If Haskins is there at 11...

[*ochocincos*]

(04-16-2019, 08:31 AM)Catmandude123 Wrote: Getting your QB when you need him is a great idea but when one falls into your lap you would be ill advised to ignore the future possibilities he may bring. Let Dalton start this year while training his replacement. If Dalton is above average again like 2015 you keep him another year. If he is again mediocre you already have a replacement with one year of NFL experience and not having to mortgage the farm to get a top rookie. Its a win  win situation IMO.

Agreed...if you think Haskins is that QB. 
But look at it this way.
You take a year, possibly two, maybe even three to groom Haskins and/or build a good enough OL for him. Now you have fewer years of his rookie deal to actually take advantage and REALLY build up an elite team while your star QB is on such a cheap contract. The Seahawks were able to do this with Wilson and it got them two Super Bowl appearances and one victory. PHI, LAR, DAL, HOU, and KC are all benefiting from rookie QB deals right now too.

If you build the team around the QB first, it allows you a bigger window to take advantage of a good QB on a rookie contract. If the Bengals want to build a good team through the draft, they need more early-round picks. Trading back allows them to better accomplish that. They can always trade back now and get some 2020 or 2021 1st rounders to really improve their ability to trade up to get that top rookie.

When it comes to the draft, I don't think this team/organization looks (much) beyond the current draft class on how they want to build the team. Maybe if they start doing that, it will allow them to really become true contenders within a few years rather than middling around between 6-10 and 10-6 with no postseason success.