A number of veteran cornerbacks are still available, but the Bengals are not currently in the market for an addition. When speaking to the media on Monday, player personnel director Duke Tobin expressed confidence in the team’s incumbent options.
“I like what we’ve got there,” Tobin said (via Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network). “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.”
Cincinnati struggled against the pass last year, and improving the secondary was deemed an offseason priority. That led to a number of moves at the safety position, but major additions at the cornerback spot were not made. The Bengals have two starting spots locked up in the form of 2022 second-rounder Cam Taylor–Britt on the perimeter and veteran Mike Hilton in the slot.
The other boundary corner role will come down to DJ Turner or Dax Hill. The former struggled in coverage as a rookie while the latter has not fit in as planned at safety. Hill transitioned to corner this spring, and training camp will offer the Bengals an opportunity to evaluate his progress. Cincinnati has a number of relatively inexperienced corners further down the depth chart, so adding one of the options still on the market would give the team insurance at the position.
The likes of Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard, Adoree’ Jackson and Patrick Peterson have yet to find a new home, though that will likely change in the near future. Many veterans sign deals at the onset of training camp, and waiting a few weeks could leave the Bengals short on options to choose from if a signing is deemed necessary. For now, however, Cincinnati will move forward with attention focused on the Turner-Hill competition.