Mike Brown's Track Record Drafting Quarterbacks Since 1991 Should Scare You

by Josh Kirkendall on Mar 7, 2011 4:00 PM EST

James Walker wrote a similar piece on the history of quarterbacks drafted by the Bengals dating back to 1991. We actually had an article prepared to post this afternoon before his was published which holds a similar point of view.

Bengals owner Mike Brown loves his quarterbacks. He drafted Akili Smith, who posted more touchdowns passing and more yards during his senior year than this year's prospect, Cam Newton. During Smith's first 18 games, the quarterback would fail to throw a touchdown in all but four games. His best game in his career came during his first NFL start during an 18-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. Smith completed 25 of 42 passes for 221 yards passing and two touchdowns. It would be the only time Smith would record multiple touchdowns in his career.

Mike Brown drafted David Klingler, who posted 83 passing touchdowns and 8,564 yards passing during his final two years at Houston. Klingler had a far more successful career compared to Smith, but that's relative. Klingler posted 16 touchdowns during his four-year career with the Bengals. Some could argue that Klingler's disappointment in the NFL could be related to his pass protection. Klingler was sacked once every 8.3 times he dropped back.

Dating back to 1991, Bengals owner Mike Brown has drafted nine quarterbacks. You have the big three (aka first rounders) in Smith, Klingler and the team's most recent first round draft pick, Carson Palmer. After that, you have a collection of six quarterbacks drafted in the fourth round or later, posting three total touchdowns and 668 yards passing out of 24 games played. And of the six quarterbacks, not including the big three to start a regular season game, Donald Hollas is the only quarterback who started at least one game.

Draft	Round	Selection	Overall	Quarterback	School
2007	5	14	151	Jeff Rowe	Nevada
2006	6	24	193	Reggie McNeal*	Texas A&M
2004	7	17	218	Casey Bramlet	Wyoming
2003	1	1	1	Carson Palmer	USC
1999	1	3	3	Akili Smith	Oregon
1999	7	39	245	Scott Covington	Miami (FL)
1995	7	5	213	John Walsh	Brigham Young
1992	1	6	6	David Klingler	Houston
1991	4	16	99	Donald Hollas	Rice
* Converted into a wide receiver. Well, attempted at least.

Now. Take away Carson Palmer's numbers and combine the performances of Mike Brown drafted quarterbacks since 1991.

Games	Att	Comp	Yards	TDs	INTs	Rating
77	1,220	709	6,760	24	39	66.8

The issue is a potential disaster in the making. Not because the prospects this year aren't particularly strong. Rather it always comes down to Mike Brown. If the Bengals elect to draft a quarterback, which in all likelihood they'll be forced to do, they'll have options. Unfortunately, you're like me. You have that feeling in your stomach that Brown will make the wrong one, don't you?

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Comments

I think if anything

To me at least, This says if Mike Brown is intending to draft the next franchise QB he’d use a 1st round pick rather then a 2nd or 3rd.

The only QB’s here that were intended to be be starters were 1st round picks.

1st round draft wishes.
Bengals: Blaine Gabbert, Nick Fairley or AJ Green!
Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes!

by C Byers on Mar 7, 2011 4:07 PM EST reply actions

Mike Brown's trackrecord

scares me. Finalist for worst owner in American professional sports. Only competitor would be Don Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers. He has an excellent excuse though. In his city he must compete with the LA Lakers, one of the finest franchise in all of American professional sports over the last 25 years. So why bother, just take the cash and don’t worry.

Mike Brown has no excuses.

by BENGALS69 on Mar 7, 2011 4:27 PM EST reply actions

QB isnt the problem

I think the real problem is the line,if you draft your future franchise qb and put him behind that same line Carson had last year,he will be a bust,if you draft a scrambler to offset the need for pass protecion,then you get yourself in a Vince Young type of situation where the guy is off the charts with athletism,but has the intellegence of a high school QB,Best case scenario is to sign a decent free agent QB,improve the line,running game,and preasure on the QB,then draft QB next year when Mike Brown see’s that Carson is for real,and accepts a 4th round pick instead of the 1st rounder he would have got this year.

"A team is more than a group of individuals,its a group of individuals that come together to make a team"

by keithp on Mar 7, 2011 4:29 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

what you says makes alot of sense, but .......

