(07-16-2022, 08:15 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Said at the end of the season that there was only two choices, pay Bates or release him.

Everybody understands there will not be enough money available to sign him next year, so don't get making him mad and using the tag. He already mailed it in last regular season and may again if disgruntled. For the record I would much rather he mailed it in during league play and balled out in playoffs like he did though and still like the kid.

I don't hate Bates at all even, in this league you have to get your money while you can and this will probably be his biggest contract of his career, I get it.

On the Bengals side though the tag was only smart if you knew Bates would happily play on the tag.  Yet if there was a question at all about him playing or having his heart 100% into the team while doing so ? Then it was time to move along and use that $13 million on a FA that would help out Bengals more so during a win now season.

Now Bates is in a tough spot as well, being a more athletic safety has been signed. If he plays on tag and gets out played by a rookie then his value drops like a lead zeppelin before negotiations even begin on his contract.   It's a mess that should have been avoided imo, Bates earned his payday in the playoffs and we should have let him cash in since we were monetarily hamstrung with Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Wilson contracts looming.  

It's sad because I want both sides to win in this deal.

Nice post. 


The league in general is starting to give more guaranteed money in contracts that the Bengals don’t like doing. They will need to adjust that to keep,up,with the ever changing times in the NFL to get things done. 

Bates and his agent have to meet the Bengals somewhere in the middle. Pat of me thinks the agent is saying “Look what I did with the Watson deal, let’s get something  similarly done for you in the safety position. 

So I think both sides need to realize it’s not their way or the highway. 

Also was the Bengals thinking all along we need money for Joe and Chase so,let’s tag him to get one more good year out of Bates with a contract they knew would never get signed?

Nothing but speculating when you don’t know the d\yna ics of the negotiations. 

(07-17-2022, 10:08 AM)GodFather Wrote: Nice post. 


The league in general is starting to give more guaranteed money in contracts that the Bengals don’t like doing. They will need to adjust that to keep,up,with the ever changing times in the NFL to get things done. 

Bates and his agent have to meet the Bengals somewhere in the middle. Pat of me thinks the agent is saying “Look what I did with the Watson deal, let’s get something  similarly done for you in the safety position. 

So I think both sides need to realize it’s not their way or the highway. 

Also was the Bengals thinking all along we need money for Joe and Chase so,let’s tag him to get one more good year out of Bates with a contract they knew would never get signed?

Nothing but speculating when you don’t know the d\yna ics of the negotiations. 

Agree with all but especially this statement

(07-16-2022, 08:15 PM)Go Cards Wrote: On the Bengals side though the tag was only smart if you knew Bates would happily play on the tag. 

No player in the history of the NFL has "happily" played on the tag.

But 99% of them play the regular season and do their best to look good so that they can get a better deal next offseason.

Just so everyone knows…it’s not Bates job to come back to please us or his teammates. He’s supposed to get the best deal he can get to secure himself and all the other stuff is second.

If he doesn’t play on the tag and is willing to sit out then so be it. It would take balls to do that

Bates will play... perhaps he sits out until the 10th week which is the absolute latest but he will play.

If he sat he'd be giving up on 13$ million just to sit out a year and hope a team pays him big time on this next contract. Or play get the $13 million and still get paid on your next contract not with the Bengals.

Levion Bell admitted he screwed up

(07-17-2022, 11:58 AM)Housh Wrote: Just so everyone knows…it’s not Bates job to come back to please us or his teammates. He’s supposed to get the best deal he can get to secure himself and all the other stuff is second.

This is a good point.  This is not like sitting out while still under contract and refusing to do what he agreed to do.  This is just a guy who does not have a contract and is trying to get a better one.  

But pretty much every player realizes that it is hard to make up for giving up a season in the primes of their career for zero pay.  If Bates sits out this year he might get a massive contract next year.  But not $13 million more.  IN the long run he will come out behind by giving up a full season for no pay.

Their is this thing called insurance Bates should take out a policy if he is that concerned. This team could win a SB without him. unless we pull the tag. I'm not convinced he could get more on the open market going into next year on our last contract offer if he sits out the .season. Giving Bell that contract last time got Jets GM fired.

(07-17-2022, 11:41 AM)fredtoast Wrote: No player in the history of the NFL has "happily" played on the tag.

But 99% of them play the regular season and do their best to look good so that they can get a better deal next offseason.

Maybe Kirk cousins

It would be a savvy move by the front office if he holds out all of training camp and we just cut him 2 days before start of season lets see if he would get more guaranteed money than we offered call his agents bluff so to speak.

