{"id":113915,"date":"2021-05-17T12:32:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T16:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=113915"},"modified":"2021-05-17T12:32:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T16:32:18","slug":"cincinnati-bengals-sign-trent-taylor-heres-how-hell-fit-in-with-his-new-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/05\/17\/cincinnati-bengals-sign-trent-taylor-heres-how-hell-fit-in-with-his-new-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Cincinnati Bengals Sign Trent Taylor, Here&#8217;s How He&#8217;ll Fit In With His New Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wide receiver and special teams member<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TaylTr02.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trent Taylor<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has a new contract with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/bengals\/\" target=\"_self\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>, which will add depth to two areas of need. Taylor spent the past four seasons with the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/49ers\/\" target=\"_self\"> San Francisco 49ers<\/a>.\u00a0This 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&#8217;ve lost some pieces in recent years. The full terms of the deal are not yet public, aside from the fact that it\u2019s a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheTylerDragon\/status\/1394291074772897795\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one-year pact<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> according to The Enquirer&#8217;s Tyler Dragon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bengals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bengals<\/a> are signing former <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/49ers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#49ers<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MikeGarafolo\/status\/1394282255669989376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 17, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Cincinnati Bengals Sign Trent Taylor to a One-Year Deal Which Will Add Depth to Two Areas<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/04\/30\/jamarr-chase-joining-cincinnati-bengals-2021-nfl-draft-perfect-pairing\/\" target=\"_self\">\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">added only one player<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to their receiver room this off-season, as they drafted<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/jamarr-chase-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ja\u2019Marr Chase<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In Taylor, the Bengals will gain a little more depth to their pass-catching corps.\u00a0 Further, Taylor gets a chance to play alongside a new coaching regime with the Bengals. He will likely play a backup role behind<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BoydTy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Boyd<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a slot receiver. Currently, he&#8217;s the only other slot receiver on the roster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, Taylor participated in the Cincinnati Bengals rookie minicamp, wearing number 18 during team activities. If he continues to wear it on Sundays, he\u2019ll be the first player to wear the number since<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=GreeA.00,GreeAJ00&amp;search=A.J.+Green&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A.J. Green<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> departed this <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/03\/17\/a-j-green-signs-contract\/\" target=\"_self\">off-season<\/a> and those are some big shoes to fill. Across Taylor&#8217;s four seasons of professional football, he\u2019s compiled 731 yards, 79 receptions, and three touchdowns. Now, with the Bengals, he\u2019s likely to be competing not only for a contributor\u2019s role but a roster spot in general.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;7192&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filling a Void Left by Alex Erickson This off-Season<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, Taylor fills a void left in the wake of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/E\/EricAl01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alex Erickson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s departure to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/texans\/\" target=\"_self\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Houston Texans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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\u2019s special teams units and will likely do the same in Cincinnati. Special teams coach Darrin Simmons is known for his <a href=\"https:\/\/stripehype.com\/2021\/02\/23\/bengals-special-teams-coordinator-darrin-simmons-tough-overturn\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high-level work<\/a> coordinating the group and is likely to deploy Taylor in a variety of roles. The team most likely wouldn\u2019t have added Taylor without a nod from Simmons, which is important to note.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, Taylor gives the team a somewhat reliable set of hands behind Tyler Boyd. Certainly, keeping one of the game\u2019s 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pff.com\/nfl\/players\/trent-taylor\/11932?season=2020\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pro Football Focus<\/a> for his efforts. In Cincinnati, he\u2019ll need to secure more catches and prove to be somewhat steady if he wants to earn targets. The team also has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/I\/IrwiTr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trenton Irwin<\/a> under contract and he\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to Time in San Francisco, Trent Taylor Fits in With the Bengals Offensive Approach<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s not a direct schematic fit, it\u2019s beneficial that Trent Taylor spent time in Kyle Shanahan\u2019s offense. Now, joining Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan in Cincinnati, he\u2019ll 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BurrJo01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Burrow<\/a> being a higher-ceiling passer than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GaroJi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One area that will require some learning from Trent Taylor is Cincinnati\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some Bengals fans hoped for a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/05\/16\/cincinnati-bengals-free-agents-targets-following-2021-nfl-draft\/\" target=\"_self\">higher-profile player<\/a>, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WestDe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dede Westbrook<\/a>, but instead received a sturdy returner in Taylor. Certainly, he\u2019s 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\u2019s ability to crack the team\u2019s opening day roster. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"iS0uDCUJQPZmQiwfrmRL5g\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1081279266\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'iS0uDCUJQPZmQiwfrmRL5g',sig:'SPfAAm_LGI-WNhGyAZky7QJLuB-2cD9S88wSP232j1I=',w:'594px',h:'362px',items:'1081279266',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cincinnati Bengals sign Trent Taylor to a one-year deal. The wide receiver and special teamer will add depth in two areas of need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3734,"featured_media":113930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,36],"tags":[7637,7343,8304,6672,5819,1608,3466,586],"class_list":["post-113915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengals","category-nfl-news","tag-bengals-featured","tag-cincinnati-bengals-roster","tag-darrin-simmons","tag-jamarr-chase","tag-joe-burrow","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-trent-taylor","tag-tyler-boyd"],"modified_by":"Justin Patrick, Site Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3734"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}