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The Cincinnati Bengals are likely going to be in need of a cornerback early in the 2014 NFL Draft if they don't sign anyone in free agency. One players who should be on the board at No. 24 is TCU's Jason Verrett.
As it turns out, the Bengals were on hand today to watch Verrett perform at his pro day. New defensive backs coach Vance Joseph got an up-close look at the First Team All-American.
It says something when the team actually sends a coach to watch a prospect vs. sending just a normal scout. It also probably had something to do with the fact that they won't get another look at Verrett working out until after he's drafted.
That's because he's set to have shoulder surgery to repair damage to his labrum, the same injury that hindered Albama cornerback Dee Milliner last year.
"I had a torn labrum, the back of my labrum, but I played the rest of the season." he said, per Rob Rang of CBSSports.com.
That didn't keep Verret from having one of the best combine performances by a defensive back:
RT @nfldraftscout: Despite needing shoulder surgery, TCU's Jason Verrett did 19 reps of 225 today. Matches how physical he plays on film.
— Robert Olson (@RobertOlson92) March 6, 2014
Milliner faced similar circumstances last year, waiting until after the combine but opting to have the surgery before Alabama's pro day. That didn't stop Milliner from being drafted No. 9 overall in 2013, but it did cause him to miss offseason workouts and training camp.
By the time he was fully healed, the regular season was upon him, and Milliner struggled mightily for much of his rookie year before coming on late in the year.
Hopefully, Verrett is able to rehab faster and not miss any part of training camp. The last thing the Bengals need is a repeat of Dre Kirkpatrick's rookie year, when a knee injury and various other ailments effectively ended his rookie year before it began.