New defensive coordinator Al Golden’s relentless work ethic has been a Paycor Stadium phenomenon during an offseason he's beaten the famously early Mike Brown to the office on occasion.

Brown, the Bengals president who is in the 5:30 a.m. territory, has had some company these days. Golden and his staff are trying to get the jump on a new playbook, and after Wednesday's mandatory minicamp practice, Thursday's last workout before a month-long break loomed.

"We were joking this morning," said Golden, who led the Notre Dame defense into January's national title game. "I went from the longest season in the history of college football straight to work. I am ready for a break, and I'm not afraid to say I'm going to take it.

"The coaching staff that we have is awesome. They exceed expectations every day. And it's been hard. It's been really hard. You have to assess your current roster, then transition to the draft and get into the field. It hasn't been many off days for us."

His new players have noticed.

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. says Golden has gone overtime emphasizing his two leading points: tackling and getting the ball out.

"We'll be the most technically sound defense in the NFL," Jenkins said. "We will have every aspect of the defense settled that we can. That's our job, that's our mission. It's on us to be able to achieve that.

"We're buying into the scheme and you can tell the amount of emotion and passion he has for his scheme and for us."

Safety Geno Stone has compared Golden's aggressive approach to the mindset of Baltimore's No. 1 scoring defense, where he had an AFC-best seven interceptions for the Ravens in 2023.

He says the Bengals are working more on tackling technique this spring than last year at this time, before they finished in the top ten in missed tackles. Stone's 15 were second-highest among safeties and it's been a priority for him this offseaon to reduce that number. He thinks Golden's emphasis is going to boost him.

"Attention to detail," Stone said. "All the details. I think it's going to help me. I just have to stay consistent with it and apply it to the field."

When Golden was last here as a linebacker coach for the 2021 AFC champions, the Bengals were tied for the 10th-fewest missed tackles.

"The effort we are getting in the tackling periods, that's been awesome. Though it's not full tackling or any of that. They really are buying into being brilliant in the basics," Golden said. "We can call a million different things. A lot of times, the players make you right. You didn't make the right call, but Trey (Hendrickson) got a sack. But there is no substitute of the tackling, the ball disruption, being great in situations. All those things are important to us.

"What's important is the buy-in from the players, because here in Cincinnati, you have a head coach that protects the players over the long haul, most particularly in the season," Golden said. "If you're not over-exaggerating your technique, if you're not attacking the ball, if you're not on the leverage hip, if you don't have the leverage foot up, on and on and on technically, then you're not building great muscle memory … We're always talking about just over exaggerate your technique in walk through, over communicate, and demonstrate that you can understand and execute your assignment and, in this case, not tackling."

Golden had to laugh when asked if he should have heeded head coach Zac Taylor’s advice after he hired him. Taylor told him to take a break before he got going with the Bengals, but Golden had his office door shut that first day and very rarely has it been open since.

"I wish I would have listened," Golden said.

Star These Names

Jenkins got a shout out from Golden for his play this spring. Hendrickson, not here on the edge, and first-round pick Shemar Stewart, here on the edge but not working, are both involved in contractual situations. Golden says the backup edgers head the group of players he says have stood out and have taken advantage of the extra reps.

"Joseph Ossai's had a great camp. Cam Sample, coming off the Achilles' (injury), has overachieved to this point only because I didn't expect that type of athleticism to spring back as quickly," Golden said. "Kris Jenkins has really done a great job, he's had an awesome attitude all camp.

"Cedric Johnson (another edge) is another one that's really seized that opportunity."

When linebacker Germaine Pratt was cut Tuesday, it meant the defense doesn't have a returning captain in the wake of Sam Hubbard's retirement and Vonn Bell's departure.

It leaves tackle B.J. Hill and his 112 NFL games as the most experienced player on defense. He's been on the rehab field for a foot problem, but has indicated he'll be ready for training camp. And while Golden knows he's a potential wearer of the "C,' other players have cropped up in a leading role for him.

"B.J. has been out, but there's no question he is a leader. He has been really, really good. Cam Sample a little bit more on the quiet side but has been really, really good," Golden said. "Oren Burks and Logan (Wilson) have done a great job (at linebacker). Fig (Josh Newton) at nickel has been really good. (Safety) Jordan Battle. I am sure I am missing somebody. I hate answering that question in this form because we have a lot of guys who have stepped up.

"The most important thing about leadership is understanding what the head coach and coordinator want. Making sure the message comes from the ground up and not the top down. We can provide the foundation, values, and core principles, but if the buy- in doesn't come from the ground up … right now we are getting that. I know Zac is excited about that."

