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AJ McCarron healthy, hoping to push Andy Dalton


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I will cop to pissing and moaning copiously throughout the Nineties. But in my defense, there were some really crappy teams (and even crappier behavior on the part of the front office) to piss and moan about. Suffice it to say that the Bengals today are a lot more enjoyable.

I can still be reflexively cynical and negative about the club, but it's more out of nostalgia than anything else.

I rooted for them, but didn't 'expect' them to win on the 90s.

Today, when they don't have 6 or 8 key players out, I expect them to win every time they take the field.

Yes, they are much more enjoyable!

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I'm looking forward to seeing what AJ is made of this preseason. But for the time-being it's still Howdy Doody time at QB.

As a fan, I find no solace in relentlessly hammering on a player, that I may not like or agree with management on, ESPECIALLY, like it's been said and agreed upon in here numerous times, when that player will be a fixed member of the franchise for years to come, barring a career ending injury. I'm sure if Dalton were to lower himself, he could come up with a few juvenile nicknames for you as well!

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I'm looking forward to seeing what AJ is made of this preseason. But for the time-being it's still Howdy Doody time at QB.

Agreed, looking forward to seeing McCarron sling it. I'm not so sure the Rusted Rifle is as entrenched as people think. They are smart not to publicize it, but the constant choking in big games and playoff games is undoubtedly driving the powers at PBS as crazy as it is driving everyone else. Assuming they look at last year and figure "free pass, our players were all wrecked anyway," I really think this season is it. If he's got some sort of supporting cast this year, and he throws up all over himself again in nationally televised games and playoff games, I really think they'll look at his contract and say no way in hell. Then it'll be McCarron or someone else.

And there is a good chance we end up seeing McCarron some time this year anyway. Dalton has been remarkably resilient. I could easily see the law of averages catching up, and he gets dinged, and we see McCarron for a game or two in the middle of the season while Andy heals. If one of those games happens to be "big" game, like the division is on the line against the Steelers, or it's a Sun or Mon night game, and McCarron has a big game, and is clutch, look out. Marvin's worst nightmare will occurr. Andy will heal up, then all these players talking about McCarron's "it factor" or whatever, will make a bunch of noise, fans will scream for clipboard holder guy, and full blown quarterback controversy will be in swing. If then Andy gets handed the ball and chokes, forget it. And with the pressure he'd feel then, I'm not confident he could play well at all.

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I'm not so sure the Rusted Rifle is as entrenched as people think.

I don't think it's a case of being "entrenched" so much as a lack of options. For all the talk of McCarron, there's a reason he was a fifth-round pick: he just isn't all that. Yeah, maybe everyone is wrong and he's secretly Tom Brady II, but it's far, far more likely he's Scott Covington II. There's no better options in free agency,and based on the last four years there's no reason to think that the Bengals are going to have the top-5 or -10 pick necessary next April to land a top QB prospect.

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there's no reason to think that the Bengals are going to have the top-5 or -10 pick necessary next April to land a top QB prospect.

Andy wasn't a top QB prospect, and they took him. He blows it again, I'm convinced they'll find Andy 2.0 for approximately 2.0% of what they'd have to pay Dalton in 2016. No way do they let him slide with the same performance level of the first 4 years, and pay him what they're going to have to pay him under his current deal. In my opinion it was an "earn it" deal, and unless he significantly improves during crunch time this year, the Browns won't think he's earned it.

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OT note: the post-update quoting system blows goats.



Back on topic, I don't think the money is a significant concern for the team. CJ had a salary and cap breakdown by top players and position groups the other day:



http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/6/30/8863365/what-is-this-cap-bengals-2015-edition



Setting aside his signing bonus proration, what Dalton's actually making this season is $7 million, which is peanuts as far as QBs go. Another second-round QB would still run you in the neighborhood of $1 million - $1.5 million a year. Now some (probably most) NFL teams might still see a worthwhile savings there. But this is the team paying FNR $7 million and Leon "ow my ankles" Hall $8 million this year.



As for The Family, I suspect they love them some Andy Dalton. This is the same ownership that used to complain about how they lost money when they went to the playoffs. A team that makes hay during the season then promptly exits the postseason is a dream come true for Mikey, at least financially.


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OT note: the post-update quoting system blows goats.

Back on topic, I don't think the money is a significant concern for the team. CJ had a salary and cap breakdown by top players and position groups the other day:

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/6/30/8863365/what-is-this-cap-bengals-2015-edition

Setting aside his signing bonus proration, what Dalton's actually making this season is $7 million, which is peanuts as far as QBs go. Another second-round QB would still run you in the neighborhood of $1 million - $1.5 million a year. Now some (probably most) NFL teams might still see a worthwhile savings there. But this is the team paying FNR $7 million and Leon "ow my ankles" Hall $8 million this year.

