Arkansas Bengal Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Bengals free-agency breakdown: S Taylor Mays January, 29, 2015 Jan 29 8:00 AM ET By Coley Harvey | ESPN.com CINCINNATI -- Free agency is right around the corner for the Cincinnati Bengals, who have 15 players with contracts that expire in March. Of the 15, 13 are unrestricted free agents and two are restricted free agents. To help you understand the decisions the Bengals must make, we're taking a daily look at the respective free agents and the reasons why they will or won't be re-signed.Click here to see the other free agency breakdowns. We continue with safety Taylor Mays: Year signed: 2014Length of previous deal: One year2014 cap value: $795,0002014 role: Backup safety, key special teamer.Why he will be re-signed: The decision to have Mays re-sign could rest more in his hands than the Bengals'. Perhaps more than some of the other players mentioned in this free-agency breakdown series, Mays could have to think about whether he would want to come back for more time as a backup, or if he would like to have a better chance of earning playing time elsewhere. That hinges on the interest he receives on the open market. But assuming for now that he wants to stay in Cincinnati, the Bengals would re-sign Mays because of the important role he plays as a versatile reserve. In addition to playing safety, he also has gotten on the field the past two seasons playing more of a hybrid linebacker position. It's been in nickel situations when "Sam" linebacker Emmanuel Lamur was injured that Mays shifted over into that spot and covered tight ends and occasionally receivers. Mays' combination of size, athleticism, and coverage ability has made him a good off-the-bench option. The Bengals also would re-sign him because of the positive impact he has had on the punt and kickoff coverage teams. Routinely, he was among the first tacklers around the football on opposing kick returns.Why he won't be re-signed: Again, the ball appears to truly be in Mays' court. It's possible that he might decide against returning, because the odds that he beats out George Iloka or Reggie Nelson for one of the starting safety jobs is slim. As he goes into his sixth season, Mays might want to be in a place where he can play more. If that's the case, then he will be gone. Because of the depth Mays provides on defense and special teams, the Bengals have little reason to want to part with him. That's another indication of how much this decision could hinge on what Mays wants. http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 He hasn't turned into the player I hoped he would. But I still hope they re-sign him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Move on...find a younger player with possible upside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky151 Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 If someone beats him out for a roster spot, fine. But he's useful depth that shouldn't be cut til a better option is on board. He's cheap, athletic, and knows the scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Dr Tarzan| Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I wondered why he saw so little PT this year. Before his injury on that useless snap at the half of the Jets' game last year, he was playing the hybrid role well beyond my expectations. Lamur had his moments of playing well, but more moments of suckitude than attaboy's. Mays covers TE as well as anybody, where Lamur was mediocre all season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishBengal Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I hope we keep him as a nickle LB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.