Story by
NFL insider floats idea of Bengals' Al Golden getting another chance
- Story by
- NFL insider floats idea of Bengals' Al Golden getting another chance
Whether Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is on the hot seat continues to be a debate that will stretch into the offseason.
For some, the debate there might be over and the real conversation pertains to someone like defensive coordinator Al Golden.
Advertisement
ESPN's Dan Graziano , for example, wondered aloud in a national piece recently about whether the Bengals would really move on from Golden after just one season:
"So yes, I'm interested to see what the Bengals do on defense. Do they give Al Golden a second year as coordinator, or are we looking at another scheme change? The way they feel their linebackers have improved as the season has progressed makes me think they'll run it back with Golden and add players he thinks fit his system."
RELATED: Bengals end Jermaine Burton era, release former third-round pick
We're not that far removed from wondering if Golden would be a mid-season firing after the Bengals were on track to be the worst defense of all time.
Advertisement
Things have steadily improved since, but problem points like poor angles and tackling remain. Working in Golden's favor, clearly, is that Duke Tobin's scouting department is massively struggling to hit draft picks.
But the blame has to fall somewhere. And as a former linebackers coach, Golden's decisions with the likes of Logan Wilson, Demetrius Knight and Barret Carter aren't exactly inspiring.
It's also reasonable to think that Golden had some sway in those draft conversations for those rookie linebackers, never mind first-round pick Shemar Stewart. And when basics like angles and tackling are major problems across a defense, the blame point seems obvious.
Still, the national side wondering about Golden's future is fair enough, though fans are right to point out that glossing over the Taylor conversation isn't a good idea, either.
Advertisement
RELATED: Bengals' head coaching situation getting some attention around NFL
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL insider floats idea of Bengals' Al Golden getting another chance
