The Cincinnati Bengals’ free-agent additions are already adding a new dimension to the defensive side of the ball.
It’s no secret the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has left a lot to be desired in recent years, although that hasn’t always been the case. Once upon a time, the Queen City was home to a squad full of ferocious defenders, led by genius defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who now finds himself as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. After him, his disciple Paul Guenther took the reigns and continued the tradition. After the departure of those two, however, that side of the ball just hasn’t been the same.
With the many new faces donning the orange and black for the first time, it appears that the once-proud Bengals’ defense could make a return. After finishing last season with arguably the worst defense in the league, it’s a must if the club wants to break out of the cellar of the AFC North.
D.J. Reader: "I got paid a lot to come here and I want to prove what I can do. Whatever the role is I want to thrive in it." Said he's in the best shape of his life. #Bengals
— Marisa Contipelli (@BengalsMarisa) August 12, 2020
Bengals training camp is getting intense
The report coming out of training camp from the team’s Senior Writer, Geoff Hobson, is that three of this offseason’s additions have gotten a bit chippy to begin their tenure in stripes. First, it was Mike Daniels getting in the face of an offensive lineman. Then, D.J. Reader had a confrontation with Joe Mixon. Finally, Vonn Bell had to be told to ease up after he hit Giovani Bernard a little too hard.
All of these guys are firmly established in the league and in no danger of being cut. Still, the fact that they feel the need to compete this hard speaks to their fiery nature, which is an attribute Cincinnati’s defense could use more of.
The standard that they’re setting will keep the offense on their toes and help them better prepare for the upcoming campaign. Not to mention, the young guys, such as Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither, are able to witness their behavior and take notes for themselves.
Head coach Zac Taylor has been preaching about the culture he wanted to build since the moment he signed his contract to lead the Bengals. Now that he’s had a full offseason under his belt, it appears that he’s well on his way to establishing his desired version of the squad.