Andy Dalton came into the NFL with limitations -- for example, he doesn't have the laser-like arm of Matthew Stafford -- but the Cincinnati Bengals did a great job working around those limitations during his rookie year.
NFL Films' Greg Cosell was quoted on Yahoo's Shutdown Corner Podcast last week (via ProFootballTalk.com) as saying that members of the Bengals organization still have "a few doubts" about what Dalton's ceiling can be as a pro. Just don't tell offensive coordinator Jay Gruden that.
"I don't know where that came from and why he said it," Gruden said Monday, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. "If there were reservations about Andy Dalton, there would be a lot more quarterbacks here right now. We know and he knows he has to get better. ... I have no reservations about arm strength. I think he can do it all."
Cosell's words weren't exactly surprising. You just can't call as many plays for a guy like Dalton -- especially as a rookie -- as you could for someone with a bigger arm. Perhaps Dalton can still develop arm strength as he progresses in his career.
Gruden's point, however, is well taken. Dalton is Cincinnati's franchise quarterback. The team has no real backup plan. It's up to Dalton to continue to prove people wrong, even if some of those people work for the Bengals.
