Paul Dehner Jr.

pdehnerjr@enquirer.com

The Walkthru offers thoughts every weekday morning from Bengals columnists Paul Dehner Jr. or Jim Owczarski on Bengals news, personalities or wherever the cursor takes them. Follow throughout the season on Facebook , Paul and Jim on Twitter, Instagram or taking over the Enquirer Snapchat account at EnquirerSnaps.

During a Tuesday afternoon practice, Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down with a gruesome, non-contact injury to his knee. An ambulance came on the field, players were cursing and throwing their helmets and word was he tore his ACL with other structural damage and a dislocated kneecap. Devastating. He should make a full recovery. But with an injury like that there aren't even guarantees for 2017 after obviously missing this year.

After the shock wore off, everyone wonders what they do next. Minnesota was considered a Super Bowl contender with an emerging Bridgewater at the helm. Now they have Shaun Hill's career 3-5 record and Joel Stave taking snaps.

Around here this re-ignited the debate about trading AJ McCarron that stirred over the offseason. He has three more years of cheap labor since his rookie deal runs through the 2017 season and then he'd be a restricted free agent in 2018 where even the highest, first-round tender offer was $3.63 million last year.

Again, Brock Osweiler landed a four-year, $72 million deal after starting seven games and getting benched for a broken Peyton Manning in the playoffs.

First off, I don't think the Bengals will trade McCarron. They value his role on this team and insurance should injury happen with Andy Dalton is immeasurable. They don't want to end up in the same situation as Minnesota should an injury happen. They'd need to pick up a guy like Zach Mettenberger, just released by San Diego who the Bengals made a waiver claim on this summer, to learn as the backup and hope Dalton doesn't get hurt.

Everyone has a price, though, just as the Million Dollar Man taught Mean Gene.

The price for the Bengals starts with a first-round pick and probably more on top of that. Think Carson Palmer deal -- a first then a second the next season. That price would be mighty steep for the Vikings to mortgage that much of their draft future. They have zero compensatory picks coming next year. Remember, the Bengals already have 11 picks (with four comp picks coming) in the next draft, if you added another first and later-round pick you are talking potential for a game-changing draft to set up the next string of playoff runs.

If an offer worth debating did come in, the Bengals must run the odds of taking a chance Dalton doesn't get hurt.

So what is the percentage chance of that happening? (And easy to be a bit defensive on that coming off a season when he missed the playoffs with a broken thumb)

Here's a look at the NFL quarterbacks who have been the set starter for their club since 2011 and how many games they've missed due to injury.

Quarterback: Percentage of games missed since 2011 -- career

Andy Dalton: 4% -- 4%

Tom Brady: 0% -- 5%

Ben Roethlisberger: 11% -- 11%

Joe Flacco: 8% -- 5%

Philip Rivers: 0% -- 0%

Eli Manning: 0% -- 0%

Tony Romo: 18% -- 18%

Matt Stafford: 0% -- 17%

Aaron Rodgers: 10% -- 7%

Jay Culter: 18% -- 10%

Cam Newton: 2% -- 2%

Matt Ryan: 0% -- 2%

Drew Brees: 1% -- 3%

Average: 5.5% -- 6.5%

I'd argue you throw out Roethlisberger and Tony Romo on this list since Big Ben begs for punishment with his style of holding on to the ball and Romo's proven brittle in the final years of his career. Those considerations would bring the already tiny average down even more.

So the Bengals would be taking the risk which correlates to less than one game missed over the course of a single season in order to potentially be paid off a top draft pick or two. And the point will be moot when McCarron likely leaves for a starting gig elsewhere in a few years anyway.

Every move has risks and rewards. If the Bengals were to land a nice haul, the odds say to roll the dice.

ON TAP TODAY

Off day for the team prior to Thursday's preseason finale against the Colts at PBS.

TWITTER QUESTION OF THE DAY

Thanks for the question, Alex, I'll knock out your first.

Had this discussion with Jim on the #BBP yesterday. Now that we know the six WRs to make it (A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, Tyler Boyd, Cody Core, James Wright, Alex Erickson), who will be the inactive sixth on gameday? My original thought was Wright early on as he continues to work back from his injury, but special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons might have seen enough of his comeback to put him out there over Core. The sixth-round pick Core doesn't have near as much special teams experience as Wright, who has been a teams ace. Will be interesting to see in New York who is the odd man out.

VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Here's Darrin Simmons and Marvin Lewis talking about the release of longtime returner Brandon Tate and undrafted rookie Alex Erickson winning the job.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The big news came with the release of veteran Brandon Tate, as all sides involve talk about the ascension of Alex Erickson, including Adam Jones who was none too pleased with the move.

Beefy Bengals notebook as Shannon Russell pinch hit in discussing the big moment at hand for running back Bronson Hill and Tra Carson on Thursday with Cedric Peerman down with a broken forearm. Also, Andrew Whitworth on the possibility of a shortened preseason, Zach Hocker not getting a real shot, Mario Alford's cut and Brandon Thompson's outlook.

BENGALS BEAT PODCAST

Latest episode of the BBP as Jim and I break down the decisions of the cutdown to 53 this weekend. We even have a few surprises to look out for, plus, our first shout out to the Swedes!

AROUND THE DIVISION

Ravens: Baltimore is considering starting an all-rookie left side of the line for the first time in 21 years. That tells you where they are at right now.

Browns: Cleveland players learning fast Hue Jackson doesn't want anything to do with lack of effort. After shipping off punter Andy Lee when he didn't attempt to make a tackle, he's playing all the starters in the preseason finale against Chicago.

Steelers: Top free agent signing TE Ladarius Green was placed on PUP, so he'll miss at least the first six games of the season.

DEGENERATE CORNER

The folks at sportsbettingdime fired a few props my way. Some deep thought went into a few of these. And give me the over for my life savings on number of times announcers say Brady at the Patriots opener.

Odds to play in an NFL game in 2016

Greg Hardy: 5/1

Ray Rice: 9/1

Marshawn Lynch: 15/1

Calvin Johnson: 18/1

Peyton Manning: 20/1

D'Brickashaw Ferguson: 25/1

Johnny Manziel: 100/1

Odds Josh Gordon (Browns) is suspended before the end of the 2016 season: 3/1

Odds the NFL approves marijuana as a medical alternative before the start of the 2017 season: 15/1

Over/under number of active NFL players arrested between opening day and the Super Bowl: 9.5

Over/Under number of times the announcers say "Brady" during the Patriots' Week 1 game (kickoff to final whistle): 9.5

Over/Under number of times the announcers say "St. Louis Rams" during the Rams' Week 1 game (kickoff to final whistle): 1.5

Odds the Rams don't sell out one of their home games: 49/1

Odds Roger Goodell is not commissioner at the 2017 NFL Draft: 7/1

BENGALS INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

When you play college ball for Oregon, you can fill up a wall real quick with jerseys as Jake Fisher did.

RANDOMNESS

Just when you think the weather of South Carolina and southern hospitality make it a perfect place to live -- a clown trying to lure kids into the woods. Clowns, man. Clowns.

I'm mortified at my OU Bobcats' fall out of the top 20 party schools. Enough with all that studying over there!

Here are 14 text commandments you need to start following. First, turn off read receipts. Are you trying to get divorced?

AND FINALLY

For our diehard BBP listeners, here's the video of the song that took us out last night. An all-time classic. Enjoy.