It is safe to say that the Cincinnati Bengals have had increased turnover on their roster over the past two seasons compared to the few years prior. One of the greatest assets that this team had heading into the 2022 Super Bowl was that they had kept a tightknit core of players that completely redeveloped the culture of this historically mediocre organization. The past few seasons, the exodus has dramatically overshadowed the influx of talent in this city as key players like Jessie Bates and Joe Mixon have gone by the wayside.
Cincinnati Bengals Secondary to Experience New Leadership in 2024
One of the most damaged units on this roster has been the defensive secondary after four of the five starters from the 2022 Super Bowl team have left the organization. The last remaining player from that group is nickel back Mike Hilton and it is highly expected that he will be leaving the team next season after the expiration of his contract. Aside from him, every single player on this secondary has been brought in to patch the gaps left by more experienced players.
While the business side of things is still operated on an individual basis, the defensive secondary is an interesting unit. In a similar fashion to the offensive line, communication and trust are enormous components in the defensive backfield as every player has to cover their zone/man in order for a coverage to be successful. That means while the talent may actually be better than it was during the Super Bowl Run just over two years ago, this group still desperately needs to find leadership.
After the departure of defensive back Chidobe Awuzie to the Tennessee Titans this offseason, there is an abundance of youth on this defense but that also means there is a deficiency of experience and leadership. In the absence of true experience, the burden of leadership will reportedly fall to the most promising player in the group and that player is third-year cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.
After emerging as a budding superstar as a rookie, expectations were high for Taylor-Britt last season but unfortunately, the talented Nebraska alumnus (recently graduated) missed five games last season. When you miss time at the professional level, it is hard to get into a rhythm and can quickly derail an entire season. Now that Taylor-Britt is healthy, there is a reasonable expectation for him to be selected to the Pro Bowl this upcoming season and that expectation forces him to take on the mantle as captain of this defense.
In a recent interview, Taylor Britt expressed how he is handling the increased responsibility on a young but talented defensive squad.
“The pressure is on now,” Taylor-Britt said. “In (offseason) camp, you’re doing it up, and they are pushing us every which way, and being a vet in the room, I’m able to voice my opinion a lot more, push everybody else to be the best they can be.”
On top of that, the third-year player went on to address exactly what has changed for him as a player since he came into the league in 2022.
“The development is kind of crazy,” Taylor-Britt said. “Two years is a long time but it doesn’t seem like a long time. I’ve learned so much in those two years and I believe my teammates can attest to that. Just maturity on and off the field has gotten a lot better. I was able to see a lot on the field and deal with people off the field, just getting my life together. It’s been a huge difference these two years.”
Without Awuzie, Taylor-Britt is the most talented defensive player in the secondary with three of the other starters coming into the league in 2022 or 2023 including both safeties and the other outside corner. After a disastrous 2023 season, this defense will likely make huge improvements heading into a season where expectations will be lifted on a true contender.
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