NFL Trade Rumors: 15 QB Options for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011
Since Marvin Lewis agreed to stay on as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, there has been rampant speculation about where the team is headed in 2011.
Terrell Owens is out and Chad Ochocinco could also be gone, but Cincinnati does have some nice young offensive pieces in place, like Jermaine Gresham, Jordan Shipley and Jerome Simpson.
With Lewis now locked in for at least another year, the belief is that Carson Palmer will be the Bengals quarterback who's throwing to those guys next season.
But given his struggles and the team's limited options behind him—Jordan Palmer and Dan LeFevour—Cincinnati could be in the market for another quarterback.
Whether that's through the draft, a trade (assuming a new collective bargaining is reached) or a free agent signing is still up in the air.
But let's take a look at some potential QB options (not necessarily starters) for the Bengals in 2011.
15. Jake Locker
1 of 15
Given where Jake Locker is ranked by most NFL draft experts, he won't be taken by as high as Cincinnati's No. 4 overall pick and won't be available when the Bengals pick in the second round.
The only way I see Locker winding up with Cincinnati is if the Bengals decide to trade down in the first round—and decide they'll be going with a young gun at quarterback within the next two or three years.
Though Locker possesses some incredible physical tools, he's never really put it all together at the college level.
And given Cincinnati's current draft positioning, the cards don't seem to be falling the way of a Locker-Cincinnati pairing right now.
14. Cam Newton
2 of 15
Cam Newton is in the same boat as Jake Locker.
Is he a first-round quarterback prospect? Absolutely.
But he'd be a huge risk as a top five pick, especially when you consider that most scouts see Newton as someone who will follow in the footsteps of Aaron Rodgers and marinate on the bench for three years.
Though crazier things have happened, Newton seems like a long shot to wind up in Cincinnati.
13. Seneca Wallace
3 of 15
Seneca Wallace is one of those guys who I don't feel gets enough credit for what he does on the football field.
He'll rarely pass for 300 yards in a game and will never win 12 games in a season, but he's been a solid game manager throughout his career.
Wallace won't and shouldn't be a starter in 2011, but his ability as a solid No. 2 quarterback can't be overlooked.
He's set to be a free agent this offseason (CBA aside) and with Jake Delhomme and Colt McCoy already on the roster, the Cleveland Browns could choose to let him walk.
Wallace will have his fair share of suitors on the free agent market, and Cincinnati would be wise to be one of them.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
12. Matt Moore
4 of 15
Matt Moore suffered a torn labrum that required surgery in November and that could hurt his appeal in free agency.
His poor showing in Carolina might turn off potential suitors too.
But let's face it—the Panthers weren't bad just because of Moore. They had issues all over the place.
And assuming Moore is healthy within the next few months, he'll latch on as a No. 2 quarterback elsewhere as long Carolina plans on going in for all or nothing with Jimmy Clausen.
You have to think that Moore could get some strong consideration from Cincinnati because he brings decent experience to the table, despite being only 26 years old.
11. A Second Tier College Quarterback
5 of 15
After Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, the 2011 NFL Draft has a pretty steep drop off in terms of quarterback talent.
The next best prospects are probably Florida State's Christian Ponder, TCU's Andy Dalton, Iowa's Ricky Stanzi and Delaware's Pat Devlin (the next Joe Flacco, maybe?).
Those four guys—along with some other surprises—will probably go off the board in the late second to late fourth/early fifth round range.
Although Cincinnati did just draft Dan LeFevour in the sixth round last year, the Bengals could be looking for another mid-to-late round quarterback again in 2011.
10. Tarvaris Jackson
6 of 15
All the signs point to the Minnesota Vikings sticking with Joe Webb, while perhaps drafting, signing or trading for another quarterback.
That leaves Tarvaris Jackson without a home.
He has shown some potential as a starter, but he's also had limited playing experience thanks to all the Brett Favre drama in Minnesota.
But Jackson had decent success as a Viking before Favre came along, and he'll be highly sought after on the quarterback market.
The question is whether or not Jackson will be looking to go to a place where he can start, and we can all assume what the answer is.
9. Drew Stanton
7 of 15
Drew Stanton has been the third-string quarterback for Detroit basically since he entered the league in 2008.
But with Shaun Hill and Matthew Stafford out this season, Stanton was forced to step in as the Lions' starter.
He was far from great, but he did also lead Detroit to consecutive victories over Green Bay and Tampa Bay in Weeks 14 and 15.
