According to Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, cornerback is one of the toughest jobs on an NFL defense.

When a defensive tackle is out of position, Anarumo said that only the coaching staff and the players can spot the mistake. But if a defensive back makes a mistake, everyone can see it. 

In the Bengals’ Week 9 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Bengals cornerback Eli Apple’s mistake on a 60-yard touchdown reception was easy to spot. Apple allowed Browns receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to run right past him up the middle of the field and make a wide open catch.

Over the last two weeks, Apple’s struggles in one-on-one coverage and his inconsistency as a tackler have resurfaced. Heading into the Bengals’ game on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn’t commit to Apple as a starting cornerback.

“I think we’ve got some depth in that (cornerback) room now,” Taylor said. “We get a chance to continue to evaluate those guys and see what kind of roles they play. Sometimes they don’t come in as starters. Sometimes there’s other opportunities to get them on the field and feature some of their talents.”

This season, the Bengals have reshaped their cornerback group more than any other position. In October, the Bengals claimed cornerback Tre Flowers, who has started 40 of his 50 career games and opened the year as the Seahawks starting outside corner. Then in November, the Bengals claimed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, a former first round pick who had been a starter for nearly his entire six-year career.

With Bengals starting cornerback Trae Waynes on the injured reserve, Flowers and Hargreaves have an opportunity to compete with Apple for more playing time.

“We need that depth to step up over the course of the season because every team is going to lean on that,” Taylor said. “I think that we’ve done a really good job of adding players who can provide competition and provide depth and we’re in a good spot with the roster right now.”

While the Bengals claimed Flowers last month, his only playing time on defense so far was his pass coverage against Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in Week 7. Flowers’ physicality has helped him have a productive four-year career, and he has the versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary.

​​“You’ve got to keep adding corners in this league,” Taylor said. “It’s something a lot of teams are dealing with. We’re glad to have him.”

Hargreaves hit the waiver wire because the rebuilding Houston Texans were looking to give younger corners more opportunities. Hargreaves has had a better season than Flowers, and he has more experience this season as an outside cornerback in a role similar to Apple’s.

Hargreaves has still only participated in a handful of practices with the team, but the coaching staff sees him as a consistent tackler and an impressive athlete who can cover on the outside. 

“That’s great that we have him now,” Anarumo said. “It’s great that he adds to our depth. I’m anxious to see him move around (in practice), I really am. He’s a heck of a guy. He’s got really good ball skills. So, we’ll see how it plays out. I’m glad we got him.”

ROSTER MOVES: With safety Brandon Wilson (knee) and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (foot) likely out for the season, the Bengals added depth at those positions.

The Bengals signed safety Michael J. Thomas from the practice squad to fill Wilson’s role. Thomas has played in the NFL for eight seasons, and he was a starter for the Miami Dolphins in the mid-2010s when Anarumo was the Dolphins defensive backs coach.

The Bengals also signed linebacker Austin Calitro to the practice squad on Monday. Calitro spent 2020 training camp with the Bengals, so he has experience with the Bengals scheme.

NEW RETURNER: With Wilson out for the season, the Bengals will need to replace one of the best kick returners in the NFL.

Cornerback Darius Phillips replaced Wilson after his injury, and Simmons said Phillips is the leading candidate to return kicks going forward. Other potential options could include running backs Samaje Perine and Chris Evans and practice squad wide receivers Pooka Williams and Trent Taylor.

“We certainly have to get some extra guys in the mix in case something happens to Darius,” Simmons said. “We’ll take a look at a variety of guys. We got a couple of guys on the practice squad, we have a couple of guys on the active roster actually that could be potential candidates for that spot. There’s going to be inexperience when it comes to that for sure.”