Andy Dalton to Jaguars Rumors Circulate: What Would a Potential Signing Mean?

Andy Dalton to Jacksonville continues to be a key talking point, but what would a hypothetical signing mean for the team and Gardner Minshew?

The second that veteran quarterback Andy Dalton was formally released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, the rumors of his next landing spot being in Jacksonville began to fly. 

To many, the question isn't even if Dalton will sign with the Jaguars, but is instead when Dalton will make his way to Duval.

Keep an eye on the Jags https://t.co/tgbp55U2bG

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 30, 2020

Dalton to Jaguars makes sense

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) April 30, 2020

Jaguars are absolutely interested in Andy Dalton — but even if he signs, based on my conversations, I’d anticipate Gardner Minshew as the Week 1 starter. I don’t sense Jags would be signing Dalton with the mindset of “upgrading” from Minshew. They still like what they have there.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 1, 2020

We wrote in early April about why a potential Dalton/Jaguars relationship would make sense in the event that he would be released by the Bengals. There are a lot of moving parts but it would be a logical move for both parties.

For starters, Dalton could reunite with Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who was the first offensive coordinator Dalton played for in the NFL. Dalton and Gruden spent three seasons together in Cincinnatti, and Dalton has credited Gruden in the past for a lot of his early success. 

Under Gruden's tutelage, Dalton helped the Bengals make three playoff appearances and compiled a 30-18 regular season record. During that stretch, Dalton completed 60.9% of his passes for 80 touchdowns and 11,360 yards, along with 40 interceptions, with Dalton recording 7.0 yards per attempt. There was never a season in which Dalton threw for fewer than 20 touchdowns and 3,000 yards, and the Bengals won at least nine games in every season. 

Aside from Gruden, there are more familiar faces for Dalton in Jacksonville. One of Dalton's favorite targets over the last seven years of his tenure was tight end Tyler Eifert, who signed with the Jaguars in March. 

Eifert, who caught 185 receptions for 2,152 yards and 24 touchdowns in 59 games with the Bengals is slated to be the Jaguars' No. 1 tight end in 2020, giving Dalton another reason to potentially have interest in Jacksonville. 

Add in the difference in experience between Dalton and presumptive starter Gardner Minshew, as well as backup quarterback Josh Dobbs, and it makes sense why the Jaguars would potentially have interest in the veteran signal-caller as well.

Minshew and Dobbs, the top quarterbacks on the Jaguars' roster, have a total of four NFL seasons between them and have combined for a total of 19 game appearances and 12 starts, with most of those belonging to Minshew, who is entering his second season in 2020.

Compare this to Dalton, who has played and started in 133 games over nine years, and it is clear that Dalton would provide a veteran presence that no other passer on the Jaguars' roster currently possesses. Once the Jaguars traded Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears for a 2020 fourth-round selection, the roster became devoid of any elder presence in the quarterback room. Signing Dalton would obviously change that in a big way.

But what would a potential Dalton addition mean for the Jaguars and Minshew in the hypothetical reality where it occurs?

Ever since the Jaguars traded Foles, they have made it clear they see Minshew as the starter in 2020. Once they went through last week's draft without taking a quarterback until Jake Luton in the sixth round, it became even more clear the Jaguars have confidence in Minshew.

“Right now, if we rolled that ball out there, he’d be the first guy behind the center. Yes, absolutely," Marrone said about Minshew following the draft.

“It was something we felt like we needed to address either through the draft or through bringing a veteran in or possibly both," general manager Dave Caldwell said. 

"We addressed it through the draft tonight. We’ll look at all our situations not at just quarterback, but at every position. Like we said earlier, we’ll just see where we can upgrade. If it makes sense, we’d do it, but we don’t feel like we need to do it at this time.”

So, would signing Dalton indicate the Jaguars lack faith in Minshew in 2020, or that the starting quarterback job would even be up for grabs? Perhaps. But the most likely answer is that Dalton would, instead, serve as competition for Minshew in training camp to ensure he isn't just handed the starting role by default, while also giving the Jaguars insurance for 2020.

While Minshew had a solid rookie season, completing 60.64% of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions while compiling a 6-6 record as a starter, it is still far from a certainty that he can be "the man" for the Jaguars in 2020. While he could realistically improve by leaps and bounds in his sophomore season, it would be wise for the Jaguars to have a fallback option in the event that he doesn't.

In addition to competition and insurance for Minshew, Dalton could realistically serve as a valuable tool for the younger signal-caller. Dalton is well-versed in both Gruden's offensive scheme and coaching style and could serve as a solid support system for Minshew as he navigates each. 

A potential Dalton signing would be a big move for the Jaguars. It wouldn't signal any lack of confidence in Minshew, but would instead signal the Jaguars want to make sure they have all of their bases covered before the 2020 season begins.

In any event in which Minshew falters as the starter, or becomes injured, the Jaguars season would likely go down the drain without a viable option behind him. By adding Dalton, the Jaguars would be making a low-risk move that would protect them in a number of scenarios, while also adding a veteran for Minshew to lean on. 

Regardless of if the Jaguars sign Dalton or not, Minshew should be seen as the team's 2020 starter until he isn't. He has the backing of the coaching staff, front office, and his teammates, and it is his job to lose. Adding Dalton would create another layer to the conversation, but maybe not change it entirely.