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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The Fourth Pick, Cincinnati Selects ...

<strong>Blaine Gabbert</strong>.  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Blaine Gabbert. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Playing the role of Cincinnati general manager is 'BitterEli.' Here is his rationale for the selection of Gabbert.

DE Da'Quan Bowers is a consensus top-5 talent, and any Giants fan can tell you about the philosophy of "never having too many pass rushers." But having said that, this team is pretty stacked on the edges. Second-year man Carlos Dunlap was a beast last year once he got onto the field, veteran Antwan Odom was having a great season before he injured his Achilles, third-year man Michael Johnson has a world of talent, and veteran Robert Geathers is still a valuable contributor. With so many great options out there, I couldn't justify Bowers on the basis of need.

DT Marcell Dareus is a realistic choice. he Bengals have good depth at DT with Jonathan Fanene (who also plays some DE), Domata Peko, Pat Sims and Tank Johnson. Even so, they could use a top young talent like Dareus, who many people seem to think should be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

WR A.J. Green is a superstar level talent in the Calvin Johnson mode and would revitalize a Bengals receiving corps that is rapidly aging. Ochocinco might leave town this off-season, which would leave second-year man Jordan Shipley as the top target in the passing game. That's not acceptable, and Green would be a great solution for this problem. But receiver is a hole that can easily be filled later in the draft, and what good is a top wide-out when you don't have a QB to throw him the ball?

Despite all these attractive options, the no-brainer pick to me was QB Blaine Gabbert. Carson Palmer has made it very clear that he will never play QB in Cincinnati again, and nobody else on the roster seems likely to be the quarterback of the future for this team. A great defensive player or receiver is a nice thing to have, but having a franchise QB is all but essential in today's NFL. Gabbert strikes me as the draft's best QB prospect, he's fine value at No. 4 (No. 6 overall on McShay's board, No. 8 on Kiper's) and fills the team's biggest need. Scouting reports below:



My take: First off, why don't the Bengals have a general manager? Anyway, if I was Cincinnati President Mike Brown Gabbert is the pick I would make, and to be honest I would absolutely hate having to make it. Coming off a 4-12 season the Bengals need help in a lot of areas, and having to start over with a new franchise quarterback is not the ideal scenario. Carson Palmer's apparent refusal to ever suit up for the Bengals again, however, leaves them in a position where they do not have a quarterback to build around. As much as I hate leaving so many other talented players on the board, my stated philosophy has always been that if you need a franchise quarterback and you believe there is one available to you, then you take that player. Thus, I agree with the selection of Gabbert here.

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona


gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland


Bobely
7 San Francisco



Pat19
8 Tennessee


RealLT
9 Dallas



Simms-McConkey
10 Washington


jcalafiore
11 Houston



daddyzander
12 Minnesota


RolloT
13 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
14 St. Louis



GiantNomad
15 Miami



HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville


ct17
17 New England



Ryan Valentine?
18 San Diego



Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay



willgfass
21 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis


dannymac56
23 Philadelphia


JimmyK
24 New Orleans



Charles L.
25 Seattle


Ejaay
26 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta


pataroons
28 New England



Ryan Valentine?
29 Chicago


You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets



PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
32 Green Bay



GiantsFan28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England



Ryan Valentine?
34 Buffalo


Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati


BitterEli
36 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland


Bobely
38 Arizona



gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee


RealLT
40 Dallas


Simms-McConkey
41 Washington


jcalafiore
42 Houston


daddyzander
43 Minnesota


RolloT
44 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco



Pat19
46 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis



GiantNomad
48 Oakland


G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville



ct17
50 San Diego



Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay



willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



GiantsFan28