The reality is as of now unless we extend Bates or Hubbard (other teams also have these types of players to extend), we have the 4th most cap money left only behind the Jags, Denver and Jets. Why? Teams around the same 20 million as us, have a 1st round pick not under contract.

So Browns, Chargers and Pats have closer t0 14 to 15 million left.

Other teams have extended players and saved cap space in 2021 as well, so extending a guy for 14 million a year for example does not mean we have a 14 million cap hit for 2021, it can be structured to hit much higher in 2022 and beyond. This factor is ignored by many fans and it is a keyt especially because we have a ton of money in 2022, unlike other teams and we have a lot of key guys already signed thru 2022.

Other teams are in very bad shape still with the cap and will need to dump salaries so Bengals are in a prime position to add good NFL starters for team friendly one year deals or make trades as well with team only trading players due to cap issues like the Eagles.

Are we done in FA or with trades or do you see us making more move(s) prior to 1st game?

(06-14-2021, 10:16 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The reality is as of now unless we extend Bates or Hubbard (other teams also have these types of players to extend), we have the 4th most cap money left only behind the Jags, Denver and Jets. Why? Teams around the same 20 million as us, have a 1st round pick not under contract.

So Browns, Chargers and Pats have closer t0 14 to 15 million left.

Other teams are in very bad shape still with the cap and will need to dump salaries so Bengals are in a prime position to add good NFL starters for team friendly one year deals or make trades as well with team only trading players due to cap issues like the Eagles.

Are we done in FA or with trades or do you see us making more move(s) prior to 1st game?

I understand there is something of a 4 year cycle with cap money averages and we're back on year 1 of said cycle, so if we spend less now we can spend more in the future. That said, I agree, we should either extend Bates or pick up another FA (though I suppose the best potential signings are all gone at this point). 

(06-14-2021, 10:19 AM)BoomerFan Wrote: I understand there is something of a 4 year cycle with cap money averages and we're back on year 1 of said cycle, so if we spend less now we can spend more in the future. That said, I agree, we should either extend Bates or pick up another FA (though I suppose the best potential signings are all gone at this point). 

I think we will be surprised by the quality players getting cut at the deadline prior to the start of the year. NFL starters who were due a lot of money may get cut.

As far as 4 year cycle, that is separate from yearly cap. Yearly cap is a set number and team can't exceed it in any given year. Cash spend is an average over 4 years and they have to spend a certain % of the overall cap. I could be wrong, but Bengals roll over 100% of extra cap each year so they are spending beyond the minimum 4 year cap spend so they should be in great shape. You can spend any amount of money each year (bonuses may be paid now and then for cap purposes spread over of of contract). So team can give a 10 million dollar bonus as part of 5 year contract, pay all 10 million in now (cash spend), but then allocate only 2 million in 2021 and the other 8 million over the last 4 years of the contract to lessen the cap hit.

(06-14-2021, 10:22 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I think we will be surprised by the quality players getting cut at the deadline prior to the start of the year. NFL starters who were due a lot of money may get cut.

There are definitely going to be some good players getting cut that an opportunistic team could get for pennies on the dollar. Nfl quality starters who just make too much to justify.

The bengals just aren’t that forward thinking or aggressive.

So don’t count on it.

(06-14-2021, 10:26 AM)HHRain Wrote: There are definitely going to be some good players getting cut that an opportunistic team could get for pennies on the dollar.   Nfl quality starters who just make too much to justify.  

The bengals just aren’t that forward thinking or aggressive.  

So don’t count on it.

You may be correct. But I think if the right guy is available for the right price, Bengals have put themselves in a position to add the player(s) while other teams have not. So, less competition may equal below market value.

(06-14-2021, 10:34 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: You may be correct. But I think if the right guy is available for the right price, Bengals have put themselves in a position to add the player(s) while other teams have not. So, less competition may equal below market value.

Jekeem Grant would be someone I’d be very intrigued by

Miami will prob cut him.

He’d be the perfect wr4 and returner for us.

(06-14-2021, 10:16 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The reality is as of now unless we extend Bates or Hubbard (other teams also have these types of players to extend), we have the 4th most cap money left only behind the Jags, Denver and Jets. Why? Teams around the same 20 million as us, have a 1st round pick not under contract.

So Browns, Chargers and Pats have closer t0 14 to 15 million left.

Other teams have extended players and saved cap space in 2021 as well, so extending a guy for 14 million a year for example does not mean we have a 14 million cap hit for 2021, it can be structured to hit much higher in 2022 and beyond. This factor is ignored by many fans and it is a keyt especially because we have a ton of money in 2022, unlike other teams and we have a lot of key guys already signed thru 2022.

Other teams are in very bad shape still with the cap and will need to dump salaries so Bengals are in a prime position to add good NFL starters for team friendly one year deals or make trades as well with team only trading players due to cap issues like the Eagles.

Are we done in FA or with trades or do you see us making more move(s) prior to 1st game?

we have a lot of big $$$ positions on rookie contracts.. LT, QB, WR,WR, 

Im for finding upgrades but not for Spending the Cash just to spend it if it doesnt really help us...

(06-14-2021, 10:44 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: we have a lot of big $$$ positions on rookie contracts.. LT, QB, WR,WR, 

Im for finding upgrades but not for Spending the Cash just to spend it if it doesnt really help us...

