Underappreciated Andy Dalton is an ideal fit for the Jaguars
The Cincinnati Bengals recently released their nine-year veteran signal-caller. Here’s why it makes sense for Andy Dalton to join the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Stating the obvious. As with any other profession, familiarity with a co-worker can be positive and negative. Meaning you are familiar with a person’s strengths and faults. Hence it’s very common during NFL free agency to see a lot of players joining organizations because they have dealt with a coach and a system.
Such is the case of currently unemployed quarterback Andy Dalton, who was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on the final day of April. He’s now looking for work and the nine-year veteran certainly has plenty left in the tank.
Of course, the 32-year-old performer does come off a 2019 season in which he played and started in just 13 games, hit on just 59.5 percent of his passes and finished with more turnovers (18) than touchdown passes (16). Of course, it’s also worth noting that he did run for four scores. And he and the Bengals were minus star wide receiver A.J. Green for all of 2019.
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Before becoming head coach of the Washington Redskins in 2014, new Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden held that title for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was at the helm of Marvin Lewis’s attack during the first three seasons of Dalton’s career.
Over that span, the former TCU signal-caller threw for 11,360 yards, 80 touchdowns and 49 picks. The Bengals were a playoff team each year but Dalton did not perform particularly well in the postseason. It’s safe to say that Gruden is more than familiar with what the 6-2, 220-pound performer can do.
Of course, so is veteran tight end Tyler Eifert, a first-round pick by the Bengals in 2013 who signed with Jacksonville this offseason. He has battled injuries throughout most of his career but comes off a season in which he played in all 16 games for the first time. He was tied for second on the club with 43 catches, three for scores.
Yes, Doug Marrone’s squad does have second-year pro Gardner Minshew, untested Josh Dobbs and 2020 sixth-round pick Jake Luton on their quarterback depth chart. They parted ways with Super Bowl LII hero Nick Foles one year into a four-year contract. And this is a club that is a combined 11-21 the past two seasons after reaching the AFC title game in 2017.
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Could Andy Dalton elevate the offense? It’s a unit that features running back Leonard Fournette and a receiving corps that includes rising Pro Bowler D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley, rookies Laviska Shenault Jr. (2-Colorado) and Collin Johnson (5b-Texas), as well as Eifert. It’s an ideal fit for a club that has resided in the AFC South basement for two straight years. So will general manager David Caldwell make the move sooner than later?