Keep Tee Trade Chase

[tms]

I wouldn't be against this at all. I think comp picks are just a gimmick. They rarely amount to anything, certainly not for the Bengals. I looked it up last year and I can't remember them all off hand, but suffice it to say that they're a motley crew of randoms. Landon Johnson, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Gee and a bunch of fringe types over the last 30 years. I think Malik Jefferson was a comp or acquired through a comp- so that's what we're talking about. Chinedum Ndukwe might have been one himself, but when you're talking a Day 3 I couldn't care less. You're not letting Tee Higgins walk so you could land the 250th pick in the draft two years from now. Sounds like horrific asset management.

I love the upcoming draft, tho. Say we get a Day 2 for Tee. Bundle that with our first pick (at the very end of the first round... wink wink nudge nudge) and move up to get our guy. The OT class is great (Latham is your RT of the future) and the TEs aren't too shabby (Bowers, JT Sanders, etc.). Had we done that last year, maybe we could have landed Gibbs. The year before, maybe Linderbaum. In effect that's your "comp pick" that can lock down a position for the next 5-7 years. And given that most groups in the modern NFL are less pricey than an elite wide receiver like Higgins, it makes sense from a long-term budgeting perspective as well. You're not just getting them for their rookie deal, you might be able to shoehorn them under the cap for longer- irrespective of Joe's contract.

But no need to think about that all now. Full season left to play before it even becomes an issue. And I love me some Tee.