Jack Del Rio is the Defensive Coordinator the Cincinnati Bengals Need
By Will Coyle
The Cincinnati Bengals took the risk with the young buck Zac Taylor as the next head coach. The next move needs to be the veteran with head coaching and Super Bowl experience to help build his foundation.
When the news broke yesterday that the Cincinnati Bengals had made the hiring of Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor as the Bengals next head coach official, there were bound to be mixed emotions when hiring such a young, inexperienced coach. On one hand, inexperience and youth are viewed as negatives-Zac Taylor hasn’t had to experience the big stage in a position where he is mostly responsible for the product on the field. What do the Cincinnati Bengals see in a young coach whose main play calling experience came as an interim Offensive Coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and for a Cincinnati Bearcats team that went 4-8 in 2016?
On the other hand, the feeling over the last 24 hours has been something that I personally haven’t felt since the 2015-16 Wild Card debacle against the Pittsburgh Steelers-optimism. Ever since that game went off the rails, the overall feeling with Marvin Lewis was that there was a lack of control that he would never get back within the organization. When he came to a “mutual agreement” to part with the Bengals, there was a collective sigh of relief among even the most miserable Bengals fans, because it couldn’t possibly get any worse. This could be the next Sean McVay before our very eyes, but how do we get to that point? What did that young of a head coach have on his staff to get all the way to the Super Bowl?
The short answer? Wade Phillips.
Wade Phillips, the 71-year-old Defensive Coordinator who has over 40 years in the league and Super Bowl experience under his belt, along with a stellar defense, laid the foundation that McVay could build upon. With Zac Taylor taking over in Cincinnati, he needs to bring aboard the most experienced candidate available to help him lay that foundation as well. That candidate is Jack Del Rio.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network and NFL.com tweeted that Jack Del Rio is “believed to be the top candidate” for the defensive coordinator position, and I couldn’t be happier with that move if it becomes official. I’m not saying that Jack Del Rio is going to help lead the Bengals to Super Bowl LIV, but it would definitely be a start to a carbon copy of the Sean McVay process that’s worked to this point (for the most part). Jack Del Rio won a Super Bowl as a linebackers coach with arguably one of the greatest defenses of all time in the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and he has the head coaching experience that will be of benefit to a young guy such as Taylor who doesn’t have those experiences yet.
There is definitely some uncertainty within the Cincinnati Bengals organization right now, but whether you’re unsure or optimistic about the hire of Zac Taylor, this is the New-Dey we asked for. Now is as good of a time as any to be optimistic about Cincinnati Bengals football. Come on down, Jack.
Want to read more on the Cincinnati Bengals offseason? Check out our full coverage on Stripe Hype!
"Bengals fans Finally have a Reason to be Optimistic Again in Zac Taylor"