The rumblings about the possibility of Cincy drafting Kyler Murray have got to stop. It is said that the Oklahoma quarterback who has decided he is worthy of the NFL (ultimately the cooler choice) over guaranteed baseball money is mocked to the Cincinnati Bengals. Even worse fans actually support this preposterous idea.
Lets start with the basic facts. Kyler was a solid collegiate quarterback, no one will argue that. Amassing 5,400 yards passing over his career and lobbing in 50 touchdowns. The young man also has 13 rushing touchdowns over the span of his career. He was fun to watch. But the concerns we have with him are glaringly obvious.
Kyler is listed at so many different heights it is tough to tell which one is true until we hit to combine. one day he is 5"11, the next he is 5"8. Experts put him realistically more toward that 5"9 height which is absurdly short for an NFL quarterback. I know people will chirp me here and say "Well Doug Flutie was only 5"9 and he was a stud", just don't. Todays game is completely different. Linemen these days have to call air traffic control just to stand up making it difficult for shorter quarterbacks to ever see over the trenches. Players are overall bigger, faster, stronger and hit five times as hard. Murray will be eaten alive in the league. I do not want a fragile small guy taking snaps for the Bengals and you shouldn't either.
Now lets talk about Andy. First of all he is our guy, our Red Rifle. Andy has had single season passing yardage that nearly touches Murray's entire college career. The NFL is a different game than the NCAA I know but facts are facts. Andy is a smart guy behind center. His decision making and reaction time to change is second to none. With the right offensive line he is capable of being one of the top quarterbacks in the league in terms of production. Take his 4,206 yard 2016 season for example. How about in 2017 when he threw 25 touchdowns in a single season. The rifle has a cannon that he does not get enough credit for as well. On top of his pocket prowess he is deceptively mobile. He can squirm away from sacks and get down the field if he is forced out. Andy is our guy.
Another reason we don't need to draft young Murray is we have plenty of other needs to fill with a great first round draft pick. Take the tight end position for example. Yeah Kroft is alright as a replacement for Eifert who will inevitably be injured but it would be incredible to draft the next Travis Kelce (not saying there is one in this draft). Next lets take a look at literally every position on defense. Our linebackers a shotty, our DB's are getting there but we could replace Dre Kirk with a rock and get better production. Our D-Line is pretty solid with Geno as its anchor and I will say Jesse Bates III is about as athletic as a safety can come these days but we still could supplement. God we need linebackers... Back to offense and our abysmal offensive line. We have got to grab ahold of a few offensive linemen that can undo the busts that are Cedric Ogbuehi and the gang. Overall we have plenty of other needs beside quarterback right now.
Bottom line there is no way Kyler is a feasible replacement or backup for Andy. Whether you take his height and weight or the fact that the Bengals need to meet hit other first round needs there is no world where you can convince me that the Cincinnati Bengals need to use a first round pick on Kyler Murray, or a quarterback at all for that matter. Its just not a need we HAVE to fill right now.
Andy forever...
WHODEY
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