(04-07-2021, 01:29 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: 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.  

Burrow's rookie contract won't end until after 2024 if they use the 5th year option.
The Bengals could extend Bates for 3 years, thereby having his contract end the same time as Burrow.
Then you can keep Burrow and move on from Bates if you need that money.
No need to move on from Bates after this year for something that is 4 years away.

(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?

His employee was probably working harder. 

And to his point. THAT (unfortunately) is business for you.

(04-07-2021, 01:06 PM)PDub80 Wrote: 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.

^^^^ Exactly this ^^^^

I get people having fan favorite players and being disappointed when they are released. For me though, this team is poor and the franchise has been in disarray for many years. 

I want a professional organization that does things the right way and is set up for consistent success, year in and year out. With that as the goal I avoid getting hung up on players, specifically players we never won anything with. 

Team first, trust the process and all that jazz.. maybe that backfires, maybe this hack of a coach and our inept makeshift GM chase out some good talent and fail to replace them or fail to build a scheme that maximizes their replacements, but I'm along for the ride at this point. 

An 8 year veteran RB making 4 million a year isn't going to make the team much worse. I'm interested if any of the playoff teams had a RB with that tenure earning that salary? 

(04-07-2021, 11:22 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: AJ, Geno, and now Gio...all in the same offseason. Feels really weird.

Who is even the longest tenured Bengal now? Hopkins?

Huber?

(04-07-2021, 01:41 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Huber?

Yea its Kevin Huber over Clark Harris by a few months.

(04-07-2021, 01:40 PM)jj22 Wrote: His employee was probably working harder. 

And to his point. THAT (unfortunately) is business for you.

Work smarter not harder boys 

Hopefully this pans out better but it looks right now like the front office Bungled this badly.

Gio is the best blocking back in football not to mention a playmaker out of the backfield when receiving. So...we cut him in favor of backs unproven in blocking.

Feels like the Bengals are kind of dick-moving their long time loyal players by waiting so long into FA to release them. They clearly knew they were going to release Atkins and Bernard. They didn't release them to make cap space in order to sign someone else, because they have tons of unused cap space. I have no problem that they released him, it hurts to see a good guy like Gio go, but the writing was on the wall. I just think that they should have done right by him and given him the best chance for him to sign with a good team for good money. Owe him that much, at least.

So it just kind of seems like dick moves.

Hopefully they all land somewhere where they can be successful and get some Ws.

Its all fun n' games until we take a RB in the 2nd round over OLine or a DE who has slipped....to replace Gio.

"We never thought we'd see Travis Etienne there at 38. We had to take him."

Once again its the right move at the wrong time. Why does this team keep waiting to make these cuts? We don't have any big time extensions looming. Hubbard won't cost an arm and a leg. We could've used the extra money from Geno and Gio to go harder after a guy like Golladay or an interior o-lineman.

(04-07-2021, 01:36 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Burrow's rookie contract won't end until after 2024 if they use the 5th year option.
The Bengals could extend Bates for 3 years, thereby having his contract end the same time as Burrow.
Then you can keep Burrow and move on from Bates if you need that money.
No need to move on from Bates after this year for something that is 4 years away.

I cannot imagine the Bengals paying Bates his worth at least his worth according to PFF stats.  Bates is one of the top safeties in the NFL, meaning somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 mil per.  No way Bengals pay that.  Maybe 10-11 mil.  Maybe.  

I can see it now, Bengals take Chase at 5 and Grant at 39.  If Grant is there, it is a real possibility.  

(04-07-2021, 11:15 AM)psychdoctor Wrote: Here is something to think about...
Tom Brady is willing to work out new contract changes for the better of the team. Good teams have players that alter the original contract to sign other players.

Gio was a pro's pro. But many here thought it was a bad contract for his role. If I remember correctly, he signed around the time Hart was signed to the moaning of some fans.

No Way Mixon alter's his contract.

Tom Brady has made way more money and is married to someone who has made even more.

(04-07-2021, 01:59 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Once again its the right move at the wrong time. Why does this team keep waiting to make these cuts? We don't have any big time extensions looming. Hubbard won't cost an arm and a leg. We could've used the extra money from Geno and Gio to go harder after a guy like Golladay or an interior o-lineman.

Bengals will not pay interior OL high figures.  Think more like Turner.   

(04-07-2021, 02:06 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Tom Brady has made way more money and is married to someone who has made even more.

Tom Brady also doesn't massively underperform, relative to his contracts.

Gio should've taken the cut, because he's not getting that much...anywhere.

Tbh, it's possible he just wanted out.

(04-07-2021, 02:08 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: Bengals will not pay interior OL high figures.  Think more like Turner.   

Sad but true. We actually pursued Golladay though.

(04-07-2021, 02:06 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Tom Brady has made way more money and is married to someone who has made even more.

Tom Brady isn't really worried about his NFL contracts at this point. He has made probably 3x as much off endorsements.

Good luck Gio! Thanks for the memories! You and your 'stash are a class act! Hope you find work soon.

I noticed for some time a lot of people were saying Bernard is overpaid and would be a logical cut for cap space.  A lot of that was before free agency started.  Now that the meat and potatoes of free agency is pretty much over I hope the Bengals have some sort of plan for the newly acquired cap saving. Maybe extending another player?

Anyway I always liked Bernard. I even grew a mustache like his last season after I saw him with it.  Mine didn't look as epic but I had fun with it.  I wish him the best and hope he can continue his career with a great team.  

(04-07-2021, 02:06 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I cannot imagine the Bengals paying Bates his worth at least his worth according to PFF stats.  Bates is one of the top safeties in the NFL, meaning somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 mil per.  No way Bengals pay that.  Maybe 10-11 mil.  Maybe.  

I can see it now, Bengals take Chase at 5 and Grant at 39.  If Grant is there, it is a real possibility.  

Good luck getting fans to buy in if you take a safety before taking OL.

(04-07-2021, 02:12 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Sad but true. We actually pursued Golladay though.

You forgot the quotes around pursued.