This was always going to be a difficult stretch for Cincinnati Bengals fans.
As fun — in a way — as owning the No. 1 pick is, it’s a stressful time for fans because inevitably, the rumor mill starts up at the fastest possible pace and doesn’t let up until the team actually walks to the podium and makes a pick.
Indeed, it’s only the second week of February and all sorts of national narratives have gone public concerning the Bengals and Joe Burrow.
Former Rams general manager Billy Devaney, who had to deal with this before taking Sam Bradford at No. 1 all those years ago, spoke with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com about the situation:
“Sounds like the same stuff. Ever year there are shenanigans that go on. We kind of set our sights early on Bradford. There was stuff that started to come out that Bradford didn’t want to play in St. Louis,” Devaney says. “There were teams behind that really wanted Bradford. They were putting stuff out and don’t discount agents, also. They try to inject themselves in the process and kind of think they probably have more juice and more power to try and orchestrate something and they don’t. Between the agents and the teams behind Cincinnati, this probably isn’t the end of it. This will go on right up until draft time.”
Call it a grim reality of the draft process near the top of the order. Teams out of range to pick a top-flight prospect that year, as well as the wants of prospects and their reps, creates a whirlwind of rumors that make for a bumpy ride until the draft itself.
This year things are especially bad. Cincinnati’s national reputation, paired with arguably the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, is a breeding ground for rumors and narratives that will drive fans wild if they pay too much attention.
The good news? Zac Taylor has a personal relationship with someone in the Burrow universe. And knowing how the Bengals operate, they’re ignoring the noise and just going through the process.
Bengals fans might want to do the same.
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