Report: Bengals 'Have Maxed Out' Meeting Time with Joe Burrow Before NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, have "maxed out their time" with LSU quarterback prospect Joe Burrow as they "work to build a relationship with him," according to Albert Breer of SI.com.

Breer continued:

"What does that mean? Well, each team is allowed to do three one-hour calls with each prospect per week. So every week, Cincinnati has done, yes, three one-hour calls with Burrow. If you listened to my podcast with Burrow's trainer, Jordan Palmer, a few weeks back, you heard him say that the training for Burrow has been focused on getting him ready to play in Week 1. The amount of meetings he’s had with the team that'll likely draft him can’t hurt in that regard either."

All indications are that the Bengals will select the LSU superstar. NBC Sports' Peter King reported Monday that "there's little chance the Bengals will trade out of this pick. LSU's Burrow makes too much sense for the long-term best interests of the franchise."

And Burrow received one of the best endorsements in college football this week.

"I think Burrow's got great vision, does a good job with pre-snap reads and knowing where he's going to go with the ball," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said during an episode of ESPN's Detail. "He also can extend plays [and] scramble to throw, which I think is really, really important and puts a lot of pressure on the defense. So Burrow's going to have a fantastic career in the NFL."

Burrow, 23, had a season for the ages in 2019, throwing for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing an incredible 76.3 percent of his passes. The stats were stunning, but Burrow also helped lead LSU to a national championship. 

In the process he won just about every award in the book, from the Heisman Trophy to the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Davey O'Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Award. 

Burrow is a superb quarterback, and the Bengals have a huge need at the position. Burrow also spent much of his childhood in Ohio, giving the Bengals a potential hometown hero like the Cleveland Cavaliers once had in LeBron James.

The Bengals will likely field calls to see if a team makes them a historically lucrative trade offer. But Burrow to the Bengals seems destined to happen.