The Cincinnati Bengals will not retain Kevin Coyle as the team’s secondary coach in 2018.
Coming into the offseason, Coyle actually looked like one of the likelier coaches to be retained once Marvin Lewis was brought back. After all, Coyle helped oversee the development of William Jackson into an elite NFL cornerback this past season.
Coyle also helped with the development of Darqueze Dennard, who became a very good starter in his own right. But while those two played well, the rest of the Bengals’ secondary was, at best, a mixed bag.
Adam Jones declined for the second-straight year, though age may be the biggest culprit with his decline. Dre Kirkpatrick also regressed mightily after a good 2016 season, which earned him a big contract extension.
Then you’ve got the continued regressed of starting safeties George Iloka and Shawn Williams. Iloka had become one of the NFL’s best starting safeties prior to signing his new contract in 2016, but his play has regressed over the last two seasons.
Shawn Williams has been a mixed bag over the last two seasons. Then guys like Clayton Fejedelem, Joshua Shaw and Keivarae Russell haven’t shown much, if any progress since last season as defensive backs (Fejedelem did earn a Pro Bowl alternate spot on special teams).
Overall, I still think Coyle did enough to be brought back on staff, but at the same time, seeing Lewis make changes in areas that don’t necessarily need an upgrade are what good franchises do.
For what feels like an eternity, the Bengals have only made changes to staff and personnel if it was a clear weakness, and even then, making a change was never automatic.
All said, was getting rid of Coyle a good decision?
Poll
Were Bengals right to get rid of Kevin Coyle?
This poll is closed
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59%
Yes
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10%
No
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30%
Meh