Mike Brown’s primary objective is to sell tickets,if Palmer is true to his word then who is the face of the team ? Drafting a QB in round one, in MB’s way of thinking, gives him someone to put on a billboard and create some excitement. Is it a prudent long term plan ? No. They should take the best player available at #4.More than likely that would be a defensive player. If Marcel or Fairley are there that would be my pick. They have a decent DL what would a stud DL do to the upgrade in play ? Peterson could give them a talented safety. Something Pittsburgh and Baltimore have but Cincy doesn’t. It would make sense to try and emulate those two teams, but as we know MB is stubborn and has his own way of doing it. Maybe, just maybe, once the stadium is half empty he will be more open minded.

by redberkey on Mar 7, 2011 4:50 PM EST up reply actions

exactly

Brown loves his flashy qbs because they put butts in the seats even if they don’t win

by goffchile on Mar 7, 2011 7:17 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Might as well trade for Vince young. He’d be much cheaper than a 1st rounder and wold put butts in seats. Hopefully he’d be a winner, as he has been throughout his career.

Too bad he’s craaaaazzy!!

by ddbumpus on Mar 7, 2011 10:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

But, at this point,

who in their right mind would want to pay to see Vince Young?

by IgnatiusJReilly on Mar 8, 2011 7:49 AM EST up reply actions

I think if the Bengals can't get Cam they should not draft another QB in the 1st round.

I just don’t see any QB’s in this years draft as a good solid pick. And I have no clue what all the hype over Blaine Gabbert is? His 2010 stats are 63.4 comp% with 16 TD and 9 INT. I’m not sure about everyone else but this is marginal especially for a big 12 QB. The Big 12 is a pass happy conference and if can only muster up 16 TD while throwing 9 Int, it does not give me enough hope for the next level.
Give me someone like Ryan Mallett or Colin Kaepernick in the later rounds.

by cilii_blog on Mar 7, 2011 4:57 PM EST reply actions

Cam Newton was the only

QB I thought had the potential to be a number 1 pick. His antics before the draft have me worried that his head is not ready for the NFL game.
Gabbert and all the rest benefit from desperation in having so few quality QB’s in the draft while three of the top 4 teams really need a QB badly from the draft.
No CP9 for the season is likely.
Jordan Palmer is a practice squad guy
Lefever is not ready either.
The Bengals have to solve their QB problem. FA QB might not work at all if there is a long work stoppage. Draft is the only sure way to get a QB. That means its either Newton or Gabbert if either is available at number 4.
Funny thing is, I think either of those guys don’t win but 1 or 2 games and the Bengals could be sitting with the number 1 pick in 2012 where Andrew Luck will be slotted. Then what?

by BENGALS69 on Mar 7, 2011 5:25 PM EST up reply actions

BPA

I don’t want a rookie QB coming in and filling up the L column AND have to dodge the media frenzy that the Palmer situation will make next season. If they bring in a rookie QB, especially a rnd 1 pick, he needs to have the opportunity to be disentangled with the impending media mess that this is going to generate next year.

by UIsteve on Mar 7, 2011 6:27 PM EST reply actions

everything about mike brown scares me

in 19 years, what has he ever gotten right?

" I for one, welcome our new Buffalo overlords. " - Whokebe

by palewook on Mar 7, 2011 8:01 PM EST reply actions

In principle

I’m against taking a QB at #4. If, however, we’ve managed to move Carson for another first round pick, then I’d be willing to roll the dice on Cam Newton at four. Myself, I have no concerns over his ability to handle the limelight that goes with the position and the added circus of Carson’s departure and it’s effect on the locals- media included. Sure, there’ll be a learning curve involved with adapting to BOC’s new offense but so will there be one with Dan LeFevour, who’ll be approaching this from the same perspective initially. Again, I’m not saying I’d champion this strategy, just that I think it could work out pretty well. And, if it did work out, it would be light years beyond what we’d get with a journeyman-in-the-making like Christian Ponder or McElroy.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Mar 8, 2011 8:03 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

"You don't live in Cleveland, You live in Cincinnati"-Sam Wyche
"I promise to throw interceptions for touchdowns just as good as he did" -Jordan Palmer

by TennBengalfan on Mar 8, 2011 8:05 AM EST up reply actions