Growing up, fireworks were a no-no in my household. I remember watching all the other kids roll out of the driveway with their parents in order to cross state lines to buy the kind of illegal rockets that could launch a kitten into orbit or the M-80's that would inevitably be placed inside a watermelon and taken to the bomb range. Instead we always got stuck with the bargain Wal-Mart value pack that included five different varieties of fountains, a box of snappers, and some protective eye-wear. Lame.
As Americans, we always want more - we always want to be the ones who drive across state lines to pick up the biggest and baddest firework out there. Or in the words of the Simpson's, we all like "to celebrate the independence of (our) nation by blowing up a small part of it."
But being Bengals fans, we all know what it's like to be in the family that likes to find the safe bargain-buys at the local grocer instead.
Expect the same this offseason when it comes to the veteran QB market. There are some big names that are out there such as Matt Hasselbeck and Donovan McNabb (maybe not the type of players that would launch the Bengals over the moon, but big names, nonetheless), but it seems unlikely that the Bengals are going to be willing to pay top-dollar for these types of players.
Instead, expect the Bengals to go after a veteran career backup who won't stroll into town with the expectations of starting, but will have some hope of competing for a starting spot on opening day - somebody like Jim Sorgi.
Yes, Jim Sorgi is the guy who has spent his entire career backing up the Manning brothers. And yes, he's kind of like one of those lame fountain fireworks that you buy at the grocery store. But Sorgi would be a perfect fit for what the Bengals need next year.For one, he's attempted 156 passes in the NFL, which is exactly 10.4 times the amount of passes that all current Bengals QBs have combined (excluding Carson Palmer of course). And even though the seven year vet doesn't have a lot of playing experience, he has backed up one of the best QBs in the league in Peyton Manning, and almost undoubtedly understands what it means to prepare for a game in the NFL. He also fits the bill of a player who the Bengals won't feel pressured into starting day one - a player they can hang onto as a backup in case Andy Dalton stumbles out of the gate (should they decide to start him opening day).
Most importantly though, Sorgi is the kind of player that's hungry for an opportunity to start anywhere. Josh recently wrote an article telling us not to expect Matt Hasselbeck in stripes partly because we expect him to want to sign with a contender (something the Bengals are not considered to be...I apologize to all the homers out there). Sorgi isn't in the kind of position to turn up his nose at a starting job in Cincinnati.
Sorgi might not be the M-80 that all of us crave, but let's be honest; would you rather have the grocer's fountain fireworks or experiment with the flammable chemicals under the kitchen sink named Jordan Palmer and Dan LeFevour (pyros need not answer)?
I'll stick with the fountain for now.