AJ - 'franchise tag is not the best thing'

[*Nately120*]

(01-24-2020, 05:27 PM)R3stangs Wrote: Maybe I am a little. Has nothing to do with Mike Brown. Probably has a lot to do with a guy lamenting that he might only get paid 18 million dollars next year and implying thats somehow a negative thing.

It is a negative thing if he can make more than 18 million with a different deal by actually testing free agency.  

[JSR18]

(01-24-2020, 11:40 AM)fredtoast Wrote: It was impossble to pay Steinbach because all five of our starting O-linemen were free agents in a two season span.  Bengals played if perfectly by keeping everyone else and drafting Whitworth to replace Steinbach.  Browns paid way too much for Eric.  Bengals were smart not to keep him at that price.

Bengals also paid to keep OGs Bobbie Williams and Clint Boling.

All right Fred, you are right, I am wrong. I was never a Boling fan anyway... 

[Circleville Guy]

(01-24-2020, 09:34 AM)Sled21 Wrote: He had the toe surgically repaired. He then tore his ankle ligaments when he tripped over Kirkpatricks foot.

The point being, he hasn’t been able to prove that either injury has been fixed!

[Circleville Guy]

(01-24-2020, 01:35 PM)R3stangs Wrote: I really don't give a hoot about Mikes money so I'm not seeing this as AJ v Mike Brown. I want to see the team make the best use of the funds available to get better within the cap. And rolling the dice on a player at a position shown to decline dramatically around his age and his injury questions doesn't seem like a good use of those. Especially committing them to a long term deal like he wants.

This seems like the common sense and best business approach. People would have a fit if they payed 18 million for any free agent that is in the same situation as AJ but because they like AJ, many don’t seem to care.

[TKUHL]

Tag him and move on. It opens so many options that would benefit the team. We may get trade offers which would demand a first I believe, 2nd at least. If not we will get the chance to see how Burrow (If we draft him) and Green connect. Could be a beautiful thing.

[*SHRacerX*]

(01-24-2020, 06:10 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: We will see what AJ is willing to take cause it cannot break the bank. His injury history should scare every team, not just us.

Incentive laden contract is all he should get whether it is here or somewhere else.

Not on board tagging him and him sitting hurt again all year for a crazy amount like 18 mil.

If he does that, his next contract won't even be double digits..there are a lot of stats about players that haven't played for 3 years and none of them are good.

[BengalsBong]

Just about everyone agrees he could of came back this year and played a few games towards the end of the season. Nobodies time table had him missing the entire season due to the ankle sprain. Lapham said he looked great in some of the game warmups through the season which again backs up the fact he could of played some games. He chose to sit out so he could be in good health at the end of the year to test free agency. If we tag him with a one year deal where most of the money is guaranteed we will be in the same boat he can sit out again on us and just collect a check like he did this year. In AJ mind once he hits free agency other teams will just throw buckets of cash at him which will not happen because of his injury history recently.

Let him test the market and get offers then match the best offer or even add a lil to it if we want to keep him or let him walk since he has already proven he would rather sit on his backside for a year then play the game he loves and grew up hoping to play at the highest level in the NFL.

[Catmandude123]

(01-25-2020, 12:04 AM)Nately120 Wrote: It is a negative thing if he can make more than 18 million with a different deal by actually testing free agency.  

He has made over 20 mil the last year and a half while playing ZERO games. So I think him not wanting to play for 18 mil is a total negative. Larry Fitzgerald has played on a team friendly deal(11mil/year) for multiple years now. If AJ signs the tag he would have made about 100mil in his career here so its not like he will starve anytime soon.

[*Nately120*]

(01-25-2020, 08:27 AM)Catmandude123 Wrote: He has made over 20 mil the last year and a half while playing ZERO games. So I think him not wanting to play for 18 mil is a total negative. Larry Fitzgerald has played on a team friendly deal(11mil/year) for multiple years now. If AJ signs the tag he would have made about 100mil in his career here so its not like he will starve anytime soon.

I think hed rather test his market value and have options.  I don't think he's necessarily saying making 18 million a year is bad.

[Bengalitis]

(01-25-2020, 02:16 AM)Circleville Guy Wrote: This seems like the common sense and best business approach. People would have a fit if they payed 18 million for any free agent that is in the same situation as AJ but because they like AJ, many don’t seem to care.

A real man would amputate that toe and get on the field to save his team.  

[Catmandude123]

(01-25-2020, 10:28 AM)Nately120 Wrote: I think hed rather test his market value and have options.  I don't think he's necessarily saying making 18 million a year is bad.

I can't prove it but I would wager that he was butt hurt that they didn't re-sign him during the offseason. If that's the case then he wants out. Tagging him will not heal his posterior. Let him walk if he isn't willing to sign at least a two year contract that gives the team an out if he can't play up to his 18 mil contract or stay healthy in 2021. Going into the same situation next year shouldn't be an option.

