Cincinnati Bengals: Being realistic with the next franchise quarterback

The Cincinnati Bengals need to find their next franchise quarterback in the 2020, but that sounds a lot easier than it actually is.

At 1-12, Bengals fans and media are rightly looking to the 2020 draft to inject life into the franchise. Cincinnati is on the verge of locking down the number one overall pick. A fresh faced quarterback of the future is almost certainly in the cards.

The phrase “bungle for Burrow” has become popular among fans and anyone discussing the Bengals, but that is putting the cart way before the horse.

Joe Burrow from LSU is the Heisman Trophy front runner and has all the tools to be a great NFL quarterback. However, an argument can be made for Cincinnati taking Chase Young with the top pick.

Moreover, if we have learned anything over the years, it is that we never really know what the Bengals front office is up to. Perhaps they covet Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, or some other quarterback not named Burrow. It is way too early to tell and nothing should surprise anyone.

Now, let’s assume that Burrow does indeed become a Bengal. First off, the inconvenient truth about the NFL Draft is that it is a total crapshoot full of nothing more than slightly educated guessing. You are overly naïve if you think anything else.

There is no such thing as a “can’t miss” prospect. Ryan Leaf was a top overall pick. The entire league passed on Russell Wilson for two rounds, including Seattle. Guys like Tony Romo and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner weren’t drafted at all. Nobody really knows anything, but it is fun to speculate.

Beyond overlooking the general unpredictably of the draft when talking about the Bengals, there are some unrealistic expectations out there as far as the immediate impact Burrow or someone like him could make. Look at the tweet below by respected Bengals online community member @codki 

This might be the most ridiculous thing ever put on Twitter. The Bengals coaching staff is as big liability as the roster. They got worked over by Freddie Kitchens last week. The roster probably won’t look much different outside of quarterback next year. For some reason, the sense is that most of the coaching staff is safe.

Knowing that, there are roughly seven billion people on the Earth. Four would have this roster and coaching staff anywhere near eight wins. Their names are Mahomes, Brady, Wilson, and Rodgers.

None of those guys are coming to Cincinnati anytime soon. Who knows? Maybe Burrow does what Wilson did and starts leading his team to a bunch of wins right away, but it is not realistic. Thus, if next year’s Bengals win five games with Burrow or some other rookie quarterback next year, it will be a massive success.