The End of Bates?

[Shake n Blake]

(03-07-2022, 12:30 AM)Whatever Wrote: If we struggle in FA, it will be a tough pill to swallow no matter what.  

We're trying to win a SB and this has the potential to be a distraction.  I'd like to think it won't hit LeVeon Bell proportions, but there's no guarantee it doesn't.  Agents talk their clients into all sorts of things when they are trying to drive up the price for a position group. There's no guarantee Bates signs the FT and reports to TC.  If he doesn't, what kind of shape does he show up in and when?  That goes beyond the mental issues he said he struggled with last year.

It's obvious he's not a long term solution and he doesn't want to be here unless he gets insane money.  Quality S's are relatively cheap in FA and we have a good record of drafting immediate quality starters.  Dragging out the inevitable isn't in our best interest.

Fine...let's just say if we struggle in FA *and* lose Bates, it's going to hurt more than if we struggle in FA and keep one of our top defenders for another year.

I actually kinda side with you on this. I want guys who will play for less to be on a championship contender. Or at least guys who will be fair. Not ones who will try to gouge every extra cent they can out of being on a Super Bowl team.

I'm just willing to admit that this plan of letting Bates walk (IF this is true) could go awry. We have a small window before everyone gets paid on a massive scale. Sure, we'll always be contenders with Burrow, I suppose, but these next couple years are our best shot.