Recent reporting around the contract of head coach Zac Taylor makes it seem like the Cincinnati Bengals won’t make a 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 NFL’s top head-coach opening with ease. Jobs with a quarterback like Joe Burrow already on the roster just don’t open up.
Which speaks to how poorly the last three years have gone in Cincinnati.
One popular theory amongst fans now has some national traction, too: Hiring a defensive-minded head coach would be the best possible route.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell is on that idea and provided some major names, too:
“Firing Taylor and hiring a defensive guru would be the biggest step the Bengals could take to win while they have Burrow in his peak. And though there will be offensive coaches desperate to work with Burrow, this should be an even more appealing job for defensive minds like Chargers DC Jesse Minter and Packers DC Jeff Hafley. Turn the defense into even a league-average unit, and the Bengals would be a perennial playoff team. Mold it into a top-10 defense, and the Bengals would compete for Super Bowls.”
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From an outsider’s 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 up to keep Jessie Bates (now an Andrew Whitworth-level mistake). The bottom has fallen out with Al Golden attempting the same.
In theory, a defensive head coach who resets the culture and can properly oversee that side of the ball would pair nicely with a coordinator who meshes well with Burrow’s offense.
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As a whole, the NFL is trending more toward defensive head coaches right now, so it’s a good time to be buyers. And we all know how differently this season looks if the Bengals had fielded an even average defense.
RELATED: New Zac Taylor contract details hint at Bengals future
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals hiring defensive head coach idea gains traction nationally
