Report: Bengals want 'at least' a 1st-round pick for McCarron

Any team interested in AJ McCarron will likely have to pay up in a big way.

The Cincinnati Bengals would seek "at least" a first round pick in any potential trade involving their backup quarterback, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Despite a fairly widespread need for starting quarterbacks around the league, there's been no indication that a serious market's developed for McCarron. That reported price tag would help explain why - along with the fact that he's only started three games in his career.

Unless a team gets desperate on draft weekend, it looks like McCarron will remain a Bengal for the rest of his rookie contract.

Complicating matters on that front is a disagreement between player and team about whether he'll be able to test the open market after the 2017 season or the following year.

McCarron spent all but three games of his debut year on the non-football injury list, so the Bengals are arguing he didn't accrue a season toward free agency.

If Cincinnati wins out on that point, McCarron would be a restricted free agent next offseason, and thus easy to retain at an affordable rate through 2018.