2 years, don’t see the $$ yet

Mike's back.

Tight end Mike Gesicki is re-signing with the Benglas on a three-year, $25.5 million deal, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2025

Might be a nice cheap pickup.

So I see a lot of people saying we need this or need that from a defensive perspective, and I have made the comment a couple times in other threads that an Al Golden defense may look very different than what we are used to, and what we NEED might be very different than where we have been the last several years with Lou.  These comments were driven by a Joe Goodberry breakdown of Al Golden's ND defense, that he produced prior to Al Golden being hired.  Here is the video and move ahead to 14:39 for the start of the ND defense breakdown in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmDVpFvr_ts&t=168s&ab_channel=FirstStarMediaGroup

Some things to consider....
Signings, drafting, releasing, trading and extensions for players could be driven by how the new DEF staff feels about player buyin to the new scheme.  Pratt and Trey might be pieces that are only poor to avg. fits.  

Personally, I am very excited to see the direction the DEF takes.

Tanner signed a one year extension. I know it is low hanging fruit but we do need these back of roster signings and they are far easier to get done than the big ones

Via Adam Schefter



I hate this organization, this franchise is not serious.

With Hubbard retiring and Ossai hitting FA, that leaves just Myles Murphy, Cedric Johnson, and Isaiah Thomas as the only DEs apart from Hendrickson.
At least one DE, if not multiple, will be added this offseason to cover for the departures, potentially one who would/could be thrust into a starting role.

So my question for you is...given this draft class and pool of FAs, would you rather see Hubbard's starting DE spot filled with a vet? Or would you rather see a high draft pick compete with Murphy for the spot?

When I look at the vets on the table that I think Bengals would consider, two names pop out to me - Chase Young and newly-released Joey Bosa.
Bosa isn't quite the savage pass rusher he was entering the league, but he's still solid. On top of that, he and his brother are friends with Burrow.
Young I believe is also friends with Burrow from their time at Ohio St, and Young is younger. Chase Young only turns 26 this April, so he's just entering his prime.
He hasn't to-date put up production like Bosa had though.

For draft picks, I look at guys like James Pearce Jr. (whom the Bengals met with at the Combine), Nic Scourton, and some other 1st rounders.
JPJ is more fitting of a weak-side DE who can be a double-digit sack artist, whereas I see Scourton more as a guy like Dunlap who will more likely be in the 7-9 range most years but better against the run.
Someone like Shemar Stewart isn't as well refined, but his ceiling may be higher than both of the above guys. I've seen a Stewart comp of Jadeveon Clowney, which I feel is pretty close. Clowney never amounted to what we would expect a 1st overall pick to be and savage pass rusher, but he was a good DE who has 11 years in the league.

Which way do you lean to cover starting DE duties opposite of Hendrickson for 2025?

Here's something that I don't think I've seen discussed for a while. First off, I'm not an estate lawyer or sports lawyer. But, I'll post some articles and then maybe people can chime in with what they know.

1) Teams have succession plans that they submit to the NFL: 'The NFL is aware of the McCaskey estate plan, and that of each of the other 30 family-owned franchises (the community-owned Green Bay Packers are an exception). Every summer, those teams submit updated franchise succession plans with the league’s central office. The documents, according to multiple people familiar with the process, lay out the current owner’s intentions for the team once he or she is no longer in control. Will there be an interim owner? Will the team be sold? Which heir will take over? Is that child aware and willing to assume responsibility?'

2) Both the Bills and Broncos sales came following the death of an owner. In fact, half of the most recent dozen NFL team sales can be traced to the death of the prior controlling owner. In 2010, the then St. Louis Rams were sold to Stan Kroenke so Georgia Frontiere’s children could satisfy their estate tax bill. Ralph Wilson (Bills), Leon Hess (Jets) and Jack Kent Cooke (Washington) all called for their teams to be sold after their passing, and Saints owner Gayle Benson said last year she will do the same. Atlanta and Denver were sold after their respective owners died, with the heirs in both cases fighting over whether to keep the team in the family. The Seattle Seahawks are currently controlled by the trust of late owner Paul Allen, who instructed that the team be sold with the proceeds going towards philanthropy.

3) As happy as the NFL is to add Walmart heir Rob Walton to its ownership ranks in Denver, the league prefers teams stay in the family when an owner dies.

Reference for 1-3 - https://www.sportico.com/business/finance/2022/nfl-succession-plans-chicago-bears-mccaskey-1234687987/

4) I believe this article has been posted, but it has a blurb about IRS issues when Paul Brown passed:

'Before Paul Brown died in 1991, he assigned Sawyer’s note and option to a family partnership that was also established in 1983. That allowed shares to be distributed to not only Mike and Pete Brown, but Mike’s wife, Nancy, and children, Katie Blackburn and Paul H. Brown.

The IRS argued the deal was a “sham” transaction, designed to avoid estate tax. But Colvin ruled it was an arms-length deal in which both sides got something of value.'

'Sawyer’s role as a Brown family friend first came to light when the IRS filed a $30 million tax lien against the team, claiming a 1983 option agreement was a way for the Browns to avoid estate taxes. Judge Colvin rejected the IRS claim while explaining how Sawyer helped the Brown family become majority owners.'

5) The Brown family now owns 97%.

6) The Cincinnati Bengals are worth between $4.1 billion and $5.25 billion, depending on whether you believe Forbes with the lower estimate, or CNBC with the highest.

Reference for 4-6 - https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-team/the-billionaire-bengals-how-the-brown-family-got-rich

Bengals have signed G Jaxson Kirkland to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season. Could be in the mix for starting guard spot this season. Bengals have held him in high regard since signing him in 2023 as a UDFA. Kirkland spent the first five games of the 2024…

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) March 5, 2025

Zac Taylor, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, has emphasized a sense of urgency to win and make changes to the team.
Explanation
Taylor has said that he and the Bengals front office are "all on the same page" about winning.
He has acknowledged that the team's poor start to the 2024 season was unacceptable.
Taylor has said that the team needs to "work like hell" to start the 2025 season strong.
Taylor has said that he needs to make coaching changes and create a winning plan.
Taylor has said that he needs to ensure the team re-signs core players in free agency and drafts well.
Taylor has said that he needs to find the best way to get players ready for Week 1.
Taylor has said that he needs to lead the way and create a sense of urgency in the team.

———————-

Duke Tobin asked if Joe Burrow's outstanding season has heightened urgency of franchise to win a Super Bowl: "Urgency is as high as it could get. That's every off season, though. When you're a bad football team trying to get to the competitive level, there's high urgency. When you're a what I consider a high level football team, and that's what I consider us. You guys can scoff at it, but I consider us a very high level football team. Yes, there's a lot of urgency there as well, and so I haven't been a part of an off season that's not urgent. We're trying to maximize our guys, and when you have Joe Burrow, you're trying to fit it around them and give him the best chance to have a Hall of Fame career, and he's certainly capable of that."

————————

The season starts now. The outlook wouldnt be grim, if it was just Chase, tee or Trey… but it’s all three. It’s going to cause indecisiveness with FA about to open (already enough holes), and with focus on the upcoming draft next month.

I don’t care (I do, but I just saw the mavericks trade Luca) what they decide to do. Have a plan, execute it. If it’s run it back with the core, then get it done, then you know what you have to work with with less financial resources. If you want to trade them for assets (drafting is a question mark, but let’s play it out), at least you know what additional holes you have to fill prior to FA and can allocate time correctly in the draft.

Figure it out, one way or another. If “the big 3” are hamstringing you from a negotiation standpoint, move on and figure it out. Rip the band-aid off. Joe will be mad, and others, but he will get over it.