Offseason according to Crash

[cincygrad]

Agents like to flaunt the overall number, when in reality they know the likelihood of the player ever seeing all of that cash is almost zero.

Anyone who knows how the Bengals do their deals know that while it might be less cash overall, and even less "guarantees", the chances of them seeing the full term of their contract is extremely high because they value those contracts. Now, some of that has changed, but largely guys who sign see their deals filled.

As an aside, I'd be OK with Tee taking a lesser deal in years...if he wanted a 3 year deal - I'd do that. That's fine. Chase is likely getting a 3 year deal as well at this point - so why not let them both expire together and then you can re-up Chase at that point. It also gives you 3 more years to draft/sign another young WR and integrate them into the system. In effect, it kicks the can down the road to what the Bengals have been facing coming into this season, and into next for another 3 years. FIne.

Chase already has a 5th year option, so I'm assuming a 3 year extension will give him 4 more years. And then they can do Tee for 3 years and have them staggered. But, I agree that it wouldn't matter if they were set to expire at the same time - If both guys continue to be among the best in the league, they won't keep both of them twice. And that's fine.... The hope would be that you have developed other parts of the team and have some options in the pipeline.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Waddle $28M, Devonta Smith $25M.

He'd have to really love Cincinnati.

That's fair.

 

[alf8478]

That's fair.

I believe he has been a bengals fan since he was a kid

 

[Cincyfan78]

Chase already has a 5th year option, so I'm assuming a 3 year extension will give him 4 more years. And then they can do Tee for 3 years and have them staggered. But, I agree that it wouldn't matter if they were set to expire at the same time - If both guys continue to be among the best in the league, they won't keep both of them twice. And that's fine.... The hope would be that you have developed other parts of the team and have some options in the pipeline.

Right - I do think, though, it could mean also buying out the 5th year in that 3 year contract...so in effect, only a true 2 year extension. Again - at this point, if that is what it takes - fine. Get it done...kick the can down the road a few more years and then you can decide.

They have the cap room, and there are ways around that anyway. I'm really more interested to see if a major sticking point would be guarantees if only because the Bengals don't have the kind of cash flow to put up a ton of money in escrow...could get around that by paying more guaranteed money up front, so less to hold overall...but still...this new wave of high guarantees for non QBs is going to test the Bengals and a few other smaller owned/ran/money teams.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Right - I do think, though, it could mean also buying out the 5th year in that 3 year contract...so in effect, only a true 2 year extension. Again - at this point, if that is what it takes - fine. Get it done...kick the can down the road a few more years and then you can decide.

They have the cap room, and there are ways around that anyway. I'm really more interested to see if a major sticking point would be guarantees if only because the Bengals don't have the kind of cash flow to put up a ton of money in escrow...could get around that by paying more guaranteed money up front, so less to hold overall...but still...this new wave of high guarantees for non QBs is going to test the Bengals and a few other smaller owned/ran/money teams.

They are not going to lose that $15 million dollar savings on the 5th year option. No way, no how.

 

[Cincyfan78]

They are not going to lose that $15 million dollar savings on the 5th year option. No way, no how.

That was one of the sticking points this past off-season with Chase, allegedly. I don't see that changing - and frankly at this point - who cares. The cap isn't real anyway.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

That was one of the sticking points this past off-season with Chase, allegedly. I don't see that changing - and frankly at this point - who cares. The cap isn't real anyway.

I read the sticking point was bonus pay out times. The payouts were staggered to where the Bengals could cut him down the road and not owe him part of his bonus.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I read the sticking point was bonus pay out times. The payouts were staggered to where the Bengals could cut him down the road and not owe him part of his bonus.

Could be - and I was only being flippant about the cap in a way.

The bottom line is - you do what you need to do to lock him up for 2-3 more years and then revisit it again. Do the same with Tee. Kick the can down the road for 2 more years, and you at least buy yourself time to fix the OL, fix the defense, and draft a WR who won't catch more charges than receptions...

Likely - in 3 years, you renegotiate with Chase anyway...and with Burrow - so, that's really where I'm coming from in that the cap doesn't matter - those small term deals will give them more flexibility - more risk, sure, but the goal is to keep the trio around for 2-3 more years...this might be the best way to do it, even if it's unconventional.

Though, I agree - chances of the Bengals passing on that 5th year is slim - but that is where you could also just load up all the bonus (and likely why Chase balked because it would allow them to cut later).

But Andrew Hawkins had a comment the other day about that - he said - sign with the Bengals for less because in the end, you are more likely to see more cash from the Bengals than any other organization as they are more likely to honor contracts all the way through. Especially good contracts. So, maybe you make less on paper, but in reality - you end up making more because other teams will renegotiate, trade/cut you once it gets too expensive in years 3 or 4...Bengals will sign you for a cheaper deal on paper, but you'll get paid more in the end. A lot of that back end money is for ego anyway and rarely ever seen.