It wasn't exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals envisioned, but their heads are above water at the safety position.

Out go Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell; two established veteran leaders who've acted as on-field defensive coordinators for the actual DC Lou Anarumo. Losing both practically in the blink of an eye was said to be a "dark day" for Anarumo earlier this month.

In come Dax Hill and Nick Scott to replace them. For the immediate present, it's a downgraded duo. In terms of the bigger picture, it's perfectly okay.

Bates and Bell made arguably the NFL's best safety tandem. The former possesses rare range and instincts that every team would salivate for in a centerfield defender, and the latter provides enforcer-like toughness with top-level awareness to survive in split-field coverages. 

Those attributes got them paid a combined $30 million in cash for just this season. The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers opened the checkbooks for past production in the hopes of replicating it, and they paid a premium for it.

Cincinnati could've done the same. They've made numerous efforts to re-sign Bates over the past two years, but they were never going to reach the guaranteed figures Atlanta got him for. They also made a push to bring Bell back with what was rumored to be a two-year deal with a smaller average annual value and, of course, less guaranteed money.

Both players opted to leave for larger paychecks, as they should. Bates has secured the ultra bag he's been working for since becoming a Second Team All-Pro in 2020, and Bell is now on track to earn $44 million in career earnings before he turns 32.

The Bengals didn't want this exact future, but they weren't caught off guard by it either. They drafted Hill as a first-round pick last year, already visualizing one of Bates or Bell leaving 11 months in the future. And when Bell joined Bates in the NFC South, they immediately began pivoting to a target Anarumo desired in Scott.

A former dual-threat quarterback in high school, Scott exudes leadership qualities going back to his days at Penn State. He's a two-time team captain who put in ample dirty work on special teams and stayed for an extra year as a graduate player. Being on the older side entering the NFL pushed him all the way down to the seventh round of the 2019 Draft despite running the fastest 40-yard dash (4.45 seconds) of any safety that year. 

The Rams invested in him and eventually got a versatile starter later in his rookie contract. L.A. entrusted Scott to patrol deep coverages while teammate (and current free agent) Taylor Rapp played mostly near the line of scrimmage. Scott's skillset and mental aptitude earned him the tougher role of the two, and it's completely reasonable to believe he'd be better playing equal amounts in the box and in deep Cover 2 shells. 

Therein lies the beauty of this new pairing. Hill and Scott possess similar athletic traits that allow them to play anywhere they need to in the secondary. They each have the long speed and short area explosiveness to switch off roles every other snap if needed. The Bengals didn't quite have that luxury with Bates and Bell, who contrasted in what they were athletically gifted at. Throw in another top-notch athlete in last year's fifth-round pick Tycen Anderson, and you got quite the track team in the back of the secondary.

Hill, who was mostly a slot defender in college, was drafted to transition into a full-time safety in 2023. It's too early to tell if he'll thrive more as an overhang defender like Bell, or a split-field savant like Bates. Whatever the case may be, they now have options since his new running mate can be both. Scott also has the experience of making calls, which only enhances his value to the 22-year old Hill. 

Positional versatility is at the top of Anarumo's priorities when bringing in new faces. His scheme is ever-evolving despite having a base identity. Each opponent brings on new challenges, and he's yet to look overmatched as a defensive architect, sans a few games against the Cleveland Browns here and there. That he was a finalist to become a head coach this offseason isn't shocking at all; he gets the absolute most out of what he has.

This is why the Bengals ultimately let go of what they had in Bates and Bell. To come out of free agency with a competent 1-2 punch while spending a fraction of the cost not only sustains the floor of the defense, it allows for future moves elsewhere to still be on the table. Keeping the incumbent safeties would've sustained the level of play at the position, but there's an opportunity cost attached to it. What moves couldn't have been made as a result? Would Orlando Brown Jr. still be looking for work? Would Tee Higgins' extension talks die down? 

These may be hypotheticals, but they're not to be dismissed.

Uniting Hill with Scott gives the Bengals as much flexibility at the safety position as they now have with the cash they have to spend. They can't ask for much more than that.