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The Cincinnati Bengals have lost former first-round pick William Jackson to free agency.
Jackson agreed to a mega-contract with Washington, leaving the Bengals in a tough spot.
It’s one the front office and coaching staff chose, of course. Jackson, at its most basic, received a nearly identical contract to the one the Bengals gave Trae Waynes last year.
This week, the Bengals threw cash at Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton to join Waynes as the team’s new starters at corner.
And it’s a major gamble. Waynes missed all of last season, so every starting corner in the secondary next year will be playing his first snap with the team in Week 1. For a defense that has often cited communication issues as a problem, that could be an issue. The Bengals seem to want guys who better fit coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme, so these moves make sense viewed that way — but that too is a gamble.
Jackson, 28, was a first-round pick by the Bengals in 2016 and promptly missed his rookie season due to an injury.
But Jackson has excelled since, even posting a 90.2 PFF grade in 2017 during his “rookie” year. A variety of defensive coordinators haven’t always used Jackson to his strengths, but his upside in an aggressive scheme as a boundary corner made him one of free agency’s best outright players.
Like edge rusher Carl Lawson, a tag would have made plenty of sense for WJ3. Instead, another team paid up and he’ll likely see better usage with a team that prioritizes his strengths. The Bengals, meanwhile, can only hope the new starting trio better aligns with what the coaching staff wants.
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