We’re months away from the NFL Draft, but there’s little doubt about who the Bengals will select with the No. 1 overall pick. All signs are pointing to quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals aren’t hiding their affinity for the LSU star. 
“He’s got natural pocket feel. He feels it,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “It seems like he never takes his eyes off down the field. He extends the play really, really well. He’s a lot faster than you might assume when you see him running away from all those SEC guys. He’s got incredible up-field accuracy. The ball hardly ever hits the ground in a game, which is rare. He just naturally puts the ball in places where those guys can make plays.”
And, despite the Bengals’ struggles in recent years, Burrow’s father says the QB would be honored and delighted to be their signal caller.
“He’s excited to even be in that conversation and if the Bengals do draft him, he’s going to be happy,” Jimmy Burrow told TSN 690 (via Ben Baby of ESPN.com). “He’ll look at it as a challenge, but he’ll be confident that eventually, they can win a lot of games there in Cincinnati.”
Burrow put himself on the national recruiting radar at Ohio’s Athens High School, where he led the program to three straight playoff appearances. After that, he attended Ohio State and spent the next two years as a backup to J. T. Barrett. Then, when he was told that Dwayne Haskins would be the team’s new starting quarterback, he transferred to LSU and won the top job.
After a strong 2018 season, Burrow shattered all expectations with a 76.3% completion rate, 5,671 passing yards, and 60 (yes, 60) touchdowns through the air. He also added another five rushing TDs for good measure.
No way I would sign w/ the Bengals. I wouldn’t waste my career on a losing organization. I would refuse to meet w/ them & if still drafted, not sign the contract (Elway & E Manning route).
They aren’t the only organization I wouldn’t sign with, long list of losing franchises, but why get the crap kicked out of you for continually sub 500 seasons? Not worth it. He’ll be uber wealthy w/ any franchise.
Yeah. In no way try to be the difference maker to a team. Just go to a great team and ride the coat tails of others. Who cares as long as you get paid.
I’m 46, name 1 difference maker the Bengals have had in my life?
A.J. Green is a pretty great player
AJ didn’t ‘t win 1 playoff game, so far.
Ochocinco?
Anthony Munoz
HoF, you’re right.
Most famous Bengal would be Anthony Munoz He was drafted with the 3rd pick of the 1st round in 1980. Which means the Bengals sucked the year before, He didn’t try and whine and not play for them. He simply put his helmet on , played hard and earned a Hall of Fame career. Made lots of $$$ along the way and became a legend in that city. HOF makes him a top 1 % player in NFL history and he’s easily # 1 in the hearts of Bengals fans. Not a bad legacy!
Munoz had no reason to whine, anyway. His teams played in 2 Super Bowls (1981 and 1988) and darn near won both of those games.
Munoz, Esaison, Collinsworth, Ickey Woods. All of these guys have something in common: they played in at least one Pro Bowl, they played in at least one Super Bowl, and all of this while they played for the Bengals during your lifetime.
Their last win in the post season was 1990. From ’91 till now, the only thing those teams have in common is the ownership. The odds that 1 QB is going to change that is very slim. The facts say so.
From 1980-89 they had 2 trips to the super bowl & 3 trips to the playoffs. 7 more losing seasons. 1970’s 3 playoff appearances. Starting to see a theme here?
Ken Anderson?
Icky Woods, although short lived was a difference maker., Tim Krumrie, and you cannot forget Boomer
Ken Anderson, Anthony Munoz, Ken Riley, David Fulcher, Corey Dillon, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, A.J. Green, Geno Atkins and 2 more Superbowls than Cleveland, Houston, Detroit and Jacksonville combined.
Ken Anderson, Anthony Munoz, Ken Riley, David Fulcher, Corey Dillon, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, A.J. Green, Geno Atkins and 2 more Superbowls than Cleveland, Houston, Detroit and Jacksonville combined.
Those situations are not the same today. Eli was going to make a boatload of cash regardless of where he played because their was no slot system. Burrows would be ill advised to pass up #1 pick money. All teams picking at the top of the draft are “losing” franchises, that’s how it works. He gonna force his way into the 20s? Give up tens of millions of dollars? Yea, that makes great business sense. He may only have one NFL contract, you never know if his skills will translate or he could get hurt. Take the money. You say you wouldn’t sign? I highly doubt that. You would pass on life altering and possibly generational altering money because of wins and losses? I bet you, and every one of us, would sign up to be practice squad players for the bengals tomorrow!
Got it backwards, if he refuses to sign, then the Bengals will trade the pick. Besides, he wouldn’t slide past 5 w/ Miami & I could see Detroit taking him at 3. A slight hit from 1st to 5th, but nothing terrible.
The Lions are a far worse organization than the Bengals.
I agree. As I stated, there are many organizations I wouldn’t play for, if I had his prestige. Jets, Skins, Lions, Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Cards, Jags. It’s a long list off terribly run franchises.
You’ve named a quarter of the league. How many of the remaining 24 teams a.) have a need for a QB and b.) have the capital (players/picks) to be able to manage a trade with the Bengals?
