Andy Dalton next team odds: Patriots the favorites to sign veteran QB

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Andy Dalton needs a new home.

After drafting Joe Burrow first overall, the Cincinnati Bengals deemed Dalton dispensable and released the 32-year-old on Wednesday.

A second-round pick in 2011, Dalton has spent his entire nine-year career with the Bengals, appearing in 133 games for the franchise.

Now, for the first time in his career, the quarterback is on the open market, and the New England Patriots are the favorites to become his next team.

It's no surprise Dalton is being heavily linked with the Patriots. New England has been rumored as a destination for just about every free-agent quarterback this offseason - including Cam Newton and Jameis Winston - though Bill Belichick has yet to make a move.

The timing makes sense for the Patriots, who are set to enter the 2020 season with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as the only two quarterbacks on the roster after failing to address the position during the draft.

Dalton's odds to be the Patriots' Week 1 starter in 2020 were as long as +1800 just a couple of days ago, but they've since shortened to +200.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are viewed as the other team most likely to bring Dalton aboard. Gardner Minshew will enter the season as Jacksonville's uncontested starter after the Jaguars traded away Nick Foles, with Josh Dobbs as his backup. Dobbs, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, has attempted just 12 passes in his three-year NFL career.

While head coach Doug Marrone is excited about giving the reigns to Minshew, he's also expressed his desire to have competition for his young signal-caller. An experienced quarterback like Dalton would certainly fit the bill as someone who can push Minshew and provide a veteran voice for the 23-year-old.

The Jaguars and Patriots are among the teams interested in Andy Dalton, per a source.

- Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) April 30, 2020

The only other team oddsmakers view as a realistic option for Dalton? The Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph are both coming off injury-riddled 2019 campaigns, but the fact Pittsburgh's roster currently includes five quarterbacks makes a Dalton signing very unlikely.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Redskins round out the oddsboard, but both teams are rightfully longshots. The Raiders are adding Marcus Mariota to a quarterback room that already features Derek Carr, Nathan Peterman, and DeShone Kizer. The Redskins, meanwhile, traded for Kyle Allen and signed rookie Steven Montez to compete with 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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