BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
C. Sawyer |
J. Spencer |
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- In attempting to complete their roster puzzle for 1998, the Bengals know that right cornerback is one of the biggest missing pieces.
The four players vying for the starting job not only represent a cross-section of personnel but also reflect the widespread competition that coaches love.
"It's wide open," coach Bruce Coslet said Sunday. "We're just waiting for somebody to take it."
Candidates include veterans Corey Sawyer and Jimmy Spencer, who flourished in spurts the last two years but not enough to secure a job.
There's also Thomas Randolph, one of seven free agents the Bengals signed this offseason, and Artrell Hawkins, a second-round pick from the University of Cincinnati.
Injuries and ineffectiveness forced the Bengals to switch starting right cornerbacks five times last season. Without a steady right corner to complement left corner Ashley Ambrose, the Bengals dropped from a league-high 34 interceptions in 1996 to 13 last year. Only three teams allowed more points and just two yielded more yards than the Bengals did in 1997.
"We're all pushing and fighting. Everybody's pushing for spots," Spencer said. "I'm just pushing to do my best. I know in my mind that my best is a high level."
Sawyer, a fifth-year veteran, peaked in the next-to-last game of '97, intercepting two passes against Dallas. He also chipped a bone in his left elbow that afternoon, ending his season. But coaches were impressed enough to list him No. 1 on the depth chart entering training camp.
Sawyer welcomes the competition but doesn't want to feel as though he has no room for error. He has had that sense while starting intermittently -- 12 times in 57 games -- during his first four seasons.
"All I want is an opportunity to lose the job without making one mistake and them pulling me," said Sawyer, who had a team-high four interceptions last year. "I don't want to feel down if I make a mistake."
Spencer tied a career high with five interceptions in 1996, when he started 14 games. But he made only nine starts last year and was pulled from the lineup twice.
Hamstring and hip ailments limited Spencer's effectiveness. "I don't make excuses," he said.
He'd prefer to make amends. Spencer worked during the offseason with a personal trainer, Ian Pyke. He also became a devout Christian, which improved his attitude.
"One thing I learned in turning my life over to Christ is never to let anything affect you," Spencer said. "Just be the same confident person you've always been, no matter if things are going wrong or you lose a couple of games or you're not playing well. Keep working hard and pushing and something good (is) going to turn out for you." Randolph, who started 32 of 64 games for the New York Giants from 1994-97, said competition shouldn't be distracting or intimidating. Citing an interception Sawyer made in a recent practice, Randolph said, "You can't worry about what he does. You have to do your thing. I want the team to win. When I see people do well, that makes me do better. It spawns enthusiasm."
The Bengals drafted Hawkins because they were convinced he could help the unit's depth and speed. After only three days of full-scale practices, Hawkins said his chore of learning the defense gets "easier and easier every day."
Competing with the veterans, he realized, will be different. "I don't think it's going to end, ever, really," he said. "It's going to be a day-to-day thing. Everyone in the secondary is talented."
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