03-08-2021, 10:08 PM
(03-08-2021, 11:02 AM)fredtoast Wrote: You are talking theory. We are talking reality. Just look around the league. Lots of good young players take extensions with teams that are not good. And every year bad teams are able to sign good free agents if they pay enough.
Also players pay more attention to reality that fans like you. For example they don't fawn over the cowboys and call the Bengals a "meme team" when the Bengals have made the playoffs TWICE as often as the Cowboys over the last 12 years.
And plenty of players walk away. Watson and even Russel Wilson apparently want out. Forget extension, they already have a contract. Sure, some people sign extensions with teams that are not good. Sure, a few have done it with the Bengals. Truth is they are less likely to do so. Reality is those other teams versus the Bengals. Can throw out X,Y,Z as much as you like, but the Bengals is whom I am talking about.
And the Bengals can be recent history: Losing very badly;
mid range history: Losing the 1st round every year with most of those players and coaches that did it are gone or a shell;
Long history: No playoff wins in decades.
Cowboys are still the "America's Team" or whatever and them and the Steelers have huge fan bases. Far more NFL players grow up fans of either of them than the Bengals. Small market doesn't help and players know it.
Some overcome it by being aggressive, taking chances and getting a bit of luck. Buffalo has done it.
