I sometimes wonder why coaches or executives of franchises choose to divulge so much personal information at the wrong time. The Cincinnati Bengals are facing the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Bengals owner Mike Brown serves as his teams general manager as well, and revealed during an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer this week that he actually wanted to draft San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the 35th overall pick and not Andy Dalton during the 2011 NFL Draft.
Brown wanted Kaepernick, tall and agile, out of Nevada. With the Bengals set to make their second-round pick, each remained on the board. “I like this guy,” Brown said of Kaepernick. “He has unusual mobility.” Brown noted that Kaepernick lacked accuracy, but believed that could be taught.
“I want Dalton,” Gruden said. “He fits what I want to do.”
“Are you sure?” Brown asked.
Gruden said he was.
The Bengals took Dalton with the 35th pick overall. Kaepernick went 36th, to San Francisco.
You can argue which quarterback is better, but I think both men fit their systems to a tee, even though I’m sure that Kaepernick could have flourished in Cincinnati.
