The Bengals have yet to meet with Joe Burrow at the Combine. They, of course, are impressed with what he did in 2019 in leading LSU to a national championship.
“Joe Burrow had a great college career, and he’s been fun to watch,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Tuesday. “So as we get this process started, really that’s where we are right now. I haven’t even gotten a chance to meet him face to face, just like a lot of prospects so far at this point. Certainly, he did himself a lot of good to put himself in this conversation and put himself in this position. He’s going to be a great NFL player.”
The Bengals have interviewed Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Taylor also was asked about Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young.
Taylor said “all options are on the table,” and really, why wouldn’t they be?
The draft still is two months away.
“It’s an exciting time to be a Cincinnati Bengal,” Taylor said. “We’ve got the No. 1 pick. We’ve got a lot of decisions ahead of us. Wasn’t a fun way to how we got to this point, but it is what it is, where we’ve got to take all the lessons we learned from 2019 and make sure they make us a better team in 2020.”
The Bengals need a quarterback, and Burrow, an Ohio high school prospect, is the top prospect. So, in many ways, it seems a match made in NFL heaven.
Burrow said earlier Tuesday he would play for the Bengals if they draft him No. 1 overall, which has been and likely will continue to be a question until draft day.
Burrow previously has said he wants to go to a team committed to winning Super Bowls. The Bengals have not won a playoff game since 1990, so that was seen as a shot at the Bengals.
The Bengals will get a chance to show they are committed to winning during free agency, but Taylor said convincing any prospect will be as easy as getting him into the team facility.
“You wouldn’t be coaching in this league if you weren’t committed to winning,” Taylor said. “I think that’s a little bit of a silly narrative there, because we’re doing everything we can to be a championship-caliber team. If you come in our building, and you feel the energy from our scouting department, our coaches, our players, you would have no question about that. I think the players that get a chance to spend time with the players we have on our roster and this coaching staff will know that people want to be on board with and there are great days ahead for the Bengals.”