Why are we not extending our good players?

[*SHRacerX*]

(03-06-2021, 01:45 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: 1.) I would hope more fans would riot if we tagged Lawson.  Paying him 17 million dollars would be absolutely ridiculous.  He's nowhere near a top 5 DE.  Either get a long term deal done or move on.

2.) Really not sure why so many are ready to give up on Waynes without ever seeing him play in stripes. 

If the team was that high on Jackson they would have exercised his 5th year option, or worked out a long-term deal.  Instead they invested 16 mil into Waynes.

Waynes is going nowhere.  He carries 10 mil in dead cap.  I think people who want to pay Jackson (in addition to Waynes) are nuts.  We'd have like 30 mil tied up into CB1 and CB2, and neither are proven to be elite.

I'm sorry, William Jackson just isn't that good.  And this team doesn't have the luxury of paying out that much to a guy like him when they have so many holes.

This surprises me on both fronts.  There is an article about what Anarumon wants for the defense and the first thing he says is "pass rushers and corners", yet you are ready to move on from the best two the Bengals have in those catagories?

I can almost assure you that Lawson will be tagged.  They will still have time to work out a long-term deal, but it helps to prevent major decline for Lawson as he will have to perform at a high level again to get a top contract after next season.  The DE crop in the draft for 2022 might be much better and if the Bengals are able to address a lot of the issues on the offensive line THIS year, then maybe that becomes a focus for 2022.   It also allows them to potentially shift those dollars to Hubbard and Bates in 2022 should Lawson not perform at a top tier or be able to stay healthy.  I believe the date when teams can start placing the tag is 3/10. 

WJIII is another matter.  We have seen his potential, but he has been inconsistent.  Lots of rumors about how he may not want to be here.  I think the Bengals will offer him a fair contract (but most likely for three years) and allow him to shop.  He is supposed to be the $1 FA CB on the market.  If some other team offers him comparable, he may opt to go elsewhere.  That makes me very nervous because Phillips, while capable, has had trouble staying healthy.  We saw the massive drop off in talent when Sims was out there.  I guess the issue is your assessment that he just "isn't that good" when he is asked to cover longer than most CBs due to a lack of pass rush.  If we weaken that area, it won't help any of our CBs.  I would make a strong effort to keep WJIII even though you mentioned that $30 million for two starting CBs is too much for that position group.  I believe Waynes has an out on his contract after the 2021 season that allows the Bengals to get out of it without too much dead money or cap hit.  I forget the specifics.  I would want WJIII until I knew at least if Waynes was capable.  I could see a scenario where Lawson signs a deal and WJIII gets the FT.  


With fans in the stands, the cap will rise quickly again.  That should help with the long-term goals of signing Hubbard and Bates.