Whit's comment says it all.

[Fan_in_Kettering]

Would that all Bengal players had a similar attachment to this team!

[t3r3e3]

(03-14-2017, 12:24 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Not the ones who are happy with the troll version that proves how much Whit hates the Bengals.

But those interested in the truth might want to hear everything he said.

This coming from the king of cherry picking comments to suit ones narrative..... Now that's rich.

[Gamma Ray Tan]

(03-14-2017, 01:01 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: :paul:   Try to slant stories much?

His words, not mine. No slant. Whit basically states this organization low balled him and was probably going to move him to guard to let Ced move to LT. He was not happy about that. So he said Bye! That is the "Situation" Whit is eluding too in the article.

[bengals67]

(03-14-2017, 12:24 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Not the ones who are happy with the troll version that proves how much Whit hates the Bengals.

But those interested in the truth might want to hear everything he said.

This is true but we should have signed Whit or given him franchise tag

Not signing Whit only makes sense if they spend the money they saved on a couple of solid free agents or extending Richardson if they get him for McCarron.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-14-2017, 01:05 PM)t3r3e3 Wrote: This coming from the king of cherry picking comments to suit ones narrative.....  Now that's rich.

It just got real.

[grampahol]

I don't generally put a lot of stock in a few lines anyone says that can be taken any number of ways. 
As far as I can tell Witt went to LA so he could take an opportunity to build a successful offensive line from basically nothing, but what do I know? It's also a huge market so his name recognition will go way up as opposed to being in Cincinnati. 
It's not AS IF he came right out and said he hates the Bengals, the fans and the city. He said exactly the opposite, but never let the reality of someone's words get in the way of some people's reasoning based on their fantasies and justifications for bad badmouthing the team and ownership. After all, if everything isn't all gloom and doom what's left? Happiness? Who wants to be happy and content? That's sissy talk, right? 

[fredtoast]

(03-14-2017, 01:08 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: His words, not mine. No slant.

Link to "Whit's words" saying this..

(03-14-2017, 01:08 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote:  Whit basically states this organization low balled him and was probably  going to move him to guard to let Ced move to LT. He was not happy about that. So he said Bye!

[fredtoast]

(03-14-2017, 01:35 PM)grampahol Wrote: He said exactly the opposite, but never let the reality of someone's words get in the way of some people's reasoning based on their fantasies and justifications for bad badmouthing the team and ownership.

REP

[OrlandoBengal]

Hearing that Cincinnati offered one year, up to $10 million with incentives is kind of disheartening. When you've got guys like Maualuga sitting on multi year deals, you would think they would have offered Whit, a guy playing at the top of his game, a two year deal with some nice guarantees.

Whether they admit it or not, it seem like Cincinnati was ready to move on. At this point I think you just wish him well and hope it works out for both sides.

[*Go Cards*]

(03-14-2017, 12:46 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: He said this too. Not as cordial. Sounds like he was just trying to be nice about the situation, but definitely was wanting out.


Mar 13, 2017
Katherine Terrell
ESPN Staff Writer
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Longtime Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth shocked quite a few people when he agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Rams on Day 1 of free agency, ending a tenure in Cincinnati that had lasted more than a decade.

But even though the two sides have cut ties, there are no hard feelings, he said.

"Anybody that knows me knows I love Cincinnati, I’m as loyal to them as anyone, it’s still bittersweet of course, but I love challenges," Whitworth said. "I feel like what’s made me the player I am is always being willing to take the challenge. ... I feel like my whole career [has been] a challenge.

"In my mind, taking on a challenge, moving to LA and trying to transform a team into a winner, that’s right up my alley. I love it and I’m excited about it. I’m just hoping I can stay healthy and play a couple more years and have a chance to get these guys in the right direction, whether I get to be part of their end success or not, just the chance to turn this thing around."

Whitworth, 35, knew entering the 2016 season that his time in Cincinnati might be coming to an end. The Bengals were reluctant to give him a new long-term contract in 2015, settling on a one-year extension that would keep him on the team through the 2016 season.

