Just when you thought the Bengals’ preseason game against the Buccaneers was all that mattered, another trade blast pops up. When talk of trading is in the mix with Cincinnati, there’s only one player that comes to mind immediately. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, Cincy turned down a sweet deal for AJ McCarron over the offseason.
"Speaking of the Bengals, I’d be surprised if they move AJ McCarron for anything short of a blow-em-away deal. Cincinnati could have had a second-round pick for him this offseason, and chose to keep him, with the logic being if they deal him, they’ll have to spend a pick to replace him. And if they just keep him and let him walk in 2018, they’ll get a comp pick back anyway."
This comes on the heels of an earlier rumor that the Denver Broncos were trying to toss their hat into the McCarron festivities. Any semblance of truth was shot down by Broncos general manager John Elway.
Rumor of us being interested in anyone other than the QBs we have is another example of irresponsible, fake news!!
— John Elway (@johnelway) August 9, 2017
There were several other teams in the hunt for a quality quarterback, during the time before the NFL Draft. But, the Bengals stuck to their guns and didn’t part ways with McCarron. Per Benjamin Allbright, one of those teams was the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Too Expensive and Risky?
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McCarron is one of the hottest topics when the subject of Cincinnati QB’s comes into play. His legend is well-known around Cincinnati water coolers and some parts of the NFL. Yet, the biggest drawback to McCarron getting under center is common knowledge. Andy Dalton is not going anywhere. The starting spot is Dalton’s until he absolutely blows donkey bubbles and regresses to the point of no return.
Honestly, dealing McCarron before finding out what Jeff Driskel is all about would be the worst case scenario for the Bengals. So far, the third-string QB has been lighting things up in training camp. If Driskel proves to be a legitimate threat to McCarron’s spot, there could be some changes in what the Bengals are demanding for him. Suddenly, that lofty price tag could come crashing back to earth.
McCarron wants to be a starter. That’s a no-brainer. But, the Bengals aren’t going to jeopardize their roster and season before getting a better idea of what’s going on. Look for him to be in Stripes until the very last millisecond of his rookie contract.