Bengals Safeties Coach Jordan Kovacs Discusses Dax Hill's Future: 'I Have High Expectations for Dax'

[Arkansas Bengal]

The 23-year-old started all 17 games for the Bengals last season.

• JAMES RAPIEN
• 3 HOURS AGO
•  

 

CINCINNATI — The Bengals promoted Jordan Kovacs to secondary/safeties coach earlier this month. 

 

The 33-year-old is hoping to get the most out of a young, but talented safety room led by Dax Hill and Jordan Battle. 

 

Will the Bengals stick with the young guys or add a veteran on the back end? We'll get the answer to that question after free agency begins next month, but Kovacs did praise Hill when Dan Hoard asked about the 23-year-old on the Bengals Booth Podcast.

 

"Experience is the most important thing in anything, especially in the National Football League. He's been great. He's got the skillset," Kovacs said. "He can cover and that's not easy to come by for safeties. He's had high-highs.

 

He's had some really good plays and I'm sure he'd be the first to tell you that there's a few plays that he'd like to have back, but that's what happens when you're a young safety. He's done a great job just trying to get a little better over the course of the season.

 

I have high expectations for Dax and looking forward to working with him and expect him to make even bigger strides this year."

 

Hill finished with 110 tackles (six for loss), five quarterback hits, two interceptions and 1.5 sacks last season. Kovacs believes communication is crucial for Hill, Battle and the entire secondary. 

 

"Anytime you're going from nickel to safety, there is a transition, there's a learning curve," Kovacs said. "Once you're on the backend of this thing, you're really the quarterback of the defense. I know he's continuing to learn and grow there and communication is one of the areas where we need to take a huge step forward.

 

We're the quarterback, we're running the defense, we've gotta communication, make sure everybody's on the same page. I expect him to do a great job in that area."

 

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/cincinnati-bengals-safeties-coach-jordan-kovacs-discusses-dax-hill-future

[Jamie_B]

Both he and Turner need to step up this season if we're going to have a shot.

[claptonrocks]

3 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Both he and Turner need to step up this season if we're going to have a shot.

Battle and CBT too.

Battle had a great rook year.

Backfield coming together will be a strength for the team.

Need pass rush to aleve the cover too long.

 

 

[sparky151]

Hill and Battle are a big step down from Bates and Bell. The rest of the defense will have to step up but at the moment we don't have much in the run stopping department either. 

[Jamie_B]

14 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

Hill and Battle are a big step down from Bates and Bell. The rest of the defense will have to step up but at the moment we don't have much in the run stopping department either. 

 

Battle imho has the potential to do what Bell was doing, but yes he isnt there yet. 

Hill has the athletic ability, but he not mentally where Bates was. Not sure if he will ever be as good as Bates.

[spicoli]

19 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

Hill and Battle are a big step down from Bates and Bell.

Maybe as first year starters they were but that doesn’t mean they can’t reach those levels over the next couple of seasons. Not like Bates walked in the door as the stud he was when he left. 

[sparky151]

Bengals are going all-in for 2024 before Burrow and Chase's contracts grow large. Letting Bell go was a terrible mistake that we haven't recovered from yet. We need Hill and Battle to play at a high level this season, not in 3 years if we want to win the Super Bowl. Also need CTB and Turner to step up too. Our secondary was not good last year.

 

 

[texbengal]

3 hours ago, spicoli said:

Maybe as first year starters they were but that doesn’t mean they can’t reach those levels over the next couple of seasons. Not like Bates walked in the door as the stud he was when he left. 

Yes, 100%. 
 

I think talent-wise, Hill is better than Bates and Battle has the potential to be every bit as good as Bell was. They aren’t there yet, agreed. 
 

Especially the mental part. That takes time, and reps.
 

As a coach, what I like about Kovacs is that he wasn’t very talented… just a total grinder who had to develop the mental and intangibles part of the game in order to compete. I like the fit there with these guys. 

[claptonrocks]

On 2/16/2024 at 5:19 PM, sparky151 said:

Bengals are going all-in for 2024 before Burrow and Chase's contracts grow large. Letting Bell go was a terrible mistake that we haven't recovered from yet. We need Hill and Battle to play at a high level this season, not in 3 years if we want to win the Super Bowl. Also need CTB and Turner to step up too. Our secondary was not good last year.

