Roster moves: Prince back from IR, Mike Thomas waived

[*ochocincos*]

(11-23-2022, 03:00 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Agree 

Yet Bengals early picks will hinge on if they can re-sign Hurst, Bell, Perine, Pratt, Apple and if they're ok with Dax's progression to replace Bates. 

Personally always want to go O-line early but they may not see this as being their biggest need depending on who is lost in FA. Especially if Bates and Bell leave together. 

They'll easily run out of their $45 mill cap space if they re-sign all those guys you listed.
Some of them will have to be allowed to walk and take the gamble on some draft picks backfilling them.

Dax Hill was a 1st rounder. He's getting his 1 year of grooming this year.
Gotta slot him in as the starter next year and move on from Bates or Bell.

While Hurst has been solid, I think he'd a good candidate to be replaced by an early-round draft pick. Or at least a draft pick to take Sample's TE2 spot.

As for Apple, Bengals drafted CTB to be his eventual replacement as the starter opposite Awuzie. At least that's how I have always viewed it.
If Apple does get retained, it should be for cheap like it was this year.

Moving on from Mixon should help open up $7 mill in cap if the Bengals need that extra cap. It might be needed to retain some of these other guys and/or sign a good starter at another position.