(07-17-2022, 11:41 AM)fredtoast Wrote: No player in the history of the NFL has "happily" played on the tag.

But 99% of them play the regular season and do their best to look good so that they can get a better deal next offseason.

Kirk cousins was way overpaid playing this game


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(07-17-2022, 11:58 AM)Housh Wrote: Just so everyone knows…it’s not Bates job to come back to please us or his teammates. He’s supposed to get the best deal he can get to secure himself and all the other stuff is second.

If he doesn’t play on the tag and is willing to sit out then so be it. It would take balls to do that

Absolutely, this is his big payday. Doubt he will ever get a better contract than this next one. Plus any single play could be his last. 

He earned it in the playoffs and deserves his money.  

(07-17-2022, 11:41 AM)fredtoast Wrote: No player in the history of the NFL has "happily" played on the tag.

But 99% of them play the regular season and do their best to look good so that they can get a better deal next offseason.

We shall soon see,  hoping you're 100% correct about this outcome and I'm proved the fool. 

Will quit concerning myself though, because in no way does the 1% comes in and beat the 99%. 

 Bates is all in !

(07-15-2022, 03:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This is all just posturing. Lots of players say the same thing, but they all end up playing. Bates might sit out training camp, but he will play in the regular season.

And as much as I like Dax Hill, we have no guarantee he will be any good.  At least not in his rookie season.  We are a legit Super Bowl contender this year.  We can't take that for granted. We need Jessie back there this year.  Even if we could work out a sign-and-trade there is no way I would do it for draft picks.  We need players NOW.

Yep. Few actually do like Bell.

I think they lose a credit for a year of service if they do.

The Bengals can't extend him at this point anyways. I'd imagine he's mad at the team.

(07-17-2022, 01:03 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: Their is this thing called insurance Bates should take out a policy if he is that concerned. This team could win a SB without him. unless we pull the tag. I'm not convinced he could get more on the open market going into next year on our last contract offer if he sits out the .season. Giving Bell that contract last time got Jets GM fired.

Some team with space would give him more guaranteed I think.

(07-17-2022, 03:18 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: It would be a savvy move by the front office if he holds out all of training camp and we just cut him 2 days before start of season lets see if he would get more guaranteed money than we offered call his agents bluff so to speak.

Bates has friends in the locker room. You do that, you drive a wedge between team and players.

(07-17-2022, 08:08 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Absolutely, this is his big payday. Doubt he will ever get a better contract than this next one. Plus any single play could be his last. 

He earned it in the playoffs and deserves his money.  

Could have banked 13 mil this year and gotten a bigger pay day next offseason after a playing well the WHOLE season lol.. 

Now  who knows

Yeah I wouldn't show up to work for 13 million either lol. Boohoo its just not enough for my 3rd Bentley and my vacation home in the Keys.

Anyway, I cant see Bates not showing up at all, but he might hold out until the last minute. I dont like it though, not blaming it all on him, just think its very obvious he's no longer in the long term plans of the team and its time to let go and move forward on both sides. If I were Mike Brown I would release him now. Its best for both sides, imo. Why have a disgruntled player on the team, in the locker room every day? Bates didnt do well last year because money was in his mind. Not a good sign, imo.

I sure hope this doesn’t poison the locker room with players having their convictions about either side of the argument w regard to Bates “doing what’s best for him”.

(07-18-2022, 09:26 AM)bengaloo Wrote: Yeah I wouldn't show up to work for 13 million either lol. Boohoo its just not enough for my 3rd Bentley and my vacation home in the Keys.

Anyway, I cant see Bates not showing up at all, but he might hold out until the last minute. I dont like it though, not blaming it all on him, just think its very obvious he's no longer in the long term plans of the team and its time to let go and move forward on both sides. If I were Mike Brown I would release him now. Its best for both sides, imo. Why have a disgruntled player on the team, in the locker room every day? Bates didnt do well last year because money was in his mind. Not a good sign, imo.

If I’m worth 17 million per I’m not showing up to work for 13 million.


If my current job slashes my salary by 40% I’m not coming in….period. Just cause it’s large amounts doesn’t mean the guys shouldn’t get laid their worth. If top 5 FS pay is 16 million per in 2022 then Jesse shouldn’t play until he’s making that. Same as Burrow in 2025 or whenever his contract is up. If top QB pay is worth 60 million at that point then he shouldn’t play until it’s given. Easy

(07-17-2022, 04:51 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: Kirk cousins was way overpaid playing this game


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No he isn't. He's arguably a top 10 QB in the league making less than Ryan Tannnehill, Jared Goff, and Carson Wentz.