Report: Jay Gruden convinced Bengals to draft Andy Dalton over Colin Kaepernick
By Josh Sanchez
The Cincinnati Bengals are fresh off of being eliminated from the NFL playoffs, so fans of the team couldn’t think of a worse time to hear the report that is beginning to surface. After Andy Dalton failed to show that he has what it takes to get to the next level once again, the news surfaced that Bengals owner Mike Brown never really wanted to draft Dalton with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
In fact, Brown preferred Colin Kaepernick, who led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance a year ago and a berth in the divisional round of the postseason this year.
Unfortunately for Brown and the Bengals, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden got “his guy” and the team ultimately went with Dalton.
“I like this guy,” Brown said of Kaepernick, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He has unusual mobility.”
Gruden responded with, “I want Dalton. He fits what I want to do.”
The rest is history.
It is hard not to imagine where the Bengals would be if they hand Kaepernick under center with Giovani Bernard in the backfield and A.J. Green streaking down the sidelines. You can never know what would have happened, but it’s difficult to imagine that they wouldn’t be a little better.