Adding Brandon Allen to the quarterback room was a necessary step to complete a very good offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Picking up a journeyman quarterback like Brandon Allen isn’t going to grab headlines for long or excite the fan base, but it is a huge addition for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The front office has put all its eggs in the Joe Burrow basket and that is perfectly fine. However, the offseason is truncated, the offensive line is a huge area of concern, and Cincinnati’s divisional rivals have some of the NFL’s best pass rushers.
The possibility of Burrow getting hurt is higher than anyone would like. The most important thing about a backup quarterback is his ability to step in and keep the team afloat if the starter goes down. Some have wondered aloud about the ability of Ryan Finley and/or Jake Dolegala to fill that role.
Brandon Allen will steady the room for the Bengals
Brandon Allen has proven he can keep a team on track but he isn’t going to wow you with his ability. Like a lot of backup quarterbacks, he doesn’t have a great arm and struggles beyond the first read. The good news is he is athletic and makes solid decisions with the football.
He got three starts with Denver last year. The team won a contest and had a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in another. For a backup to step in for three games, putting the team in a position to win two is all any organization can realistically ask for.
FINAL: @Broncos win in Brandon Allen's debut! #CLEvsDEN #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/32oOnhWqMC
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2019
Finley and Dolegala are both young enough that there may still be hope for their careers, but the sample of Finley last year was less than encouraging, to say the least. The Bengals can’t afford another 2-14 season, regardless of circumstances. Yet, it is hard to imagine the losses not stacking up again if Finley or Dolegala see the field. Allen, on the other hand, is a nice safety net.
Zac Taylor coached Allen while both were with the Rams. The former sixth-round pick is never going to be anyone’s franchise quarterback, but he is more of a proven commodity than what the Bengals already have behind Burrow. Bringing in a guy like Allen to force the other backups earn their spots can only be viewed as a good thing.