06-24-2018, 11:00 AM
(06-23-2018, 11:09 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Not likely, from March:
LaFell will collect a $1 million roster bonus, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
The Bengals surely would like to see some combination of John Ross (shoulder), Tyler Boyd and Josh Malone step up and push LaFell back to fourth or fifth on the depth chart, but it nonetheless makes sense to keep the 31-year-old around as insurance, given that he carries a modest 2018 base salary of $2.55 million, per OverTheCap. The team likely would've released LaFell before Sunday if it planned to do so at all, as his $1 million roster bonus now is guaranteed. He caught 64 of 106 targets for 862 yards and six scores in his first season with the Bengals, but then dropped off to a 52-548-3 receiving line on 88 targets last year. LaFell has only missed nine games in eight NFL seasons, and he's played all 16 games four of the past five seasons.
LaFell is an experienced vet who has started for three different teams, and $2.6 million is pretty cheap.
I'd love to see enough of the young guys blow up to push him off the roster, but it won't happen until we get deep into training camp to make sure the young guys are really ready.
