Bengals safety Bryan Cook (ankle) and backup Kyle Dugger (unknown) didn't practice Wednesday, but head coach Zac Taylor isn't ruling them out for Sunday's game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) against the Jaguars at Paycor Stadium.

He said they went through the morning walkthrough as he tries to finesse the two veterans through the week and get them to kickoff.

"That's part of it. How much work do they need today?" Taylor said before Wednesday's practice. "Just give them a rest … We'll just take it day-to-day with those guys.

"It's Wednesday. Early in the week. Those guys are doing walkthrough and all that stuff. So (I) feel good about that."

Rookie wide receiver Colbie Young (knee) has been ruled out, and Taylor said they'll evaluate if Young has to go on injured reserve next week. With slot cornerback Jalen Davis (hamstring) put on IR Tuesday, another one, Ja’Sir Taylor, is set come off IR after the Jacksonville game.

"Close," Zac Taylor said of Ja'Sir Taylor being ready. "We'll get through this week, which is the window, and then evaluate him next week to see how close his return."

Slants and Screens

With the return of wide receiver Mitch Tinsley and the promotion from the practice squad to the roster of veteran tight end Tanner Hudson, it appears the Bengals cut returner/wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams not just because of his fumbled punt on Sunday, but because they literally need all hands on deck with the injuries to Young and IR'ed-wide receiver Andrei Iosivas.

Hudson, a Joe Burrow favorite, is a proven option with 80 catches and four touchdowns in his fourth season with the club.

"We've got a lot of faith in him, and he's made obviously a lot of plays for us over the 18 years he's been here," said Taylor with a smile of a career filled with endless moves from the practice squad to the roster and back.

"He's just always ready for his opportunity. That's what you appreciate about Tanner. He's been up, he's been down, he's been a part of it. He hasn't. He stays the same guy every day in practice, same guy in the locker room, knows that his opportunity will come, and he's going to capitalize on it when it does." …

Taylor indicated that the other starting safety, Jordan Battle, had to do exactly that to get through in Pittsburgh and he was impressed with how Battle played all 62 snap.

"That was a tough game for him physically as well. We'll work him through the week," Taylor said. "My hats off to him for fighting through the way he did and trying to help us win. And that's the Jordan Battle I know.

Dohnte Meyers seems to have the No. 3 wide receiver role through a battlefield promotion, but he's also listed as the kick and punt returner, which he did in the first two games. On Wednesday, Taylor said it's wait-and-see how he'll be impacted …

With Davis unavailable, Dax Hill does what he did last Sunday, and moves from outside to nickel, and the depth chart shows DJ Ivey is now on the outside opposite DJ Turner II.

Even though he's played only 17 snaps this season (four against the Steelers), Ivey has been seen by the coaches in his four years here as a reliable cover guy who has served mainly as a tight end defender and could be a starter on other teams. In the final three games last year, he played a career-high 25, 23 and 17 snaps.

"I think he's gotten better every single year. He had a lot of confidence in the training camp," Taylor said. "He's getting opportunities in these games, and so I do have a lot of confidence in DJ Ivey.

"Experience. He's just learned from all the reps that he's gotten. Longer guy (6-1). He's been able to cover guys in some specialty roles and filled in outside when we needed him." …

If it seems like Tinsley never left, it's because he's only been gone 30 days. The day after the Bengals released him at the final cut, Tinsley signed with the Texans practice squad.

"He missed three weeks of work, so there's a lot of things that I'm sure are still fresh for him," Taylor said. "He did the walkthrough today, nothing to my eye, caught me off guard."