What are the Bengals post-Andy Dalton plan?
By John Buhler
The Cincinnati Bengals are putting quarterback Andy Dalton on the trading block. What is the franchise’s plan going forward after moving on from him?
After nine years with the team, it seems the Cincinnati Bengals are willing to part ways with starting quarterback Andy Dalton, preferably through a trade.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Bengals are looking to find a new home for the Red Rifle. Cincinnati has the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and may look to take their next franchise quarterback there. Bengals general manager Duke Tobin will reportedly shop around to find a new franchise for Dalton to play quarterback for next season. Will there be any bidders?
Dalton gets dumped on too much by the media. He was a stabilizer at quarterback for a dysfunctional AFC franchise. The Bengals made the playoffs five straight years from 2011-15. Dalton is a three-time Pro Bowler, asserting himself into the NFL MVP conversation as recently as 2015. He offers a ton of value, but he’ll get cut and then sign elsewhere as a free agent.
While it is smart for the Bengals to see if they can get any value for him on the trade market, Tobin and the Browns shouldn’t expect a lofty return for him, if any. So what is the Bengals’ contingency plan to address the quarterback position heading into the 2020s?
It’s painfully obvious. The Bengals will draft LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall this spring. Burrow had the greatest season a quarterback has ever had in the 150 years of college football. He is a native of Southeast Ohio and has all the traits you’ll want out of a face of the franchise signal-caller. He’s cool, confident and can make all the throws.
Outside of that, it will be up to Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor to build this lackluster roster around The Geauxt. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will this era of Bengals football. Burrow is not as talented as fellow Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, but he has the disposition to be the next great Bengals quarterback like Dalton, Palmer, Boomer Esiason and Ken Anderson.
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If for whatever reason the Bengals somehow tragically convince themselves that Burrow isn’t worth the No. 1 pick, then they should move back a few draft spots, pick up a few picks and take either Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama or Justin Herbert out of Oregon.
Either way, the Bengals will take a quarterback in the top-five of the first round of the draft.