Andy Dalton... what's his worth?

[cincrazy]

Dalton has really been shooting back at his critics this week. He's labeled himself the "face of the franchise," and a day or two later said he's done things only two or three other QBs in the history of the game have done.

Quite frankly, I think he just looks silly. I don't think he took nearly as much responsibility for the team's performance as he should have after the playoff loss. And reciting stats is great and all, but he's been TERRIBLE in each and every playoff game. You can probably make the case that his performance is the leading reason we lost all three.

So what do you think? Is he the face of the franchise? Is he right when he says he's under-appreciated, and that his performance merits a long term, high priced contract?

I'm not saying I advocate cutting ties with him after the season. He isn't a bad QB, per se. But I certainly think he has a lot to prove this year, not only in the playoffs but in big regular season games as well. He can talk about wins and passing yards all he wants, but the fact is he's had a great defense and a plethora of weapons on offense to help him along the way. The Bengals could certainly do worse at the position, but I'd love to see Dalton take some responsibility and acknowledge he has a ways to go yet to be what this team truly needs.

[KoryMac5]

What is Dalton supposed to say in a contract year, after all he is selling himself to Mike Brown. I think we will find out what he is worth to the Bengals in about 2 weeks when the draft takes place. QB in the first three rounds spells doom for Dalton!

[WMR]

If he's the "face of the franchise," the Bengals are that chick you go home with after ordering a double whiskey extra strong at last call.

I loathe the thought of giving him any sort of big deal.

[Trajinous]

I gotta side with Dalton here a bit. I think the main problem with the Bengal's playoff woes were Jay Gruden. Three straight years, Gruden had Dalton throw way too much. The running game disappeared in all three games and I blame Gruden for that. I'm glad he's gone and see that as a big upgrade for the Bengals. Dalton is absolutely correct that he has some impressive numbers but fails the big game tests. I think Bengals fans are getting their heads way too far up there butts on Dalton, from the moment he's been here the Bengals have been a playoff team. That's never happened in the Bengal's history. It's absolutely foolish to think the Bengals can just grab another guy that's better than Dalton.

[Kingspoint]

It's absolutely foolish to think the Bengals can just grab another guy that's better than Dalton.

Tom Savage in the 2nd Round. He won't be better than Dalton in 2014, but he could be better (and I think he will be) than Dalton in 2015 and after and about $14M cheaper per season in 2015/16/17.

[Ohayou]

There's no way I would ever consider drafting a QB in the first three rounds, especially when guys like Aaron Murray, Brett Smith, Tajh Boyd, and Casey Pachall will still be on the board later.

I like Dalton, and I believe he can be great, but now is not the time to ask for a LTC. You can't throw the ball 123 times in 3 straight playoff losses, for 1 TD and 6 INT, and then ask to be paid like an elite QB. Comparing yourself to Flacco, Rodgers, and Brees doesn't make any sense, either; they all have multiple playoff wins and Super Bowl rings. If he can put up better numbers this season, and help carry the team into the playoffs again, I don't even care if it amounts to another loss, just as long as he proves he can preform well on the big stage (his numbers in primetime games last season were abysmal).