CINCINNATI -- Knee-deep in the long march to training camp, we're taking a look this week at seven Cincinnati Bengals who could have breakout seasons in 2015.
Whether it's because of their age, previous performance or other factors, these players haven't had a chance to become significant pieces of the Bengals' system -- until now. A couple ended up becoming regular contributors late last season, but they could become even bigger household names this fall. Let's start tracking a few reasons why.
After exploring Darqueze Dennard's promise for a breakout year on Monday, Rex Burkhead's potential for an expanded role on Tuesday and Will Clarke's ability to possibly help a fledgling pass rush on Wednesday, we focus next on:
QB AJ McCarron
Years in NFL: One
Age: 24
When drafted: Fifth round (No. 164 overall), 2014
2014 stats: No stats
Why he's poised to break out: So "break out" might not be the best term to describe what will happen with McCarron, but he will have a larger role than he did last season. In this sense, his breakout will mean going from an injured, unused player who spent a short amount of time on the 53-man roster to all of a sudden the top backup behind starting quarterback Andy Dalton.
It's actually a rather significant jump when you think about it.
A year ago, the Bengals were in no position to give McCarron a single snap, primarily because they wanted him to overcome shoulder tightness that stemmed from his being overworked in college. Now, he's one step away from leading offensive coordinator's Hue Jackson's offense. It means the approach with McCarron this training camp will involve getting him as many practice and game reps as possible so he can adequately replace Dalton in the unlucky event the starter isn't able to play at some point this season. In that sense, this will be a breakout year for McCarron individually.
He isn't expected to contribute much this season. After all, Dalton has started every Bengals game since 2011. That includes the four playoff games, which, as you well know, have all ended in losses.
So what makes it all but certain that McCarron will be Cincinnati's top backup this season? The fact that the player who was anticipated to be his stiffest competition, Terrelle Pryor, was waived at the end of minicamp and signed with Cleveland. Josh Johnson might have been Dalton's No. 2 in 2013, and Keith Wenning also is on the roster entering training camp, but it's hard to expect either to overtake McCarron, who exclusively took second-team snaps this spring.
McCarron was comparatively impressive, too. It was the first time coaches had an opportunity to consistently see him compete alongside other quarterbacks since he was drafted last year. He showcased a measure of arm strength and velocity. Accuracy was a bit of an issue late in minicamp, as he had a couple of interceptions.