Why is Zac Taylor answering for Duke Tobin’s Bengals mistake? | Opinion

Duke Tobin apparently knew exactly how he wanted the Bengals’ failed trade explained.

He just wanted Zac Taylor to explain it.

The Bengals‘ personnel chief sent his head coach before reporters Wednesday to convey his apology for the aborted acquisition of Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie. Taylor said Tobin had given him explicit instructions about how to present what happened.

Advertisement

Jason Williams: Cincinnati Bengals big week turns bad at NFL trade deadline

Then, Taylor offered a revealing introduction: “I’m not comfortable doing it, but I’m going to do what he asked.”

Consider that arrangement. The personnel department makes a mistake. Its leader determines how the mistake should be portrayed. The coach delivers the explanation, acknowledges his discomfort and faces the questions.

Tobin was not made available to reporters. Apparently, taking responsibility can be delegated by Bengals management.

The Bengals overlooked the true cost of a trade

The Bengals reportedly agreed to send a sixth-round draft pick to Philadelphia for Ebiketie. But acquiring his contract also would have canceled the projected third-round compensatory pick associated with Trey Hendrickson’s departure in free agency.

Advertisement

Over the Cap analyst Nick Korte publicly flagged that consequence. Shortly afterward, the Bengals backed out. NFL Network reported that the compensatory-pick issue caused the reversal.

Backing out was the right decision. Understanding the full price before reaching an agreement would have been better.

Taylor conveyed that the transaction proved more costly than initially anticipated and that the problem was on Cincinnati’s end. That leaves an obvious question: How did the personnel operation get that far without accounting for a third-round pick?

Zac Taylor shouldn’t have to answer for Duke Tobin

Tobin should answer it himself. We have been here before with his absence.

Advertisement

After the November 2025 trade deadline, Enquirer columnist Jason Williams reported that the Bengals had not made Tobin available to explain their inactivity or answer for the roster’s problems. Taylor was left to handle the questions while the executive responsible for assembling the team remained silent.

This week brought a particularly awkward variation: Taylor was expected to explain a front-office failure according to instructions from the front office.

Coaches answer publicly for play calls, clock management, preparation and losses. Players stand at their lockers and explain missed assignments. The personnel chief should be able to explain a transaction his department failed to complete.

Korte, meanwhile, deserves acknowledgment.

Advertisement

In 2024, he questioned Cincinnati’s compensatory-pick award following Jessie Bates III’s departure. The NFL subsequently acknowledged its own calculation error and upgraded a sixth-round selection to the third round. That was a league mistake, not another failed Bengals trade. But Korte’s analysis again proved valuable to Cincinnati.

The Bengals have not confirmed whether Korte’s post alerted them to the problem, though it has been reported that it did. If so, a public thank-you would be appropriate.

More Dennis Doyle: Reds need to pay Sal Stewart before his price goes up | Opinion

Bengals fans deserve answers, not secondhand apologies

Fans deserve more than an apology delivered through the coach. They deserve to know what went wrong and what will change.

Advertisement

Tobin knew how he wanted this portrayed.

He should have stepped forward to explain how it happened. That’s what good organizations do.

Dennis Doyle lives in Anderson Township and is a member of the Enquirer Board of Contributors.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why is Zac Taylor answering for Duke Tobin’s Bengals mistake? | Opinion

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com