Bengals Want Kitna

[CC]

BENGALS PUSHING FOR KITNA?

Word out of Cincy is that, contrary to the public gushings of coach Marvin Lewis regarding quarterback Carson Palmer's development, the consensus among the players is that they want Jon Kitna to remain the starter.

The concern, we hear, is that Palmer isn't picking up the system as well as advertised, and that he's not the leader that Kitna is.

The Bengals, of course, have little choice but to give the job to Palmer. He's getting paid like the No. 1 overall draft pick that he was in 2003. Keeping him on the bench would be a concession to the NFL world that you screwed up in drafting him.

And, as we see it, that's yet another reason for not taking a quarterback high in the draft -- unless he's a freak of nature like Falcons quarterback Mike Vick. With the success of players like Tom Brady and Marc Bulger and Jake Delhomme and Brad Johnson and Rich Gannon and Trent Green and Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia, the risk of taking a guy at the top of round one who might not work out seems to outweigh the rewards.

We're not suggesting that Palmer is the next David Klinger and/or Akili Smith. The point is that, while coach Lewis is thrusting Palmer into the lineup, the players think that they might have a better alternative in Kitna. If that feeling lingers, the stage is set for problems in the locker room.

[Football Newbie]

GO KITNA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!

[Azrael]

Like the real NFL draft, you should not draft QBs early in the fantasy draft either.

[nsulham]

I just saw a piece on SportsCenter not long ago that had CJ and Kelly Washington praising Plamer about how accurate he was

[RWLongy4]

I just saw a piece on SportsCenter not long ago that had CJ and Kelly Washington praising Plamer about how accurate he was

I saw that too... I drafted Palmer in one of my leagues as a semi-sleeper. Hopefully he will work out.

[Azrael]

I wonder about half the stuff you read these days.

[34=Sweetness]

They have to make a commitment to one of these guys and trade the other. Kitna is too good to be wasted on the bench, and Palmer has too much potenial to sit there also. At draft day I would've dealt one for picks and make your team deeper. Oh well.

[Bennett4prez]

Kitna is too good to be wasted on the bench.

I never thought I would hear somebody say that.

[34=Sweetness]

You cant argue with last years stats. He was pretty good.

[Pete123444]

kitna was a super late round pick last year!