Taylor Mays Is A Bengal

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I guess we'll see, ultimately he's another guy no one wanted on a roster with too many of those types already

In fairness, frequently when you get a coaching change guys get run out of town just because the new boss can. I'm not worried that the new regime in SF didn't want him. If anything, I'm more worried that nobody was beating down SF's door to get him.

That said, if the price is right, this guy's not far removed from being a high draft pick. And hell, the team's so weak at S, I think the fact that he started in college at all pencils him in as a starter for the Bengals.

Judgement deferred until the price is revealed. I don't think I'd have given a 3rd at this point (considering that equates to the 65th pick), 4th seems about par to me, less than that would be a serious bargain.

[BengalPimp]

Obviously I like this move, as I've liked Taylor Mays for years (and a lot of other USC guys) having seen him play so much. That said, he got by in college purely on his athletic ability, and I am very interested in seeing what Zimmer can do......The truth about Mays is, he hits like a ton of bricks, but goes for the "pop" more than the tackle, which he will have to change somewhat. He has GREAT speed, but is not that fluid in his hips....He can get turned around, but has good recovery speed. If he sticks to covering TE's it shouldn't be a problem...WR's are a different story....

Final Comment: If Zimmer doesn't do a sh*tload of Safety blitzes using Mays this year, somebody needs to smack him the f*ck upside his head!

Use his speed effectively until you fine-tune his overall game. Don't waste it.....

[walzav29]

Great move. I wanted him in the draft last year. It has to be schematic. The guy is a physical freak, which of course means nothing if he don't have it in the hips, but he fits Zimmers schemes. He has to be better than the current backups. At least they're making moves!

[Wraith]

1) Love Taylor Mays the Prospect

2) Worried about Taylor Mays the NFL'er, teams don't just get rid of young players with this kind of talent for nothing. There was something wrong with Mays in SF and it is more than "he's a Singletary guy" either he couldn't be in the right spaces, he wasn't working hard in the classroom, etc. there was something that made the 49ers think he wasn't a quality NFLer and I will bet it has to do with discipline.

This all being said no team should have better information about Taylor Mays, Rey and Keith were teammates in college, Manny and Nate were teammates in SF all on the defensive side of the ball, if the Bengals have screwed this one up they only have themselves to blame. I do trust Zimmer to fire this kid up and motivate him the right way. Lets say I'm cautiously optimistic. Now lets go get Brian Waters @ LG and call it an offseason.

[walzav29]

Fulcher 2.0!

[ArmyBengal]

When I heard "undisclosed" draft pick, I was immediately thinking a 4th. If it's that or lower, I will be happy. A 3rd would be a pretty high pick based upon where I expect this Bengals team to finish this season. Overall though, I am f*cking stoked !!!

He was always the athletically gifted guy with a size and speed combo that was absolutely OFF THE CHARTS. The thought of him in a defense with Rey back in the middle makes me smile. The physicality of this defense should go up immensely. The Bengals wanted to trade up to get him in the draft and couldn't make it happen, so that tells you he's wanted in our scheme and the coaches will be chomping at the bit to get him up to speed with what we are doing.

If the part of Ndukwe's game that people liked was how he was able to bring pressure and get to the QB on a safety blitz, Mays should be brought with great consistency. I would love to see him constantly disrupting what is happening in the opposing offenses backfield. That with MJ and Dunlap on the edges and a push up the middle with Atkins and Rey should be something nice to see develop.

On a side note, while it didn't happen during the draft, this is yet another situation where Kaz has done a sig on a player coming out of college that was either drafted or ended up with the Bengals. Keep'em coming brother !!!

[Sea Ray]

Bengals were going to burn a 4th on Pryor. Raiders took him in the 3rd to free up the pick for Mays which is thought to be a 4th round pick. Much, much better of a deal if that is the case.

What are you basing that on?

[cincyhokie]

Bengals were going to burn a 4th on Pryor. Raiders took him in the 3rd to free up the pick for Mays which is thought to be a 4th round pick. Much, much better of a deal if that is the case.

What are you basing that on?

I have psychic abilities.

[Sea Ray]

Bengals were going to burn a 4th on Pryor. Raiders took him in the 3rd to free up the pick for Mays which is thought to be a 4th round pick. Much, much better of a deal if that is the case.

What are you basing that on?

I have psychic abilities.

Yeah, I didn't know if you consulted your terot cards or if you called Miss Cleo

[cincyhokie]

Bengals were going to burn a 4th on Pryor. Raiders took him in the 3rd to free up the pick for Mays which is thought to be a 4th round pick. Much, much better of a deal if that is the case.

