Tag: Jake Dolegala

Report: Patriots sign QB Jake Dolaga to practice squad

The New England Patriots signed a quarterback to their roster on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots added another quarterback to the practice squad. They signed Jake Dolaga to the practice squad on Tuesday, according to Tim Graham of The Athletic.

Dolaga played college football at Central Connecticut, and he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He got some playing time during the preseason for Cincinnati, and he recorded 347 yards and two touchdowns that year

This marks the fourth quarterback in the room for New England, Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, and Brian Hoyer are all part of the room.

 

As week two gets underway, it will be interesting to see if the quarterback room undergoes anymore changes, or if this is who New England will roll with for the rest of the season.

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Report: Bengals waive QB Jake Dolegala, RB Jacques Patrick

The Cincinnati Bengals made two notable cuts.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly cut a pair of bigger names while getting the roster down to 53 players.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bengals informed quarterback Jake Dolegala he’s one of the cuts. ESPN’s Ben Baby confirmed the team also cut running back Jacques Patrick.

The Dolegala cut is a little shocking because it comes on the heels of the team also making another cut at the position. But the reality is the coaching staff is fine with only Ryan Finley behind Joe Burrow on the depth chart — and expanded practice squad rules mean one or two quarterbacks could sit there and get called up on a weekly basis if necessary.

Patrick is also a surprising cut considering he was signed to a three-year deal this offseason. But he’s a prime practice squad candidate and long-term stash.

2020 NFL cutdown day: Notable cuts Bengals should watch

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Jake Dolegala is big reason Bengals haven’t brought on veteran backup

The Cincinnati Bengals like what they have with Jake Dolegala.

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The Cincinnati Bengals surprised some by ignoring the perceived need for a potential veteran quarterback behind Joe Burrow on the depth chart.

But the current strategy is by design.

Zac Taylor and several members of his coaching staff have plenty of quarterbacking experience. Sophomore Ryan Finley also started three games last year, so he’s comfortable with the offense.

So is Jake Dolegala.

Dolegala was something of a darling for Bengals fans last year as he shocked by making the 53 after a strong preseason. After doing so, he spent the entire year learning.

“With how successful I was in those last preseason games, I knew I could play at this level,” Dolegala said, according to Bengals.com’s Michael LaPlaca. “I know they are preseason games, but some of those guys end up being Hall of Famers. Once I got that call, I was like alright I made it.”

It’s hard not to love Dolegala’s upside. And both he and Finley will have a leg up with the playbook on any veteran the team can bring in during this odd offseason with preseason games already canceled.

Not that Dolegala appears to need some sort of built-in advantage — his upside and what he’s shown quickly has left the Bengals coaching staff comfortable with him back there behind Burrow on the depth chart.

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Look for a Ryan Finley, Jake Dolegala competition behind a rookie QB

The Bengals don’t necessarily need to add a veteran quarterback.

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The Cincinnati Bengals really like what they have behind probable No. 1 pick Joe Burrow with Ryan Finley and Jake Dolegala.

With a rookie starter leading the team, it is understandable to suggest the Bengals might try to go out and sign a veteran quarterback to serve as a mentor of sorts.

But Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan has swatted away such an idea, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“I’ve never believed you needed to have a veteran (back-up quarterback). I think that gets a little overblown. It can be a benefit. But it has to be the right one and it doesn’t mean you can find the right one. A lot of those veteran guys want to play; they’re not out there to back up. You have to find a guy willing to do that and wiling to mentor. They’re hard to find and they generally tend to be expensive.”

It helps that the Bengals have so many former quarterbacks on the coaching staff, starting with Zac Taylor. That’s a sort of underrated element probably playing into the talk here.

But Finley and Dolegala sure don’t hurt. Finley was a disaster when Taylor named him the starter over Andy Dalton, but the staff still believes he can grow into something. And Dolegala is an interesting story with all the physical traits necessary to succeed.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see Finley as the main backup next year. And knowing the traits Dolegala boasts, it might end up being even less of a shock if he ends up sitting second on the depth chart.

At this point, the only shock would be spending notable money on a veteran passer.

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When should Jake Dolegala get a shot over Ryan Finley?

When should the Bengals go to their other rookie QB?

Is it too early to talk Jake Dolegala for the Cincinnati Bengals?

Perhaps, as fellow rookie Ryan Finley only has two starts on his resume. The Bengals have made it clear the fourth-round pick will get more time despite his recent struggles.

But those struggles have been…quite bad. That 13 of 31 line with a fumble, interception and near pick-six in the loss to Oakland needs to improve or the coaches who traded up to get Finley might not be able to justify keeping him in the lineup no matter how much the evaluation angle makes sense.

Should that happen, Dolegala makes more sense than going back to Dalton.

Dolegala might be one of the most interesting players on the Bengals roster. Alongside Finley, he was one of the only two quarterbacks to take official pre-draft visits with the team. Those arm concerns with Finley don’t exist with Dolegala, the 6’6″, 240-pound physical standout.

After landing with the team that wanted him, Dolegala flashed enough in the preseason to stick on the final 53, forcing the Bengals to roster three quarterbacks.

The backstory is incredibly interesting. Dolegala was getting notable offers before hurting himself making a tackle. He went to Milford Academy in 2014 while recovering, then spent four years at Central Connecticut State. He only threw 48 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over those four seasons with 18 rushing scores, but stats are rather limited on a team like the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.

Dolegala was something of a question mark in the draft for obvious reasons. Could he start reading pro defenses? Would he reach for the alluring upside that other rookie had already seemingly maxed?

Hard to say, but he sure had teammates like Joe Mixon impressed in July.

Given the physical upside, going to Dolegala if Finley keeps struggling makes more sense than turning back to Dalton. It’s clear the Dalton era is over and the last thing the team needs now is to muddy that outlook by a late-season Dalton surge that picks up a few wins.

In the theme of evaluation mode, the Bengals should probably see what they have with Dolegala before spending big on a rookie in the next draft.

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