09-10-2015, 03:11 PM
(09-10-2015, 02:55 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I think I'm going to have to go with: Because the regular season kicks off today and he's still not signed?
And remember, this thread was a call for them to sign him ASAP. It was not just a question of would he ever be signed. The question was why isn't he signed yet. Here's why:
1.) Because he's earned it, and it seems unfair to have him risk his future, playing on a 1 year option. Especially when all his peers were rewarded with new deals. All of which have produced less over their first four years.
2.) Letting go into his last year has some risk. He could take it as a sign of disrespect. He could hold back some. He could hold out. You lock him up early for all the same reason you lock up anyone early. To secure his rights, to prevent a hold out, to potentially pay less now than in the future, to make the player happy.
You can scoff at the idea that this topic is deserving of discussion all you'd like. But it's seen a good deal of attention elsewhere. The Enquirer has written about it, ESPN has written about it, Rotoworld has provided many updates to WR free agent market and now AJ. The list goes on and on. Mo, Lance, etc.
When your best player is entering the final year of contract that's worthy of some talk. When all of the receivers that are regarded in his class have signed recently that's worthy of some talk. When you're told, from the team itself, that's the franchise is withholding cap space for a future deal, and when the time comes that deal isn't done, that's worthy of some talk.
You act as if we've never let a coveted player walk. J-Joe and Housh are just two recent examples, of guy they waited on, who ended up hitting the road. To pretend that it's so ridiculous to call for this deal to be completed or to wonder what the hold up is, seems incredibly foolish. To ridicule others for talking about it seems agenda driven. Why such a problem and so defensive about such an obvious talking point?
J-Joe and Housh were not our unquestioned best player at their respective position so that comparison really doesn't hold much water. Having said that, they were still offered lucrative deals before choosing to go elsewhere. There is nothing in the Bengals recent history to suggest that AJ won't be here other than random speculation. In addition, him leaving could not happen until after 2016 (unless the Bengals want him gone which is silly based on the fact that they are currently negotiating).
Talking about is fine. I'm accurately ridiculing the widespread panic over a lack of a deal at this moment because, those who take an honest look at how the Bengals run the organization, understand that an AJ extension is a matter of when, not if.
