NFL Draft 2011: Cincinnati Bengals Searching For A Quarterback

With Carson Palmer on the outs with the Cincinnati front office, the Bengals are in desperate need of a quarterback. As the draft approaches, the Bengals are evaluating which quarterbacks may be available when their name is called, either in the first- or second-round. But Cincinnati is stuck in a tough spot with the No. 4 pick, showing no interest in Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton, the top-two quarterbacks in the draft.

It leaves Cincinnati with a tough decision to make: Reach for one of the top quarterbacks in the draft or wait until the second round and hope Andy Dalton or Christian Ponder are around. With the premium placed on the position, Dalton and Ponder are both seeing their stocks rise, and may end up in the first round by the time the draft rolls around on April 28.

SB Nation's Bengals blog, Cincy Jungle, is worried about how the Bengals may react and wonders if the team will do something it later regrets.

However, we have to wonder how the Bengals will react. If there's a growing wide-spread belief that Dalton and Ponder are gone in the first round -- and Schefter isn't the first to promote this -- then it could force the Bengals hand (aka, overreacting) by selecting a quarterback like Missouri's Blaine Gabbert or Auburn's Cam Newton, in the first round.

As the draft draws closer, we'll see plenty of bluffing, maneuvering and false signals of interest sent out by every team with a first round pick. Formulating a plan and putting together a big board is only part of the equation for NFL teams and the moves made or, more accurately, not made can determine a team's drafting success.

Stay with our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream for the latest news and rumors ahead of the first round of the draft. For more on the Bengals, head over to Cincy Jungle.