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After trying out for the Bills at their rookie mini-camp, University at Buffalo quarterback Joe Licata is reportedly working out for the Bengals on Monday, per The Buffalo News.
Licata threw for 2,969 yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2015 with a 62.4% completion percentage and 123.0 quarterback rating. His sophomore and junior seasons saw far more touchdowns completed with less passing attempts and yards.
| SEASON | CMP | ATT | YDS | CMP% | YPA | LNG | TD | INT | SACK | RAT |
| 2015 | 280 | 449 | 2969 | 62.4 | 6.61 | 78 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 123 |
| 2014 | 224 | 345 | 2647 | 64.9 | 7.67 | 92 | 29 | 11 | 16 | 150.7 |
| 2013 | 233 | 402 | 2824 | 58 | 7.03 | 62 | 24 | 8 | 19 | 132.7 |
| 2012 | 86 | 163 | 1045 | 52.8 | 6.41 | 44 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 117.1 |
Licata was ranked by NFL Draft Scout as the 43rd best quarterback prospect in this year's Draft class.
"People get infatuated with arm strength but what makes the greats great is anticipation and accuracy," Licata said via The Buffalo News. "And I think that's my greatest strength on the field. People want measurables. People want the 6-5 guy who can run a 4.6 and throw the ball through a wall. But there's not a lot of guys who can think the game too."
Licata knows it's no sure thing that he earns a spot on an NFL roster, but he is willing to put in the work and earn his place in the league.
"If I get to play in the NFL, I don't consider it work," he said. "It's not a job to me. I'd gladly go in at 6 in the morning and watch film and then stay there until 10 at night.
It's unlikely Licata would have a real shot at joining the Bengals' roster in September; he'd most likely be a camp body this summer. Behind Andy Dalton, there's AJ McCarron and the duo are likely to be on the only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in 2016. Then the Bengals have Keith Wenning who spent most of the 2015 season on the practice squad before being called up to the active roster when Dalton went down with a thumb injury. And, the Bengals added an intriguing undrafted player in Bowling Green's Matt Johnson following the Draft. As of now, Wenning and Johnson are the frontrunners for a practice squad spot.
Licata will have an uphill battle to climb if he's to even make the Bengals' practice squad, but Cincinnati could be a good place for him to grow and learn this offseason.