With the official end of the 2011 season and a new champion crowned, it's time to start thinking about next season.
The NFL draft begins on April 26 and the Cincinnati Bengals hold the 17th pick in the first round and most experts believe the Bengals will address the need at corner.
One area the Bengals aren't in need is the quarterback position. Last year Cincinnati addressed that need in the second round when they selected Andy Dalton to replace Carson Palmer.
Dalton would prove to be a great acquisition as he started all 16 regular season games and in the Bengals lone playoff game. In that time he threw for 3,398 yards, 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and completed 58.1 percent of his passes.
When called upon, backup Bruce Gradkowski showed why the Bengals signed him as a free agent when he led the Bengals to victory in the first game of the season. In that game Gradkowski connected with rookie A.J. Green for his first NFL touchdown, a 41-yarder that would be the game winner. He would only make one other appearance in the Bengals 35-7 loss to Pittsburgh.
Gradkowski only has one more year left on his contract so the Bengals could be courting another backup to come into camp this offseason.
If the Bengals did decide to draft a quarterback instead of exploring free agency, some of the better fits might include Boise State's Kellen Moore, Southern Miss' Austin Davis, Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish and San Diego State's Ryan Lindley. Each of these quarterbacks have high completion percentages and would fit Jay Gruden's West Coast offense.
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