Zac Taylor hints Bengals' next big moves post-Joe Flacco could come from within

In his press conference earlier in the week, Cincinnati Bengals head Coach Zac Taylor hinted at significant moves on the horizon. 

We saw one of those play out when the Bengals traded for benched Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco. 

However, we should expect more moves on the horizon, which include some internal promotions, after Taylor talked at length about putting the practice squad players in a position to contribute. 

Zac Taylor’s approach to practice squad players

When fielding a question about the practice squad, Taylor spoke for more than a minute about what goes into evaluating the players on the practice squad. 

“…we are always paying attention to these guys on the practice squad, with the reps they’re getting. We do try to create some opportunities to isolate them and let them, kind of give them a stage during practice to perform."

Taylor knows that the team will need some of those guys to step up at different points during the season. 

“Those sixteen guys on the practice squad, you’re going to need them at some point, so we don’t want them to go by the wayside.”

And that point may be now for Taylor and his coaching staff. But before anyone on that list hits the field, Taylor wants to have as much information as possible about how they will perform. 

“There’s a lot that goes into that, and trying to make sure we can fully evaluate for when the situation occurs where we want to call somebody up, that maybe we have acquired from somewhere else that wasn’t in our training camp or our offseason program. You feel like you got information that could give you your best guess on how they’re going to perform.”

Bengals need help from anywhere they can get it

The Bengals have been lackluster on both sides of the ball this season. They are last in point differential through Week 5. The offense is 29th in points per game scored. The team has surrendered the third most points per game. 

The size of the room for improvement could fit into the Palace of Versailles. But are there reasonable options in the practice squad wing of Bengaldom?

Just 36 hours ago, one could have surmised that when coach Taylor made those comments, Mike White was a potential call-up candidate who could cause a rearrangement of art on the wall. 

However, Taylor must have had other players in mind, as talks to acquire Flacco would have already been underway. 

So, who is left on the practice squad who could offer something new?

Bengals offensive line under the microscope

Before the season began, fans hoped that this would be the best offensive line since Joe Burrow arrived in the NFL. It turns out that it may be the worst. 

Cincinnati’s offensive line was last in Pro Football Focus’ rankings heading into Week 5. The Pro Football Network gave them an equally bad rating. And not all of that falls at the feet of questionable play calling or a quarterback holding on to the ball too long. Sometimes it comes down to their guys being better than ours. 

Cincinnati has four linemen on the practice squad who the Bengals could promote. 

Javon Foster signed with the Bengals after the Jacksonville Jaguars let him go at the end of training camp. He falls in line as one of the players who spent the offseason with another team. 

Foster is an interesting option as a 2024 fourth-round pick who can play tackle and guard. However, it became clear that he was not long for his place with the Jags and the new regime this offseason. 

Center Seth McLaughlin was a popular player among fans when he signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Ohio State. He recovered well enough from an Achilles tendon injury to play in the final preseason game. However, he appeared to be a player returning from injury and did not perform well enough to secure a spot on the final 53-man roster. Hopefully, he is healthier a month removed from that final preseason game.

And if one of Matt Fitzgerald’s predictions of a bigger move comes to fruition, the Bengals may need a backup center on the roster sooner rather than later. 

Then there is Jaxson Kirkland, who was an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. Kirkland was once considered a first-round prospect at tackle. However, injuries delayed his entry into the NFL, and a move from tackle to guard at Washington caused him to drop down draft boards, despite performing well at left guard in his final season with the Huskies. 

Andrew Coker is the final offensive lineman on the practice squad. We thought he had a shot at grabbing one of the final roster spots, but after an uninspiring preseason performance, he did not make the 53-man roster. Nevertheless, he showed the coaching staff enough to warrant keeping him around. 

Defensive help waiting on the practice squad?

The Bengals share the league lead in missed tackles through Week 5. They are 30th in points surrendered this season. Surprisingly, they are only the second-worst in the division in that metric.

Veteran linebacker Joe Giles-Harris is waiting in the wings if Al Golden needs backup at that position. His preseason stat line of three tackles and an interception is not world-beating. But he did flash athleticism in returning his interception for what everyone believed was a touchdown in the moment. 

With the Bengals’ defense deploying a wrinkle that has rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight lining up at defensive end just as much as he does at linebacker, the team may want to give Giles-Harris a look. 

The Bengals have edge rusher Isaiah Foskey and recently re-signed tackle Howard Cross III, giving Al Golden two former Notre Dame defensive linemen on the practice squad who could get a call-up on Sundays. 

Like Foster, Foskey also spent training camp elsewhere, falling into the category that Taylor referred to in his press conference. He spent the first two seasons of his NFL career with the Saints before signing with Cincinnati after training camp.

Additionally, with Cam Taylor-Britt plummeting down the depth chart, the Bengals still have cornerback Jalen Davis, who has extensive experience and is in his sixth year with the team.

We would not know if any of those defensive elevations would help with the missed tackles or improve the defense in any facet. But why not try something, or someone, new? 

With the arrival of Joe Flacco, the Bengals are ready to throw whatever at the wall and see what sticks in an attempt to salvage the 2025 season. Without making more trades and giving up draft capital the team does not want to part ways with, their only option, personnel-wise, is free agents and practice squad players. 

One of those players may step up and provide a spark. Or, perhaps the players they are behind will fail to improve, forcing the coaches’ hand, as was the case with the demotions of Taylor-Britt and Jake Browning. 

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