Taylor also had this to say about Turner:We can think of one, but whatever.Nevertheless, Taylor expressed zero reservations about hiring his friend and former colleague, and did h

Who really is the best running back on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster? With injuries to Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard Cheap Cordy Glenn Jersey , there could be a shift in power.With three of the Bengals’ running backs getting a solid amount of carries during the 2016 season, questions about which back it truly the best have been raised. It’s easy to have an opinion but when looking at statisticalevidence, which back has been most impressive?Article continues below ...The Bengals wrapped up the 2016 season with a convincing win over a demoralized Baltimore Ravens team. While the game didn’t matter as far as the playoffs are concerned, the performance by fourth year running back Rex Burkhead was not lost on viewers.Burkhead rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries and had many Bengals fans calling for him to get a look at starting running back next season.While the performance was impressive, does it really mean that Rex Burkhead is better for the job than Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill? Here’s a look at how the three backs stack up against each other and what the statistics show.Next: Meet The ContestantsJeremy HillDrafted out of LSU in 2014, Hill has been the Bengals workhorse back since he came into the league. He has rushed over 220 times each of the past three seasons and eclipsed 1,000 yards as a rookie. Hill has been the team’s leader in rushing touchdowns since he came into the league, averaging just under 10 TDs per season. While Hill is a solid runner (over 4.1 yards per carry as a career average) he hasn’t proved to be a dynamic pass catcher, only averaging 1.3 receptions per game in his three seasons and scoring just one receiving touchdown.Hill adds power to the Cincinnati running game that the smaller backs on the team don’t offer. However, Hill sometimes lacks the elusiveness that can turn an average back into a top-tier back. He has also traditionally had some trouble holding onto the football as he fumbled eight times in his first two seasons but did not fumble once in 2016.In 2016, Hill had a year similar to his 2015 numbers, rushing 222 times for 839 yards and nine touchdowns. His most notable games were against the Browns in Week 7in which he ran for 168 yards and Week 14 when he rushed for 111 yards.Next: Giovani BernardGiovani BernardBernard has been thechange of pace back for Cincinnati since his rookie year in 2013 when he provided speed and play-making ability that incumbent starter BenJarvus Green-Ellis lacked. While Bernard had a great rookie year (totaling 1,209 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns) Trayveon Williams Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , he has only started 12 games in four years, and has never gone over 200 carries in a single season. What Gio brings to the table is his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and evade defenders when he gets into open space. During his rookie season he had over 500 yards receiving and has never had under 300 receiving yards in a season. He also has been able to hold onto the ball better than Hill as he has only fumbled four times in four years.Bernard’s season was cut short in 2016 by a knee injury which took him off the field in Week 11. He wasn’t having a banner year up to that point failing to surpass 80 yards rushing in any game. Bernard’s best performance came in the form of a receiver in week two when he caught nine passes for 100 yards vs. the Steelers.Next: Rex BurkheadRex BurkheadDrafted out of the same class as Giovani Bernard, Rex Burkhead has been used sparingly during his career with the Bengals. With a running back by committee already existing in the Bengals backfield originally be Green-Ellis and Bernard, then by Bernard and Hill, there were few snaps left over for Burkhead. The former Nebraska Cornhuskers star only rushed 13 times his first three NFL seasons and had an average of under three yards per carry.More from Stripe HypeBengals: Can Free Agency Signings Fill The Holes?1 d agoBengals Need A Voice Like Mike Tomlin’s2d agoPlayoffs Without Bengals Is A Hard Lesson3d agoCincinnati Bengals Fans Are Tired Of Waiting3d agoWhy The Bengals And Chargers Have More In Common Than You Think5d agoEven though Burkhead hasn’t played nearly as many NFL snaps as the otherbacks inCincinnati, he has slowly been picking up steam with the fan base due to his hard-working attitude and impressive end to the 2016 season.Burkhead exploded in the Bengals finale against the Ravens: rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. He also added another 25 yards on two catches. In addition to this one game, Burkhead was able to finish out the season with an impressive 4.6 yards per carry average.If there is a knock againstBurkhead, it’s that a lot of his carries came at garbage time or in situations conducive to giving up large chunks of yardage (such as draw plays on third down and 20). Even so, what Burkhead was able to do this season is impressive.Next: What Do The Stats Say?What Do The Stats Say?When looking at their statistics side by side, there is a clearer picture of how these players stack up. It’s apparent that Hill has had more opportunities to carry the ball in his career. Last year he received more than double the amount that of carries that Giovani Bernard received and triple Burkhead’s carries. Even though Hill’s career yards per carry average is less than the other two backs, his 30 career total touchdowns and 4.11 touchdowns per 100 touches are hard to ignore.Out of the Bengals running backs, is the only one that caught a touchdown last year and he didn’t even play