This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

Which is why I felt it's not good to gamble on some positions developing like LG.
The next couple years are your true window.
Take advantage of it, like the Rams did.

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

Why they didn't lock up Jonah Williams this off-season is beyond me. I thought he would have been the perfect buy low candidate. 

Thats why we've all been pointing to this two year window of opportunity.

When this day does come though

Burrow
Logan
Jonah
Hendrickson

are my top priorities

(08-16-2022, 02:45 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Thats why we've all been pointing to this two year window of opportunity.

When this day does come though

Burrow
Logan
Jonah
Hendrickson

are my top priorities

Hendrickson will be 29 when his contract in Cincy ends.
Not sure if Bengals will offer enough money he will be seeking given his age/tread.
If Ossai comes along over the next couple years though, it might be less of a worry if Hendrickson does depart in 2024.

(08-16-2022, 02:37 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Why they didn't lock up Jonah Williams this off-season is beyond me. I thought he would have been the perfect buy low candidate. 

Bengals like to get their guys locked up the year before final year, so I'd expect him to get extended next offseason, with Burrow (whom I think they'll make an exception for) and Higgins.

My top 3
Burrow
Wilson
Hendrickson, after that will depend on play and $$

(08-16-2022, 02:57 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Hendrickson will be 29 when his contract in Cincy ends.
Not sure if Bengals will offer enough money he will be seeking given his age/tread.
If Ossai comes along over the next couple years though, it might be less of a worry if Hendrickson does depart in 2024.

True and I have definitely not given up on Ossai and expect big things out of him.

We’re going to lose half that list, perhaps even more because Chase is up the year after.

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

im now officially depressed ....I knew we should have got Amazon to sponser that stadium!

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

That's just the NFL. 

Hendrickson, Reader, and Boyd will all be heading into their age 30 seasons, Awuzie will be heading into his age 29 season, and Mixon will be heading into his age 28 season (which is much higher for running backs).

Contracts don't last long for most players (even a lot of the 5 year deals you hear about are often really 3 year deals) and players primes go by quickly.

It's why the two year window has been talked about by me and some others on here. It's also why it's kind of absurd that the Bengals have $14m in cap space plus $13m dedicated to a player who doesn't want to be here while Carman is a starting OL, Apple is a starting CB, and there's no NFL caliber WRs after the top 3. They could have easily solved all 3 of those problems with that $27m and made the most of this 2 year window.

Half these guys will re up this offseason..

(08-16-2022, 08:48 PM)Tony Wrote: Half these guys will re up this offseason..

You're looking at some big money and not enough cap space. A lot of these players are going to want to test the market, especially if we win it all.

(08-16-2022, 08:50 PM)AlphaBengal Wrote: You're looking at some big money and not enough cap space. A lot of these players are going to want to test the market, especially if we win it all.

The rams and Bucs do it.. Cap is going up Homie..

This seems like one of those good problems. A few years ago we didn’t have many players we even cared about losing.

(08-16-2022, 09:00 PM)Tony Wrote: The rams and Bucs do it.. Cap is going up Homie..

There's one major difference you're overlooking. Rams and Bucs don't have 45 million dollar QB's on the payroll which is what we're going to have at minimum with Burrow. There's a reason KC dumped Tyreek, they couldn't pay him. Already have big money locked into Mahomes/Kelce/Chris Jones. We're going to have that money locked into Burrow and Chase + pick one more.

Edit: Oh and the cap. The cap going up does nothing for the other guys. It just means you're paying your top end talent more. That's why each year we keep seeing new records of AAV every year. Top end guys aren't taking the same amount of money when the cap rises. They get even more.

(08-16-2022, 09:12 PM)AlphaBengal Wrote: There's one major difference you're overlooking. Rams and Bucs don't have 45 million dollar QB's on the payroll which is what we're going to have at minimum with Burrow. There's a reason KC dumped Tyreek, they couldn't pay him. Already have big money locked into Mahomes/Kelce/Chris Jones. We're going to have that money locked into Burrow and Chase + pick one more.

Edit: Oh and the cap. The cap going up does nothing for the other guys. It just means you're paying your top end talent more. That's why each year we keep seeing new records of AAV every year. Top end guys aren't taking the same amount of money when the cap rises. They get even more.

Rams had $44.7m of cap space going towards Stafford and Goff in 2021. Stafford averages $40m/yr on his deal, they just pushed a lot of it back, $49.5m cap hit in 2023.

There is a lot of variables that are going to go into the future of the franchise.

1.) How much does Burrow sign for?

2.) Are the Bengals going to continue being proactive in trading and free agency?

3.) How well do the Bengals draft in coming years and well will the 2021 and 2022 drafts look like in 2024?

I hate to say it, but I think Tee is a goner. No way someone doesn't pay him to be WR1. If Chase's rookie year is any indication, he's got all time great potential. You can't pay two guys like that plus Burrow and field a complete roster.

I don't think Mixon is long for Cincy, either.

The team has shown it can build, but it will now have to show it can re-stock the cupboard. I see them getting another WR or RB early next year to minimize the drop-off.

On a positive note, I think they can actually do it. They might suck at drafting OL, but they've been great at finding potent skill players. That's not something that should be taken for granted.

If they become a perennial winner with a true top 5 franchise qb, they will have to do what teams like that do and use the stud qb to steady the roster in times of major turnoff.

It is the way that you win in this league. Stacked rosters are great to have, but they are tough to maintain when paying a great qb. Truth is, though, without the bona fide franchise qb, you aren't going far anyway. There's nothing more important, and you have to prioritize it over all other aspects of the roster.

(08-16-2022, 02:57 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Hendrickson will be 29 when his contract in Cincy ends.
Not sure if Bengals will offer enough money he will be seeking given his age/tread.
If Ossai comes along over the next couple years though, it might be less of a worry if Hendrickson does depart in 2024.

Lesson from Carlos and Geno... Do not offer the 3rd contract unless they are a generational player. Ossai has nothing to do with it. Trey Hendrickson isn't THAT guy. We're getting his best years right now.

Also... F it. Let's enjoy the ride and not worry about 2 years from now.