Cory Littleton rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 15: Cory Littleton #58 of the Los Angeles Rams runs onto the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 22: Geno Atkins #97 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

2. Cincinnati Bengals

It was a rough start to an NFL head coaching career for Zac Taylor. The former assistant under Los Angeles Rams’ head coach Sean McVay inherited a Cincinnati Bengals’ team that dropped nine of its last 11 games in 2018 after a 4-1 start.

Enter Taylor and the franchise dropped its first 11 games for the first time in its history. The Bengals would notch wins over the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns by season’s end, finish 2-14 and are now just over a month away from making the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

While the discussion these days is about making a change at quarterback, perhaps the biggest issue when it comes to this club is a defensive unit that has been simply dreadful the past two seasons. In ’18, Cincinnati allowed the most total yards and passing yards in the league and was 29th vs. the run. This past year, Taylor’s squad gave up the most rushing yards in the NFL while only three teams surrendered more total yards.

A look at the team’s top three tacklers this past season should tell you something about what the Bengals need. Safeties Shawn Williams (112) and Jessie Bates (100) were first and third, respectively, while four-year linebacker Nick Vigil was second with 111 stops. But the latter is also scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and of course, Taylor is more than familiar with Cory Littleton.

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