Zac Taylor: Chidobe Awuzie a “great weapon” to have back on defense

The Bengals closed out last season without cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, but he’ll be back where he belongs against the Browns this Sunday.

Awuzie tore his ACL in Week Eight last season and his workload at practice steadily grew over the course of the summer. He returned to team drills last month and head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Awuzie will be playing against Cleveland during a session with reporters on Monday.

“Arguably one of the smartest corners in the league. I haven’t coached every corner, but he’s just got those instincts and that awareness,” Taylor said, via the team’s website. “He’s physically as talented as anyone, so there’s a lot that he brings to the table that people see and people don’t see. It’s good to get him back in the huddle and have him back out there taking reps. He really makes those receivers work for everything that they get. I know that they would tell you that. He’s a great weapon to have back there.”

Awuzie will likely spend some time guarding Browns wideout Amari Cooper, a former teammate from Dallas who he referred to as a brother on Monday. That familiar face will provide a good test in Awuzie’s return to his familiar spot on the Cincinnati defense.