Bengals rookie QB progressing
CINCINNATI — Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley should get a long look at what it’s like to compete in the NFL when the Cincinnati Bengals play their preseason opener Saturday at Kansas City.
Starters are expected to be somewhat limited, and the Bengals appeared to be preparing him for more snaps Monday when they trotted him out with the second-team offense for the first time in training camp. He flipped roles with backup Jeff Driskel after spending the first eight days of practice with the third string.
Finley, a fourthround draft pick out of North Carolina State, has struggled with his accuracy since rookie minicamp but had one of his better days during an otherwise disappointing practice for the offense. He faced significant pressure from the pass rush and had several positive plays wiped out by penalties, but for the most part he managed to maintain his composure. Ryan Finley will likely play about half of the Bengals’ first exhibition game Saturday against the Chiefs.
“He does some good things,” coach Zac Taylor said. “As any rookie would go, it’s a challenge to pick up a pretty big playbook right off the bat, and the biggest thing is getting him to play with confidence.
“He’s a confident kid. He did some really good things. He’ll get some more opportunities to play with the twos.”
Expectations are that Andy Dalton and Driskel will each play a couple of series with the first-team offense, and Finley would then play a significant portion of the game after that with the second-teamers. However, Taylor said he and his staff won’t decide how to split the playing time until after seeing how practice goes.
Practicing with more urgency is one point of emphasis for Finley, but adjusting to the speed and pace of the NFL is just one aspect of making the transition from college. Finley began his career at Boise State but played just three games before a season-ending ankle injury as a thirdyear sophomore in 2015. He was granted an extra year of eligibility after transferring to N.C. State.
In three seasons with the Wolfpack, he passed for 10,501 yards and 60 touchdowns over 39 games.
“I think it’s everything,” Finley said of the difference between college and the NFL. “It’s a lot on a quarterback’s plate, but I think it’s fun. That’s what excites me about it. And so, like I said, keep trying to get better, for me, is just getting more and more comfortable every day and just studying and doing my best to execute.
“Whatever the defense gives you, just kind of execute what Zac and (offensive coordinator Brian) Callahan ask us to do.”
Taylor said he is impressed by Finley’s approach.
“Sometimes the pressures on third down — in the NFL there is some very extensive pressure packages — so for a young guy seeing it for the first time, it takes some time to process. That’s understandable,” Taylor said. “So we’re just going to keep bringing him along, and he’ll get there. I’m very encouraged by some things I saw from him.”