrow’s sometimes-mean urgency fueling Bengals
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