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Cincinnati Bengals: How Does A.J. McCarron Fit In?

By Maxwell Ogden

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The Cincinnati Bengals will pay Andy Dalton $96 million over the next six seasons. Thus, it stands to reason that backup quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Terrelle Pryor are more along for the ride than they are competing for the starting spot.

Or are they?

As transcribed by Mark Inabinett of AL.com, Bengals defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry recently appeared on WNSP-FM 105.5 and offered high praises for McCarron.

"“The kid is doing awesome,” Cincinnati defensive end Wallace Gilberry said during an appearance on Friday on “WNSP Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5. “When I say awesome, that’s kind of an understatement. I mean, last year, he kind of struggled with the arm situation. But this year, man, he looks like A.J. from St. Paul’s with the way he’s throwing the ball. His throwing motion is on point. His passes are on point. I think he’s thrown one interception the whole camp. Not to say Andy (Dalton) has thrown any, but the kid is competing.”"

Gilberry made sure to add that,”Andy’s our guy, man…We love him.”

Dalton is still the starting quarterback for the Bengals, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon. What continues to grow by the day, however, is the realization that Cincinnati actually has a reasonable amount of depth at quarterback.

Suddenly, it’s not Dalton and a barren depth chart.

McCarron was selected No. 164 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Being a fifth-round draft pick generally creates low expectations, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be an impact player.

As the story goes, New England Patriots quarterback and NFL legend Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

And no, I’m not calling McCarron the next Brady.

McCarron enters his second year in better health than he experienced during the 2014 NFL season. He was hindered throughout his rookie campaign by a shoulder injury, thus hindering his availability in practice.

In 2015, that isn’t an issue.

During his illustrious college career, McCarron won three national championships, including two as the starting quarterback. McCarron also won the 2013 Maxwell Award and was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy.

If he can reclaim anything close to that form, Cincinnati will have found a gem.

Collegiate accolades rarely guarantee NFL success, and it’s hard to confidently state that McCarron will make it big. Nevertheless, his work ethic and poise in the pocket are still being heralded.

The question is, will it ever translate to game day?

Dalton has his critics, but he’s played in all 64 regular season games since he was drafted. He’s also made it to the postseason in every season that he’s been under center.

For perspective, Cincinnati made it to the NFL Playoffs in four seasons between 1983 and 2010.

Injuries do happen, however, and Cincinnati is 0-4 in the postseason with Dalton. Thus, his being the starting quarterback is not entirely set in stone, no matter what the contract says.

Should the Bengals come up short in the postseason in 2015, having a backup who’s turning heads in practice is a very reassuring feeling. More importantly, a young and promising backup quarterback is something Cincinnati hasn’t possessed since selecting Dalton and trading Carson Palmer.

The question is, will McCarron and Pryor’s arrival and impressive play motivate Dalton to improve upon his weaknesses? Will they serve as, at the very least, competent backups to provide much-needed depth?

Or is McCarron set to take over for Dalton in the same way that he did Greg McElroy at the University of Alabama?

One way or another, A.J. McCarron’s rise on the practice field bodes very well for the Bengals moving forward.

Next: Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Key Stats

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