How Bengals HC Zac Taylor perfectly handled a tough situation
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor met with reporters on Monday as his team started voluntary offseason workouts. Despite the fact that it's April, Taylor had a little bit of offseason drama that he had to (briefly) address. And Bengals fans will be happy to know that Taylor absolutely handled it all perfectly. Earlier this […]
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor met with reporters on Monday as his team started voluntary offseason workouts.
Despite the fact that it's April, Taylor had a little bit of offseason drama that he had to (briefly) address.
And Bengals fans will be happy to know that Taylor absolutely handled it all perfectly.
Earlier this offseason, after the Bengals signed offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr to play left tackle in Cincinnati, offensive tackle Jonah Williams requested a trade.
Williams was previously the Bengals' starting left tackle, but with Brown coming to town, Cincy wants him to move to right tackle.
So far, there's no indication that the Bengals plan to trade Williams, who is set to be a free agent after the 2023 season.
On Monday, Taylor was asked about Williams. And instead of creating a public controversy by diving into the situation, Taylor told reporters that he plans to keep any conversations with Williams private.
Taylor went on to note that Jackson Carman can also play right tackle (La'el Collins, another option, is still recovering from injury and it's unclear when he'll return to the field).
It's a tough spot for Taylor and the Bengals to be in. Signing Brown undoubtedly improves the Bengals' offensive line. But it means Williams, if he isn't traded, will have to move to right tackle in his contract season, which could cost him some cash.
Cincinnati will be a better team in 2023 with Williams on the roster which means the Bengals need to find a way to make that happen. That's why Taylor's comments on Monday are so important. The fact that he's keeping everything with Williams private instead of letting it become a PR nightmare should give Cincy a chance to work things out with Williams and alleviate his concerns.
It might not be a perfect situation, but it can still work out for the best for the Bengals. And Taylor is a big reason why that's the case.
