:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67113062/133299514.jpg.0.jpg)
Bengals fans are already chomping at the bit at the idea of Joe Burrow taking the field in a Cincinnati uniform.
It is just that more exciting that A.J. Green is going to back after missing all of 2019 recovering from injuries. Those two alone change the entire landscape of what Zac Taylor can do with this team offensively even with Green approaching 32-years-old.
Green’s first offensive coordinator in the NFL, Jay Gruden, also can’t wait to see his former star wide receiver have his career revitalized.
“He’s great and he’s coming out of LSU that ran a lot of pro concepts,” Gruden told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I tell you, the happiest guy in the world had to be A.J. because Burrow throws an unbelievable deep ball … Burrow has a great top. The nose (of the ball) comes down. A.J. will love that.”
That is one thing that some casual fans may be missing considering how often Burrow was knocked for his arm strength during the draft process. The guy just has an incredible knack for throwing deep passes where his receivers can make a play on them. He especially throws a pretty nasty back shoulder throw as well.
Andy Dalton had some really good deep passes, but he was always pretty inconsistent down the field. There would be times he would hit a guy right in stride. Then he would throw it where his wide receiver had no shot of coming down in bounds with it. Burrow should eventually be more consistent with that aspect.
Gruden pretty much hits the nail on the head here. He obviously did a little bit of scouting on Burrow as the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars, so he has a pretty good idea how his game will translate to the NFL. He has also always known the kind of player Green is, according to the wide receiver.
“Man, we were just winging it. Winging it half the time,” Green said. “Fortunately, we had Andy. A smart guy coming it. He picked up the offense so quickly. He helped all the young guys. Jay was like, if there’s any doubt, just throw it up to A.J. and I tried to make every play.
We should expect that same sort of philosophy to come up plenty of times in 2020 with Burrow, Green and the rest of the NFL preparing for a season without a real training camp and preseason.