Free Agency Thread

[Cincyfan78]

Damn it. That does hurt indeed.

I will say this....Bengals may have only wanted to do another 1 year deal, maybe 2 at most. Current MO is to avoid contractual years going past 30....

 

[Cincyfan78]

I really hope Higgins and Burrow are working hard to get deals done right now so we don't have to lose all our targets waiting to see what Burrow and Higgins do.

I don't know how many guys are actual "targets" considering what they are getting paid, and the years for some of the older guys.

I don't think the first wave approach in F/A was actually going to be much more than re-sign Pratt and/or Bell, and as for the rest...let the chips fall, and sort through the pile in the 2nd wave where you get better deals.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I don't know how many guys are actual "targets" considering what they are getting paid, and the years for some of the older guys.

I don't think the first wave approach in F/A was actually going to be much more than re-sign Pratt and/or Bell, and as for the rest...let the chips fall, and sort through the pile in the 2nd wave where you get better deals.

I know. I can just see the Bengals brass holding off for any signing outside Burrow and Higgins because of the amount of up front money they are going to have to pay out. They will probably want that done first so they know how much is left.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I know. I can just see the Bengals brass holding off for any signing outside Burrow and Higgins because of the amount of up front money they are going to have to pay out. They will probably want that done first so they know how much is left.

Agreed.

I think they have an idea, but even if they didn't have Burrow/Higgins on deck, I don't think they would be massively active in the 1st tier of F/A. That's when guys get stoopid overpaid.

Perine is making more per year than he did over his entire contract with the Bengals....he's 28. He has 2 runs longer than 11 yards. For all the clamoring about Mixon's running, Perine wasn't any better.

Bates got over-paid, IMO. He's not the 4th best safety in the NFL.

Bell was reasonable at 22.5M over 3 years (an uptick from the 18 over 3 years he had with Cincinnati). So, what was the catch here? Maybe the Bengals didn't want to guarantee the 2nd year like Carolina did. Maybe they wanted a 2 year deal. Again, he's 28, and the Bengals have actively been trying to get overall age down as they know the contracts that are coming due outside of the big 3 (Burrow, Higgins, Chase). If you do sign some guys who are older, you have to get younger somewhere else, or face the reality of revamping an entire unit at once...

I think with Hurst - the were hoping the TE draft market would suppress the market for a guy like Hurst....Panthers didn't let it happen.

One thing is for certain - with Lou - I trust them to find the right fit - guys who will do what is needed to be really good at his scheme. Organizations like N.E. and Pitt have done this for years with great success...find the right fit, and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[DanBengalfan]

I really hope Higgins and Burrow are working hard to get deals done right now so we don't have to lose all our targets waiting to see what Burrow and Higgins do.

we probably have an estimated budge based on Aaron Rodgers contract.

my guess is we really only retain 1 #1 type receiver, and that will likely be Chase.
Higgins might be friendly to us now, but once teams start offering him 20-30 million a year, he'll leave.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

we probably have an estimated budge based on Aaron Rodgers contract.

my guess is we really only retain 1 #1 type receiver, and that will likely be Chase.
Higgins might be friendly to us now, but once teams start offering him 20-30 million a year, he'll leave.

That is why we are trying to lock Higgins up now before there is a bidding war out there.

 

[Cincyfan78]

That is why we are trying to lock Higgins up now before there is a bidding war out there.

I'll say this...as I've been pretty vocal that Higgins isn't coming back...

I thought Pratt was on the same train out of town and going to get PAID...and he took less and talked about it. One of the very few guys that actually talked about how winning was important to him, and then proved it by taking a deal that was less than he could have gotten on the open market. How many times do we see F/A jump at the highest bidder and then struggle because the team around them isn't very good and/or the scheme just doesn't fit what they do. Smart F/A should know there is more long-term money in winning and playing at a high level - and the team and scheme - around you are massively important.

 

[jbuck]

HEY WAIT
they mocked jbuck. they wrote hahaha
Pratt was outahere.
the DOGMA
the dismissiveness
well mr crash davis sports.....you were wrong and jbuck has great insight afterall ka ka ka ka....cackle cackle

 

[CrashDavisSports]

HEY WAIT
they mocked jbuck. they wrote hahaha
Pratt was outahere.
the DOGMA
the dismissiveness
well mr crash davis sports.....you were wrong and jbuck has great insight afterall ka ka ka ka....cackle cackle

Indeed. Good job. Yeah, I didn't think he would be back. I sware our focus was going to be on Bell and Hurst. Good job!

