Cincinnati Bengals must now rely on Dre Kirkpatrick

Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick (21) reacts during the second half of the 2012 BCS National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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Aug 24, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (27) defends against Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) in the first quarter of the game at AT /

The cold-hard truth is that Kirkpatrick is basically a rookie still after missing most of last year with a knee injury and a concussion. He’s already missed two games this year with a hamstring injury, and missed several weeks of preseason action with various ailments.

We can talk about him being with the team and getting all of those “mental” reps all we want, but in the NFL, reps on the field outweigh everything, and thus far, Kirkpatrick doesn’t have enough of those to warrant even being a top-4 CB on this team.

Still, he had a world of potential that will likely take another year or two for him to realize. Patience will be they key with Kirkpatrick going forward.

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