Should Wilkins be #1 FA target if not tagged?

[SunsetBengal]

(01-16-2024, 04:32 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: He's heading into his age 29 season. There's only so long you can build around him. Honestly whomever Reader's replacement is needs to be a draft pick. Same with whomever we replace Hill with heading into 2025.

Right now for 2024...
Hubbard paid and heading into age 29 season
Hendrickson paid and heading into age 30 season
BJ Hill paid and heading into age 29 season

Then if you add Wilkins paid and heading into his age 29 season, you've got yourself an old and expensive group. Eventually the Bengals are going to have to develop some of their draft picks. Kind of the same spot they are with the OL. At some point you need to add and develop young guys to mix with the older and more expensive vets.

It's kind of spooky when you take a look at the starters whom the Bengals have drafted and developed on either side of the line, Williams, Volson, and Hubbard.  Not that they haven't drafted plenty of others, they have just all failed to launch.  For a team that plays in such a trenches centric division, it's going to get really expensive having to keep loading up on blockers and pass rushers via free agency.