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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 |
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| 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 |