Bengals expect open competition at punter this offseason

The Cincinnati Bengals have a question mark at the punter position going into the summer after last year’s shaky results for the spot.

Drue Chrisman took over for the veteran Kevin Huber last year and provided a marginal upgrade, but the numbers didn’t rank well leaguewide and some high-profile struggles in the playoffs stood out.

Speaking at the scouting combine, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed there will be an open competition at the position.

“I think it’s good to have competition. I think that part is hard to predict,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We just see where the draft goes and where the value lies.”

It’s a very coach-speak answer for the situation, but not one onlookers would hear when talking about say, Evan McPherson.

While the need to upgrade the position and get better play out of it is obvious to all involved, it’s impossible even for Taylor to say whether competition will come from a veteran in free agency or via the draft.

Either way, expect the Bengals to make an addition to the spot in the coming months.