Wide receiver and special teams member Trent Taylor has a new contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, which will add depth to two areas of need. Taylor spent the past four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. This deal adds a little more padding to a top-heavy receiver room. More importantly, it gives the team a boost on special teams, an area where they’ve lost some pieces in recent years. The full terms of the deal are not yet public, aside from the fact that it’s a one-year pact according to The Enquirer’s Tyler Dragon.
#Bengals are signing former #49ers slot receiver and punt returner Trent Taylor, source says. Good fit for Cincy, which lost Alex Erickson in free agency and had a hole at both spots.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 17, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals Sign Trent Taylor to a One-Year Deal Which Will Add Depth to Two Areas
Starting his career as a fifth-round pick, Taylor found a new landing spot in Cincinnati. The team adds to its expanding receiver corps. In college, Taylor played for Louisiana Tech and twice earned first-team all-conference honors. Further, he was the MVP of the 2016 Armed Forces Bowl after grabbing 12 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals added only one player to their receiver room this off-season, as they drafted Ja’Marr Chase. In Taylor, the Bengals will gain a little more depth to their pass-catching corps. Further, Taylor gets a chance to play alongside a new coaching regime with the Bengals. He will likely play a backup role behind Tyler Boyd as a slot receiver. Currently, he’s the only other slot receiver on the roster.
Recently, Taylor participated in the Cincinnati Bengals rookie minicamp, wearing number 18 during team activities. If he continues to wear it on Sundays, he’ll be the first player to wear the number since A.J. Green departed this off-season and those are some big shoes to fill. Across Taylor’s four seasons of professional football, he’s compiled 731 yards, 79 receptions, and three touchdowns. Now, with the Bengals, he’s likely to be competing not only for a contributor’s role but a roster spot in general.
[pickup_prop id=”7192″]
Filling a Void Left by Alex Erickson This off-Season
Interestingly, Taylor fills a void left in the wake of Alex Erickson’s departure to the Houston Texans this off-season. Seemingly, Taylor will be expected to overtake the punt returning role left by Erickson. In 2020, Taylor compiled 112 punt return yards on nine attempts, giving him an average of 12.4 yards per opportunity. Granted, Taylor played a variety of roles on San Francisco’s special teams units and will likely do the same in Cincinnati. Special teams coach Darrin Simmons is known for his high-level work coordinating the group and is likely to deploy Taylor in a variety of roles. The team most likely wouldn’t have added Taylor without a nod from Simmons, which is important to note.
Additionally, Taylor gives the team a somewhat reliable set of hands behind Tyler Boyd. Certainly, keeping one of the game’s elite slot receivers in Boyd on the field is ideal, but adding some depth at the position could be a wise move. However, in 2020, Taylor struggled with drops, catching only 47.6% of his targets. Further, he earned just a 53.9 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts. In Cincinnati, he’ll need to secure more catches and prove to be somewhat steady if he wants to earn targets. The team also has Trenton Irwin under contract and he’s already proven his ability to back up Boyd, an important factor to note. Irwin also has existing chemistry with Burrow, which gives him a depth chart advantage. Regardless, Taylor is a much better and more proven special teams player than Irwin.
Due to Time in San Francisco, Trent Taylor Fits in With the Bengals Offensive Approach
While it’s not a direct schematic fit, it’s beneficial that Trent Taylor spent time in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Now, joining Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan in Cincinnati, he’ll work with a lot of similar concepts. For instance, Taylor should be ready for the variety of quick passes and run-pass options that have been utilized heavily in San Francisco. Granted, he will play with an even better passer in Cincinnati, with Joe Burrow being a higher-ceiling passer than Jimmy Garoppolo.
One area that will require some learning from Trent Taylor is Cincinnati’s taste for empty sets. In recent years, Zac Taylor has gone with four-to-five receiver sets as much as any team. For players, this means they need to get open in a hurry, running particularly tight routes. Taylor will receive limited offensive snaps, but he needs to be ready when the time comes. Seemingly, he turned some heads at rookie minicamp and could make a bigger impact than expected.
Some Bengals fans hoped for a higher-profile player, like Dede Westbrook, but instead received a sturdy returner in Taylor. Certainly, he’s not a roster lock and needs to prove his way onto the final 53-man roster over the next few months. And replacing Erickson after his five solid years in Cincinnati is a tricky task. However, the Bengals have a reputation for getting the most out of special teams aces. If Taylor is able to make a positive impact on that group, the signing could wind up looking quite wise. For now, it will be about Taylor’s ability to crack the team’s opening day roster.
Main Photo
