| 26 April 2011
The NFL Draft is almost upon us and the biggest question for the Cincinnati Bengals is what to do with the No. 4 overall pick.
My guess is they will forego the "best player available" strategy and will instead reach for a quarterback to fill a need. And that would be a shame because there is going to be several excellent players to choose from that might not necessarily be "need" picks (like cornerback Patrick Peterson from LSU or defensive tackle Nick Fairley from Auburn, for example).
If my theory is right, that means either Cam Newton (yikes) or Blaine Gabbert (yuck) will be the new quarterback of the Bengals. Neither of them are worthy of the No. 4 overall pick, but that's never stopped the Bengals before. Mike Brown still makes the final call on draft picks -- especially first rounders -- and this is the same man that took David Klingler and Akili Smith early in the first round. He likes him some quarterbacks. And not necessarily good ones.
Why not trade back then and try and get a QB in the middle part of the first round? Well, it's not that easy. Teams don't like giving up a bunch of picks to move up a few spots in the first round. It used to happen a lot. It doesn't any longer.
A better move for the Bengals would be to take the BPA in the first round Thursday night, whoever that might be, and then come back on Saturday in the second round and take the best QB left on the board. Perhaps someone like Andy Dalton from TCU. The Bengals have the third pick of the second round, so there is definitely going to be a decent QB available there.
For the record, if they do go quarterback in the first round, I would take Gabbert over Newton. However, while Gabbert has a rifle for an arm, he played in a gimmick offense at Missouri where he was always in the shotgun-spread formation. In other words, he didn't do anything that he will have to do in the NFL -- even simple things like take a snap from under center.
Gabbert would be a solid pick in the middle portion of the first round in my opinion, I just don't feel he's worthy of the No. 4 overall pick.
For the Bengals, I would prefer someone like Peterson, or linebacker Von Miller from Texas A&M, or defensive lineman Marcell Dareus from Alabama (although he's the one player I think will definitely be gone when the Bengals pick), or wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia. However, while the Bengals say they use the BPA theory, they almost-always draft based on need in the first round. So, I'm bracing myself for a QB selection Thursday night. You probably should, too.
| < Prev |
|---|
