Per Hobson, with Bernard's and Atkin's departures, Tyler Boyd and Jordan Evans have the most Bengals games played at 71 and 60 games from an offense and defense perspective, respectively.
Only CJ Uzomah, Clark Harris, and Kevin Huber are the only players left from the 2015 AFC Wild Card Game.

https://www.bengals.com/news/gio-s-release-continues-bengals-roster-revamp

I'm okay with releasing Bernard instead of trading him to another team. It gives him an opportunity to determine his NFL future. This shows some good will by the Bengals. He had a great career with the franchise.

Bernard finishes 7th on the all time career rushing leaders list for the Bengals with 3,697 yards and 17th for receiving yards at 2,867.

(04-07-2021, 12:00 PM)Sanforbd Wrote: I fired a dependable and loyal employee today too, it's a business not a charity. Fill the jersey's up with robots as long as it brings me wins.

Why?

And if it’s a business and not a charity, why are you on the internet during business hours instead of working?

(04-07-2021, 12:00 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Possible extensions for Hubbard and/or Bates. Or else rollit over to pay them next year. 

Cap savings don't go in the Browns' pockets. 

People said the same thing after they cut Hart and Atkins. Have you heard of any contract extensions, yet?

(04-07-2021, 12:31 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Why?

And if it’s a business and not a charity, why are you on the internet during business hours instead of working?

I'm curious how you know what my business is and what the business hours of my business are? Oh... you've assumed that Mon-Fri 9-5 is the only possible scenario? That's very midwestern, Ohio, of you. 

I let him go because I found a more talented and cheaper replacement. (sounds like what the Bengals hope to do with Gio doesn't it?)

Also, I'm capable of doing two things at once, since I'm not working in the tool and die shop like yourself, ya know.

(04-07-2021, 11:02 AM)psychdoctor Wrote: His release is out of respect not disrespect.   Trading him for 6th or 7th could be viewed as a slight.  Plus, a straight release allows him more freedom to sign with another team.

Always liked Gio.  Remember him from Hard Knocks looking out his window yelling "Who Dey".  

This one hurts.

Thanks, Psych. This sounds more like the case to me than the gut reaction every one was having. Just heard about this and 
thought it would be a possibility. Sad though, love Gio a Bengal great RB who was a great pass blocker and made some of the
best plays I have ever seen by a RB in stripes which is saying something. Wish Gio the best and who ever gets him they are 
getting a fine player who is all class.

(04-07-2021, 12:01 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Running backs now are mere complimentary pieces in a offense.
They are getting moved all the time.look over the last
Few years....Leveon Bell, Melvin Gordon, Mark Ingram
Todd Gurley, todays bellcow, tomorrows chocalate milk.

One of the classiest Bengals ever. He just put his head
And gave it his all. He will be a valuable piece for a playoff
Team in 2021...I could see him fitting in KC or Miami

SMH.... There's the Patriot way. Then there's the Bengal way...... No one will ever confuse the two.

(04-07-2021, 12:09 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Exactly. How I loathe this, let me count the ways:

1) Cap space is NOT an issue. We have a lot. We still have a lot.

2) We refused to splash big money in FA, instead going bargain hunting. Which is OK, given the market. But then, why did Gio need to take a pay cut? I mean, if we were gonna use that $5 mil to up the ante for a premier FA (Thuney, Trent Williams, Golladay, even Zeitler), then OK. But to do neither?

3) He asked for a release AFTER we asked him to take a pay cut. To sign no one. When we already had lots of space. Self-inflicted wound.

4) When protecting Burrow should be our #1 priority, we just lost our best pass protecting back.

5) Our WRs created the least separation in the league last year (I believe). Well, at least we have one of the best 3rd down/receiving backs in the league. Oh, nevermind.

6) I cannot believe we could not get something for him.

7) This is how we treat loyal, productive guys.

8) Bates/Hubbard extensions will not kick in until 2022 (right?), Gio's contract expires after this year. So by my reckoning, waiving him does not add 1 penny to make extending guys mire affordable. (I believe I am correct here, someone set me straight if I am wrong).

1.Not currently, no.  They may be budgeting for extensions and/or guys who will become available during and after the draft.

2.Hendrickson and Reiff were both big names.

3.He was not performing up to his contract.  Now, they were dumb to give him that much, but it wasn't like he was worth what they were paying him.

4.That's fair, but he's ineffective as a runner and his effectiveness as a receiver is also slipping.  He's basically an undersized FB at this point.

5.Gio isn't close to a good receiving back anymore.  Less than 1/3 of his catches went for first downs and he also fails to get open routinely and gets lit up as he catches the ball.

6.Nobody is paying that much money for that little production.

7.Good teams don't overpay guys who have hit the wall out of loyalty.  It sucks, but that's the business.  He wasn't really productive last year given the fact he started 10 games.  

8.Depends entirely on how they structure the contract.

(04-07-2021, 12:00 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Possible extensions for Hubbard and/or Bates. Or else rollit over to pay them next year. 

Cap savings don't go in the Browns' pockets. 

If a team consistently spends near the salary cap floor (89%) I believe, does the remaining 11% get kicked back to the league or what happens to the rest of the money?  I guess I don't get that part.

I find this odd timing.

From the Bengals' benefit, you'd think they'd have worked on a trade or cut him prior to FA signings to clear space. With this timing, there's no clear indication on what they're doing with the added money to benefit the team this year.

