Cincinnati Bengals: Three Key OTA Stories

After the NFL Draft is over there isn’t much for the NFL fans to get excited about.  Rookie minicamps provide some excitement but nothing of real substance for fans.  After that come OTA’s (Organized Team Activities) which give football fans a little more to chew on before mandatory minicamps begin this week.  OTA’s are the first practices involving rookies, veterans, and any new coaches all at one time.  They give the Cincinnati Bengals media their first look at how the depth chart may look come training camp and preseason time.  Keep in mind a lot of the things happening in OTA’s are preliminary and could easily change in the next couple of months.

Jonah Williams starting out at left tackle.

This is easily the biggest news to come out of the Bengals OTA’s.  Since drafting Williams with the 11th overall pick it has been a mystery as to where he would play.  With experience at both tackle positions and the ability to play guard or center, he could help Cincinnati wherever they need him to.  New head coach Zac Taylor has shown everyone how good he thinks Williams can be by starting him at the all-important blindside position.  This meant a move for incumbent starter Cordy Glenn to left guard.  The left side of the offensive line all of a sudden looks better than it has in a few years.

Tyler Boyd says the Bengals have the “best offense in the NFL”

Wide receiver Tyler Boyd told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that he believes the Cincinnati Bengals have the best offense in the NFL.  This single quote should speak volumes to Bengals fans.  There hasn’t been a level of excitement like this around the organization in years.  Taylor is coming in and transforming this offense and it sure looks like he has the players to do so.  The culture is changing as well as the offensive scheme and it has players like Tyler Boyd energized and confident.

Zac Taylor  heaps praise on cornerback B.W. Webb

Many people, including myself, were critical of Cincinnati signing of Webb.  He never seemed to be anything more than a below-average to average player for the Giants.  It seemed that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was just bringing a guy with him that is familiar with his scheme.  Taylor has not typically singled players out to this point so maybe I was wrong about the signing of Webb.  “He sets a great example, sets a good standard for the other guys on the other side of the ball and this is what it should look like, this is what we want.”  The depth at cornerback is up in the air for Cincinnati right now so it is encouraging to see the veteran catching the eyes of the new coaching staff.

 

Kenny Guthrie is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Bengals. Like and follow on Follow @guthrie26 Follow @FPC_Bengals