What are you basing that on?

I have psychic abilities.

Yeah, I didn't know if you consulted your terot cards or if you called Miss Cleo

It does seem rather coincidental that the Bengals wait to move on Mays the same day Pryor came off the board. Mays has been available for almost 2 weeks.

[Sea Ray]

It does seem rather coincidental that the Bengals wait to move on Mays the same day Pryor came off the board. Mays has been available for almost 2 weeks.

Yeah, I do this there was a cause and effect at work here. I'd be very curious to hear more about the Bengals interest in Pryor, preferably sources not involving Jean Dixon or Shirley MacLaine. Hobs said that the Bengals did not put in any bids for him but that's just one source.

[BengalByTheBay]

I think this is a great move. This team was pathetically weak at safety, so it makes sense even if he projects as depth. If he pushes to start, so much the better. If nothing else, he would be perfect in the box for short yardage and goal line packages. I like it. I wish there was a similar CB out there to do the same thing with.

[HairOnFire]

1) Love Taylor Mays the Prospect

2) Worried about Taylor Mays the NFL'er, teams don't just get rid of young players with this kind of talent for nothing. There was something wrong with Mays in SF and it is more than "he's a Singletary guy" either he couldn't be in the right spaces, he wasn't working hard in the classroom, etc. there was something that made the 49ers think he wasn't a quality NFLer and I will bet it has to do with discipline.

Discipline? I'm guessing the reason Mays isn't a 49er today is because he doesn't fit what that team wants to do now that they've fired the coaching staff who drafted Mays. Because not only have the 49'ers changed their plans in regards to Mays, they've changed their plans regarding lots of players, including Manny Lawson, Takeo Spikes, and not so coincidentaly the starting safety Mays had been drafted to replace.

FWIW I just found out about this trade about ten minutes ago so I haven't given the idea a great deal of thought. But at first glance I'd say the same things are true today that were true prior to Mays being drafted. The more often a team can line up Taylor Mays within ten yards of the LOS the better life will be for everyone. And yeah, that seems especially true now that it's been confirmed Mays spent the offseason getting even bigger than he was prior to the draft.

[bwillycuse]

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Npji-Gvi0

I see quite a few 15 yard penalties on the hits he is giving there. NFL isn't about hitting anymore. He has to be able to cover a bit. We are already letting people roam free in the middle of the field.

This is another cautious wait and see for me. I like that we went out and tried to address a need. But he looks like somewhat of a project.

[Sea Ray]

FWIW I just found out about this trade about ten minutes ago so I haven't given the idea a great deal of thought. But at first glance I'd say the same things are true today that were true prior to Mays being drafted. The more often a team can line up Taylor Mays within ten yards of the LOS the better life will be for everyone. And yeah, that seems especially true now that it's been confirmed Mays spent the offseason getting even bigger than he was prior to the draft.

Where you been? Cue the Geico under a rock commercial...

[HairOnFire]

I think this is a great move. This team was pathetically weak at safety, so it makes sense even if he projects as depth. If he pushes to start, so much the better. If nothing else, he would be perfect in the box for short yardage and goal line packages. I like it.

Apparently the Bears interest in Mays was based upon their belief that he could provide immediate help as a backup WOLB and SS while doing duty on special teams. Any long term plans they might have were said to be strictly limited to switching Mays to LB in the same way they once switched Brian Urlacher from SS to MLB. Furthermore, according to at least one source the Bears interest level, said to be as high as a 3rd round pick, cooled only after Mays voiced his reluctance to switch positions.

[HairOnFire]

Where you been? Cue the Geico under a rock commercial...

Until things improve a bit I will not apologize for a 3-day weekend that did NOT include anything related to dem' Bengals. But since you asked, and you did, rest assured I spent the time period working on my yard, my car, and my wife.

Results were mixed.

[cincy9275]

i have seen mays play a couple times and was impressed with him. the whole reason why no body else though he had value. kinda has me concerned he was basiclly offer to every other team. noboby but the bears and us wanted him. the bears wanted to turn him in a lb.

[Kazkal]

i have seen mays play a couple times and was impressed with him. the whole reason why no body else though he had value. kinda has me concerned he was basiclly offer to every other team. noboby but the bears and us wanted him. the bears wanted to turn him in a lb.

