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Breaking down the Bengals' early four-man QB race


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Breaking down the Bengals' early four-man QB race

CINCINNATI -- When he was asked earlier this week about finally having AJ McCarron as a regular participant in on-field drills, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback coach Ken Zampese's face lit up.

It was "delayed gratification," he said.

"It's been so long," Zampese added. "I wanted him in our building so badly."  McCarron's not the only one in the building now, though. Zampese, head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson have others to choose from. While there won't be a quarterback controversy at the top -- Andy Dalton isn't going anywhere as far as the position's hierarchy is concerned -- the race for the No. 2 backup job should be somewhat intense.

A second-year reserve and Alabama product, McCarron enters organized team activities (OTAs) later this month as the likely No. 2 player behind Dalton. He's simply been here slightly longer than the other two. Although, the others do have more time separately around Zampese and Jackson.

Josh Johnson was Dalton's top reserve in 2013 before spending all of last year in San Francisco, and then returning to Cincinnati during free agency this spring.

As for Terrelle Pryor, the fourth quarterback in the mix for the Bengals, the former Ohio State standout spent three seasons quarterbacking the Oakland Raiders, the same team Jackson coached for a season. The lone year that Jackson led Oakland, he selected Pryor in the supplemental draft, giving the embattled quarterback a shot. The two have deep respect for one another, and it showed when Jackson extended Pryor a second invitation to try out with the Bengals in two years.

While last year's tryout may not have worked out, this one did.

Perhaps the most important reason for the Bengals to keep Pryor around was so they could let him showcase his desperate attitude to other veterans. Turning into an NFL journeyman, he's hopes he finally has found a home.

In terms of the Bengals, this all looks like part of their plan to ratchet up the competition around Dalton. While neither of the three backups are legitimately favored to take the $115 million quarterback's job, they still can raise the level of play underneath him.

"Terrelle has a presence. This is not his first rodeo," Lewis said at the start of Pryor's tryout during last week's rookie camp. "There's an urgency in his step. That's a good role model for these young guys to observe, and even for guys that have been around a couple of years here. ...He shows how important this is to him."

At this incredibly early offseason stage, it still looks like McCarron will hold down the No. 2 quarterback job, but who does No. 3 go to? Pryor certainly appears to be the better quarterback between him and Johnson, and he is versatile enough to also play another position -- even if he has repeatedly said he doesn't want to.

Here in May, it appears Johnson's job is most in jeopardy. But then the question becomes, how many signal-callers do the Bengals take into the regular season? They've been known to keep two on the active roster, although in the past two years a third has typically started the season on the physically unable to perform or non-football injury list. At the end of last season, once McCarron had recovered from a shoulder issue, he was added to the 53-man roster with Dalton and Jason Campbell.

A Dalton-McCarron-Pryor lineup might not intimidate many defenses, but it may be the best the Bengals have had since Dalton became their starter five years ago.

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/17151/bengals-andy-dalton-aj-mccarron-terrelle-pryor-breakdown-qb-race-early

 

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Think it would be a pretty big upset if anyone but McCarron was the #2. 

 

The main question will be if they decide to keep a 3rd guy or not. They have some years but recently they've opted to keep only 2. And unless Pryor really knocks their socks off over the next 4 months, I'd think it's likely they go with 2 again this year too.

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Think it would be a pretty big upset if anyone but McCarron was the #2. 
 
The main question will be if they decide to keep a 3rd guy or not. They have some years but recently they've opted to keep only 2. And unless Pryor really knocks their socks off over the next 4 months, I'd think it's likely they go with 2 again this year too.

Can't understand the thought of McCarron being handed a #2 spot without competition having never played a live NFL game. I hope he works out but have to see him play first. At least pryor has started 9 games winning three.
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Isn't McCarron still eligible to go on the practice squad? If he doesn't show "something" in pre-season, maybe decide between Pryor and Johnson (and I'd think unless he sucks in pre-season they go with Pryor since he's Jackson's guy) for the #2 and don't have a #3 QB on the active roster.

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You can keep Pryor and have him do other things. That's what makes him interesting. 

Not really because he is vehemently opposed to playing anything other than quarterback.

He's not beating out AJ. Contrary to what people think AJ has some talent and would probably get snapped up if he hit waivers.
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Talk about damning someone with faint praise.


I mean, no, being snapped up off waivers isn't a glowing report, but when you consider how quarterback driven this league is and how there are only a handful of really good quarterbacks in the league, AJ is not going to make it to practice squad. Especially when teams like the Texans and Jets are running out competitions between two guys who shouldn't be under center week 1.

Hell he may have even better value this year considering what mettenberger did in Tenn.
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Not really because he is vehemently opposed to playing anything other than quarterback.

He's not beating out AJ. Contrary to what people think AJ has some talent and would probably get snapped up if he hit waivers.

 

So you think if we tell him he only has a roster spot if he plays on special teams and in some offensive packages along with QB he balks at that and says cut me? I don't. 

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So you think if we tell him he only has a roster spot if he plays on special teams and in some offensive packages along with QB he balks at that and says cut me? I don't. 

Good point.  That worked for him in year 1 or 2.  If he wants to find a REAL roster spot on an NFL team at this point in his career, he better be willing to do some other things if he is able.

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Good point.  That worked for him in year 1 or 2.  If he wants to find a REAL roster spot on an NFL team at this point in his career, he better be willing to do some other things if he is able.

 

And then we sneakily make him into an elite WR while he isn't looking........

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZYZktLdns

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So you think if we tell him he only has a roster spot if he plays on special teams and in some offensive packages along with QB he balks at that and says cut me? I don't. 

 

He's continuously done it up to this point.  I don't see why that would change or why people think he would be able to find a spot at WR here.  

 

If he wanted to play in this league, he would have tried a position switch a while back.  He has no PS eligibility (that I'm aware of) and we do not have room for a developmental receiver.

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He's continuously done it up to this point.  I don't see why that would change or why people think he would be able to find a spot at WR here.  

 

If he wanted to play in this league, he would have tried a position switch a while back.  He has no PS eligibility (that I'm aware of) and we do not have room for a developmental receiver.

 

People get desperate after awhile. Who knows when his breaking point is. 

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People get desperate after awhile. Who knows when his breaking point is. 

 

He clearly seems pretty dug in after the latest quote of something along the lines of Terrell Pryor has to play quarterback or he can't play at all.  But we don't have room on the 53 for a developmental guy at this point unless Alford is going to PS.

 

TP is here as a camp arm with Josh.  Josh may even get the ax before camp starts so they can give more reps to AJ.

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