Around the same time, they drafted two tackles in the first two rounds of the 2015 draft. Whitworth had never hit free agency and figured he owed it to himself to listen to any offer. What surprised him was just how much interest he received at his age.

"I was floored and humbled by how many offers we got," he said. "You don’t really know sometimes how much you’re appreciated and looked at across the league until you start hearing that many teams call and make offers."

The door didn't fully close on returning to Cincinnati until late in the negotiating period. Cincinnati offered a one-year deal up to $10 million with incentives.

The Rams and Vikings were the most persistent among the suitors, but it was Los Angeles who wouldn't stop calling, eventually offering a three-year deal worth up to $36 million with $15 million fully guaranteed.

"It just felt cool to be wanted that much and it’s an opportunity for me to go somewhere," Whitworth said. "That’s truly all I can think about, the impact I can make for them over the next couple of years, and not really, whether this other guy is going to play and that kind of deal."

One thing that factored into his decision was a request by the Bengals for Whitworth to move to guard for one game so they could evaluate Cedric Ogbuehi, their 2015 first round pick, at left tackle. Whitworth didn't object, but it was a strange situation to move aside so the team could get a better look at his replacement.

If that happened once, it certainly could happen again.

"I think that’s the first thing that put it in my mind, do I really want to come back to that situation?," Whitworth said. "Because, at any point, next year, I’ve been around the league long enough to know, that investments are investments. If the season went south or things aren’t going how they want, what would be the next question to ask for that situation?.

"I thought it was important to consider that and give it an honest consideration, and not just, I have to stay here because I’m comfortable. And you know what? There’s a lot of veteran players that honestly being comfortable where they play is more important. And that’s just not me."

Still, it wasn't an easy choice to leave. Stay in Cincinnati, a place he and his family loved and knew, or move across the country to a team coming off a 4-9 season?

"I love Cincinnati, I love the city, I love Mike Brown, I love everything about it, but I saw them at a stage where they’re really just trying to hold on to me because I mean so much to them, but really they’re just trying to move forward with Cedric of course," Whitworth said. "Why wouldn’t they be? And he’s a really talented guy who I think will get settled and be a great player. But for me, it was like, man, I’d rather have a situation where I’m with a team that’s like ‘man, we want you to hold on as long as you can.’ Because we want you here."

Whitworth also wanted a fresh start. That's part of the reason he chose a team where he wouldn't be playing Cincinnati twice a year.


"At one point it was just purely loyalty, all you know is Cincinnati and you just need to go back there because that’s all you know," he said. "I started to really open my eyes to man, what a challenge, and a new place, that would be something that invigorates me and makes me want to push even harder and do even more, find some other part of me that I don’t know exists that I can challenge myself to become. And that’s what really intrigued me about the move.

"And then when I realized I was open to moving, and moving on to a new challenge, I really wanted to be away from Cincinnati’s situation. I wasn’t as keen on going somewhere where’d I play Cincinnati and be around it. I wanted to go far away and kind of have a fresh start."

Whitworth will be keeping an eye on the Bengals and rooting for them. He'll just be doing it from afar.

This is a little different perspective for sure. 

Still much love for Whit and thinking the Rams will have a better record than us at this point.

Hopefully the draft reinvigorates my opinion of the upcoming season.

[guyofthetiger]

I don't blame Whit for taking the best deal offered. We have to look out for ourselves first in this world. Loyalty has gone with the wind.

[Millhouse]

Whit took the high road after his contract was over. He knew whatever deal he took would be his last one, and he chose the best one for him & his family, and the one that wasn't disrepectful so to speak to the Bengals in any way.

[spazz70]

(03-14-2017, 12:31 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: "To me it was like, go all the way out to L.A. and start over or stay in Cincinnati and take whatever you can get.”

"Take whatever you can get."  Look at his contract.  It's stupid the front office didn't match that or sweeten the deal just enough to get him to stay.

This a two way sword.....Whit knows that the Bengals are loyal to a fault just like we do as fans...I am sure that a contract very similar was offered...His contract out west is a possible one and done for about 9.7 millions...he could have signed here for 2 or 3 years at 8-9 million and know he would play out the contract because it is the Bengals loyalty, which would be 16-27 million...What would you do?  He is 35 years old, one injury from probably being done for his career.  If he gets hurt in LA, I almost but guarantee that he would be released, Do you think the Bengals would release him?  Very doubtful unless it was career ending.

