Lombardi Thinks Bengals "Need Someone Else"

According to Evan Silva, who does not appear to be a fan of Andy Dalton, NFL Network reporter Mike Lombardi feels that Dalton does not have much room for improvement. According to Silva, Lombardi said :

"They need someone else. Dalton's going feel that pressure. I don't know how much more (he) can improve."

I assume that Lombardi is not suggesting that the Bengals need a new quarterback, but rather another play maker on offense. There were many times that Dalton forced the ball to A.J. Green last season, which is something that obviously must be improved upon. Many thought that the Bengals would try to sign a number two receiver in free agency, Joe Reedy mentioned Robert Meachem a few times.

The Bengals waited until the third round to draft a receiver. Mohamed Sanu could win the number two job, though Armon Binns and a healthy Brandon Tate would have the edge right now. Dalton needs more work with his potential number two options, including tight end Jermaine Gresham and potential slot receiver Jordan Shipley. Dalton will improve this year. He has to. Watch the first Baltimore game last season and you will see Dalton play well against a tough Ravens defense, without Green by his side. Jerome Simpson had some big numbers during that game. If Dalton is going to improve, he will have to learn to trust his secondary options. They likely will not be able to add another play maker until next off-season, especially since Braylon Edwards just signed with Seattle.

Dalton may be somewhat of a system quarterback, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden did some phenomenal work with the second round quarterback last year. Dalton will spend another year in the Gruden offense and get exposure against tough defenses like the Ravens, Steelers, Giants, and Redskins. While Dalton will be making adjustments and trying to improve upon his rookie season, his opponents will also be dissecting film and trying to stop him. If Dalton can continue to make the correct adjustments, it is tough to see him not improving.