Bengals waive quarterback Jake Dolegala
CINCINNATI — The Bengals are waiving second-year quarterback Jake Dolegala according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
They also waived veteran signal-caller Brandon Allen on Saturday. Both players are candidates for the 16-man practice squad.
The Bengals are banking on one, if not both of quarterbacks to go unclaimed by the rest of the NFL. If that happens, then both players would be eligible for the practice squad.
Dolegala hasn't appeared in an NFL regular season game. He was inconsistent during training camp, but he didn't get many reps. He signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Central Connecticut in 2019.
Dolegala appeared in final two preseason games of 2019 and impressed coaches enough to earn a roster spot. He's 6-7, tall and athletic. He has all of the physical tools evaluators look for in a quarterback. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Bengals attempt to sneak him onto the practice squad.
It's also worth noting that the Bengals have the top waiver priority, which means they get first dibs on any player that's released with less than four years of service. Former 10th overall pick Josh Rosen was released by the Dolphins on Friday. That means Cincinnati could claim the 23-year-old, who is almost two months younger than No. 1 pick Joe Burrow, and add him to their active roster.
A move like that would make sense from a talent perspective. Rosen has a great arm, but has landed in some bad situations and has had trouble processing NFL defenses.
Head coach Zac Taylor, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher may like the idea of developing a player with Rosen's talent.
The Bengals have until Saturday at 4 p.m. to trim their roster to 53 players. Keep track of every move they make here.
