Zac Taylor and the Bengals’ coaching staff got a firsthand look at many top prospects at the Senior Bowl this weekend. Taylor is hoping that he can use this as an opportunity to turn his team around and take the Bengals to the Super Bowl.
Is it even possible? Just ask the 49ers.
The 49ers were 4-12 in 2018, earning the second overall pick in the draft and an opportunity to coach in the Senior Bowl.
“They were able to add some critical pieces during the offseason through the draft and free agency,” Taylor said, via the team’s website. “Their coaching staff had been there for three years and calling the same system. You knew playing them last year that this team was headed in the right direction … This year they kind of flipped the switch there.”
Taylor was a coach in the NFC West from 2017-2018. The 49ers struggled during that time, and Taylor’s Rams defeated them in three out of four match-ups in that span.
But Taylor got to see the 49ers at turnaround firsthand when they demolished his Bengals by a score 41-17 in Week 2 this season.
Taylor will hopefully look to the 49ers as a blueprint for the coming year. The two teams have similar models: young head coaches and high draft picks.
The Bengals could easily follow in the 49ers’ footsteps if they play their cards right.