The Cincinnati Bengals are throwing a lot at veteran linebacker Josh Bynes — and fast.
Bynes arrived via free agency this offseason and is immediately the most experienced linebacker on the roster. Meaning, he’s tasked with bringing along a young positional group that just got a major makeover.
Here’s his response when Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com told him he’s got more games played than all other linebackers on the roster combined:
“Really?. I didn’t know it would be that far apart. My job is to impart that knowledge they can use and then they can pass it on in their career. There’s no point keeping it to myself.”
Bynes on how the other linebackers have done during the all-virtual offseason so far:
“Right now, they’re picking it up. The changes come when you practice it. You get to a high level by practice. That’s what this league has been built on since before time. It’s good to be ready in the classroom, but you have to do it on the field.”
Bynes has played for three teams over the course of a career that started in 2011, playing for Baltimore twice. Over that span, he’s put up 378 total tackles, four interceptions and 26 passes defensed.
While he only played 40 percent of the snaps last year, Bynes will play an important rotational role right away. But it’s clear the team has much bigger plans for him as he looks to mentor Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey, not to mention Germaine Pratt and others.
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