02-23-2021, 04:42 PM
(02-23-2021, 02:27 PM)PDub80 Wrote: LOVE the conversation!
Bates has had one amazing year, one good year, and one so so year. After this season, he will be due an absolute MASSIVE deal. I'm not sure that's a great investment at this point.
I also 100% see the need to add S to the roster. The trade only works if Williams and Wilson come back and another guy is added back there for depth.
My thoughts on the trade came down to....
- Trading him for a cheaper (keeping the Bates upcoming extension in mind here) first rounder AND keeping that money free'd up for a player at more of an immediate, impacting spot may be attractive.
- Trading him for a 2nd and a 3rd might be interesting. Even thought the Bengals 3rd round history isn't incredible, I can't subscribe to the Bengals just physically being unable to draft 3rd rounders.
Plus, this draft is DEEP at O-Line, D-Line, and WR. 2nd & 3rd rounders could yield potential starters at those spots given the talent this year.
- A 2nd & a starter or a 3rd & a starter wouldn't be horrible, either, depending on the player and draft position.
While Bates had an a amazing 2020 season, I'm not in the came that that's repeatable for him. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. His season by season performances have been all over the place. Anyway, I just thought I would have some fun thinking wayyyy outside the box.
Let's be honest, the Bengals need elite talent all over the field. Lawson, Hubbard, & Bates look to be the 3 on D and 1 of them is leaving. Not sure jettisoning another one would be ideal!
The Bengals actually have plenty of cap space in 2022 (and 2023) to pay him. That really shouldn't be cause to trade him.
Now if you decide that you've got too many holes then maybe there's an argument for selling high on Bates. But a second and a third would be a paltry return. A first and a second or maybe three seconds and I could see giving the Bengals enough draft capital to fix multiple holes but once you get down to the third round the odds (not just for the Bengals but for the rest of the NFL) are that they are more likely to bust than become a starter. Now I get that teams probably aren't going to offer that much but the Bengals don't need to trade Bates and should only do it if they receive an offer too good to refuse.
