DJ Reader a Bengal

[Whatever]

(04-03-2020, 07:26 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You do realize that the Bengals only have 3 players under team control right now for the 2023 season?

Tyler Boyd
DJ Reader
Jonah Williams (only if they exercise his 5th year option)

That's it. Done. That's all of their theoretical contractual commitments they have right now for when Burrow is actually eligible for an extension. 

Meanwhile the salary cap will rise another $40m+ in that timeframe. That's why making contract moves to plan for something that may or may not happen 4 years from now is an absurd idea in the NFL.


If that was the reason.

One of the few times they backloaded a contract that I can think of was Dalton, and now they're in a situation where they can cut him with $0 in dead cap space. It paid off.


It's all under the umbrella of wanting a well-run FO. It's not separate issues.

What top tier UFA in their prime from a playoff team is going to take a backloaded deal to leave and go to a 2-14 team?  If such a player was going to to take a backloaded deal, it would be with a contender that is short on cap space.  Or, it would be a situation like Dalton's where he had limited leverage and wanted to create cap space to re-up other key players.

Players and agents grew wise to the backloaded deal tactic years ago.  Teams would sign guys to high dollar backloaded contracts to make it sound like the player was going to break the bank, then cut bait before the player hit the really big money.