Bengals held private workout with Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes

The Bengals don’t need to worry about the quarterback position heading into 2017. If anything, there is some question as to what the Bengals will do with backup AJ McCarron, who is the target of numerous trade talks. But, there is no question at the starting position, as Andy Dalton is under contract through 2020 and has been consistently playing at a Pro Bowl level for the last few years. However, despite the level of confidence the Bengals surely have at the position, the team still held a private workout with Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to Walter Football.

One of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, Mahomes has received comparisons to Jay Cutler. He is known as a big arm quarterback with confidence inside and outside the pocket. His accuracy is consistent and he has been known to put a certain zip on his passes that can deceive any defender. He will stare down a defender while routes are developing across the field just to throw them off while he decides which direction to throw.

Mahomes’ arm is truly a special one, as evidenced by his pinpoint, deep accuracy, on display in this video:

However, it is Mahomes’ ability to throw accurately anywhere on the field that is so impressive. Short left? No Problem. Middle of the field? Deep right? Watch out. His passing chart is littered with success across the board with no particularly notable weak spot when it comes to incompletions and interceptions.

Given the Bengals’ current situation at starting quarterback, it is interesting that they would choose to hold a private workout with the former Red Raider. If the Bengals were genuinely thinking about drafting him, that would mean they think there is a serious chance that McCarron will not play for the Bengals in 2017.

But, even then, it would be a strange decision as virtually no one expects Dalton to lose his job before his contract runs out. Even then, it would be a shock if the Bengals decided to move on from Dalton after 2020, save for a seemingly ridiculous scenario in which Dalton tanks as a quarterback over the next few years. As good of a player and a quarterback as Mahomes is, there just doesn’t seem to be any room for him on the Bengals’ roster.

Then again, maybe the Bengals are just doing their homework. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Bengals quarterback coach Bill Lazor is the one who conducted the private workout. Walter Football also tells us that the Browns and Steelers have both scouted Mahomes, both of whom have much more favorable roster situations for the former Texas Tech quarterback.

The Bengals holding a private workout with Mahomes could simply be their way of doing some extra one-on-one scouting with a potential division rival quarterback before he is drafted to one of those teams and they don’t have the opportunity for something like this again. How useful could it have been if the Bengals had a personal private workout with Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco before their rookie seasons? The answer is very useful, and it may have allowed the Bengals to be more competitive both of those years. Maybe for those same reasons, the Bengals held a private workout with Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya, who has also been linked to the Steelers.

However, if the Bengals were seriously considering Mahomes for one reason or another, he would certainly bring a lot of talent to the Bengals’ roster. By most accounts, he is the fourth best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft class and the last of the group with first-round potential. If the Bengals were to select him, they would potentially be able to do so with their early second-round pick.