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Has Cincinnati's Depth At Safety Improved?

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 10:  Quarterback Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is hit just as he is about to throw by Chris Crocker #42 of the Cincinnati Bengals causing him to fumble at Paul Brown Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tampa Bay recovered the fumble and went on to defeat the Bengals 24-21.   (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The Cincinnati Bengals experienced as much change at safety as they have any position not named quarterback over the offseason. Reggie Nelson and Chris Crocker are your projected starting safeties; something we've known for months. After that it's all changed. Gone are the days of Roy Williams' fragility, Chinedum Ndukwe and Tom Nelson -- all three of whom struggled defending the pass. New are the days of a core group that's a combination of experience, youth and potential.

Taylor Mays, six career starts in the NFL, drew high praise from the Bengals during the pre-draft process last year. It was rumored at one point that the Bengals may use their 21st overall pick on Mays before selecting tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gibril Wilson is an experienced and accomplished safety before his injury preceding 2010 that wiped out the season; he's still rusty getting back into pre-injury form. Robert Sands is the team's fifth-round draft pick and Jeromy Miles (an undrafted free agent last year), played six games last year after being being promoted to the 53-man roster once the secondary was devastated with injuries.

The Bengals will start the season with Chris Crocker at strong safety and Mays backing him up. Reggie Nelson starts at free safety and Wilson backing him up. All four safety backups are prime candidates to receive significant time on special teams.

Starters: Reggie Nelson and Chris Crocker
Backups: Gibril Wilson and Taylor Mays
Others: Robert Sands and Jeromy Miles

Poll
Compared to the 2010 roster, has the Bengals safety depth improved?
Yes
702 votes
No
73 votes

775 votes | Poll has closed

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Youth with upside...

…is what I see as the big difference. Last year our safeties could be lumped into two categories—guys with decent skils but at the end of their career, younger guys with marginal talent.

With the addition of Sands, Mays and to a lesser degree Miles, I can actually see the future of safety for the Bengals. Will these guys pan out? Who knows. I still think we need to think about drafting a safety next year, but I feel like we have some potential with what we’ve got.

by goffchile on Sep 7, 2011 10:39 AM EDT reply actions  

How does someone not see an improvement?

Lets hope the additions are going to make a difference in the slot. We got abused nearly every game last year by Tight Ends and Slot Receivers.

Better Safeties. Better overall front line and I dare say better LB group. No offense to Dhani and Rivers, but Rey in the middle and the “new guys” should help with both run and pass game.

I can’t wait to see the blitz packages Zimmer brings to the chalkboard.

Sure. Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson

by UpStateMike on Sep 7, 2011 10:45 AM EDT reply actions  

the concerns part of the discussion

1) nelson and crocker aren’t the second comings of lott, reed, sanders, krause. they’re adequate in coverage, tackling, blitzing, and speed. sub-par in hands (ints, deflections).

2) injury. if that bug should bite our starters. it falls to mays (unproven in this system, washed out in sf after 1 season) and wilson (yet to be healthy as a bengal).

3) sands (potential, unknown.)

4 miles (potential – backup). if he’s starting at any point this season, something went wrong.

" I for one, welcome our new Buffalo overlords. " - Whokebe

by palewook on Sep 7, 2011 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions  

" I for one, welcome our new Buffalo overlords. " - Whokebe

by palewook on Sep 7, 2011 10:46 AM EDT reply actions  

+100

I agree….We dont really know what we have…..

Backups: Gibril Wilson and Taylor Mays
Others: Robert Sands and Jeromy Miles

All unknown……may be good or bad….Mays showed a little speed out there…. He has to have a chip on his shoulder….

by ticalcaldwell on Sep 7, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions  

Sands

I still cant tell if this guy is really fast or really slow…..he just looks huge out there…hope he shows us he is a beast

by ticalcaldwell on Sep 7, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions  

Tall guys can cover as much ground in less steps which makes them look slow...

But no WR wants to be hit by a SS that size…

Why 6 Safties? ST’s Mays is a burner Miles is a burner…

Did we improve depth undoubtably. Do we have a Troy Polumolu Not yet.(but maybe on the roster)

Unproven behing the top 3 crocker nelson and wilson. But talented. Gone is mr glass RWilliams and

Rnelson has been solid and fast
Crocker is solid but cant stay on the field for a full season

by Bengalsfan024 on Sep 7, 2011 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions  

Mays

will have to make a colossal improvement in order to be considered for any game action as a real NFL safety. He can’t turn and his lateral movement skills are very much lacking. It’s hard to play any kind of coverage with just straight-line speed.

This is coming from a die-hard 49ers fan who really wanted him to succeed (even had a jersey ordered but cancelled it)

Aldon Smith will have 10 sacks in 2011.
I tweet, therefore I am

by Tre9er on Sep 7, 2011 11:07 AM EDT reply actions  

sounds like the Jerry Porter of safetys.

all speed and nothing else.

zimmer did wonders with nelson, so there’s hope zimmer can tear down and rebuild mays from ground up. reclamation projects are a crapshoot, no guarantees of success.

" I for one, welcome our new Buffalo overlords. " - Whokebe

by palewook on Sep 7, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions  

Regardless of how they pan out, I have to hand it to the Bengals for getting new blood in there.

The worst thing they could have done was stand pat. They ended up making some nice moves to improve the secondary. With Hall, Jones, Nelson, Jennings, and Mays they have first round talent at all four anchor positions of the secondary. Who wouldn’t want that?

"I slyde my boehner into sexsalad...."
Sounds like a johnu1 production. --jch24

by GrooveLeg on Sep 7, 2011 11:25 AM EDT reply actions  

*ahem* five positions

"I slyde my boehner into sexsalad...."
Sounds like a johnu1 production. --jch24

by GrooveLeg on Sep 7, 2011 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions  

right now no

In the future maybe. Mays sands and miles have more upside than Roy w and duke, but haven’t produced like them. And gibrel is coming back from a destoyed knee. If I was building a team on one year, and not thinking of the future, I would take last years safteys over this years. But obviously you want talent that can develop, and the bengals may have that.

by JCompton41 on Sep 7, 2011 12:04 PM EDT via mobile reply actions  

What did Roy Williams Produce?

i mean he did good the 3 games he was healthy but from his time here Ndukwe was Better than roy williams

by Bengalsfan024 on Sep 7, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions  

sure but overall

I liked ndukwe and want to resign him. Great back up. But what I’m saying with Williams I would rather him as a backup than Mays right now. But obviously Mays has the higher ceiling and from that point its an improvement.

by JCompton41 on Sep 7, 2011 12:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

Zimmer

Had an issue with Ndukwe and if Ziimmer has an issue and doesn’t want him back that is good enough for me.

"Next season will be better" circa 1990
Twitter @Rcklarue

by Yarin on Sep 7, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Voted Yes

I’m still not convinced about Sands. Hopefully he improves more than I think he will.

by JADefense on Sep 7, 2011 12:17 PM EDT reply actions  

I don't know if the Bengals improved ability-wise per se

but they definitely inproved on depth and potential at the position.

CincyJungle Contributor
Follow me on Twitter: CUIBengalsFan

by Anthony Cosenza on Sep 7, 2011 3:22 PM EDT reply actions  

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