Zac Taylor is committed to Andy Dalton (until he isn't)
Posted by Mike Florio on February 13, 2019, 7:33 PM EDT
New Bengals coach Zac Taylor is saying all the right things about his new quarterback, Andy Dalton.
"I've watched Andy closely for the last eight years dating back to his college days and throughout the NFL," Taylor recently told PFT Live. "I was in the AFC for a long time so we had a lot of crossover with Andy. I've always thought very highly of him. I think he's a great fit for what we're going to do. He's really smart. He's accurate. He can get the ball out on time. So I think he's gonna fit this offense to a 't' and I'm excited to work with him."
It's entirely possible that Taylor means what he says. It's also possible that Taylor (like the Cardinals are doing) is supporting Dalton in the event that the Bengals can't find an upgrade to the man who arrived in Cincinnati via the second round of the 2011 draft. Plenty of Bengals fans hope they eventually will; for now, he may be the best option that they'll have.
15 responses to "Zac Taylor is committed to Andy Dalton (until he isn't)"
vottorific says:
We doubt Taylor will be making many personnel decisions. Mike Brown does that. Now, if he wins games this year, maybe the next year. This is how Brown rolls. We do hope Mike lets this new staff pick and choose. Its just not Browns history though.
Exapno Mapcase says:
Sticking with Andy Dalton at this point is acceptance of futility. There's no upside, just more time stuck in the mud as the other teams in the division run laps around you.
harrisonhits2 says:
The Red BB gun is unlikely to be the answer he's looking for.
tb12kingofthe7kingdoms says:
Since the Browns are on the rise, are the Bengals the new Browns???
PFT loves the Steelers says:
If Dalton had a couple playoff wins under his belt, no one would have a problem with him. Had he not played for the choking-est coach in NFL history, he'd probably have a couple playoff wins under his belt.
bengaljuice says:
No the Browns are still the Browns. They are trending up, but they've done nothing to garner the fanfare sprinkled on them of late. They won 7 games last year. Let the next couple of seasons play out before we officially crown them the darlings of the AFC North. It's still the Steelers division until it isn't. Also Dalton is a pretty solid QB and I bet he does extremely well under Taylor and his system. They're not looking for a new QB unless a can't miss prospect falls in their lap, it's not happenning, try as though the media might.
hailtothenamechange says:
Dalton at a 16M cap hit is not all that bad a QB situation. Compare it to deals like Eli, Flacco, Alex Smith (even healthy) all in the 20s, Bortles and Tannehill in the higher teens, even Winston and Mariota now with rookie deals running out.
Would you rather Dalton at 16 or Cousins at 28? Garoppollo at 27M? Stafford in the high 20s?
I get why Bengals fans don't like it, because he's kind of bland and average and youve seen it a while now, but it's still decidedly not bad.
rutchaser says:
Why would you not say this about your QB when you really don't have better options in the near future? Media just won't let this go.
thejetssuck2001 says:
i gotta say, in my opinion, that dalton was actually playing really good football last year before he lost aj and then got hurt. he looked like he had turned the corner in his development. some guys take longer, and he isnt the flashiest guy, but you get a consistent 100% effort and fewer mistakes than in the past. you can tell that dalton is trying to improve anyways. hes not the best qb in the nfl but he is far from the worst.
dirtdawg53 says:
"He's a great fit for what we plan to do". So, you plan to punt a lot?
ybunthitjacks says:
The upside potential ship for Andy Dalton has sailed. He couldn't flourish in the moment when that moment came (in the playoffs). Andy Dalton will be what Andy Dalton has alway been. Meh.
tomfrontera8393 says:
Andy Dalton is still a pretty damn solid QB on a team that has taken a few steps backward, shore up the defense( notably the LB group) and the Bengals will be competitive. Hopefully new coach can inject some fire into a team that has become complacent, still have some studs on the DL.
warchant01 says:
Dalton is a punching bag for a bad Bengals team. If you look at them as a whole, changing QB should be pretty low on their priority list. Not many would do better behind that O-line, and the defense is terrible. Spending draft capital on a QB instead of upgrading OL, LB, and CB is a recipe for continued mediocrity. There will be a time, and maybe it's soon, but it's not now.
voyager6 says:
Dalton needs a better than average offensve line to do OK as he is slow to read the field and find the open receiver. Pressed, he tends to throw to his favorite even if in triple coverage. He rarely reads the defense and send the ball to the open receiver. He doesn't have Tom Brady's vision, mental speed and knowledge of where his receivers are. But few in the NFL do. DBs can often read Dalton's eyes and see where he is going to throw the ball.
Luminus Solidity says:
9 years and Dalton still cant put it together or win a playoff game. Overplayed journeyman Qb.
Put mahomes with all the weapons Dalton has wasted and cincy would have multiple play off wins and a superbowl trophy. Glad marvin retired no reason to waste his talents on a garbage Qb who cant win in primetime or against winning team.
Kudos to Marvin hes got a superbowl ring and got coach of the year.