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Whether Joe Burrow will suffer from the lack of a preseason is a question worth asking as the Cincinnati Bengals approach training camp.
The knee-jerk reaction is to think Burrow might have some issues adapting to pro speed on the fly if his first introduction to it happens during the regular season.
But this is Burrow we’re talking about — and someone like Chris Simms doesn’t see him having any issues (h/t Cincinnati.com’s Dave Clark):
“The good thing for (Burrow) is he played a lot of football the last two years. … He was in a pro-style system. He’s been around and played against a lot of pro players. That’s the benefit of playing in SEC football. Pretty much every team you play every week’s got a few professional defensive linemen, a few pros in the secondary. I think he’ll adjust very quickly because he’s very talented and smart.”
Simms followed up:
Just discussed on @dpshow…will Joe Burrow struggle to adjust with no preseason?
I don't think so. He's had a ton of reps the last couple of years against NFL-like competition in the SEC. He's better prepared for the league than most rookie QBs.#Bengals
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) July 22, 2020
It’s not a hard idea to buy into given how impressed Bengals coaches have been with Burrow simply when it comes to the all-virtual meetings.
Once Burrow’s in the door and working in camp, that extensive prep on the mental side of things should marry nicely with some of his experience from the SEC.
And atop all of this is something else to remember — he’ll have great talents like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap coming after him on every rep.
While rookie struggles are a guarantee for any young passer, Burrow’s better positioned than most to shrug it off and play at a strong level, preseason or not.
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