Can The Bengals Keep This Team Together?

[Murdock2420]

(12-01-2022, 06:28 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: I wanted Bates here long-term but I don't think he's going all-out, like you said. Hopefully, he at least turns it on in the playoffs when it matters most, or if we're in elimination games to even get into the playoffs.

We still have Higgins for another year, so hopefully he keeps having a big year and someone offers us a big trade after this season. We don't let him go for nothing and he gets paid big somewhere where he's the main guy. It's a win-win.

I don't think Hurst will get a huge payday anywhere just because he'll be 30 by next season, he'll have security here, and he has Burrow throwing him the ball.

All of that could change if we find a way to draft Michael Mayer (please do!).

The draft will certainly have an impact on all of this, although I'd expect Hurst to be signed before the draft happens.  But, if they draft a WR early that would certainly be the writing on the wall for Boyd and/or Higgins being gone sooner than later. As I said above, trading Higgins would just suck to see happen but better than the inevitable of him walking for nothing.

Bates is just so frustrating. I was a huge fan of the pick and was high on him from day 1, and to see the lack of effort this year is just so deflating. Honestly, I'm not sure that relationship is salvagable at this point, they have the picks on hand to replace him already and he just seems checked out.