Free Agency Thread

[Cincyfan78]

 

[kramer1]

The people who are wailing about not re-signing Collins or MJ will be the same people who would complain that the Bengals don't have enough to keep AJ & Burfict when the time comes. Teams like the Browns, Bucs, Raiders, they have a ton of space and ZERO players worth signing to mega deals like AJ and Burfict are going to require. The Bengals have players worth keeping, and have gotten solid deals. Eventually you have to pay up. The Bengals have identified players they want to keep with big deals. Dunlap and Atkins on the defense. They are going to pony up for AJ in a year, they are going to pony up for Burfict in a year (or two, not sure when his contract runs out). Like it or not, Dalton is getting extended here. You can't sign every damn player.

The cap usage thing is so 90's it's not even funny anymore. While the Bengals have been keeping money back, even the traditional media (that usually blasts Brown's thrifty spending) is saying they know why the Bengals are doing so with extensions for AJ, Burfict, and (Like it or not) Dalton just around the corner.

Can we at least wait until F/A is over, and the draft is over before we start planning for 2015/16 so we can at least see exactly what happens first. Maybe even give the season a shot and see how they do? Who knows, maybe the'll surprise. These are not the Bengals of the 90's, and recent track record (I think) has shown enough to at least wait and see what happens before burning my Jeff Blake jersey.

What a load of BS.

The Broncos just signed Talib and Ware.

 

[alf8478]

The people who are wailing about not re-signing Collins or MJ will be the same people who would complain that the Bengals don't have enough to keep AJ & Burfict when the time comes.

I agree with that to a point. There's talk that in two years the salary cap will be close to $160 million, so even if AJ and Burfict, and dare I even say Dalton get extended, in two years we'll be back in the same spot, an under achieving team with lots of cap room and a refusal to use it.

I'm not advocating spending like drunken sailors a la the Redskins or Bucs, I'm saying, target one position/player who is a big upgrade at a position of need and sign him, like what the Saints did with Byrd.They had no money, but they targeted their guy and got him.

This should have been the year the Bengals finally upgrade the Center position and make a run at Mack.

 

[ckhokie]

What a load of BS.

The Broncos just signed Talib and Ware.

Agreed.

Not sure how the Bengals front office can brain wash our fans into thinking we don't need to make any FA moves because of what is coming down the line. Burfict and AJ were part of the excuse last year as to why we didn't make any FA moves, now that's rolling into this year too?

The fact is, while teams like the Broncos are wanting to improve their team, even after a Super Bowl run, the Bengals are perfectly fine with first round playoff exits.

 

[kramer1]

Agreed.

Not sure how the Bengals front office can brain wash our fans into thinking we don't need to make any FA moves because of what is coming down the line. Burfict and AJ were part of the excuse last year as to why we didn't make any FA moves, now that's rolling into this year too?

The fact is, while teams like the Broncos are wanting to improve their team, even after a Super Bowl run, the Bengals are perfectly fine with first round playoff exits.

<insert smiling Marvin here>

 

[Cincyfan78]

What a load of BS.

The Broncos just signed Talib and Ware.

Yes, but they are going all in. They have Manning, and only for a few more years.

In 4 years, they will be in a salary cap hell, with no guarantee that they'll win a super bowl.

We'll see how that works out.

You can agree or disagree, but outside of the "fans", most of the pundits (and I don't mean Hobspin) who are following the NFL have little issue with how the Bengals are approaching F/A.

 

[Cincyfan78]

The people who are wailing about not re-signing Collins or MJ will be the same people who would complain that the Bengals don't have enough to keep AJ & Burfict when the time comes.

I agree with that to a point. There's talk that in two years the salary cap will be close to $160 million, so even if AJ and Burfict, and dare I even say Dalton get extended, in two years we'll be back in the same spot, an under achieving team with lots of cap room and a refusal to use it.

I'm not advocating spending like drunken sailors a la the Redskins or Bucs, I'm saying, target one position/player who is a big upgrade at a position of need and sign him, like what the Saints did with Byrd.They had no money, but they targeted their guy and got him.

This should have been the year the Bengals finally upgrade the Center position and make a run at Mack.

I"m also not saying that they SHOULDN'T spend, but they have to be smart. If the Bengals were a position player or two away, I could see them going after a guy (potentially) but really, they need depth more than anything. They have starters at every position outside of Center, and some ??? at CB due to Hall's injury.

Going to over-pay to keep MJ when you have Wallace and Dunlap? Going to overpay to keep Collins when you already have Whit and Pollak at LT/LG?

