Let's Talk Extensions

[WeezyBengal]

(10-04-2022, 11:03 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Might be able to get Reader a cheaper extension than you're thinking. He'll be in his age 30 season when he hits FA and right now he's been injured 2 of the last 3 years. Of course then it becomes a question of do you actually want to. He certainly helps when he's out there but he's not out there.

They're sadly locked into Jonah's 5th year already I believe, but I think you need to look at finding a replacement for him. Maybe they can find a taker for him in a trade? Don't know if they'll have to eat part of it or not to get anything in value in return.

I think Mixon gets cut this offseason. He'll save $7.35m in cap space by being cut.

I like Logan Wilson and if they can get something reasonable done, great, but I just don't know how smart dumping top money into a non-pass rushing LB is in today's NFL. There are 6 ILB making $13m+/yr. They are on the Colts, 49ers, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, and Falcons.

Vonn Bell should get an extension if you can pay him as a top-20 S rather than a top-10 S. 

Awuzie should get an extension, but look to replace him as CB1. I would love him as a CB2 but as CB1 he's just kind of... eh.

Eli Apple I would like an upgrade and I just don't like.


Germaine Pratt is a 2 down LB, which feels pretty replaceable.

Bates, good luck trying to get $18m/yr in FA. Seems more and more like 2020 isn't the norm that we can expect to happen, which is a shame because his stretches of high play as so good, but way too inconsistent and matched with much longer mediocre/subpar stretches.

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Higgins I think you gotta trade next offseason. I think the going market price is a 1st that year and a 3rd the next year. Burrow is about to get $55-60m/yr, and Chase will be getting $32-35m/yr. I don't think you can get all 3 of them into the cap (Higgins being in the $25m/yr range would put the 3 together at around $115m/yr, that's just too much) while still having a decent team around them. Even if you could, the Bengals ownership doesn't likely have the >$300m in liquid funds to put into escrow to cover the guaranteed money the 3 of them will combine for.

Boyd I just kind of assumed would be gone in FA, but then Jarvis Landry signed for only 1yr/$3m, which thoroughly confused me and made me think that maybe the big market explosion is only for #1 WRs. I know he was coming off a bad year, but when your QB is a broken Baker Mayfield that's pretty understandable. Boyd will be heading into his age 30 season then like Landry was this offseason. I have no illusions that he will be signed for $3m, but if they can extend Boyd for somewhere around $10m/yr, then Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd would be a pretty strong framework for some young rookie contract WRs and TEs to fill in around.

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So TLDR of the 10 guys you listed....

Extend (but don't break the bank):
Awuzie
Bell

Extend (if a bargain deal can be reached):
Reader
Wilson
Boyd

Trade (or let walk once FA if you can't trade):
Williams

Cut:
Mixon

Let Walk:
Apple
Bates
Pratt

I think you nailed it. What they do with Mixon is so interesting to me. I guess it all kind of depends on the year he has, but the Bengals usually dont cut their big name guys just to save money. Mixon is a fan favorite and a big locker room guy - cutting him if he continue to produce the way he has this season would be a smart, but not a very Bengals thing for them to do.