Bengals add Position Coaches, Rule out Jack Del Rio for DC

Cincinnati is wasting no time building its coaching staff around Zac Taylor, as well as ruling out possible candidates.

ESPN’s Field Yates reported earlier today that Cincinnati had made two hires since officially naming Zac Taylor head coach. University of Houston TE coach James Casey will be joining Taylor and his staff in the same role he had in Houston, and Brown University offensive coordinator Ben Martin as an assistant offensive line coach.

Casey, a former NFL tight end, will make his return to the league after a seven-year career in which he caught over 70 passes, racked up over 800 yards receiving, and scored six touchdowns. Martin has a litney of coaching stops and accomplishments, most notably coaching as an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins as well as Texas A&M. He is known for being able to improve teams rushing attacks by working closely with their offensive line in preparation, film, and scouting.

It was also reported by numerous sources that former defensive coordinator candidate Jack Del Rio and the Bengals have mutually agreed that they would be better off separate. For whatever the reason, Del Rio felt that he would not mesh with the organization, which is disappointing. Many, myself included, saw Del Rio as the perfect defensive coordinator to pair with a rookie head coach, however, Del Rio and the organization saw it otherwise.

As Cincinnati continues to fill out numerous position-coach vacancies, fans will be eagerly awaiting more rumors on defensive coordinator candidates. Statistically, the Bengals were among the worst defenses in the league last season, so fans are rightfully concerned about finding quality, experienced coordinator to help turn the defense around. If the Bengals want to compete next season, finding a top-flight defensive coordinator is step number one.