After an exhaustive and expensive offseason rebuild of the Bengals defense centered around the defensive line, director of player personnel Duke Tobin said Monday there's a new wavelength around Paycor Stadium when it comes to attacking quarterbacks.

"We feel like we've got two waves of guys that we can bring in," Tobin said at a post-draft news conference at Paycor. "And if you look at what (Super Bowl champion) Seattle did this year and what a lot of championship teams have done, they've had those waves of guys, and we feel like we're establishing that."

At the same podium where a brief three months ago Tobin said the Bengals need an increase in talent on defense, he took stock of the $200 million defensive upheaval after a week the Bengals punctuated their plans with a trade for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and the selection of Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell with their first pick in last weekend's NFL Draft.

That was on the heels of adding their most expensive free agent in $60 million pass rusher Boye Mafe, just off a Super run in Seattle, as well as signing seasoned two-time Pro Bowl interior pass rusher Jonathan Alllen. The haul, which according to overthecap.com, makes them the highest active spenders in the league, also boasts the $40 million contract for free agency's top-ranked safety in the Chiefs' Bryan Cook.

Now he says he likes how the roster sits and that he believes after free agency, the Bengals were "pretty complete," and don't have many holes.

"Championship caliber players who have played in big games that understand how to play. The individual traits of them fit what we want to do and fit the vision of our coaching staff and fit the vision of what we have on the team already," Tobin said. "With Boye and Cook, they're young guys just hitting the stride of their career. So I don't even think they've hit their ceiling yet, and they've had a lot of success, and they've got championship rings, and they understand what it looks like. They fit physically what we want them to be, and we were very happy that they were interested in us and we could make it work out.

"Same thing with Jonathan Allen. When he got released, he was pointing at us. He's a guy that can rush from the three-technique. Well, guess what we wanted? More rush from that position and he's a guy that will bring others along. It's important for us to have a wave of guys."

Now Tobin says he likes how the roster sits, and how the draft picks won't be force-fed into the lineup.

"We didn't have a lot of holes. We have a lot of guys that have played a lot of football. We have young guys that are just starting to find their groove and play really well for us. So it frees you up a little bit," Tobin said. "You don't want to be drafting for starters. If your draftees become starters, that's great. But you don't want to be reliant on them to start immediately, and that's now where our team is. Our team is more mature than that, particularly our offense."

The biggest move of course is the deal Tobin struck the night of April 19, when the Bengals gave the Giants the 10^th pick in the draft for Lawrence. His name had been percolating at Paycor for months, but came together when the Bengals didn't have to give up a pick in a future year.

"I don't give up the 10th pick in the draft. I enjoy the draft and I think adding those young players is a real positive," Tobin said. "We do an analysis of who we might be giving up. You never know who the first nine picks are going to be, but we do those analysis and we look at who we might be foregoing to get this done and we felt like whoever it was, it was a good move for us. That's why we moved forward with it and tried to make it work. You have to make it work for the Giants as well and that pick is attractive enough to make it work.

"It's one of the attractive things about trading a 10th pick for an Al- Pro. You know exactly what you're getting. And you're getting immediate impact. That was something that was a big decision point for us. We get immediate impact instead of impact as we go. So that was important."

Asked if he took note of who was available at No. 10, Tobin knew there were folks like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge Reuben Bain Jr., that had been targeted for the Bengals.

"There were a lot of worthy guys that that could have been Bengals," Tobin said. "But Dexter Lawrence is a Bengal, and I'm very happy about that."

Cashing In on Cashius

Howell, the guy the Bengals did get at No. 41 in the second round, may have been rated higher on their board than Bain by the time it was over. When they re-ordered their board at the end of the first round, Howell appeared to be their target.

"You're hopeful that guys who you feel like might be in your range don't get picked here, don't get picked here, don't get picked here," said Tobin of the weirdness of sitting out the first round. "And then you go to bed at night, and you're like, holy cow, we got a pretty good list here, and then you order those, and then you talk yourself into 'the guy at the top of the list was never going to get to us,' and some years they do."

Tobin ticked off the reasons why Howell's size (253 pounds) and arm length (less than 31 inches) didn't bother them.

