Cincinnati Bengals: Final 53-man roster cut predictions for 2018
By Kenn Korb
Defensive Backs
* = starters; + = make roster
+Darqueze Dennard, C.J. Goodwin, Davontae Harris, Darius Hillary, *William Jackson III, *Dre Kirkpatrick, Tony McRae, +Darius Phillips, +KeiVarae Russell, Josh Shaw, *Jessie Bates, Tyrice Beverette, +Clayton Fejedelem, +Trayvon Henderson, *Shawn Williams, +Brandon Wilson
The defensive line is set to be a furious source of impact for this side of the ball, but the secondary is sneakily in line to be a strength of its own.
Leading the way is Jackson III. Even Antonio Brown wasn’t able to break free of Jackson III’s coverage — that’s how good this dude was. This year, he’s the clear No. 1 and should be able to easily handle the uptick in snaps (698 last season; 1,000+ expected for full-time starters) and responsibility as he enters his third season.
The other guys at corner aren’t as impressive, but having someone as excellent as Jackson III out there should help his teammates find more manageable matchups. This is especially important for former No. 1 corner Kirkpatrick, who has always been too inconsistent for the big contract he signed a couple years ago, but may be able to be positively impactful when not having to face an offense’s top option every down.
Slot corner Dennard should also be able to build off the first productive season of his career as he fights for a new long-term contract (either here or elsewhere).
Past them at the position are a bunch of unproven guys. Among them, Phillips and Russell seem to have the best claims for a regular season roster spot. Russell is in Year 3 with the team and should be ready to take over as the No. 4 corner. Phillips was a mid-round draftee this year and should battle not only for corner snaps with Russell but against Erickson for returner duties. Harris has a case to make, but the experience and utility respectively provided by the others mentioned before him Cincinnati should feel comfortable relegating him to the practice squad for now.
At safety, the big change was already enacted weeks ago when Bates showed so much exciting potential that the team essentially gave Iloka the boot midway through a preseason game. His skill set, when placed alongside fellow starter Williams, should provide a more vibrant fit than the one he and Iloka were forced into. Both were strong vs the run, but could be targeted in coverage. With Bates, Williams has someone who can cover for his weaknesses while letting him more often utilize his own strengths.
The depth has some key changes possibly in store as well. Shaw has split time at safety and corner for three years now, but he’s proceeded to get worse each year he’s played. Replacing him is a worthwhile endeavor — if the team has a decent replacement in mind.
While they may not have someone with Shaw’s theoretical positional fluidity, they do have more recent acquisitions on their roster than him who will manage to have a better impact in their specific roles. Fejedelem is a useful backup and key special teams player. Wilson came in tantalizingly raw (was a two-way running back and corner in college), with the sort of athletic talents this team loves to develop long-term in the secondary.
After a full year with the franchise, he may be ready for a role somewhere back there now. Henderson is another potential special teams maverick, and has had a good preseason so far (through three games: six tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass knockdown, one QB hit). There is enough talent here to allow the team to move on from Shaw and feel sound in their decision.