Bengals attend USF and Texas Tech pro days; “very interested” in Quinton Flowers

The Bengals are keeping their pro day visits rolling by sending representatives to both USF and Texas Tech pro days.

Cincinnati sent quarterbacks Alex Van Pelt to Texas Tech, while running backs Kyle Caskey and wide receivers coach Robert Bicknell visited USF.

The target at USF was quarterback Quinton Flowers, who the Bengals are apparently very interested in, according to the quarterback himself.

Many speculate that quarterback won’t be Flowers’ position in the NFL, though. He is undersized at 5’10”, and his accuracy isn’t consistent enough. He was very impressive on the ground though. He had 41 career rushing touchdowns.

It is telling that the Bengals sent multiple coaches to this pro day, neither of whom work with quarterbacks.

“Some want me at quarterback, some want me at running back and some want me at slot. So I’ve just got to go out there and, like I say, God’s got a plan for me already,” Flowers told the media at his pro day.

Even if he changes positions, Flowers could have added value as an emergency quarterback. He could cause some headaches with some wild cat plays. He could be especially dominant in the red zone with that role. It would at least be something other teams would have to plan for.

The Bengals also likely took a look at the receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling while they were there. The receiver ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine at 6’5” and 206 pounds.

Valdes-Scantling is a very raw talent though. He would have to spend some time really working on his routes, but if he ever figures that out, he could be a reliable target in the NFL. He is also projected as a third-day pick.

At Texas Tech all eyes seemed to be on Nic Shimonek. He seemed to really take advantage of the day as well. Many scouts left feeling he “has a real chance to develop into a backup at the next level,” according to Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst.

The Bengals recently signed Matt Barkley to a two-year deal, but we shouldn’t be surprised to see the Bengals take a quarterback at some point in the draft if the value is right. The Bengals would only be out $500,000 in dead money if they cut Barkley, so there isn’t a huge level of commitment there.

Shimonek has the arm strength you look for in a quarterback, but he needs to learn how to read defenses better in the NFL.

Texas Tech’s receiver Dylan Cantrell was also on hand. He ran close to a 4.4 40-yard dash, but he struggled to show off that speed during position drills. Cantrell really may not be as fast as his pro day numbers once he gets the pads on, but he is still a big bodied receiver who will have a place in the NFL.

Cantrell is 6’3” and had seven touchdowns as a senior. The Bengals have been looking at receivers they could add with either one of their three fifth-round picks or one of their three seventh-round picks during these pro days, so we shouldn’t be surprised if Cantrell is in the running there.

The big-name receiver everyone had their eyes on was Keke Coutee. He has shown to have that home run speed teams really look for in a receiver. He likely won’t make it past the second day, though.

Coutee really showed that his 4.43 40-yard dash translates to actual game speed during his Pro Day. The Bengals would be pretty lucky to be able to add him to their receiver group.