What About a “Bridge” Quarterback in 2020?

[Fan_in_Kettering]

Yes, I know. Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go. But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think. Is that the best strategy? Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback. So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency. 2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience. These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again. I think calling their agents might be worth it.

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know.  Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go.  But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think.  Is that the best strategy?  Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback.  So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency.  2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience.  These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.  

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again.  I think calling their agents might be worth it.

Don't forget Newton is most likely gone unless something has changed ? I'm all for a bridge QB. Trade Dalton and couple others and mass all the draft picks you can get, go Chase Young and the best LBer, Olinemen available.

[BengalsRocker]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Free agency

"Guess which finger is for you..."

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(11-24-2019, 10:36 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Don't forget Newton is most likely gone unless something has changed ? I'm all for a bridge QB. Trade Dalton and couple others and mass all the draft picks you can get, go Chase Young and the best LBer, Olinemen available.

I added Cam Newton. Good catch!

[*Nately120*]

Just start Finley for all of 2020, who gives a crap?

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(11-24-2019, 10:44 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Just start Finley for all of 2020, who gives a crap?

I think all of us give a crap except Mikey Boy, Duke, and maybe even Zac.

[*jason*]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know. Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go. But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think. Is that the best strategy? Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback. So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency. 2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience. These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again. I think calling their agents might be worth it.

This is what I think they should do... They won't, but they should.

[CJD]

Why would we continue this decade of no franchise QB? When will we be at the top of the draft again with an elite QB available?

[THE PISTONS]

I'm all for signing a journeyman QB like Tom Brady for a year.

Think he'll take a discount to come here?

[WhodeyRay]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know.  Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go.  But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think.  Is that the best strategy?  Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback.  So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency.  2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience.  These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.  

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again.  I think calling their agents might be worth it.

This! You will ruin a rookie qb with this line.

[samhain]

(11-24-2019, 10:48 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: I think all of us give a crap except Mikey Boy, Duke, and maybe even Zac.

This much seems indisputable.  To believe otherwise, you'd have to think that Mikey is some all-seeing football genius with a plan in place.  That's kind of far-fetched for me.  

[*jason*]

(11-24-2019, 11:33 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Why would we continue this decade of no franchise QB? When will we be at the top of the draft again with an elite QB available?

Just because they're the first pick in the draft doesn't make them elite.

Baker Mayfield isn't elite. Jared Goff isn't elite. Kyler Murray isn't elite. Neither is Jameis Winston, Mitch Trubiski, or Sam Bradford... Is Cam Newton elite? I guess at times he was.

QB is the biggest crapshoot in the NFL draft. This team is broke, and can't afford to gamble at the moment.

[Shake n Blake]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know.  Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go.  But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think.  Is that the best strategy?  Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback.  So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency.  2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience.  These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.  

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again.  I think calling their agents might be worth it.

Tom Brady - he's 57 and wouldn't come here
Drew Brees - he's 47 and wouldn't come here
Teddy Bridgewater - I'm pretty sure he's the heir apparent to Drew Brees
Mariota - No thanks
Foles - The Jags can't release him (33 mil in dead cap) and he's starting over Minshew right now anyway
Winston - Maybe? But he's a turnover machine
Rivers - He's 45
Newton - Maybe? But he doesn't look like he's going to age well
Eli - He's 45 and wouldn't come here

Of the list, I'd say only Winston, Mariota and Newton would be realistic possibilities, and they all have problems. If I were running the team, I wouldn't pass up on Joe Burrow. I'd cut some fat and fix this roster around Burrow. These other QB's are either ancient stop-gaps at this point, or they've proven they're not franchise QB's. 

That said, we all have reason to doubt Mike Brown will build a decent roster around Burrow. We need to dump some players like Cordy Glenn and maybe Kirkpatrick. Even if we clear that room, will Mike be willing to be active in free agency? Because we can't fix this roster with 1 draft and sitting on our hands in free agency. There's just too many holes.

[Shake n Blake]

(11-24-2019, 11:33 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Why would we continue this decade of no franchise QB? When will we be at the top of the draft again with an elite QB available?

Agreed. If you're in this position, you take the damn QB.

Problem is, will Mike Brown do the other things he needs to do to make that QB successful? Doubtful.

That's why our situation feels so hopeless.

[Whatever]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know.  Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go.  But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think.  Is that the best strategy?  Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback.  So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency.  2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience.  These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.  

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again.  I think calling their agents might be worth it.

