Good isn't good enough in the NFL.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has led his team to the post-season in all four of his years in the NFL. But just making the playoffs isn't enough for the Bengals anymore. The franchise wants to make the leap from pretender to contender, and that means getting more out of the quarterback position.
"The Bengals won't be able to land a top quarterback in the draft, and no viable long-term starter is available in free agency, but they need to bring in someone who can push Dalton in his fifth season," Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders wrote. "Right now former Alabama caretaker A.J. McCarron is the only backup on the roster. Dalton has yet to rank higher than 14th in Total QBR in any of his seasons and the Bengals are past the point of paying for average performance."
Cincy isn't ready to flat-out replace Dalton. He's been too solid during the regular season to be dumped just like that. But they do want to light a fire under him. Bringing in a free agent quarterback to at least compete with Dalton for the starting gig may be enough to get him to raise his game a notch.
Unfortunately, as Kacsmar noted, the free agents class of QBs this year isn't exactly overflowing with quality alternatives. The Bengals could look at players such as Mark Sanchez and Brian Hoyer, guys who have previous starting experience in the NFL. Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett may get a look. Remember, the goal isn't to replace Dalton just yet, the Bengals just want to sign someone who can help him improve.
Of course, roster upgrades and player development is always easier said than done in the NFL. Will the Bengals be able to squeeze out some more production from Dalton? Will the team opt for a free agent quarterback?
It's all anyone's guess at this point.