He went where the money was, plain and simple but he got a screwed contract with no future after one year.

[samhain]

(03-14-2017, 03:54 PM)spazz70 Wrote: This a two way sword.....Whit knows that the Bengals are loyal to a fault just like we do as fans...I am sure that a contract very similar was offered...His contract out west is a possible one and done for about 9.7 millions...he could have signed here for 2 or 3 years at 8-9 million and know he would play out the contract because it is the Bengals loyalty, which would be 16-27 million...What would you do?  He is 35 years old, one injury from probably being done for his career.  If he gets hurt in LA, I almost but guarantee that he would be released, Do you think the Bengals would release him?  Very doubtful unless it was career ending.

He went where the money was, plain and simple but he got a screwed contract with no future after one year.

There's a future alright.  If his skills decline or the Rams have a cap casualty purge in 2018, he'll be back in stripes so fast your head will spin.  

[OrlandoBengal]

(03-14-2017, 03:54 PM)spazz70 Wrote: This a two way sword.....Whit knows that the Bengals are loyal to a fault just like we do as fans...I am sure that a contract very similar was offered...His contract out west is a possible one and done for about 9.7 millions...he could have signed here for 2 or 3 years at 8-9 million and know he would play out the contract because it is the Bengals loyalty, which would be 16-27 million...What would you do?  He is 35 years old, one injury from probably being done for his career.  If he gets hurt in LA, I almost but guarantee that he would be released, Do you think the Bengals would release him?  Very doubtful unless it was career ending.

He went where the money was, plain and simple but he got a screwed contract with no future after one year.

Read the Katherine Turrell article that was posted on the first page.  The Bengals offered one year, "up to" $10 million including incentives.  He has $15 million guaranteed with the Rams, the deals are not even in the same universe. Also, his age has nothing to do with him being one injury away from the end of his career. All of these guys, on every single play, are one injury away from being done.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-14-2017, 03:54 PM)spazz70 Wrote: This a two way sword.....Whit knows that the Bengals are loyal to a fault just like we do as fans...I am sure that a contract very similar was offered...His contract out west is a possible one and done for about 9.7 millions...he could have signed here for 2 or 3 years at 8-9 million and know he would play out the contract because it is the Bengals loyalty, which would be 16-27 million...What would you do?  He is 35 years old, one injury from probably being done for his career.  If he gets hurt in LA, I almost but guarantee that he would be released, Do you think the Bengals would release him?  Very doubtful unless it was career ending.

He went where the money was, plain and simple but he got a screwed contract with no future after one year.

Look at his contract. If Whit continues to play at a high level the Rams keep him at a reasonable price. If his play declines they can cut him after this season and at most eat $3.3 million dollars in dead money which could be split over two seasons or $1.67 million per season. That is less than what they paid Karlos Dansby. So at worst, the Bengals miss out on a one year rental on a D-list free agent retread on his last leg the likes of Karlos Dansby who was an unmitigated failure for the Bengals.

[jj22]

If his incentives had anything to do with a playoff win then I'm sure he said to hell with that.

[magikod]

I am going to miss Whit for sure, to me he will always be a Bengal.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-14-2017, 12:15 PM)CageTheBengal Wrote: Way to cherry pick his words.

He was saying he has such an attachment to Cincy and the Bengals that it would be hard to play in a place that reminded him of Cincy. That's why he avoided the Vikings because of Zim.

It was worse than cherry picking.

Making it look like Whit hates Cincy instead of what he really meant is extremely misleading by the OP.

Whit like you said if anything was being very respectful and just didn't want to play us.

Going to an NFC team like the Rams is an easier transition.

[fredtoast]

(03-14-2017, 04:44 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: So at worst, the Bengals miss out on a one year rental on a D-list free agent retread on his last leg the likes of Karlos Dansby who was an unmitigated failure for the Bengals.

Uh, what about the $13 million guaranteed?

Isn't that a little more than they paid Dansby?