How Good Do You Think Andy Dalton Can Be?

[BeerBaron]

It's a question worth asking. His physical tools max out around average at best, which is always a limiting factor in a QBs ceiling. It's why he was available in the 2nd round last year while other less-polished but more physically talented QBs were drafted well ahead of him (Locker and Gabbert particularly.)

He was adequate for the Bengals last year and played well enough for them to beat the weaker teams on their schedule. I would take that from a rookie QB and I think most others would as well.

But what is said here matches my concerns with him:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...t-andy-dalton/

For those who don't like clicking links and reading, here is a brief summary.

Jay Gruden did a great job in masking Dalton's deficiencies (spelled that right on my first try, **** yeah) last year. But, as the media talks him up as a potential up-and-coming franchise QB, the Bengals organization has rallied a bit to temper expectations.

The league seemed to catch onto Dalton’s act about midway through his rookie year. In the Bengals’ final nine games, including the playoffs, Dalton completed just 169-of-301 passes (56.1 percent) for 1,959 yards (6.51 YPA) with seven touchdowns compared to 12 turnovers. Dalton roared out of the gates against a soft early-season schedule, only to flounder when the passing windows got smaller against stouter stretch-run defenses.

So how good do you think Andy Dalton will be in this league?

My personal comparison for where I see him maxing out is at the level of post-multiple-shoulder-surgeries Chad Pennington. A smart guy, good leader, accurate...but doesn't have the arm strength or general athleticism to take over games like a franchise QB should be able to do.

If the Bengals really develop that team around him, and they're well on their way with a couple of good drafts running now, he could easily game manage them to success. AJ Green is a legit #1 WR and I think Sanu could develop beautifully as a #2 possession guy, which will be huge for someone like Dalton. They have what could be a great TE combo in Gresham and Orson Charles (steal.) Their o-line wasn't that bad and now they've added Zeitler. And they're very fond of drafting all of those low-floor, high-ceiling types on defense. If they get all that clicking, Dalton could be adequate for them.

Thoughts?