A bridge QB is just going to slow down a rebuild by tying up cap space and presumably winning enough games to make drafting a new franchise QB difficult.

For another, a big part of the argument against drafting a QB this year is they will get ruined behind this OL.  What makes anyone think veteran starters will just line up to get pummeled into retirement behind the same OL?  Chase Young won't keep them upright and you're basically gambling on getting some 1st year OL starters with day 2 and 3 picks.

The reality is, Andy is the veteran bridge QB.  They passed on Haskins so they could address the OL with Jonah.  If they were going to use a bridge next year, Dalton would still be starting and he would play out his contract as the starter. 

Instead of going to FA for a QB, go to FA to fix your OL and take the lay up franchise QB in Burrow at #1.  

[CJD]

(11-25-2019, 12:39 AM)jason Wrote: Just because they're the first pick in the draft doesn't make them elite.

Baker Mayfield isn't elite. Jared Goff isn't elite. Kyler Murray isn't elite. Neither is Jameis Winston, Mitch Trubiski, or Sam Bradford... Is Cam Newton elite? I guess at times he was.

QB is the biggest crapshoot in the NFL draft. This team is broke, and can't afford to gamble at the moment.

The draft as a whole is a crap shoot. Teams with no QB don't win games. At least not a meaningful amount of games. Having an elite DE doesn't make winning as easy as having an elite QB.

And of course the #1 pick doesn't ensure an elite player. No pick does. But that doesn't mean Burrow isn't an elite prospect with the potential to be a franchise QB.

When you have one of those staring you in the face, you take it, you don't try and wait until maybe next year or the year after that. You'll end up wasting the youth and talent of the players on your team waiting for the perfect opportunity to draft a QB when you should have just done it when you were given the chance to begin with.

You can get DEs like Dunlap or DTs like Atkins in the later rounds. There are so many athletes at those positions that not all of them can go in the first round. This can be said of the majority of positions.

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson type players are WAY more rare and almost exclusively a case of a league wide scouting failure.

[Shake n Blake]

(11-25-2019, 12:39 AM)jason Wrote: Just because they're the first pick in the draft doesn't make them elite.

Baker Mayfield isn't elite. Jared Goff isn't elite. Kyler Murray isn't elite. Neither is Jameis Winston, Mitch Trubiski, or Sam Bradford... Is Cam Newton elite? I guess at times he was.

QB is the biggest crapshoot in the NFL draft. This team is broke, and can't afford to gamble at the moment.

You're listing some of the worst 1st overall picks and 2 of them have been to a Super Bowl. Not sure that helps your point.

Trubisky wasn't the top pick btw. I get your point that it's a crapshoot, but so is Chase Young or any player we take.

Another thing to consider is having your QB on that cheap rookie contract. It allows more freedom to shape the rest of the roster.

A guy like Cam isn't going to be so cheap.

[*rfaulk34*]

(11-24-2019, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Yes, I know.  Everyone, especially Mike Brown, is jonesin’ for a new quarterback in Cincinnati and since the Bengals have a mortal lock on the first pick in the draft, that’s the way the president/owner/general manager wants to go.  But, before selecting just any Tom, Dick, or Tua we need to stop and think.  Is that the best strategy?  Aren’t there more pressing needs in Cincinnati than drafting another “shiny object” quarterback?

If it was up to me I would snag Chase Young first then load up on the best linebackers and offensive linemen in the country...

...but I haven’t forgotten the Bengals need a quarterback.  So, I have an alternative suggestion to the draft to find one: Free agency.  2020 is filled with a plethora of free agent quarterbacks with proven NFL starting experience.  These men would be more of a sure thing than an unproven rookie even if it’s only for a year.  

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning are all free agents — and some of them would love a chance to start again.  I think calling their agents might be worth it.

No. 

Six games lost this year by 7 pts or less. A better QB wins some or most or all of those. Even on this bad team. So you get a QB that can keep you close to .500--on a team this shitty--and build around him. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(11-25-2019, 12:19 AM)WhodeyRay Wrote: This! You will ruin a rookie qb with this line.

No. 

[Bengal Dude]

If we find that Tua or Burrow are going to be an elite QB, then we need to take him. I know some people want to load up on talent all over the team and then take a QB. However, if we load up on all of this other talent, do you think we'll ever be in position to take an elite QB prospect?

If we are then all of that other talent sucks and people will still be calling for us to replace those guys instead of taking a QB.