Well not many teams looking for Enforcer in the Box Safety anymore,But I was more then happy with Roy Williams play when healthy under zimmer.Now we have a Healthier Younger stronger faster Version of roy..Sign me up I got a chubby...

[wpeldios]

1) Love Taylor Mays the Prospect

2) Worried about Taylor Mays the NFL'er, teams don't just get rid of young players with this kind of talent for nothing. There was something wrong with Mays in SF and it is more than "he's a Singletary guy" either he couldn't be in the right spaces, he wasn't working hard in the classroom, etc. there was something that made the 49ers think he wasn't a quality NFLer and I will bet it has to do with discipline.

This all being said no team should have better information about Taylor Mays, Rey and Keith were teammates in college, Manny and Nate were teammates in SF all on the defensive side of the ball, if the Bengals have screwed this one up they only have themselves to blame. I do trust Zimmer to fire this kid up and motivate him the right way. Lets say I'm cautiously optimistic. Now lets go get Brian Waters @ LG and call it an offseason.

Look at this move similar to what happened with the Bengals in 2002. In 2002 the Bengals selected Lamont Thomson to be their FS of the future and immediately placed him in the starting lineup on their first depth chart. The Bengals struggled, Lebeu was out and Marvin Lewis came in. The next offseason Marvin didnt feel Thompson fit his plan so he cut him(yes cut, thats 0 compensation 1 year after burning a 2nd rnd pick). He went to Tennessee and started 45 of the next 48 games and had a couple solid seasons for the Titans. Now was he a start no, but he had value. Do I expect Mays to jump in and become the next Ronnie Lott, no. But he doesnt have to, all he has to do is prove to be a better player than Rico Murray to help this team, and better than whoever our 4th round pick(presumably) next year would have been. And thats a chance I will take any time.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

rest assured I spent the time period working on my yard, my car, and my wife. Results were mixed.

You do know that all three take different grades of lubricant, correct? That could be your problem.

[TJJackson]

rest assured I spent the time period working on my yard, my car, and my wife. Results were mixed.

You do know that all three take different grades of lubricant, correct? That could be your problem.

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[HoosierCat]

Heh. Even Hobson is getting a little snarky these days...

Welcome to Clinic Central, where Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and secondary coach Kevin Coyle have been in practice for several years now with the shingle out at Paul Brown Stadium.

They’re easy to reach, whether you’re on the waiver wire, the trading block, or the scrap heap. 1-800-FIND-A-WAY. The pictures of nickel linebacker Brandon Johnson, safeties Chris Crocker and Reggie Nelson, and cornerback Adam Jones are on the wall. And safety Taylor Mays, with the Tests-Like-The-Rock-But-Plays-Like-Kid-Rock tag, is in the waiting room.

[ArmyBengal]

I really don't get the pessimism with the Mays trade from people.

Leave San Fran out of the equation and forget the fact they changed coaching and defensive scheme for a minute.

Look at what the Bengals currently have on thier roster at safety. Seriously, look at that garbage heap. Crocker, while solid, can NEVER stay healthy. Nelson, while I think he will have a good season, was another cast off 1st round selection that another team gave up on. After that, you are left with a bunch of guys that couldn't make another NFL teams roster to save their life. Well, that might be a slight exageration, but only slight.

You look at what Zimmer was able to do with Roy Williams when he was young in Dallas and how he was able to fit Roy into what he was doing and you have a pro bowl safety. Now look at who Taylor Mays is and how he was viewed coming out of USC. He was an enforcer type of safety that defense dared WR's to come across the middle. He had knocks about his coverage skills, but they weren't asking him to run stride for stride down the sidelines with a #1 WR either.

If Zimmer teaches him how to be the type of safety he envisioned for Roy while in Dallas, I think you will get a very solid starting safety for more than a couple seasons. Will you get a pro bowler caliber guy each and every season, the likes of Polumalu and Reed ?? I think that's asking a bit much, but I also wouldn't completely rule out something close either.

Bottomline, it's a win win for a Bengals team that has nothing at the position and a coach capable of turning him into something special.

I just wish people would simply wait before saying the move was worthless. He goes hand in hand with the rebuild of this team.

[HoosierCat]

I really don't get the pessimism with the Mays trade from people.

Well, let's face it. He's a guy who washed out after just one year in SF. In fact, they so much didn't want him they told the whole world in an e-mail saying he was available. And the only other team interested in him was looking to switch him to LB. So I don't think it's hard to understand why people are skeptical. Based on what Zim's done in the past, I have hopes they can turn him around, but it won't surprise me if they don't, either.