Bengals News: Question marks surrounding secondary and more
In Bengals news, what should fans expect from the young secondary this year?
This offseason saw the Cincinnati Bengals lose both of their starting safeties, as Jessie Bates departed for Atlanta and Vonn Bell shockingly left and signed with the Panthers. The Bengals were prepared for Bates' departure, drafting Dax Hill in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft but had to sign someone after Bell opted not to return.
Nick Scott was signed to a three-year deal and then the Bengals later spent a third-round pick on Jordan Battle in the 2023 NFL Draft. They have the talent capable of stepping in and being the stout secondary this team needs but until people see it, they might not give them their due diligence.
Here's what's trending in Bengals news.
Biggest red flags for NFL contenders in 2023: Jets offensive line, Dolphins QB health among top concerns [Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports]
Benjamin landed on "a shuffled secondary" for the Bengals' red flag. Truthfully, the Bengals don't have a true weakness so I don't fault him for picking the secondary for Cincinnati.
"Everything revolves around Joe Burrow; as long as he's functioning alongside their elite crop of wideouts, they should be in the hunt for an AFC title once again. But they're counting on new, young faces throughout the defensive backfield, where Eli Apple, Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell all left via free agency. Daxton Hill and rookie DJ Turner bring speed, but they lack experience."
- Cody Benjamin
2023 NFL secondary rankings: New York Jets, Miami Dolphins take top spots [John Kosko, PFF]
The Bengals actually are ranked in the top-half here, coming in at No. 15.
"This was a top-10 group last season, but it just lost both safeties and will now rely on some new faces to keep up the standard of the past few years. Awuzie and Taylor-Britt made a number of big plays, especially down the stretch, forcing a combined 15 incompletions over the year. The team also drafted cornerback DJ Turner in the second round and safety Jordan Battle in the third round to provide depth and competition heading into the new season."
- John Kosko
Next. Done in NFL. 4 Bengals Draft Picks Who Might Be Done in NFL. dark
Chiefs' Travis Kelce responds to Ja'Marr Chase's trash talk: 'Don't you ever disrespect Pat Mahomes' [Nick Shook, NFL.com]
Ja'Marr Chase stood up for his quarterback and now Travis Kelce is standing up for his.
""I thought it was a little bold," Kelce said. "(Mahomes is) a two-time league MVP, two-time Super Bowl MVP. To say 'Pat who' is like…""
- From Shook's article