"He's violent with his hands, and he has a really good pass rush arsenal. You can't pigeonhole him if you're an offensive tackle because he can beat you around the edge," Tobin said. "He can come back underneath. Just when you get comfortable there, he's going to bull rush you. He's really explosive. He's very aware of the ball. He's also excellent with counter rushes. If his first plan doesn't work, he has great counter rushes.

"He's really good in space. He has a tenacious chase to him from the backside so he's not a wash against the run. It just works for him. He has a really good progression to that, figuring out his body and how to do it."

Backer Endorsement

The Bengals didn't get a linebacker in free agency or the draft. Reports say they got one after the draft in Cincinnati's Jack Dingle, but Monday turned into Tobin's endorsement of draft picks who started last season in Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter.

"Probably the best thing we did for our linebacker room is what we did for the D-Line room, and that's going to elevate those guys," Tobin said. "I have real belief in the guys that we have. They have full seasons under their belt. They have really good production for rookies and they're going to grow in our scheme, and they're going to be really good players, and I think we have depth behind them. Doesn't mean we won't look. We're always looking."

Now that the Bengals are up against the salary cap (they have $5 million available, according to overthecap.com, and still have to sign their draft picks), can a veteran get a look?

"We'll always look at adding the right guy again. I am not down on my linebackers," Tobin said. "They individually will improve and collectively will improve by what we've done and the experience that they've gained. If there are people that we think can add to the group, we'll add to the group. We're not done roster building."

Cap Questions

The Bengals have to make a decision next week on the fifth-year option for edge Myles Murphy, which goes for about $14 million. They still may do it and always have, but after spending nearly $300 million in the first month of the NFL year, there are more discussions now.

Same with mulling extensions for cornerbacks Dax Hill and DJ Turner II. TBA. Tobin didn't dismiss the idea of approaching quarterback Joe Burrow for re-structuring his deal, but he said all financial questions will be scrutinized now that the draft's over.

"Those are things that we're working through after the draft. We've layered in challenges, but we're up to them, and we do it because we have the opportunity to add the right people and the right players," Tobin said. "Those are challenges that the locker room isn't interested in. They're interested in having the best team possible, and that's what we're trying to give them is the best team possible."

Slants and Screens

Tight end Mike Gesicki, freshly returned from two throwing sessions with the guys at a Los Angeles high school, can confirm nothing has changed when it comes to catching passes from Joe Burrow

"Joe is Joe. I'm always impressed working with him," said Gesicki after his workout Monday at the Bengals' voluntary sessions at Paycor Stadium. "Nothing new to report."

When Burrow reaches out looking for receivers, you go. Which is why Gesicki wasn't in New Jersey and Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins weren't on a boat Friday and Saturday.

"Just getting the timing back, getting into it," Gesicki said. "It was fun. We were talking about the excitement here and the work done by the organization. Now it's up to us to go out there and execute." …

The biggest cause for excitement, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, showed up again for workouts Monday like he did last week, and he's already made a big impression on one of the linebackers he's committed to helping.

"I met him once before when he stopped by at Clemson," said the old tiger himself, Barrett Carter. "He was a super nice guy. Easy to talk to. Every day since he's been in here, we've been chopping it up. You can talk to him about anything. Football, off-the-field stuff."

Carter is picking Lawrence's brain on how he's navigated seven seasons in the league at a high level when it comes to taking care of his body and what he puts into it.

But Lawrence really impressed Carter when Lawrence stood up last week at head coach Zac Taylor's first team meeting of the season and introduced himself.

"He said who he was and said 'I'm here for one thing. To win a championship.'" He knows what he wants. We love it," Carter said …

After eight seasons, 128 games, and 353 catches, Gesicki is thinking about how he can improve as a blocker. A true pro because that's not exactly been on his resume as one of the best wide receiver-ish tight ends in the game. And to express it at age 30, well, here's why.

"I don't want to look back and in four or five years when it's all done and say I wish I could have done more," Gesicki said.

Now, he's not looking to be Drew Sample, the Bengals' premier blocking tight end entrusted with protecting Burrow. But Gesicki has been playing with Sample for two years, and maybe he can borrow some things.

"I'm not saying I'm going to go out there and pass protect 15 times a game," Gesicki said. "But I am looking to improve my game in different aspects." …