NFL Mystery Box: What To Make Of A.J. McCarron
By Erik Lambert
May 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron during the 2014 NFLPA Rookie Premiere at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Nothing should give the Cincinnati Bengals more of a gray feeling than knowing their quarterback is the one player who establishes the benchmark between what is good and what is mediocre in the NFL.
That is what experts use when referencing Andy Dalton and the “Dalton Line.” Those who finish above that line are considered upper echelon while those below it are one fortuitous bounce from being replaced. Such is the sad reality for Dalton himself, who has guided his team to four-straight playoff berths and four-straight one-and-done playoff exits.
Feelings are growing that he just can’t elevate his play when it matters most, leading to speculation that perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere while the window is still open for this team to make a run.
One name that continues to come up is A.J. McCarron.
Some might remember that the 24-year old was the captain of that Alabama juggernaut that rolled off back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. Inevitably playing in that Nick Saban system, headlined by defense and power running, he was saddled with the “game manager” tag. It didn’t help that last off-season coaches were concerned that a lot of passes were falling short of receivers, reinforcing a perceived lack of arm strength.
Time has shown the reason for that was shoulder complications. Since then the problem has reportedly cleared up and word out of Bengals camp is the second-year quarterback is now overthrowing receivers.
His confidence has also swelled too.
"“If you’re not going to dream big, then why dream? He’s (Dalton) our starter, I know that, but I want to make him better in every way that I can. Like I told him, hopefully one day me and him can be retired and look back on it and we’re both 100 million-dollar guys. That’s my dream.”"
The manager tags and arm concerns were what dropped McCarron to the 5th round in the draft last year, but from the very beginning pundits felt he had all the intangibles of a pro: smart, poised, hard worker and a great leader in the huddle. If he has been able to solve some of the physical drawbacks, this could put Cincinnati in a dilemma.
If he performs well early in training camp, do they dare open the door for him to take a shot at Dalton for the starting job?
Based on the excitement of the coaches around having him in the building, Bengals fans may be surprised by the answer.
"“We wanted him in our building so bad and it happened and then it didn’t happen and now it’s happening. So it’s fun. It’s delayed gratification, that’s all. Now we’ve got a chance to see where he can take himself and where we can help him go.”"
When the thoughts shift from playoffs to Super Bowl, all bets are off. A.J. McCarron showed he could win the big games in college. An opportunity may be what he needs to prove he can do it in the pros.