 

[CrashDavisSports]

So Burrow question....

Can you write a contract like this to help Burrow and the Bengals...or is this setting a bad precedence like MLB?

7 years / $336 million (no guaranteed money) but, you are not allowed to cut Burrow at all during the length of the contract - legally written in contract. This basically makes it a guaranteed contract without having to provide up front signing bonuses depleting the availability of funds for other players you would never offer this contract to, like say Higgins, Chase, etc.

 

[jbuck]

all in good fun my friend. Rich is rich. I see Burrow as being team friendly for sure. legacy is about winning. I just loved pratt stripping the ball out on that one play. I thought I want that guy on my team

 

[cincygrad]

The freak-out of Bengals fans on Twitter is a little ridiculous. This team will almost all of its starters return - We need two new safeties, one of which was planned for in last year's draft. The other will likely be signed soon. We need a new tight end which isn't different from last offseason. We need a new RB2.... That shouldn't move the needle much.

RELAX

 

[cincygrad]

The Burrow deal could very well already be done. Duke Tobin basically suggested that they already understand the framework of that deal and don't need it to be signed before doing their other deals in FA. A very real reason why it might be done and not announced is that the Bengals benefit from having it signed after April 1. At that point, the guaranteed money isn't due to escrow until 2024. That's an entire season worth of revenue from merchandise, sponsorship income, food and drink at the stadium, etc.... And it doesn't do the Bengals any good to leak the deal as other teams in similar situations will then have the benchmark for their own negotiations with their QBs.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

The freak-out of Bengals fans on Twitter is a little ridiculous. This team will almost all of its starters return - We need two new safeties, one of which was planned for in last year's draft. The other will likely be signed soon. We need a new tight end which isn't different from last offseason. We need a new RB2.... That shouldn't move the needle much.

RELAX

Yeah, I am not sure what the freak out is about. Losing Bell and Hurst do hurt, but not unsolvable in any way. As you said Hill was already drafted and slotted for this year. I would still like to see the Bengals maybe release Mixon and draft McBride or Spears in the draft. I think one of those guys would be good. I really didn't know a whole lot about Spears until BurrowToChase mentioned him and it made me look up more information about him. Either McBride or Spears would work well in this offense.

 

[cincygrad]

Yeah, I am not sure what the freak out is about. Losing Bell and Hurst do hurt, but not unsolvable in any way. As you said Hill was already drafted and slotted for this year. I would still like to see the Bengals maybe release Mixon and draft McBride or Spears in the draft. I think one of those guys would be good. I really didn't know a whole lot about Spears until BurrowToChase mentioned him and it made me look up more information about him. Either McBride or Spears would work well in this offense.

I don' think they'll release Mixon until after 6/1..... Unless there are cap issues before that date which seems unlikely.

I still think they'll be in play for a mid-level safety, a running back, and a tight end. Possibly still a chance at a tackle as well.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I don' think they'll release Mixon until after 6/1..... Unless there are cap issues before that date which seems unlikely.

I still think they'll be in play for a mid-level safety, a running back, and a tight end. Possibly still a chance at a tackle as well.

Potential FA Targets for TE that are affordable to pair with a rookie TE?

TE Foster Moreau
TE Brock Wright

 

[Cincyfan78]

19 of 22 starters still on board. Even if they lose Apple, Awuize returns to claim his starting spot back.

Losing 2 guys off the defense at the same position, and then a starter on the offense makes it seem a bit dire, but the reality is - Bell and Hurst were exactly the kind of signings that the Bengals will likely be looking at to replace them...2nd, later, wave of F/A where the contract meets the production a bit more in line, and likely younger guys who they can get multiple years through their peak age seasons.

 

[Cincyfan78]

 

[cincygrad]

LOL! You figure Duke and Katie were sitting around reading Twitter and laughing about this plan they hatched to spring this sort of signing?

 

[cincygrad]

Order the rings.