Despite a lingering question at defensive coordinator, new Bengals head coach Zac Taylor believes he got the best situation out of all seven vacant head coaching jobs this off-season.
"A lot of coaches wouldn't look at this place the way I did among the jobs that were available this year," Taylor told NBC Sports' Peter King: "This is the number one job. It's exactly what I want in a coaching job; everything I hoped for."
But the former Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach didn't credit any particular player nor the history in Cincinnati for his decision. Instead, he pointed to the loyalty for owner Mike Brown:
"The Brown family is very big on loyalty in a cut-throat, bottom-line, dog-eat-dog league, when often you might just get two years to turn a program around. I just felt this was the right place at the right time. They hadn’t changed coaches in 16 years."
Loyalty may be a silver-lining for a coach jumping from a a high-flying Rams team to the 6-10 Bengals. Taylor's main task will be bringing a stuttering offense - ranked 26th in total offense last season - to a more competitive level in a tough AFC North. Taylor's success with Andy Dalton particularly could define where the 31-year-old quarterback's final years take place.
But before Taylor gets to meet any players he must address the still vacant defensive coordinator position on his staff. Florida Gators coach Todd Grantham will be the latest to interview for the job and is reportedly top of Cincinnati's list.
Grantham previously worked at the NFL level from 1999-2009 - spending two years as the Browns defensive coordinator along the way - before going back to the college ranks. The Gators finished 20th nationally in scoring defense and first in the SEC for turnovers forced (26) in Grantham's blitz heavy scheme last season.
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