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The entire free world expects the Cincinnati Bengals to select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday. Now, Cincinnati-based FOX 19 Now is reporting the Bengals have told Burrow as much.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Dianna Russini is reporting the Bengals are waiting to get on the clock to make it official, “want[ing] to give the #1 overall pick that moment to get the call from the team on draft night.”
Whether they’ve formally told him he’s going No. 1 yet or not, we know it’s happening. Nobody appears ready to make a Herschel Walker-type offer to secure the top pick, and the Bengals think Burrow can be the guy they build their franchise around moving forward.
In the meantime, Andy Dalton’s future remains unclear. He is under contract for one more year with a $17.5 million base salary. It seems likely he will be traded or released, but most of the league is likely comfortable waiting out the Bengals and the draft.