Poll: Were Bengals right to keep Jim Haslett as linebackers coach?

The Cincinnati Bengals are keeping linebackers coach Jim Haslett.

Haslett just finished second season with the Bengals after joining the team in 2016. He has more than three decades of experience in the NFL as a player and coach. That includes being the linebackers coach of the Los Angeles Rams from 1993-94 before taking that same role with the New Orleans Saints in 1995. He ascended into the role of defensive coordinator in 1996 before taking that same role with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1997-99).

Haslett later returned to the New Orleans to become their head coach, a role he served in from 2000-2005 while compiling a 45-51 record. His downfall came in 2005 when the Saints went 3-13 in the midst of Hurricane Katrina, which forced them to play every game away from New Orleans.

Haslett would then have stints as the Rams’ defensive coordinator (2006-08) and Washington defensive coordinator (2010-14) before mutually parting ways following the 2014 season.

After leaving Washington at the end of the 2014 season, Haslett was a consultant for Penn State in 2015. He then joined the Bengals as their linebackers coach in 2016, a role he has served in for the past two seasons.

As much of a defensive background as Haslett has, one would think he’d be a good candidate for the team’s defensive coordinator vacancy. Then again, it’s not like he lit the world on fire coaching the linebackers.

Of course, Vontaze Burfict is great and will be with whomever is coaching him. But really, who else after him has looked good? Vincent Rey has had flashes, but he’s still not someone you want in a full-time role for a 16-game season.

Kevin Minter, the big free agent addition on defense, was a major bust in his first and maybe only year in Cincinnati. His inability to get the defense down and make an impact when on the field was a big reason why the defense had so many lapses this season.

Then the Bengals got virtually nothing from other linebackers, including Hardy Nickerson, Jordan Evans, Brandon Bell and Nick Vigil. The latter actually looked worse after a promising rookie season.

The Bengals getting next to nothing good from Minter or Vigil was a big problem for this defense all season long.