“Being able to streamline the way Coach Golden puts things in buckets, I think helps the guys,” Burks said, via the team’s website. “Tremendous teacher and motivator. The guys have really bought in. He gives it in chunks. Chunks that make sense, and it’s chunks you can either think about a play or think about a concept. Once you think about the concept, you can actually digest more and that’s what he’s been challenging everyone to do. Think conceptually about what we’re trying to get done. Once you understand what we’re trying to get done, then there are about five or six more plays that actually work off each other.”

Bengals DB DJ Ivey made a name for himself, guarding tight ends and bigger receivers in third-down situations last year.

“DJ has a wide range of skills you love at that position,” Burks said, who has been raving about Ivey since they made sure they wouldn’t have to sign him in free agency with the late pick. “He’s handling multiple spots, and he’s a guy who has got to be able to do that. I know he can do that. He was guarding George Pickens in critical situations. He’s a tight ends guy and he’s a big receivers guy.”

Golden plans to continue to mix up looks in the secondary and said they won’t rely too heavily on man coverage.

“You can’t just play man every down. We’re a man- based team. We like to play man. We’ll have enough change up for them so it’s not the stress every down,” Golden says. “A mixture. Just give them a smoke break once in a while. Don’t make it too difficult for them. That is as highest skilled as any position in football. There are a lot of drills the other nine of us can do, but the corners really have a different world.”