Duke Tobin on Why the Bengals Won’t Be Adding a Veteran at a Position of Uncertainty

CINCINNATI – With the first practice of training camp two days away, the Cincinnati Bengals still have three roster openings.

There are several positions the team could target, and adding a veteran cornerback seemed to be an obvious fit.

Bengals Not Interested in Signing a Veteran Cornerback

Or at least it did until Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin spoke with reporters Monday at the annual pre-camp luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium.

Tobin said not to expect the team to sign any of the veterans still available. That list includes Xavien Howard, Adoree’ Jackson, J.C. Jackson, Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Peterson, and Akhello Witherspoon.

“Are we going to sign a veteran? No, probably not,” Tobin said while throwing his support behind the group of cornerbacks the Bengals have on the current roster.

Mike Hilton is a proven veteran slot corner, and Cam Taylor-Britt is a rising star who is heading into his third season in the league.

After that, there are a bunch of questions, beginning with the competition between DJ Turner II and Dax Hill, who is making the switch from safety. The group also includes fifth-round rookie Josh Newton, 2023 seventh-round pick DJ Ivey, who is on the physically unable to perform list following a Dec. 2023 ACL tear, practice squad staple Allan George, veteran backup slot corner Jalen Davis, and undrafted rookie Lance Robinson.

SEE MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

“I like what we’ve got there,” Tobin said. “We’ve got young guys that can run and cover, who have a lot of upside to them. We’ve got some new guys working in there, and it will be exciting to see how they do.

“Do I feel like we have an immediate need for a veteran to make our team? No,” Tobin continued. “Maybe if our numbers are down and we need some help at camp. I feel good about it. We’ve got a pretty good mix of veterans, guys coming into their own, and some young guys. We’ll see how it comes together, but we’ve got some pretty good athletes that can run and cover and hit.”

What the #Bengals told Dax Hill before going out and signing safeties Geno Stone and Vonn Bell.
And what they've yet to tell him: https://t.co/puZ1vq5W84

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) April 15, 2024

Issues in the secondary were one of the biggest reasons the Bengals gave up the second most explosive plays in 2023 and fell short of the playoffs.

Hill was at the center of that, which is why he’s switching from safety to cornerback, competing with his former college teammate Turner.

Lou Anarumo said he was pleased with how Hill handled the situation in the offseason, as well as how he performed in the limited practices the team had.

But Tobin said he didn’t take anything away from OTAs and minicamp when it comes to Hill’s position change.

“You’re just kind of working against maybe a show team and maybe some coaches that are lined up out there,” he said. “Did I draw any conclusions? I did not.

“Can he do it? Is he physically capable of doing it? Will he succeed? I would say ‘Yes’ to all those things,” Tobin continued. “But have I seen it based on what we did in the offseason program, which is not much? No.”

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Of the many things that led the Bengals to draft Hill in the first round in 2022 was his ability to play man coverage. Tobin said that hasn’t changed, even if his designation on the roster has.

“I know what he can do,” he said. “It’s not a question of whether he has the feet, hips speed, explosiveness and willingness to tackle and so forth. I’ve seen him do all the things he will need to do out there. He just hasn’t been called a corner yet.”