 

 

It will improve.

Youngsters all.

[claptonrocks]

12 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

It will improve.

Youngsters all.

Dax is so fast as a safety but was 

stymied by playing FS instead of CB.

He and Battle will improve and be a force this year imo.

[sparky151]

8 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

It will improve.

Youngsters all.

 

That's part of the problem. We're probably going to lose Chido on top of Bates and Bell and Apple and Flowers from the prior year. We're pretty inexperienced back there and may have more growing pains in store for us. Hilton will be going into the final season of his contract and the team doesn't like giving players 3rd contracts. We could very much use some veteran leadership in our secondary. Nick Scott isn't it. 

[Jamie_B]

7 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

That's part of the problem. We're probably going to lose Chido on top of Bates and Bell and Apple and Flowers from the prior year. We're pretty inexperienced back there and may have more growing pains in store for us. Hilton will be going into the final season of his contract and the team doesn't like giving players 3rd contracts. We could very much use some veteran leadership in our secondary. Nick Scott isn't it. 

 

Question is who's going to want to come in and be a backup

[sparky151]

Er, you think DJ Turner is an unquestioned starter? I don't.  Signing a vet CB to compete with him for a starting job should certainly be an option. We could also do well to bring back Tre Flowers, even if just for TE coverage duty. 

[Le Tigre]

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Question is who's going to want to come in and be a backup

One is not a “backup” if the incoming guy beats the underachieving first round pick out. P

[Jamie_B]

1 hour ago, Le Tigre said:

One is not a “backup” if the incoming guy beats the underachieving first round pick out. P

 

They arent going to give up on Hill this quickly and sign someone to come in to be the stater.

 

I sometimes think people just want to be contrarian around here.

[T-Dub]

1 hour ago, Jamie_B said:

 

They arent going to give up on Hill this quickly and sign someone to come in to be the stater.

 

I sometimes think people just want to be contrarian around here.

 

 

I sometimes think this FO/staff will keep starting a bad player rather than admit they made a mistake.  Not saying that's the case here but they have a history of trying to talk up bums until their contract runs out & then quietly moving on.

[Jamie_B]

38 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

 

 

I sometimes think this FO/staff will keep starting a bad player rather than admit they made a mistake.  Not saying that's the case here but they have a history of trying to talk up bums until their contract runs out & then quietly moving on.

 

Yeah I have no idea why they haven't tried to replace Carmen at this point. 

 

I feel like you give a guy at least 2 years starting to see if he can do it. 1 the first year in the position where he is getting he feet under him, and in the 2nd year if there isn't marked improvement, then you start looking for something else.

[Le Tigre]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

I feel like you give a guy at least 2 years starting to see if he can do it.

Contrarian alert…but they are already starting to see the crumbling edges of the vaunted Lou SB defense. 
 

Both safeties gone…overworked/breaking down Hendrickson…equally overworked Hubbard…hugely overworked BJ Hill…damaged beyond repair Reader…broken Chido. They are no longer able to get offenses off the field…are abysmal angainst the run… and they now break in the red zones as opposed to bending. 
 

Unfortunately, they don’t have the luxury of taking their time in retooling. They need proven bodies now—not Nick Scott…and not dart-at-wall draft picks. If Dax or Battle get to only half speed this season, and the holy draft picks fizzle/flash, then the defense regresses further…as the wear tear will continue on the few reliable pieces they have left. 
 

The best help this team can do to get back to the playoffs, is to quit worrying about padding Uno or Tee’s pockets and get some proven NFL defensive players in the missing key positions. Simple as that. 

[Jamie_B]

1 hour ago, Le Tigre said:

Contrarian alert…but they are already starting to see the crumbling edges of the vaunted Lou SB defense. 
 

Both safeties gone…overworked/breaking down Hendrickson…equally overworked Hubbard…hugely overworked BJ Hill…damaged beyond repair Reader…broken Chido. They are no longer able to get offenses off the field…are abysmal angainst the run… and they now break in the red zones as opposed to bending. 
 

