Recent report on head coach Zac Taylor’s contract gives the impression that Cincinnati Bengals will not move this offseason.
But it’s impossible not to play the what if? game with the Bengals.
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The Bengals, after all, would have the Best NFL Head Coach Opening with ease. Jobs with a quarterback like Joe Burrow already on the roster just aren’t opening up.
Which shows how bad the last three years have gone in Cincinnati.
A popular theory among fans now also has some influence on the national level: hiring a defensive-minded head coach would be the best possible route.
ESPN Bill Barnwell is on this idea and also provided some big names:
“Firing Taylor and hiring a defensive guru would be the biggest move the Bengals could take to win while they have Burrow in his prime. And while there will be offensive coaches desperate to work with Burrow, it should be an even more attractive job for defensive minds like Chargers DC Jesse Minter and Packers DC Jeff Hafley. Turn the defense into a league-average unit, and the Bengals would be a perennial playoff team. Turn it around. into a top-10 defense, and the Bengals would contend for the Super Bowl.
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From an outside perspective, one of the biggest problems in Cincinnati is Taylor’s focus on the offensive side of the ball, leaving his hand-picked defensive coordinators to fend for themselves.
It worked with Lou Anarumo until the front office cringed at the idea of paying to keep Jessie Bates (now an Andrew Whitworth-level mistake). The bottom fell out and Al Golden tried to do the same.
In theory, a defensive head coach who resets the culture and can properly oversee that side of the ball would pair well with a coordinator who fits well with Burrow’s offense.
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Overall, the NFL is moving more toward defensive head coaches right now, so it’s a good time to be a buyer. And we all know how different this season would be if the Bengals had fielded an even, average defense.
RELATED: Details of Zac Taylor’s new contract hint at Bengals’ future
This article was originally published on Bengals Wire: Idea of Bengals hiring defensive head coach gaining traction nationally