As for The Family, I suspect they love them some Andy Dalton. This is the same ownership that used to complain about how they lost money when they went to the playoffs. A team that makes hay during the season then promptly exits the postseason is a dream come true for Mikey, at least financially.

Agree. What the experts say the Browns should, versus their track record, typically dont add up. Look at the Marvin Lewis tenure. Mike Brown is not going to toss aside Lewis or Dalton, ESPECIALLY if they make the playoffs for the 5th straight year.

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I can see three scenarios in which the Bengals may move on from Dalton in 2016:



1. As discussed, coaching change and the new HC wants to go in a different direction.



2. Also as discussed, McCarron comes in for some reason (injury perhaps) and lights it up. Basically the Brady/Bledsoe scenario all over again.



3. The team craters this year, wins like 3-4 games and has a top pick they can use on a top QB prospect.



I don't see any of these three things happening, but you never know. I see two further scenarios in which the team, while sticking with Dalton in 2016, starts making moves to change gears in 2017. That would be another one-and-done, or missing the playoffs completely (but not totally cratering, think an 8-8ish record). But in those cases I can also see them just as easily making excuses and staying the course.



My preferences for this season are:



1. Win Super Bowl



2. OK, at least win one fuking playoff game.



3. Otherwise, option 2 above.



4. Option 1 above.


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I'm having trouble getting excited about the 2015 season with Dalton at QB. Enough said.

I was 15 when Bengals came to town Billy. Converted from a Browns to Bengals fan, since Cleveland was the only team in Ohio at that time.

Since the days of Boomer, it's refreshing to now watch a team, that potentially, has the talent and opportunity to win each time they take the field.

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Back on Bledsoe, Hoosier reminded me that Bledsoe did struggle in the playoffs. I take it back. They are equal as far as Running the offense goes but if I had to choose, I take Bledsoe because he threw a better ball. I think Bledsoe on this year's team gets the ball over the top of the D better, and the threat improves the running game the way It did for Curtis Martin. Palmer and Bledsoe are similar physically and I prefer their throwing motions and strength to Dalton. I also always liked Doug Flutie who is built nothing like Bledsoe or Palmer. So, I hold Dalton up to Flutie because he was a smallish QB too. Flutie could chuck it and I think he had a much bigger IT factor as a QB than Dalton.

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I see CJ has another one of those articles...

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/7/2/8881273/dalton-approaching-touchdown-record

I generally agree that stats aren't everything, and the difference between the numbers and the eye test when it comes to Dalton is...aggravating. But still, I think it at least points (again) out that we aren't talking about replacing a Klingler or an Akili here. FWIW I think that's why the debate about Dalton is so endless: he's actually a pretty good QB overall, but when he goes to pieces it's usually at the worst times.

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Back on Bledsoe, Hoosier reminded me that Bledsoe did struggle in the playoffs. I take it back. They are equal as far as Running the offense goes but if I had to choose, I take Bledsoe because he threw a better ball. I think Bledsoe on this year's team gets the ball over the top of the D better, and the threat improves the running game the way It did for Curtis Martin. Palmer and Bledsoe are similar physically and I prefer their throwing motions and strength to Dalton. I also always liked Doug Flutie who is built nothing like Bledsoe or Palmer. So, I hold Dalton up to Flutie because he was a smallish QB too. Flutie could chuck it and I think he had a much bigger IT factor as a QB than Dalton.

I always liked Flutie, too. I can remember wanting the Bengals to sign him back in the the mid- to late 90s. But the front office was in love with the Bledsoe model -- big, immobile pocket passers -- to the point where they tried to turn Akili Smith into one, with disastrous results (not that that was Smith's only problem but it sure didn't help). Flutie was definitely more brash than Dalton and the team desperately needed some fire under center back then. That's one big reason I was a Kitna fan: physically he didn't bring anything special to the table but he left it all out there on the field. He damn near won that playoff game after Palmer went down, despite all the locker room drama,

Andy's a different bird. He actually reminds me a little of Palmer, in that Carson wasn't known as a super-demonstrative QB. When he lost his sht it was usually news (the "get out of my huddle" incident with Rome comes to mind). But I think Palmer got something of a pass because he looked the part of an NFL QB, at least. Dalton is more of an enigma and I think people pour a lot of things (good and bad) into him that aren't really there.

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Well here's someone who thinks the Bengals finally have a playoff win coming.



http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/17887/bengals-andy-dalton-playoff-game-why-finally-nfl



Alot of wishful thinking in there.


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Well here's someone who thinks the Bengals finally have a playoff win coming.

http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/17887/bengals-andy-dalton-playoff-game-why-finally-nfl

Alot of wishful thinking in there.

Here is another talking head's opinion:

http://cin.247sports.com/Bolt/This-could-be-the-year-for-Bengals-says-Gil-Brandt-of-NFLcom-38117118

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