[Catmandude123]

(01-25-2020, 10:45 AM)Bengalitis Wrote: A real man would amputate that toe and get on the field to save his team.  

Yeah and if he couldn't run we could make him a FG kicker ala Dempsey. He may not be any good at it but he would probably hit a few and contribute more than he has the last year and a half. 

[fredtoast]

(01-25-2020, 08:17 AM)BengalsBong Wrote: Just about everyone agrees he could of came back this year and played a few games towards the end of the season. Nobodies time table had him missing the entire season due to the ankle sprain. Lapham said he looked great in some of the game warmups through the season which again backs up the fact he could of played some games. He chose to sit out so he could be in good health at the end of the year to test free agency. 

This makes no sense at all.  Absolutely the worst thing Green could have done to reduce his value in free agency was miss the entire season instead of proving he was recovered well enough to play.

He gained nothing by sitting out and significantly reduced his value in free agancy.

Thr truth is he was just not able to play because he had not recovered fully.  He could do drills, but then he would have pain and swelling.

[Catmandude123]

(01-25-2020, 11:44 AM)fredtoast Wrote: This makes no sense at all.  Absolutely the worst thing Green could have done to reduce his value in free agency was miss the entire season instead of proving he was recovered well enough to play.

He gained nothing by sitting out and significantly reduced his value in free agancy.

It makes perfect sense to me. If he plays and reinjures himself he is going to receive squat. If he plays and is ineffective his value drops not only in free agency but also to the Bengals. So sitting isn't really the worse thing that was going to happen.

[Sled21]

(01-25-2020, 02:16 AM)Circleville Guy Wrote: This seems like the common sense and best business approach. People would have a fit if they payed 18 million for any free agent that is in the same situation as AJ but because they like AJ, many don’t seem to care.

Because we know just how good AJ is when he's healthy. They got to look at him all through rehab and on field drills. The team knows exactly where he is health wise. A free agent would basically be an unknown.

[Sled21]

(01-25-2020, 08:17 AM)BengalsBong Wrote: Just about everyone agrees he could of came back this year and played a few games towards the end of the season. Nobodies time table had him missing the entire season due to the ankle sprain. 

It was torn ligaments, and why would he come back at 80% or whatever and play the last couple of games of a 2 win season, instead of letting it get 100% for next year? That doesn't really make much sense for him or the team. If he played, we probably would have one or 2 more wins and not get Burrow.

[*Nately120*]

(01-25-2020, 11:04 AM)Catmandude123 Wrote: I can't prove it but I would wager that he was butt hurt that they didn't re-sign him during the offseason. If that's the case then he wants out. Tagging him will not heal his posterior. Let him walk if he isn't willing to sign at least a two year contract that gives the team an out if he can't play up to his 18 mil contract or stay healthy in 2021. Going into the same situation next year shouldn't be an option.

The Bengals should let him test the market and not tag him.  If he's really as much of a bench-sitting check-casher as he appears then he should walk back to Cincy with his mouth full of humble pie and take a team-friendly deal.  Then again, AJ could find some team with a desperate GM who would give him a long-term deal like he wants and end up making more money in the long run.

I can see how being tagged would frustrate a player because it keeps him from seeking other options and looking at multiple offers.  

[fredtoast]

(01-25-2020, 12:27 PM)Catmandude123 Wrote: It makes perfect sense to me. If he plays and reinjures himself he is going to receive squat. 

Why?

He is in exactly the same position he would have been in if he had played and been injured again.  He has to prove he will be healthy and able to play next year before any team will sign him.

[samhain]

(01-25-2020, 01:10 PM)Nately120 Wrote: The Bengals should let him test the market and not tag him.  If he's really as much of a bench-sitting check-casher as he appears then he should walk back to Cincy with his mouth full of humble pie and take a team-friendly deal.  Then again, AJ could find some team with a desperate GM who would give him a long-term deal like he wants and end up making more money in the long run.

I can see how being tagged would frustrate a player because it keeps him from seeking other options and looking at multiple offers.  

I agree with this.  They shouldn't just hand him 15 plus per.  Hell, I don't even want to give him the 18 for 1 with the franchise.  AJ is an all time great, but if he's not willing to be realistic about his recent health/current age and how it impacts his value, then he should be given the opportunity to learn what it is the only way he can.  

I fear that this front office will pay him a big contract over multiple years.  They'll want to do it before he gets chance to test FA, and they'll trot the deal out as the centerpiece of the free agency period.  It's perfect for them.  Dump the cash onto AJ like the lazy asses they are, then do nothing to get better before the draft.  The numbers will be big and they can lean on it to show that they "did something".  Between this and the sucking bad enough to get Burrow, they get to be their usual assbag worthless selves for another offseason, then act super-surprised when they don't get 6 wins next season.

[Circleville Guy]

(01-25-2020, 10:45 AM)Bengalitis Wrote: A real man would amputate that toe and get on the field to save his team.  

Nobody is faulting him for being hurt. The question is, is it a good investment? Would you bring in a free agent with a similar case at 18 Mil.?