AJ May Not Make the Bengals' Roster

Cool. Maybe he'll have plenty of time for his reality show.

AJ's decisions after his final game were not very good to say the least. He missed the Senior Bowl in his hometown, he apparently interviewed poorly as well. Whoever his agent is who I assume was giving him advice needs to fired immediately.

If he doesn't make the roster this year, he will be out of the league before you know it. Why would you waste a draft pick on a kid and never even give him the chance to earn a spot. Surely he is a better option than Jason Campbell.

Enough. This has nothing to do with him beong on Bengal roster and getting placed on PUP list.

Rama Jama said:

AJ's decisions after his final game were not very good to say the least. He missed the Senior Bowl in his hometown, he apparently interviewed poorly as well. Whoever his agent is who I assume was giving him advice needs to fired immediately.

If he doesn't make the roster this year, he will be out of the league before you know it. Why would you waste a draft pick on a kid and never even give him the chance to earn a spot. Surely he is a better option than Jason Campbell.

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Geez, people just can't let go of the past. The Bengals went with 2 quarterbacks last year, and and that had nothing to do with anything that AJ said.

They already have their franchise quarterback in Dalton, and many franchises don't want to waste the roster spot on a quarterback who will only see the field in case of a catastrophe.

Honestly they'd be smart just to knock AJ down to the practice squad for the time being, and that's if he can even get off the PUP list this year. But nothing AJ said has anything to do with this. Worst case, he may have cost him self a few draft spots, but his draft stock was falling long before the Sr bowl.

Re: McCarron:

Why not just stash him on the PUP list if you can? I honestly don't think his injury is really all of that serious, but frankly he's not contributing for them this year anyway, and if he ever gets into a game for them this season that will only be because something went incredibly wrong somewhere along the lines with the Bengals season reduced to smoldering ruins.

And if that's the case, why not just go with two quarterbacks and free up another spot on the 53-man roster? If you need an emergency QB later in the year, sign someone off the street.

Some are forgetting that AJ has no problem waiting his turn to shine and that when he gets his chance, he makes the best of it. It wasn't just dumb luck; that is AJs basic personality. I will be surprised if he does not develop and start for someone by next year. Everyone here knows that in the NFL, one game and a couple of injuries can change everything. Someone will be screaming for a good QB before the season is done.

Not that I'll put McCarron in that category just yet, but you might want to go look at some of the good to great QBs and look at their long, strange paths to fame. It is VERY RARE that the Joe Montana-John Elway-Peyton Manning thing happens - QB is drafted on team as the savior and turns them into champions.

More common are cases like:

Jim Plunkett - sort of the Gene Stallings of NFL quarterbacks, canned twice and unwanted, wins it all
Johnny Unitas - drafted then cut by Steelers in 1955
Kurt Warner - I mean, really
Brett Favre - amazing how many folks forget he wasn't all that well thought of in Atlanta (no folks, he wasn't drafted by Green Bay)
Roger Staubach - speaking of inspirational.....
Len Dawson - this guy needed a new league to start up to become a Hall of Famer
Fran Tarkenton
Steve Young - how many of you - without looking - can even tell me who drafted Young in the NFL? (I'll give you a hint: not only was it NOT the 49ers, it also was NOT the Buccaneers)

So don't worry about it. If you're good and a champion, it WILL come out.

selmaborntidefan said:

Not that I'll put McCarron in that category just yet, but you might want to go look at some of the good to great QBs and look at their long, strange paths to fame. It is VERY RARE that the Joe Montana-John Elway-Peyton Manning thing happens - QB is drafted on team as the savior and turns them into champions.

More common are cases like:
Johnny Unitas - drafted then cut by Steelers in 1955

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Unitas was drafted by his hometown Steelers, even though the head coach thought he was a dolt. They cut him, without letting him to throw a single pass, even in practice. He kicked around for a year, played in a semi-pro league and worked (I believe) as a construction worker. He paid his way to Bal'more, for an open tryout, that he was invited to. (All of which grated on my Steeler fan stepfather.)

Yes, times are different now. I would not worry about AJ. He'll be fine, somehow.

Other than that silly reality show............and marrying a barner............

(Yes, I know she is hawt. She is still a barner.)

There's always the CFL for a year or two. Warren Moon, Doug Flutie...just sayin.

McCarron's not a CFL fit. It's a pinball league today, not play-action. Maybe 35-40 years ago - the name Dieter Brock ring a bell?...

selmaborntidefan said:

Steve Young - how many of you - without looking - can even tell me who drafted Young in the NFL? (I'll give you a hint: not only was it NOT the 49ers, it also was NOT the Buccaneers)

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The L.A. Express?

Bamabuzzard said:

It makes sense if once he got to the organization and started interacting with the team they felt he simply wasn't a good fit or his shoulder injury was more of a risk than thought. Granted all of this is purely speculation on my part but in the NFL (just as in life) situations can change in an instant. I've watched people be sought out, hired with a big salary to lead a company then two weeks later be let go. Life can be ungraciously harsh sometimes. Either way I think AJ will be fine. If Tyrod Taylor can hang around and earn a roster spot then AJ can too.

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Words from Zampese's own mouth, so to me it's not speculation.

TIDE-HSV said:

It doesn't help that the injured shoulder has had surgery already by the best in the business. I don't know what their docs said in evaluating his problem independently, but it has to be discouraging for them, or for any other team which might be interested in him. At this point, I'd say he simply has to prove that he can stay healthy...

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Had mine done by a young up-and-comer who supposedly was the next big thing, having been trained and practicing with world renowned surgeons. My shoulder is now worse than it was before the first of three surgeries. Don't know what was done to AJ's but it's obviously a big deal.

Shoulder injuries seem to end careers more than any other type of injury in football or baseball. For whatever reason, the shoulder just isn't the same after some injuries no matter who performs the corrective surgery.

twofbyc said:

Had mine done by a young up-and-comer who supposedly was the next big thing, having been trained and practicing with world renowned surgeons. My shoulder is now worse than it was before the first of three surgeries. Don't know what was done to AJ's but it's obviously a big deal.

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Dr. Andrews and his team of wonder boys, have done both shoulders and one knee (Twice) for me.
Shoulders are great. Knee will eventually need a replacement.
Thing about using the best Doctors, you expect results.

dWarriors88 said:

Injuries kept him down. Never really had the opportunity. Which is a shame, he's the best QB out of the draft IMO

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I'm gonna have to give that nod to Blake Bortles...IMO

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Bamabuzzard said:

Oh, didn't know that. Thanks!

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I had posted this in another thread a week or so ago - my brother (the one who went to Bama) lives in CA and was just in town for a family get-together. He was was vacationing in Catalina (I think) earlier this summer when he met Zampese. Naturally, my brother (also being originally from Mobile) asked about AJ, and that is what Zampese replied - they knew he had shoulder issues. He also replied that he would still get a shot if the shoulder can be repaired/healed, because they really liked him; that's why I don't see them cutting him. Of course, Z is only the QB coach and doesn't have final say in that matter.