There has been plenty of speculation regarding the Cincinnati Bengals' plans for quarterback Andy Dalton following the 2019 NFL season. While the team has been hesitant to dismiss the notion of them ushering in a new era this offseason, it appears they have finally given in.
Dalton's days in Cincinnati appeared to be numbered with the team in the midst of a significant rebuild. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, director of player personnel Duke Tobin has acknowledged the prospect of trading the veteran.
“I've talked to Andy individually and we're going to be in constant communication throughout the offseason,” Tobin said. “We haven't made any decisions there and I wish I could give him a decision there — it's you, it's somebody else, all those things are possibilities. I can tell you one thing, what Andy Dalton's done for the Cincinnati Bengals is not something that we're going to forget and we're not going to just willy-nilly, make something happen with him that, a) he's uncomfortable with and, b) that we're uncomfortable with.”
The Bengals have been seemingly walking on eggshells about all the hype surrounding their plans to take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of respect for Dalton. However, the writing has long been on the wall that this team is ready to make a change under center.
Although keeping Dalton around to serve as a bridge quarterback for their future rookie would certainly help pay huge dividends for his development, Cincinnati may be better off parting ways with him in order to clear up $17.7 million in cap space to help fill the glaring voids on their roster. Of course, it remains to be seen just what kind of return the dwindling veteran would garner on the trade market given his lackluster production in recent years.
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