Though Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Andy Dalton is in no danger of losing his job during the offseason, considering that, with his help, his team has reached the postseason in both of his first two seasons with the team, but he has yet to become the face of the franchise.
And whether or not he will ever be viewed that way by the powers-that-be in Cincinnati will be hinted at when the Bengals bring on a new backup quarterback in the coming weeks, someone to replace Bruce Gradkowski, a free agent who isn't likely to be re-signed.
Dalton certainly showed improvement in his second year in the league, throwing for 3,669 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2012 with a completion percentage of 62.3 during the regular season. This was up from his rookie season in which he threw for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 58.1 percent of his passes.
However, his increase in passing attempts from 516 to 528 resulted in him throwing 16 interceptions in 2012, up from 13 in 2011. He was also sacked 46 times, compared to 24 during his rookie season, so clearly, there are areas that need improvement, specifically when dealing with pressure.