Saturday, April 10, 1999
Esiason to Bengals: Trade down
Team should draft defensive player instead of QB
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Boomer Esiason, the Bengals' last franchise quarterback, says the team should find its next one lower — not higher — in next week's NFL draft.
“Trade the third pick,” Esiason said Friday.
“Why throw 15 million bucks at a guy you have no idea what he's going to do? What, and get another Rick Mirer or David Klingler or Andre Ware? This team has to get players on defense. Trade down and get more players.”
Esiason, ABC's Monday Night Football analyst, wonders when he sees the Bengals thinking about drafting a player like Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb.
“Here's a guy who ran the freeze option,” Esiason said. “By the time he figures out the Bengals' offense, it's going to be a waste of three years. They need guys who can help them this year. They can't afford not to put a guy on the field now. That's why it's so hard to pass up a guy like (Georgia cornerback) Champ Bailey. He can play right away.'
The Bengals found Esiason in the second round in 1984. They don't think they can get a similar value in the second round this year. They find Washington's Brock Huard inconsistent, and some fear the size of Tulane's 6-foot Shaun King. Besides, San Francisco may grab King at the bottom of the first round.
If Esiason has a favorite of the quarterbacks the Bengals are likely to choose at No.3, it sounds like it's Kentucky's Tim Couch.
“He stood up and put up great numbers against teams like Florida,” Esiason said. “I don't care how many passes he threw in that offense, he did it against very good teams. He got pounded, got back up and made a play, got pounded, got up and did it again.”
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