Jones: Bengals' defense can be top-10

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By Chick Ludwig, Staff Writer Updated 12:49 PM Monday, June 22, 2009

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer calls Dhani Jones and Dat Nguyen the most intelligent middle linebackers he’s ever coached.

Nguyen (pronounced “win”) played seven seasons for Dallas (1999-2005) and is currently the Cowboys assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality control coach. Jones is a 10-year veteran and clear-cut leader of the Bengals’ defense.

“Dhani’s sharp. He handles everything pretty quickly,” Zimmer said. “He tells guys where to line up. He knows the checks. He knows what everybody does on the defense. It’s really nice having a guy like that.”

Fresh off the weekend’s mandatory minicamp, Jones believes the Bengals’ 12th-ranked defense can become a top-10 unit.

“I like the personnel, the people, the attitude and the mentality going into training camp,” Jones said. “All I want is for everybody to be successful. I get my information from Zim and pass it on. I study as much as I possibly can so I know as much as I can on the field so that we’re prepared for anything.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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