Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has a gargantuan task in front of him this offseason in free agency and with the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
While it sounds like things won’t kick into high gear until after the first of the year, Taylor addressed the media early this week and hit on some big topics.
When it comes to the draft, he admitted it’s nice to have the first pick and the freedom to choose from an entire class:
“It’s not just hoping that Jonah Williams is going to be there (when you pick) and hoping nobody takes him before you. Now, we get to make that selection. There’s a lot that goes into that process, as we research these guys and try to reach a conclusion on who we want to take, but we have plenty of time for that.”
Naturally, the conversation turned to LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the obvious favorite for the top pick.
Taylor listed out some of the traits he looks for in a quarterback:
“Leadership. A guy that leads by example. Somebody that outworks all of this teammates and elevates their level of play. There’s no question that there’s the accuracy that plays into it, and the timing and anticipation and all those things that come with it. No. 1, you want a guy that will lead by example and show others the way and raise the level of their teammates.”
On free agency and if he and the front office will be on the same page:
“We’ve been on the same page every step of the way. Again, those are conversations we’ll have this week to make sure we’re all heading in the same direction — which I know that we are — just with how we see the personnel going forward. Again, that’s something that we’ll take care of now that the season is over with.”
