Should the Cincinnati Bengals follow the 49ers Rebuild Blueprint?

The next important decision the 49ers made in their rebuild was how they handled the quarterback position. Most rebuilding teams think drafting a young quarterback at the top of the draft is the way to go. While that is certainly a viable strategy, the 49ers may not be enjoying the success they are right now had they gone that route.

Instead, they decided to trade for Garoppolo after he had spent several seasons learning from one of the best duos in the NFL- Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. A surprisingly similar option may be available this off-season when Teddy Bridgewater becomes a free agent.

Bridgewater has spent valuable time learning under future Hall-of-Famer Drew Brees and one of the best head coaches in the NFL in Sean Payton. When Brees went down to injury, Bridgewater stepped in and proved himself a viable starter by going 5-0 in his absence.

Under the right circumstances, the former Louisville Cardinal could be a similar presence in Cincinnati as Jimmy Garoppolo is in San Francisco. If things pan out, the rebuild could get off to a much faster start because the team wouldn’t have to wait for a young quarterback to develop into their full potential. He probably doesn’t have the same ceiling as some of the 2020 quarterback prospects, but the idea here is he’s already accustomed to the speed of the NFL and is a proven commodity.

This would be totally out of character for the Cincinnati Bengals front office, however. They must decide if Bridgewater is worth the cap space and if the temptation of a young gunslinger from the college ranks is too much.