From a Gio perspective, I don't love the take that this was to respect Gio or help him out. They could have gone to him about the pay cut weeks ago, and given him a chance to sign with a team during the hottest part of FA.

Across the board, I don't see any clear winners with this move based on the timing.

That said, best wishes to Gio. Solid guy and skilled athlete. Enjoyed his time in Cincy!

(04-07-2021, 11:59 AM)Schmitbuck Wrote: https://www.nfl.com/news/saints-trade-darren-sproles-to-philadelphia-eagles-0ap2000000333709

Sproles was on a $3.5m deal.... Bernard's was $7m. Similar cap hit, but twice the money.... especially in today's NFL. That trade was in 2014.

(04-07-2021, 12:15 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: How can his salary be $7M, but his cap hit is only $4M?

It was how they structured the deal. This contract was an extension on top of Gio's 2019 money, not a brand new deal. So, some of that was paid to Gio in 2019 and the cap hit for that was paid then. Leaving dead money THIS season vs a 100% cap hit.

For anyone upset at this I have 2 points...

#1: This is what the good teams have done over the last 20 years in the NFL. Sorry, it just is. You want the Bengals to be smarter, better, and tougher on personnel choices? Well, here it is.

They should have traded their left over older assets from 2018/19, too. They didn't, but hopefully they are learning!

#2: The Bengals asked him to take less money 2 weeks into FA period. Gio refused and has now asked the Bengals to cut him.

The Bengals were kind enough to do that for him now, instead of after the draft or after June 1st. THAT is about as respectful as it gets to players.

(04-07-2021, 12:41 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Thanks, Psych. This sounds more like the case to me than the gut reaction every one was having. Just heard about this and 
thought it would be a possibility. Sad though, love Gio a Bengal great RB who was a great pass blocker and made some of the
best plays I have ever seen by a RB in stripes which is saying something. Wish Gio the best and who ever gets him they are 
getting a fine player who is all class.

On one hand it seems like an honorable thing for the FO to do. And, it is!

Ts, it shows a lack of tact as well. I think the other GMs have MB and his staff figured out. One would think that they could have found a suitable trade partner that would have suited both parties. The money part made it difficult, but I think the minute that Bengals float a name out for possible trade the other GMs know to wait. They know that Cincy will release said player if they can't find another team to play ball.

Just an observation over the years.

(04-07-2021, 12:18 PM)jj22 Wrote: Zac's praise means the end is near for a Marvin Vet.

Honestly all these players should have been traded 2 years ago. Miami did it right. The JETS are doing it right. The Bengals find themselves in a rebuild 3 years late, still cutting aged VETS, needing picks, and looking to be 3 years out from competing again because they still don't have enough picks to cover the holes.

This is always a Bengals FO problem. Reactive instead of proactive. 

But I don't think they're 3 years out if they make the right moves.

(04-07-2021, 01:04 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Couple of key points here . . .

1. You found a replacement. Past tense. The Bengals don’t currently have a better, cheaper replacement.

2. If you can work and play online simultaneously, why are complaining about me assuming you’re at work during business hours in 48 out of 50 states right now?

And if I did work in a tool and die shop, WTF is wrong with that? Because I’d probably working instead of doing a piss poor job of insulting people online from work instead of working from work.

I believe it was you who hurled the first insult, I was sharing my opinion of Gio's release. 

Regarding a tool and die shop, my comment obviously is referencing the risk of both preforming a dangerous job and playing on the internet. You seem very fired up about work hours, but yet you are still playing online, disability? Retired? Unemployed? 

(04-07-2021, 11:36 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I really can't imagine the Bengals would spend an early-round pick on a Safety when they have one of the best already in Bates plus they have Bell and just re-signed Wilson and also signed Allen to a 1-year stopgap deal.
If they really waste an early-round pick on Safety and Bates then walks out the door next offseason, it's just a dumb move.
At some point, you need to keep your own top talent.

I think the Bengal Front Office may have changed their value chart some but not by a lot.  They value skilled positions like QB and WR and CB and undervalue OL, backers, safeties.  Look at David Fulcher, who left after 6 years or so, considered one of the best safeties for Bengals until Bates.  

Bengals will gear everything toward keeping Burrow.  If that means letting Bates go, so be it. I hope not.  But if they do select Grant which in my mind the top safety, then Bell could be used more as a backer/db hybrid.  Having Grant and Bates would be the top safety position group in the NFL.  

(04-07-2021, 12:33 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: People said the same thing after they cut Hart and Atkins. Have you heard of any contract extensions, yet?

The big ones don't typically come until right around late-July, early-August timeframe, IIRC.

(04-07-2021, 01:27 PM)Sanforbd Wrote: I believe it was you who hurled the first insult, I was sharing my opinion of Gio's release. 

Regarding a tool and die shop, my comment obviously is referencing the risk of both preforming a dangerous job and playing on the internet. You seem very fired up about work hours, but yet you are still playing online, disability? Retired? Unemployed? 

Will the two of you stop, please?

You make it hard to concentrate on this thread while I'm at work.

Releasing Giovani Bernard now isnt a slight and doesnt hurt his ability to sign with any other teams.

Two weeks ago about the same time we heard about "trade rumors" the Bengals asked Gio to take a pay cut so I'm guessing his agent put his name out there and teams called to inquire about him being released.

Gio isn't going to sign as a high priced starting caliber back and will likely make a 4th of what he was due this year. The other 31 teams should have no issue getting Gio under the cap if they want a backup change of pace running back.


Good Luck Gio.