Could Dre Kirkpatrick be on the hot seat this offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals?

Kirkpatrick, oft-targeted by opposing quarterbacks and Bengals fans alike, carries a hefty cap number into next season. The Zac Taylor-led coaching staff wiggling out of that number and making additions to cornerback through other means has been a consistent hypothetical from the fanbase (and before Taylor’s arrival, really).

During a comprehensive look at combine takeaways, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic might’ve provided the first serious fuel for the proverbial fire:

“We’ve likely seen the end of Darqueze Dennard’s time in Cincinnati with both sides focused in other directions. The Bengals would like to use the money saved on letting go of Dre Kirkpatrick to help fund a younger, high-quality replacement.”

If Taylor’s staff has seen enough from Kirkpatrick, who posted a 61.7 grade at Pro Football Focus last year and let up three touchdowns on 30 targets, cutting him would certainly make some sense.

Kirkpatrick is the team’s third-highest cap charge in 2020 at about $11 million and cutting him would save around $8 million against the cap.

But there’s a catch — that would leave the Bengals without a starting boundary player while already losing Darqueze Dennard to the market. The coaching staff presumably likes Darius Phillips, but it would necessitate a starter-quality add in free agency.

Both cutting Kirkpatrick and being more active than usual in free agency is probably “believe it when seeing it” material for Bengals faithful. But with Taylor’s staff sitting on a full year of experience and film and not currently scrambling to merely assemble a staff, big changes could be coming.