Bengals HC Zac Taylor makes strong statement about key assistant coach
One of the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest needs this offseason was at the tight end position. Cincinnati lost tight end Hayden Hurst to the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Losing Hurst left a major void on the depth chart at tight end. But despite the void, Cincinnati didn't address the position until Monday night when they […]
One of the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest needs this offseason was at the tight end position.
Cincinnati lost tight end Hayden Hurst to the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
Losing Hurst left a major void on the depth chart at tight end. But despite the void, Cincinnati didn't address the position until Monday night when they signed Irv Smith Jr to a one-year deal.
One of the reasons why the Bengals weren't more frantic in their search for a tight end is because of the trust that Zac Taylor has in tight end coach James Casey.
“I think James Casey is the best tight ends coach in the NFL,” said Taylor at the NFL owner's meetings on Monday. “Tell me a player that hasn’t reached his full potential under James Casey and it will be the first one I’ve seen. It’s not that you just want to say, ‘OK, here, we’re not going to give you the full reign of every available tight end.’ We’re going to find some guys that fit that room. We’re not done there yet, but at the same time, James has done just a masterful job helping those guys reach their potential.”
The Bengals' offense runs through Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins.
But having a capable tight end on the roster is still a necessity — especially someone who can help in run blocking.
Cincinnati is comfortable enough with Casey as a position coach that they felt they could be patient when it came to adding a tight end to the roster.
We'll see if that patience pays off in 2023. Smith, a former second-round draft pick, has yet to live up to his potential in the NFL after a breakout 2018 season at Alabama. If Casey can help him take the next step in his career, it will solidify the Bengals' tight ends coach as one of the best assistants in the NFL.