a full season. Bernard is the only player of the three to crack the 1,000 yard receiving mark in his career. While he is not going to wow fans as a lead back Trayveon Williams Jersey 2019 , he still plays an important role in the offense and has not proven to be a better runner than either Burkhead or Hill.Bukhead has had the least amount of opportunities but has come away with a career average of 4.3 which is higher than Bernard and Hill’s averages. When looking at 2016 specifically, he had an even higher average of 4.6 yards per carry.If this number is extrapolated to the 222 carries that Hill received in 2016, Burkhead would have ended the season with approximately 1,021 yards (more than both Hill and Bernard).Although Burkhead does have a higher average, he also has an average of fewer touchdowns per 100 touches than Hill does and a higher number of fumbles per 100 touches than Hill for both his career and 2016 numbers.Next: And The Winner Is?And The Winner Is?For the Bengals, the backfield situation should be fairly obvious. Keep Giovani Bernard as a change of pace and passing option. Then, decide between Jeremy Hill and Rex Burkhead as the lead back. The numbers show that if both players continue as they are, Hill would score more touchdowns and fumble less. Burkhead would accumulate more yards.Next: What The Bengals Need From Free AgencyThe argument for Burkhead over Hill does seem somewhat justified. But, it’s anybody’s guess as to whether Burkhead could continue this sort of performance in the future. With much of each player’s usage being situational, there are still unanswered questions and no definitive answers. Hill is the more established player and the “safer” player to keep on the roster going forward. But, what if Rex is even better? This is what the Bengals need to decide this offseason. Bengals fans anxiously await the answer.This article originally appeared on Truly a surprising hire that Taylor is already doing damage control for."Has a head coach ever hired an assistant who he doesn’t publicly trust? Has there ever been an instance in any industry where a hirer didn’t back the person who he or she hired right after they’ve been hired? If you thought this would happen with Zac Taylor and Jim Turner, you have been incredibly mistaken.Amidst the backlash regarding the reports of Taylor and the Bengals hiring Turner as their offensive line coach, Taylor spoke about the criticisms directed his way just two days into his tenure as head coach.“I know the man and I know he’s a great person Color Rush Trayveon Williams Jersey , great human. And so, somebody I trust,” Taylor told reporters on Thursday. “We talked about culture and bringing the right people in this building and I would never do anything that would tarnish the reputation of the Brown family and the Bengals organization if I didn’t believe in the person and know the person inside and out. ...And that’s why I’m excited to get Jim in here. Football coaching aside, I like the person and I know the person.”Friends often have high opinions of each other. Taylor and Turner’s days on the same coaching staff spans back to 2008, and Taylor was the one who hired Turner as the University of Cincinnati’s running backs coach when he joined on as offensive coordinator in 2016. Taylor also said that Turner was his No. 1 choice for the job now, despite the past that Turner carries with him.“Well, I think everyone gets caught in some situations sometimes that they wish they would do differently, but again, I know those situations inside and out and I feel very comfortable bringing Jim in here and all the other guys we’re bringing in,” Taylor explained, regarding Turner’s past.Taylor was with Turner when the bullying scandal in the Miami eventually got Turner fired. he assuredly knew the ins and outs of the scandal at the Texas A&M women’s football clinic a few years ago that got Taylor suspended. Knowing that as soon as Turner’s name became associated with the team he know coaches for, rightful backlash would follow. Taylor didn’t waver to brush it aside.“On the surface sometimes things look a certain way,” He explained. “And so Cheap Trayveon Williams Jersey , again, I feel very comfortable with the decision to bring him in. I anticipated something like this and felt very comfortable. Maybe if I didn’t know someone who had been through those situations, but I know it, and I know him, and I know what he’s all about and I feel very comfortable. I know that this is the right decision.”When things look a certain way on the surface, sometimes it’s because they are what they look like. Sometimes they’re not, and that’s what Taylor is trying to push. Who are we to tell Taylor who his friend is? We don’t know him like he does, we weren’t in that locker room in Miami or in the clinic in College Station.But we weren’t born yesterday either, and all of our naivety evaporated over the years of the Marvin Lewis press conference experience. In an incredible double down, Taylor also had this to say about Turner:We can think of one, but whatever.Nevertheless, Taylor expressed zero reservations about hiring his friend and former colleague, and did his best to support him unequivocally. ”I don’t need the buffer Trayveon Williams Jersey Womens , because to be honest with you, I know what I know. And so, I shouldn’t have hired him because he left me at UC after like a week and a half, so he should’ve been dead to me,” Taylor joked.”But he’s not, because I know what he’s about, and the people in the community will understand that. You all will understand that. I feel very comfortable. I don’t need any buffering. He was out for two years and I hired him at UC. That was my decision. And so I felt very comfortable standing up here in front of whoever I need to stand in front of and explain the reasoning behind it.”We’ll see coach, we’ll see.