Logan Runs Again

Wilson, who could very well join Hill and Hendrickson as defensive captains, has a great relationship with Golden. Golden helped scout him at Wyoming and developed him into one of the top linebackers in the league during Wilson's first two years. Now Golden is back and there's a sense Wilson is going to re-capture his top form of a year or two ago in the reunion.

"When I got here, I watched last year. He was hobbled a little bit. I went back and watched last year's OTAs, and he looks nothing like either of those right now," Golden said. "He looks excellent. He's going to be 29 (next month). I think he's taking care of himself really well. He's been playing fast. I see an energy about him right now that's been really good, and the linebackers are feeding off that. I'm excited about him, and I'm obviously grateful to be reunited with him."

"Take The Damn Head Start"

Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (who else?) had the play of the day with his hellacious catch down the seam on an even better throw from quarterback Joe Burrow that somehow split three tightly bunched defenders from 40 yards away.

And it was offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher who had the quote of the day that was partly inspired by that no-fear swashbuckling of a play that just shows you how much better the NFL's defending No. 1 passing offense can be with a rare continuity of the same system clicking with the same elite talent.

"If someone's giving you a head start in the race, don't go back and start with everybody else. Take the damn head start and use it. That's what we're trying to do," Pitcher said.

"One of the first things we talked about as a unit when we got together this spring is there are very few offenses in the league that have the experience and the time and the reps together that we have. Don't apologize for that. Take advantage of that. Build on the foundation that currently exists. I think we've done that this spring. It makes you feel good, but you have to use it."

They sure did Wednesday with Burrow hooking up with Iosivas on a take-that-my-friend arrow piercing the heart of the defense. Iosivas timed his leap just in time to yank it away from Battle and Newton as Stone converged.

Burrow's best throw of the spring?

"I just see a guy that's seen a lot of football, played a lot of football and has no fear whatsoever. He's had some good ones," Pitcher said. "He's playing good football right now. I thought there were a lot of examples today of a group that's been together for a long time."

There were also more examples of why Pitcher believes Iosivas could so many more opportunities just about anywhere on a team that didn't have Triple Crown winner Ja’Marr Chase and Ten Touchdown Tee Higgins.

"You see the confidence. You see the chest out. You see just how he carries himself," Pitcher said. "He believes that he's like those other two guys. And he's making steps to get there. In a lot of other buildings, he would have the opportunity that Tee Higgins has.

"When you don't have that same volume, he knows that when the ball does come his way, he's got to take advantage of it. I just think you've seen the confidence grow."

Morning In Bengaldom

Taylor is committed to getting his team off to a better start than the previous three seasons, and he’s switched up his training camp schedule from mid-afternoon practices to mid-morning, among other things, to shake it up.

"They've got to play better. We've got to coach better. We've got to plan better. We 've got to make sure we're coming out of the gates with the intensity and focus we need to come out of the gates with," Pitcher said. "At no point over the last three years has it felt like we've lacked in that area. But the results are the results. You've got to be self-critical. What can you do differently?

"I've never been somebody who's a big proponent for change for the sake of change. In this case, it's not going to hurt. When you've been together for as long as we have, shuffling something that's simple and inexpensive, that's good. From a logistical standpoint, it can help with the heat. The players are probably happy."

Slants and Screens

One of the more impressive sights of camp has been the sheer presence of a very large T.J. Slaton Jr., the nose tackle who came over from the Packers and looks and moves very much like what you need in an AFC North middle. Plus, he's shown them the added bonus of an athleticism that allows them to move him in and out of the nose.

"I just got done telling upstairs, I'm really excited about the way he is preparing every day," Golden said. "He has been in good shape. We are moving him around a little bit. He's able to do that. He has elite quickness for somebody that is 325 and, I don't know, maybe I am taking the over on that. He's just been great. He's been a leader, he's pulling guys aside during practice. He's just made us so much bigger and stronger inside. He's giving us an opportunity to play a lot of different fronts with him."

According to the Bengals.com roster, Golden took the under. Slaton looms at 6-5, 340 pounds …

Put Pitcher in the group with Taylor and Burrow encouraged by the progress of sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Burton.

"He's got a good look in his eye. He's here putting the time in," Pitcher said. "I would say that his mental errors and things that are within his control are much improved from where they were a year ago, which is a jump I would expect most second-year players to make, but it's notable for Jermaine. I do see him putting the work in." …

Players on the rehab field Wednesday who are expected to be at training camp at some point: Hill (foot), cornerback Dax Hill (ACL), and running back Zack Moss (neck) …

Rookie center Seth McLaughlin (Achilles) is also on the side field and he looks like he's progressing, but it's unclear when he'll be cleared …

Pratt signed a one-year deal Wednesday with the Raiders, whose heart he broke with his last-snap interception on the Bengals 2 that preserved a Cincinnati Wild Card win ...