I'll just sit back and let everything play out before I decide to jump off a bridge. It's like arguing about draft picks at this point...useless.

 

[alf8478]

I"m also not saying that they SHOULDN'T spend, but they have to be smart. If the Bengals were a position player or two away, I could see them going after a guy (potentially) but really, they need depth more than anything. They have starters at every position outside of Center, and some ??? at CB due to Hall's injury.

Going to over-pay to keep MJ when you have Wallace and Dunlap? Going to overpay to keep Collins when you already have Whit and Pollak at LT/LG?

I'll just sit back and let everything play out before I decide to jump off a bridge. It's like arguing about draft picks at this point...useless.

They are a position player away, unfortunately that position is Quarterback, but the team is too stubborn to see that.

 

[Cincyfan78]

They are a position player away, unfortunately that position is Quarterback, but the team is too stubborn to see that.

Touche...

To that I can agree...but, like you said, not happening.

 

[kramer1]

We don't need no stinking quarterback!

 

[Cincyfan78]

We don't need no stinking quarterback!

 

[flamingrey]

Yes, but they are going all in. They have Manning, and only for a few more years.

In 4 years, they will be in a salary cap hell, with no guarantee that they'll win a super bowl.

We'll see how that works out.

You can agree or disagree, but outside of the "fans", most of the pundits (and I don't mean Hobspin) who are following the NFL have little issue with how the Bengals are approaching F/A.

BS. The media is making a simple statment of fact, that the Bengals are saving their money for their draftees. Because that's what the Bengals do every year. The media never said too little, too much, or exactly right. The Bengals sell that they are allocating more money than required for their draftees, and then just pocket the extra.

In 4 years the Broncos won't be in salary cap hell because there are ways to design contracts so that the larger contracts have a larger portion against the salary cap in different years (signing bonus, roster bonus, salary accelerators, etc.). Furthermore, players that want a lot and you think you may release very early, you can sign them to a very long deal, and after you do release them, designate them a June 1 cut, and their dead money is split amongst the remaining years.

To argue that we didn't sign Johnson and Collins because we won't have the money in the future to sign AJ or Burfict is a load of crap. I don't mind passing on Johnson so much because you just can't give 3 d-lineman huge salaries (even though I believe we got a great deal with Dunlap). But not bringing back Collins is inexcusable (and they still have a chance to) Teams find a way to manipulate their contracts to be able to spend the most money possible to keep their most productive players and sign other FA's. The Bengals don't. There is no excuse for it.

 

[augustisback003]

Bengals plan to bring back Baby Hawk Hawkins. So hopefully this means that they play on expanding his role in the Offense. This is great news!

excerpt~

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Bengals will match the offer, which is for $12.2 million with $5.3 million in guaranteed money. That’s much more than the $1.431, one-year tender that the Bengals extended to Hawkins, which makes it a little surprising that the Bengals made a call to match so quickly.

Report: Bengals plan to match Browns? offer to Andrew Hawkins | ProFootballTalk

 

[DanBengalfan]

I thought we were pretty deep at WR.

12 million over how many years?

 

[Be Weary of Query]

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 2m

Filed to ESPN: Pending a physical, former Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware reached agreement with Broncos on 3-year, $30M contract include $20M gtd.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter

 

[DanBengalfan]

The Bengals will make a trademark vanilla signing in a week or so.

 

[bengaldoug]

Bengals plan to bring back Baby Hawk Hawkins. So hopefully this means that they play on expanding his role in the Offense. This is great news!

excerpt~

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Bengals will match the offer, which is for $12.2 million with $5.3 million in guaranteed money. That’s much more than the $1.431, one-year tender that the Bengals extended to Hawkins, which makes it a little surprising that the Bengals made a call to match so quickly.

Report: Bengals plan to match Browns? offer to Andrew Hawkins | ProFootballTalk

I'd prefer keeping Collins and letting babyhawk go. Our oline is so much stronger with AC at lt and Whit at lg.

 

[ckhokie]

Pats sign Revis.

No chance Cincy could have afforded him. We have AJ next year and Burfict in two.

 

[kramer1]

Pats sign Revis.

No chance Cincy could have afforded him. We have AJ next year and Burfict in two.

Hahaha

I love this time of year

 

[cincygrad]

I'd prefer keeping Collins and letting babyhawk go. Our oline is so much stronger with AC at lt and Whit at lg.

Whit does not want to play guard. That is the reason why Collins is gone. Marvin, Mike and Katie are loyal to Whit because he is loyal to them.