Cincinnati Bengals Notes from the NFL Combine: Guenther Speaks, Alvin Dupree

The NFL Combine in Indianapolis is not just an opportunity for teams to get a look at draft prospects; it’s also a chance for media and fans to gather a few sound bites from team brass to get an early bead on the upcoming season.  On Friday, Cincinnati Bengals‘ defensive coordinator Paul Guenther spoke to the media and gave us a glimpse of how his unit might shape up in 2015.

Cornerbacks and Lineman Need to Step Up

Guenther said that recent draft picks should be ready to start paying big dividends, from cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard to lineman Margus Hunt and Will Clarke.  Even so, he’d like to have more bodies:

"We are looking for big things from those guys but you can never have enough of them. Just like you can’t have enough good corners. You like to have waves of guys."

Linebacker a Draft Focus

Guenther continued his revelations by discussing the linebacking corps, which the Bengals have pieced together over the years:

"I was always one to say let’s make sure we get the corners and rushers and I always said we can hold off on the linebacker, maybe we can get a guy later in the draft or maybe in free agency. A lot of times we have done a pretty good job of finding a guy after the draft, you come in you develop a guy after a year he can play. We need to take a serious look at that because things that happened this year with Vontaze and Rey, E-Man was his first year starting. We really have to look to bolster that group."

Alvin “Bud” Dupree

Meanwhile, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com reports that Alvin “Bud” Dupree, a lineman out of Kentucky, has an interview scheduled with the Bengals.  The 6’5″ Dupree can also play outside linebacker.

Next: NFL Combine: Cincinnati Bengals Notes from Indianapolis