Unfortunately, they don’t have the luxury of taking their time in retooling. They need proven bodies now—not Nick Scott…and not dart-at-wall draft picks. If Dax or Battle get to only half speed this season, and the holy draft picks fizzle/flash, then the defense regresses further…as the wear tear will continue on the few reliable pieces they have left. 
 

The best help this team can do to get back to the playoffs, is to quit worrying about padding Uno or Tee’s pockets and get some proven NFL defensive players in the missing key positions. Simple as that. 

 

 

Well that's a take I guess.

 

Battle played pretty well last year once he started, I think he is going to be fine. Hill needs for sure needs to step it up. 

 

Overworked breaking down Hendrickson just got the most sacks in a year he has had, but ok.

Hubbard I agree was worn down, but that's why we will see Murphy getting more snaps to spell him this season.

The Texans were dead last against the run 2 years ago, They moved into the top 10 (number 8 ) in 1 year, the front office has work to do here but its not impossible to fix. 

 

So you don't want to pay Tee or Chase, but use the money on the defense. Isnt that exactly what you were worried about with the dutch boy analogy? You're kind of all over the place here.

 

We can afford to keep Tee on a 1 year tag, Jamar is still under contract, Joe's money doesn't hit for another year. We can keep both WRs, at least for one year, and get some help on Defense. Personally I believe it needs to be at the DT spot for vets as that's the place where the FA market is rich with guys. We can get a Eli Apple type to be a backup in FA, we don't need to get starters, the young guys never get better if they don't get snaps.

[Le Tigre]

7 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

So you don't want to pay Tee or Chase, but use the money on the defense. Isnt that exactly what you were worried about with the dutch boy analogy? You're kind of all over the place here.

Interesting. “All over the place” can also actually mean “pay everyone you want to pay”? Oh no…oceans of cap space, but that’s impossible! 

Your other points—with the exception of Mild Murphy’s hopeful rise to dominance—are logical, if not still fingers-crossed. 

[Jamie_B]

46 minutes ago, Le Tigre said:

Interesting. “All over the place” can also actually mean “pay everyone you want to pay”? Oh no…oceans of cap space, but that’s impossible! 

Your other points—with the exception of Mild Murphy’s hopeful rise to dominance—are logical, if not still fingers-crossed. 

 

You have to think about future years, Jamar is going to get paid, whether that's now or soon its going to happen amd Joe's contract huts next season. Yes we can afford to spend cap money this season and we should but that bill comes due very soon.

[claptonrocks]

17 hours ago, sparky151 said:

Er, you think DJ Turner is an unquestioned starter? I don't.  Signing a vet CB to compete with him for a starting job should certainly be an option. We could also do well to bring back Tre Flowers, even if just for TE coverage duty. 

Agree..

Flowers would help so much in man coverage on all these talented TEs in the league now.

It's killing us from stopping long drives.

If not Flowers then sometime of that nature

 

 

[Shebengal]

Wasn’t Hubbard playing hurt 😔 a lot of the year? That would explain the drop off in his performance. I have a feeling he’ll be back this year. 
 

I think we should try to get Flowers back. When he was here, for the first time in years, we actually covered a TE, and it will help with DJ Turner’s development.

[Jamie_B]

3 minutes ago, Shebengal said:

Wasn’t Hubbard playing hurt 😔 a lot of the year? That would explain the drop off in his performance. I have a feeling he’ll be back this year. 
 

I think we should try to get Flowers back. When he was here, for the first time in years, we actually covered a TE, and it will help with DJ Turner’s development.

 

 

Not sure about the start but at the end of the year he was pretty banged up

 

I'd bring back Flowers and Apple, both had roles here.

[claptonrocks]

4 minutes ago, Shebengal said:

Wasn’t Hubbard playing hurt 😔 a lot of the year? That would explain the drop off in his performance. I have a feeling he’ll be back this year. 
 

I think we should try to get Flowers back. When he was here, for the first time in years, we actually covered a TE, and it will help with DJ Turner’s development.

Hubbard jury..yes

Agree he'll be back to his normal self which is some pass run but excelling in run game.