Last year while fellow 2014 first round draft picks Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, and C.J. Mosley were playing starring roles as rookies, Darqueze Dennard mostly watched and waited.
The 24th pick in last year's draft made a significant contribution for Cincinnati on special teams, but only played 77 snaps on defense. For the sake of comparison, Mosley played 1,243 snaps on defense for the Ravens.
"I continually tried to tell myself, 'Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue.'" said Dennard. "Sometimes I want things to happen how I want it and when I want it, but it doesn't always happen like that."
"He wanted to play and was frustrated last year," said defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. "But watching Terence Newman, Leon Hall, and Adam Jones is going to help him be a better player."
"We didn't have to throw Darqueze in the fire," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "We stayed fairly healthy at the spot and didn't have to do that."
And as Coach Lewis is fond of saying: "That's a good thing."
Rookie cornerbacks rarely excel. It's interesting to note that the last 16 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookies of the Year have been defensive lineman or linebackers. The last cornerback to win the award was Charles Woodson in 1998.
"I think if cornerbacks or quarterbacks play too early and have negative experiences – that can really ruin a player," said Joseph. "But if he watches for a while, learns how to play, and plays well when he gets a chance to play, it carries confidence throughout his career.
"I am in a great situation," said Dennard. "I didn't get thrown into the fire too early. You see a lot of first round corners thrown in too early and they fade out of the league. You don't hear too much about them anymore."
Instead, Dennard learned from a trio of cornerbacks that ended last season with a combined 28 years of NFL experience.
"I knew a lot about the college game, but the NFL is completely different," Darqueze told me. "Having guys like Terence, Leon, and Adam helping me out by coaching me, showing me how to watch film, and staying on top of me about playing with good technique helped me out a lot. I really appreciate those guys looking out for me last year.
"The older guys did a great job of telling me that things happen for a reason. Just continue to work on your craft. This is a time where you can go back to the lab and get better. When you get an opportunity, you can make the best of it."
"He got a chance to learn behind some great pros and we're reaping the benefit now," said Lewis.
One of the biggest lessons that the former Michigan State star learned from the veterans was how to take care of his body.
"I've been taking precautions to make me better," said Dennard. "I'm not eating bad food, stretching daily, doing yoga, and things like that."
"Last year he had a college football player's body and this year he has an NFL body," said Joseph. "His body fat is down and that's a big deal because now he's running better and he can run fast for a long time now."
After the 36-year-old Newman signed a one-year deal as a free agent with Minnesota, there is an opportunity for more playing time this season for Dennard and 2012 first round pick Dre Kirkpatrick.
"They've been taught to do it the right way, they've been taught to earn it, and they've got a solid foundation when they get out there," said Lewis.
"The competition is high, everybody is making each other better, and that's going to make the team better," said Dennard.
The 23-year-old from Dry Branch, Georgia made a positive impression during the Bengals mandatory minicamp in June.
"He had a good spring," said Joseph. "The last two weeks he came on strong. He had four or five interceptions, he's playing nickel and outside corner, so I'm excited about Darqueze for training camp."
Biding his time as a rookie wasn't easy, but Dennard can see the benefits now.
"I had four first round picks (including Kirkpatrick) in front of me that have all been in the same shoes that I'm in," Darqueze told me. "Having those guys tutoring me is going to help me out a lot.
"And not playing defense meant less stress on my body. I was playing special teams, but it wasn't like I was playing 80 snaps a game, so hopefully it will add a year on to my career."
"It's OK that he hasn't played yet, because he's going to be a great player in the future," said Joseph.
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