I know I named 25-30% of the league & could really go on. As fans only, we can sit right here today and guess with around 70% accuracy who will be in the playoffs next year. Sure SF and Tenn surprised us with there run this year. But I don’t think any of us are surprised to see Miami, Skins, Lions, & Bengals drafting in the top 5.
JJ is proposing that success be rewarded but not failure. In most cases this is sound logic but if the NFL draft were to operate in that way then fans would simply abandon the teams that were destined to be bottom feeders for the next decade. Your not going to turn around the fortunes of teams like Miami, Skins, Lions and Bengals without providing them with talented prospects to build a future with.
I haven’t been to a Jags game in 4 years and don’t miss it. I won’t pay for anything w/ Redskins on it. Why? Why should I financially support teams that constantly lose? I live in Jax and rooted for the Skins since the 80’s.
If fans truly wanted change, they do the same. The list of teams I wrote above all continually lose. Sprinkle in a winning season here or there, but that’s about it.
The Lions, Bengals and Skins (per your list) always draft I the top 10. How many times do they need to draft top 10 or higher, before having a good team?
Read this clip from the Jags president. It was on NFL site 2 days ago. He’s much more vocal about continually losing than I did on this thread.
link to nfl.com
I don’t have it backwards. I think you have it backwards. He can refuse to sign all he wants. The bengals don’t have to trade the pick to appease him. They don’t even have to select him. Detroit and Miami? I am a dolphins fan, they haven’t been a “winning” franchise since Marino retired. Why would he refuse to sign with cincy but agree to go to Miami who openly tanked? Or Detroit, who already has a franchise qb that haven’t won anything. It seems like you just want to trash the bengals and ignore your own argument
I listed the Lions as a continually failing team. You’re right, Miami has sucked this century. Throw in another 10-12 teams in the conversation for this century.
My whole point is knowing the Bengals history, I wouldn’t want to sign there. I have not seen Mike Brown attempt to build a winning team. Yes, they had 2 SB runs in the 80’s. Other than that, what?
I always read how players should take charge of their careers. This protesting is one way. Jalen Ramsey was tired of the Jags crap and balked at playing. Sometimes you gotta play tough with bottom feeding franchises.
Look at the NY Knicks. No star to superstar wants to go there. Why, because they always lose.
Can you explain how the Bengals would be such a bad destination? The made the playoffs 2011-2015 and this was their first bad season since 2010. Carson Palmer has a very successful career.
Carson Palmer retired to leave them. He hated the organization.
and Marcus Allen hated the Raiders, what’s your point?
Right, no way I’d be the first pick in the draft from my home state.
I’d be more worried about which franchise I went to rather than which state, but that’s me.
What an unbelievably awful take
Look no further than the 2018 draft. #1 Mayfield and #3 Darnold have gone through multiple GM’s, HC’s, and other position coaches. Both are under 500.
L Jackson went to a stable franchise and is winning.
Was everyone wrong about Mayfield, Darnold, & Jackson? Time well tell, but the Browns and Jets aren’t doing anything to support their QB’s.
and they both made plenty of money off the bat for it
Yeah and you have nowhere near the talent to be the #1 pick so your comment is irrelevant
Same for you.
Lol what a stupid comment. “Don’t sign with us! We don’t want to be possibly better!”
Bengals all time playoff record is 5-14 and are roughly 5 seasons under 500 for the regular season. I’d say those stats say the team hasn’t even tried to get better, but I could be wrong.
Well maybe you can get better by having a QB of Burrow’s talent? It’s comical that you have the best QB waiting to fall in your lap and you’re telling him to stay away from your team.
I bet your a LeBron fan!
I get everyone’s feelings on Burrow not going to Cincy. To say all he will ever have is sub 500 seasons isn’t fair though. Bengals went to the playoffs 5 times under Lewis and 2 division titles. Now it’s no secret they couldn’t win at the next level but it’s not fair to say all he will have is sub 500 years. The Bengals are not as far away as people think. With a talent like Burrow, some help on the o-line and a few tweaks on defense they could easily be competitive. If they resign Green and with Boyd, Mixon, Tate and maybe draft Thaddeus Moss also… that would be fun to watch. Don’t forget, while it’s been a while, the Bengals have been to 2 Super Bowls. While it’s more challenging than other places he could get drafted, it’s not as bad as people think. Yes, I am a Bengals fan. Now, if Miami was offering their 3 number 1’s. Wow, I’d have to think about that.
curious to see if he can reproduce his success with a different coaching staff.
He certainly had a heck of a year!! Seems like his head is on straight and says and does the right things. By all accounts a hard worker so hope he has a great career.
Ask Matt Leinart
Our chances of trading in to that pick are somewhere between slim and none, but he’s be a hell of an heir to Drew Brees.
*he’d be
Local Ohio guy coming home is an attraction that works well in this scenario.
Andy is feeling like a redheaded stepchild right about now
Andy would be an upgrade in Chicago, Jets, maybe Denver depending Lock being real deal or not, Indy, Miami and possibly Cleveland if Baker decides to continue his focus on commercials than is craft.