Of the 14 members of the Cincinnati Bengals undrafted free agents class this year, a punter seems to reel in the most hype right now.
But that might not hold true for long.
The Bengals paid out extra in signing bonuses for two linebackers while formulating that undrafted free agents class.
One of them — Aaron Casey out of Indiana — sounds like a perfect fit who probably shouldn’t have slipped out of the draft.
Just look at the scouting report provided by Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com after the team made the UDFA class official:
SCOUT’S TAKE: “Pretty cool he ‘ll be able to keep that No. 44 here. Heartbeat of that defense. Multi-year special teams starter. Left a big legacy over in Bloomington. Culture guy. Very instinctive. Good against the run. Good QB spy on third down.”
It might as well say: Chess piece for coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Casey might get hit with “undersized” chatter at 6’1″ and 231 pounds, but he already checks a lot of the Zac Taylor era boxes such as coming from a big program, production and fitting the culture.
And his skillset that allows him to excel on special teams and as a quarterback spy in key situations could see him crack the final 53-man roster, then eventually contribute.
There’s a long road ahead before that can happen, but of the undrafted free agents, Casey is one of the guys who stuck out the most right away and the scout’s take sure doesn’t hurt that idea.
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