Given Stanton's age—he's only 26 years old—and that experience this season, he could draw plenty of interest as a potential backup quarterback.
Plus, he's gotta be an upgrade over Jordan Palmer, right?
8. Kerry Collins
8 of 15
38 years old and still going strong, it appears Kerry Collins is well on his way to being the next Brett Favre.
There's a good chance he'll end up back in Tennessee for another year with Jeff Fisher, but the Titans could also swing a trade for or draft another quarterback.
If that's the case, look for teams to jump at a chance of signing Collins, who threw nine touchdowns in his final four games of 2010.
He's still got it, and he could provide the Bengals with some reliable insurance in case Cincinnati experiences another Carson Palmer meltdown.
7. Blaine Gabbert
9 of 15
Do the Bengals want to jump on the Todd McShay train and take Missouri's Blaine Gabbert with the No. 4 overall pick?
I'm not sure, because I don't really understand how Gabbert can go pretty much unnoticed all season before suddenly climbing up draft boards at season's end—just seems a little fishy.
Anyway, it appears that Gabbert is a lock to be taken in the top 10, if not the top five.
But it seems to me like A.J. Green would be the smarter pick for the Bengals here, because he should be the most talented player on the board at that time.
Then again, if Gabbert's available and the Bengals really like him, they might overlook their needs in favor of a want.
6. Alex Smith
10 of 15
By all measures, Alex Smith underachieved and failed miserably in San Francisco, especially when you consider the whole "Alex Smith or Aaron Rodgers?" debate that took place in 2005.
But I still don't believe Smith is a terrible quarterback, and he does have a purpose in this league.
As a starter? No, not right now.
As a backup? Absolutely.
There are worse things than having a guy who's played in 54 games as your backup quarterback—just check out some of the backup QB situations around the league.
Anyway, I'd look for Smith to be a hot commodity among teams with shaky No. 2 QBs, and Cincinnati is one of them.
5. Donovan McNabb
11 of 15
If we're just being honest here, I think Donovan McNabb will either be in Arizona (where he has a home) or Miami next season—anywhere but Washington, at the very least.
He's obviously going to draw more interest from quarterback-needy teams than any other QB, except for maybe Kevin Kolb.
And McNabb would likely have a better chance of succeeding with the Bengals, who have more offensive weapons than the Redskins can dream about.
I'm not sure a McNabb-Bengals pairing really "fits," but McNabb still can play football, even if he is nearing the end of his career.
4. Matt Hasselbeck
12 of 15
While Seattle exceeded any and all expectations this season, the Seahawks appear to be moving ahead with a full-on youth movement.
And that means saying goodbye to free agent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
His days as a starter are numbered—if not over already—but he would serve as one heck of a backup on more than half the teams in the league.
I could see Hasselbeck doing for Carson Palmer what Jon Kitna's done for Tony Romo in Dallas.
That is, he would provide the Bengals with a No. 2 quarterback who they'd feel comfortable with as the starter, but would never put into a "battle" for the starting job.
3. Vince Young
13 of 15
Vince Young has already been linked to a boatload of teams, from the Redskins to the Cardinals to the Seahawks.
He'll likely end up a starter in 2011, but where?
Former Titans running back coach Craig Johnson could be headed to Minnesota, so there's a decent chance that Young finds his way there.
Young's insistence of being a starter probably limits his options, and he's probably not even an upgrade over Carson Palmer in Cincinnati.
But it's the NFL and crazy things happen there, so I never consider anything obsolete.
2. Kevin Kolb
14 of 15
Given the high price of quarterbacks these days, it'll likely take a first and a third-round pick, or two second-round picks, to pry Kevin Kolb from Philadelphia.
How many teams are willing to do that?
Probably not many.
But there will be plenty of teams who will try to trade for Kolb, who's scheduled to make less than $2 million in 2011.
I doubt Cincinnati is willing to give up that much for Kolb, but he could wind up being a franchise quarterback.
And Carson Palmer might no longer be one.
1. Ryan Mallett
15 of 15
If Blaine Gabbert is the riser of the 2011 quarterback class, then Ryan Mallett is the faller.
He's gone from potential top 10 or even top five pick to being a late first or early second-round prospect.
And if Mallett does indeed fall to the second round, I'd look for several teams in that 32-42 range to give him a long look.
Cincinnati would be in that mix, and it would make sense for the Bengals to take a shot on him after having already addressed a need with the No. 4 overall selection.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")