The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly hired two new coaches to the defensive side of the ball in Charles Burks and James Bettcher.
Since the Super Bowl 56 loss to the Rams, head coach Zac Taylor has been able to keep the majority of his staff intact. All three coordinators are returning for the 2022 season.
One of the first moves the Bengals made this offseason was to give Taylor a contract extension that keeps him under contract through 2026. The changes are mostly taking place at the position coach level.
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Al Golden, who served as the Bengals’ linebackers coach last season, left Cincinnati to become the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman. This left a vacant spot for Bettcher to take over.
Bettcher, 42, most recently served as the San Francisco 49ers’ senior defensive assistant/run game specialist. Prior to his stint with the 49ers, Bettcher was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants (2018-19) and Arizona Cardinals (2015-17).
Current Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo worked under Bettcher when he was the Giants’ defensive backs coach in 2018.
Burks comes to the Bengals after a three-year stint in Miami under former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores.
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After two seasons as a coaching assistant, Burks was promoted to cornerbacks coach ahead of the 2021 season and worked with Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard.
It’s unclear now besides cornerback Chidobe Awuzie who Burks will work with in Cincinnati.
The Bengals have a lot of decisions to make in the cornerbacks' room with Eli Apple scheduled to become a free agent and Trae Waynes not living up to expectations and barely seeing the field after signing a three-year deal in 2020.
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The Bengals finished the regular season on defense ranked No. 26 against the pass, No. 17 in points per game, No. 15 in interceptions, No. 11 in sacks, No. 9 in forced fumbles and No. 5 against the run.
With free agency beginning in less than a month, the Bengals’ front office will make decisions on a couple of key players: Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, safety Jessie Bates and Apple. All three players started for Cincinnati and are scheduled to become free agents on March 16.
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