Rookie deals for Burrow, we have 4 years left (3 under contract + 5th year option). I think the plan of be conservative and not surround Burrow and the studs we have now without the ammo to WIN NOW is why we would not win now if we sit on our hands. We have the money to fill in the holes and attempt to win now, I am no fan of waiting and losing again in 2021.

Losing becomes a habit, players become disgruntled. The winning mentality needs to begin in 2021, not 2022 or beyond. That is my 2 cents for what it is worth.

Would not shock me if they're taking the same approach they did with the "Andy and AJ fund".  They'll start stockpiling rollover these next couple of years all in the name of a new contract for Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins.

Keep in mind, even if were to offer a new deal to Bates and/or Hubbard they'll still be playing on their rookie (base) salary for 2021.  We may elect to front load a portion of the signing bonus but I wouldn't look for it to be such a large amount that it eats up a lot of this space.  (Ex:  We only frontloaded Joe Mixon's deal with about 2 million even though we had plenty of space to frontload it more.)

As far as signing some players who get cut, I wouldn't look for those to be high dollar.  Most of those guys are either going to sign cheap 1 year prove-it deals and if they are any that get bigger amounts I wouldn't look for us to pursue them nor would I look for them to want to come here.

I could be wrong, but I'd look for the Bengals to go into the year with 15-20 million in space.  I also wouldn't be surpised if they choose to carry over only about 75% of it (10-15 mil).  But I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I hope the Bengals are looking into a established
Lber cause if any.of our starting LBers land on the IR
That will.not be good.

(06-14-2021, 11:57 AM)impactplaya Wrote: I hope the Bengals are looking into a established
Lber cause if any.of our starting LBers land on the IR
That will.not be good.

I mean impact they can sign a LB off the scrap heap like they normal do during the season.

I mean look at last season and pretty much our entire defense probably doesn't start for an NFL Europe team.  

The Bengals have never been known as being "Proactive".  They're known as reactive.  Only solve a problem if one appears. 

Well as you said if 1 LB goes down we'll be praying we can find one that's decent.  

Same thing with WR.  If we go to camp with what we currently have an any of the big 3 go down or hell 2 of the big 3 go down to injury you might as well call it a season, because I don't trust anyone at WR behind Higgins, Boyd and Chase. 

(06-14-2021, 05:40 PM)TJ528 Wrote: I mean impact they can sign a LB off the scrap heap like they normal do during the season.

I mean look at last season and pretty much our entire defense probably doesn't start for an NFL Europe team.  

The Bengals have never been known as being "Proactive".  They're known as reactive.  Only solve a problem if one appears. 

Well as you said if 1 LB goes down we'll be praying we can find one that's decent.  

Same thing with WR.  If we go to camp with what we currently have an any of the big 3 go down or hell 2 of the big 3 go down to injury you might as well call it a season, because I don't trust anyone at WR behind Higgins, Boyd and Chase. 

I can't think of one team if their #1 and #2 WR go down that would not be in deep trouble. In many cases, if their top guy went down like Adams of GB, Hopkins of Arizona, Thomas of Saints and many other teams. I think it unrealistic to be able to pay a # 4 or #5 WR like a number 1 with the today's cap and fill the rest of the roster with quality NFL players.

(06-15-2021, 10:04 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I can't think of one team if their #1 and #2 WR go down that would not be in deep trouble. In many cases, if their top guy went down like Adams of GB, Hopkins of Arizona, Thomas of Saints and many other teams. I think it unrealistic to be able to pay a # 4 or #5 WR like a number 1 with the today's cap and fill the rest of the roster with quality NFL players.

Do you disagree this team needs a #4, 5, and 6 WR?   Would it hurt a team who has $20M left over to go out and spend a little and bring in another quality receiver?  I don't think so but I guess that's how this family makes their money.  

(06-15-2021, 11:02 AM)TJ528 Wrote: Do you disagree this team needs a #4, 5, and 6 WR?   Would it hurt a team who has $20M left over to go out and spend a little and bring in another quality receiver?  I don't think so but I guess that's how this family makes their money.  

They already have a 4, 5 and 6th receiver.

(06-15-2021, 11:02 AM)TJ528 Wrote: Do you disagree this team needs a #4, 5, and 6 WR?   Would it hurt a team who has $20M left over to go out and spend a little and bring in another quality receiver?  I don't think so but I guess that's how this family makes their money.  

In light of Adeniji going down for the season, I'd say that swing Tackle now takes precedence.  Sure, we have other Tackles on the roster, but I don't trust Fred Johnson or Dante Smith getting thrust into a starting role, whenever Jonah Williams' next injury happens.

(06-15-2021, 05:37 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: In light of Adeniji going down for the season, I'd say that swing Tackle now takes precedence.  Sure, we have other Tackles on the roster, but I don't trust Fred Johnson or Dante Smith getting thrust into a starting role, whenever Jonah Williams' next injury happens.

Most the guys out there right now, that you'd want, aren't signing on to be swing tackles. There WILL be starters going down during camp, so those guys are going to wait for demand to go back up as injuries start occurring. Guys willing to sign on as swing tackles right now are probably pretty comparable to Johnson.

(06-15-2021, 05:37 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: In light of Adeniji going down for the season, I'd say that swing Tackle now takes precedence.  Sure, we have other Tackles on the roster, but I don't trust Fred Johnson or Dante Smith getting thrust into a starting role, whenever Jonah Williams' next injury happens.

That's what I'm afraid of.