The start of David Klingler’s NFL career came as a surprise to nearly everyone involved. Seven years later, Akili Smith knew he might be headed to Cincinnati. What ties them together is that they were the two big swings the Bengals organization took at finding a franchise quarterback in an 11-season stretch that saw it cycle through three head coaches, finish no better than 8-8 in any season and compile a 52-124 record.
“We didn’t make the right choices on a quarterback,” Bengals owner and president Mike Brown said. “Some of it was just bad luck. And when we had a chance high in the draft to pick a quarterback there wouldn't be one there.