Cam Taylor-Britt has a perfect description for Bengals' defense
Even for a second-round pick, opportunity doesn't always come knocking immediately in the NFL. Taking advantage of any chance to play is all that matters. It's also what ends up separating the good teams from the bad. Cam Taylor-Britt had to bide his time as a rookie last season before proving this point completely, and […]
Even for a second-round pick, opportunity doesn't always come knocking immediately in the NFL. Taking advantage of any chance to play is all that matters. It's also what ends up separating the good teams from the bad.
Cam Taylor-Britt had to bide his time as a rookie last season before proving this point completely, and in doing so, proved just how special the Cincinnati Bengals' defense operates no matter the circumstances.
They'll have to prove that again in 2023 when a brand new tandem at safety takes the field behind Taylor-Britt and Co.
Roster turnover in the secondary has been talked about as a potential weakness for the Bengals this season. NFL reporter Peter Schrager brought it up on Good Morning Football while Taylor-Britt made a guest appearance.
And per usual, the cornerback's confidence was evident through his words.
"It's always next man up, and it's always been that," Taylor-Britt said of the eighth-ranked defense in the league last year in terms of EPA/play allowed. "We came in with Nick Scott who was a good veteran that has played in a lot of games as well who we needed in the room. And also Dax Hill, who was drafted in the first round for a reason. He didn't have opportunity to come in like I did and make an impact, but most definitely his time is now."
The next-man-up mentality is very applicable when looking at the Bengals' defense last season. Injuries to DJ Reader, Chidobe Awuzie, Trey Hendrickson, and Sam Hubbard all created vacancies throughout a battle-tested unit. In fact, it was Awuzie's torn ACL on Halloween that confirmed Taylor-Britt's standing as a starter.
16 different players ended up logging 300 snaps under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's command. Any drop off that was expected due to injuries and change in personnel never quite occurred. In fact, they managed to go from ninth in EPA/allowed prior to Awuzie's injury to eighth in the weeks that followed.
And new personnel additions are set to enhance the group as a whole.
"We have also young guys like Jordan battle and Tycen Anderson, so the room is great man," Taylor-Britt said of the secondary as a whole. "I feel like any one of us can come in and make an impact."
At this point, who's going to argue with that?
Featured image via © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
