why is it a ransom if you are asking for market price set by NFL QB market?
and Andy Dalton has clearly proven, that he can beat 4-11 teams, with the help of defense getting 3 turnovers per game, playing their back up QBs but can't beat average teams with their starting QBs, in fact he can't keep the team competitive against teams and give us a chance...except for one anomaly in Vkings, where the defense played outstanding and even that team is 6-9.
now, if your thought and plan is to tank, we should sign dalton, trade and cut a few pieces and get a top 5 pick, because we this 33 year old has (never) been, we have a snow flakes chance in hell..
or we could get lucky, play 10 teams, that are going to end up with 4 wins and have their back up QBs play....that has a chance of 1 in 10,000,000, 000, 000 of happening but hey, its a chance.
oh, tell me who your young franchise QB is?...how long will it take to develop him? and will he be asking for NFL starting QB money once he is developed? what happens if he doesn't develop? didn't we already do that with Dak and now you don't want to Pay? if we draft a QB to develop, then you are suggesting we shouldn't draft defensively?
seems to me you like the thrill of the draft and the misery of developing a player and then let them walk so you can do it all over again.