The Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers coached the Senior Bowl a year ago and understandably, the Cincinnati Bengals would like to follow that team’s trajectory.
Zac Taylor’s Bengals coached the South team this year and while they didn’t emerge winners in the exhibition, he isn’t hesitant to outline some of the great things the 49ers did after coaching in Mobile, per Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson:
“They were able to add some critical pieces during the offseason through the draft and free agency. Their coaching staff had been there for three years and calling the same system. You knew playing them last year that this team was headed in the right direction … This year they kind of flipped the switch there.”
Next season will mark Year 2 for Taylor’s systems, though it is one that had to continually evolve after brutal struggles for the running game and defense over the first half of the season.
And by big additions in the draft, Taylor means the 49ers grabbing Nick Bosa at No. 2 and an instant-impact wideout in Deebo Samuel in the second round. It also probably refers to big spending on guys like Kwon Alexander, as well as trading for Dee Ford.
In short, the Bengals aren’t nearly as aggressive in some of these areas. But it’s clear Taylor has taken note of the blueprint, so it should be interesting to see if he can nudge the front office into being a little more aggressive this offseason.
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