Most people are taking the Taylor Mays trade for a grain of salt, even though there remains a level of shock that the Bengals actually used a draft pick to acquire a player at a position that was in need. That draft pick is still unknown, officially classified as an undisclosed selection; which makes us believe that the pick will be based on playing time or overall production in 2012. If he doesn't play well, the Bengals lose next to nothing. If he vitalizes his career, something Rey Maualuga is optimistic on, then the team receives a play-maker.
"I was an eyewitness that the guy did it many times on the field," Maualuga said. "He's everything you want in a safety. He's big, he's fast and he really brings the wood. He'll hit you. He's a freak in the weight room. He's one of these guys who stays late and works hard."
"You see it all the time in the league," Maualuga said. "It doesn't work out for a guy one place and he goes someplace else and they find the way to use him. He'a a great fit for Cincinnati."
Maualuga looks forward to rejoining with Mays as teammates, as they once were at USC.
“He’s a competitor, great teammate, he works hard in the weight room and classroom. I think he’ll come in and learn from the veterans.”
There are several questions about Mays at this point. Some say he's an athlete, but not a football player. Others question his coverage ability, though the general consensus is that he'll smack you. Obviously we're conjecturing as to the draft pick at this point, but keeping a state secret as to the nature of the team's actual selection only makes sense if that undisclosed draft pick is based on how well Mays performs.