USA TODAY International Edition
Dalton adds intrigue to NFL offseason
A week after selecting Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals officially ended the Andy Dalton era, releasing the three- time Pro Bowl quarterback after nine seasons.
The writing has been on the wall since last season when first- year coach Zac Taylor benched the Bengals' alltime leader in passing touchdowns ( 204) midway through the season. Cincinnati went back to him after Ryan Finley struggled mightily in three starts, but the message was clear.
The Bengals tried in vain to trade Dalton this offseason and on Thursday gave the former second- round pick his outright freedom.
Now, the quarterback market is in for an additional element of intrigue as this awkward NFL offseason rolls on.
Dalton joins 2011 draft classmate Cam Newton as another longtime franchise quarterback in search of a fresh opportunity after a new regime deemed him no longer satisfactory.
Like Newton, Dalton endured years in which he was asked to elevate rosters with limited talent. When those limitations prove too great to overcome, he became the fall guy.
Due in part to his 0- 4 record in the playoffs, Dalton's body of work is underappreciated. He helped spearhead a revival that featured five consecutive playoff appearances from 2011- 15. Cincinnati previously had only nine postseason berths since the franchise's inception in 1968 and only once had made the playoffs in consecutive years.
“Andy had a great run in Cincinnati, won a lot of games, made the playoffs five straight years,” former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson told USA TODAY when asked about Dalton, who at 70- 61- 2 is the winningest quarterback in franchise history. “A lot of people couldn't do that.”
Several NFL talent evaluators told USA TODAY, speaking on the condition of anonymity for competitive reasons, that Dalton still has talent. He doesn't deserve the brunt of the blame for the
Bengals' struggles in recent years, they said.
Unfortunately for Dalton, the timing is less than ideal.
The initial wave of free agency has come and gone, and teams have also used the draft to fill quarterback needs.
Jameis Winston, who just threw for 5,000 yards and 33 touchdowns for Tampa Bay, spent the last month waiting for an opportunity and had to settle for a backup job and a $ 1.1 million contract with New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Newton, a former league MVP, remains out of work thanks in part to lingering concerns about two injuryplagued seasons and teams' inability during the novel coronavirus restrictions to have him come to facilities and take a physical to ease health concerns.
Dalton's days as a franchise quarterback may have ended, although he remains capable of starting in this league and helping a team win games. To maximize their investment, that team would likely need to have talent in place so Dalton wouldn't have to shoulder the load as he did for much of his time in Cincinnati.
Few outright starter jobs remain at this point, although some teams have shaky quarterback situations.
The Jaguars seem prepared to enter the year with Gardner Minshew as their starter, but he's anything but proven. Interestingly enough, another former Bengals offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, now holds the same title in Jacksonville. That familiarity could be appealing to both Dalton and Gruden.
Elsewhere, the Patriots' best options consist of Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. The Chargers' best bridge option to first- round pick Justin Herbert is Tyrod Taylor. The Steelers are banking on a healthy return for Ben Roethlisberger but lack proven depth behind him.
So Dalton could wind up having to settle for that bridge quarterback role or sign on as a backup with hopes of finding a window to return to the field.
If healthy, Newton offers a higher return for teams than Dalton does. However, given the uncertainties surrounding his health, Dalton may represent the safer bet.
And as this offseason has already shown, the quarterback market is anything but predictable.