It isn’t a secret new Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor played a role in hand-picking Ryan Finley.
Finely, the fourth-round pick the team traded up to get after he was one of just two quarterbacks to take official pre-draft visits with the team.
After naming Finley his starter for the rest of the season, Taylor dipped into a few of the rookie’s strengths, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
“That’s why we drafted him. He’s got a very calm demeanor, a consistent demeanor. I think the guys will respond to that. He throws with great anticipation and accuracy. He’s got good touch down the field and he can extend plays in the pocket a little bit.”
Taylor also said there isn’t a concern about the playbook: “Smart guy. He’s been able to handle a NFL playbook as you would expect a smart, intelligent rookie would handle it.”
Taylor also mentioned Finley’s ability to extend plays, which is something that has already come up this week in interviews with other coaches.
Some of these traits, plus the playbook side of things, figure to show up big after the bye when Finley makes his first career start with the Baltimore Ravens in town.
One of a handful of rookie passers to get thrown into the fire so far this season, Finley has a chance to show he’s ahead of those guys in the readiness side of things, as well as prove to the league he shouldn’t have fallen as far as he did.
