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When the Bengals signed veteran cornerback Terence Newman this offseason, the move came with mixed reviews. Some claimed that it was a typical Mike Brown move--bringing in a former first round pick who was well past his prime. Others claimed that it was a low risk/high reward acquisition, as it was adding a savvy player to a think position group. After a pretty solid performance in the preseason opener, it's beginning to look more like the latter.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was the man largely responsible for Newman arriving in Cincinnati. Zimmer was his coach in Dallas with the Cowboys and is still in Newman's corner (no pun intended) today. In his few months here, Newman's performance has been pleasing the old coach.
Last season, the team was criticized for brining in another cornerback who was labeled as "washed up", in Nate Clements. He had a solid season for the team after they lost Johnathan Joseph to free agency and really helped last year's No.7 ranked defense. The Bengals are hoping for a similar type of renaissance from Newman, who fell out of favor with Dallas after last season.