Safety Dance

So, who is making the Bengals roster at safety?

OK. It's not the most riveting question--it probably won't be the subject of debate on PTI this week. However, I'm curious, since the Bengals drafted not one, but two safeties last month. It's not unusual to double up on a position in the draft, but couldn't one of those picks gone to fortify the tight end or linebacker positions?

Fourth rounder Marvin White looks like a good pickup, he should be able to fill in immediately as a backup (probably the first backup at both strong and free safety). I'd also expect him to contribute on special teams. Seventh rounder Chinedium Ndukwe looks like a project at safety whose best chance of making the active roster is as a special teamer.

White and Nduke will fight for playing time behind starters Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson. The club typically dresses five or six safeties each game, so that means the newcomers will be fighting incumbents John Busing, Ethan Kilmer and Heranda-Daze Jones. Jones and Busing are strictly special teams guys and Kilmer is a converted wideout entering his second year. I think White and Nduke should be an upgrade over the Busing and Jones combo, but how much of one? Enough to justify having two street free agents backing up starting tight end Reggie Kelly? We'll see.