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Andy Dalton has done a pretty solid job as starting quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals through his first three seasons. It’s possible the job he has done hasn’t been good enough.
Per ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Bengals could seriously consider drafting Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater if he free falls all the way to their 24th overall selection in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Despite Dalton posting career numbers in 2013 and guiding Cincy to a third straight post-season appearance, there is enough doubt about him being the franchise’s true long-term answer under center to potentially make drafting a sliding quarterback very appealing. While Dalton has seemed to have improve at least statistically each year, the Bengals have yet to win a playoff game in any of their three appearances with Dalton at the helm.
Bridgewater’s talent and leadership could force Cincinnati’s hand, putting him “in discussion” as a “fallback option” late in round one.
The Bengals are a well built and balanced team on both sides of the ball, but drafting a quarterback with questions of his own is likely to be a highly scrutinized move. After all, the Bengals have several other glaring needs, specifically at linebacker, safety and cornerback.
A player like Bridgewater could still ignite a fire under the franchise, while it’s very arguable that Bridgewater has more natural talent and a better arm than Dalton. Dalton’s lack of elite arm strength has been a highly targeted flaw in his game, and if the Cincy brass thinks it’s what is keeping the Bengals from taking their game to the next level, upgrading over him might be the route they end up taking.
This is draft rumor season, though so it’s also entirely possible the Bengals are content with their draft board, but are trying to brew up interest in their pick. With Bridgewater already tentatively expected to slide in the first round of this year’s draft, Cincinnati could be trying to generate interest in their pick so they can try to trade down.
