Sunday was a bit of a strange day for the Cincinnati Bengals.
A practice day before the final preseason game, in past years, usually marked a well-known coaching staff rattling off the expected names as starters. Those expected names would sit the fourth exhibition and get ready for Week 1. The end.
But there was new head coach Zac Taylor this past Sunday benching first-round pick Billy Price in favor of Trey Hopkins and Michael Jordan. With A.J. Green hurt, Taylor tabbed undrafted rookie Damion Willis, not veterans like Josh Malone or Cody Core.
Taylor made it clear he wasn’t trying to send a message to his team, as he told the media:
“I wouldn’t say that we’re trying to make a statement in any way, shape or form. The guys that have earned those opportunities will get them. We haven’t factored experience into our decision making – that’s not the way we are approaching it. We’re approaching it as they’ve earned that time in practice and in preseason games. We feel like they have our trust, so let’s get them out there and let them go compete.”
But these sorts of developments have a way of sending a message whether the man responsible for them intends it or not.
Consider this — A year ago, Jessie Bates was the first rookie to start on defense for the Bengals since Rey Maualuga nine years prior.
This “anyone can win a job” mentality doesn’t mean the Bengals are guaranteed wins. Far from it. But players have noticed.
Wideout Alex Erickson, for example, had this to say, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com: “No matter what age you are, if you come in here and show that you can play and you prove it on the practice field and in preseason, you get the opportunity to play and start.”
Bengals brass brought on Taylor in part for his forward-thinking approach and Sunday’s news reflects it. This facet of it is clearly something players are excited about, so fans should be right there with them, even if it doesn’t translate to winning on the field right away. Sometimes the culture has to change first.
