How good can A.J. Green be?
If you're asking people associated with the Cincinnati Bengals, the answer is scary good. The last time the Bengals had a homegrown receiving star, it was Chad Ochocinco, whose persona eventually grew to eclipse his production. The Bengals have no such worries about Green, who flashed signs of greatness as a rookie in 2011.
"He has tremendous ability and he never says a word," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said this week, via ESPN.com. "Every time he watches film, he envisions himself getting better. He envisions himself doing it better than he did it the last time. That's the key element of him. There's not a bit of satisfaction in what he's doing."
Playing with a fellow first-year starter in quarterback Andy Dalton, Green led all rookies with 65 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. It wasn't quite Randy Moss' breathtaking 14 touchdown debut in 1998, but Green became the first rookie wideout to go to the Pro Bowl since Anquan Boldin in 2003.
"He's by far the best receiver I've guarded," Bengals cornerback Adam Jones told ESPN.com.
Now, with a full season and offseason under his belt, we get to find out how good Green can be.
"A.J. is one of those guys who is so gifted athletically, and you find ways to get him the ball," Dalton said. "Whether it's early on in the game or the end or in crunch time, you just try and find ways to get him the ball. Once he's got it, he can do a lot with it. He's just that kind of receiver."
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
