A couple pages highlighting the impending free agents:

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2023-free-agent-rankings-free-agency

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/

I'm not a cap guy, so any speculative wants I offer aren't rooted in the realities of the budget.

If we let certain FAs leave, then do we have money to spend on other players?

The top OL are McGlinchey, Brown Jr., McGary, Powers, and Seumalo. I think the Bengals should always be checking out the OL options.

Gesicki at TE is a fantasy-gm'ing move that interests me.

I would reach out and see if David Onyemata was interesting in ring chasing. That a new submarket of Free Agency the Bengals never had access too before Ring Chasers.

(01-31-2023, 10:14 AM)Synric Wrote: I would reach out and see if David Onyemata was interesting in ring chasing. That a new submarket of Free Agency the Bengals never had access too before Ring Chasers.

This concept always feels more like an NBA thing to me. I'm with you though, use it to the organization's advantage if it can work.

I'd imagine the bengals try to keep their own guys,

They spent a lot on the offensive line last year, so I think they draft a tackle in the draft

Patrick Peterson and Justin Houston might be good budget pickups.

(01-31-2023, 10:15 AM)Anarumo_Savant Wrote: I'd imagine the bengals try to keep their own guys,

They spent a lot on the offensive line last year, so I think they draft a tackle in the draft

Patrick Peterson and Justin Houston might be good budget pickups.

I tend to agree, but it takes two to work out a deal. I wouldn't be shocked if Bates, Pratt, or other players getting better financial deals/years elsewhere and bolt.

All I know is they desperately need to shore up the Oline.

I mean I have my doubts about Williams at LT? And though Carman has finally started being decent I'm not filled with confidence about him.

Collins is another giant question mark IMHO. Can he recover from knee and the back issues? Again, I'm not real confident he's the answer at RT? And we have to get better depth than Adeniji and Co.

In summary I feel they have to roll the dice on at least one FA Olineman. And a good one, not just a filler type. You can't count on a 3rd round rookie to get it done.

Yannick Ngakoue, Orlando Brown Jr. please.

(01-31-2023, 12:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yannick Ngakoue, Orlando Brown Jr. please.

Brown is an interesting FA. The Chiefs do not have a lot of money unless the cut and restructure guys. I am nor sure that we can afford him either, he is going to be paid big bucks. My guess is the Chiefs figure out a way to keep him.

Big nooooo to McGlinchey. He’s responsible for more qb injuries than any d lineman.

George Fant is a very realistic FA the Bengals could pursue if they wanted a starting OT who won't break the bank.
Fant has played both OT positions.
He has played in Pollack's scheme.

There are a few solid Guards too, but the Bengals probably wouldn't be looking at them since they'd only need/want a depth guy.

I'd totally be down for something like Fant in FA and an IOL drafted in Rd 3/4.

So many WRs who will cost less than $5 mill and can be WR4.

Outside of OL and maybe a WR4, I don't really think the Bengals need much in FA unless they have Bell, Pratt, and/or Hurst leave.

I'm going to keep an eye out for the cut players(potential).

Robert Woods WR Titans, Hunter Henry TE Patriots, and Tyron Smith T Cowboys.

I think the Bengals need to try to keep their own players first. It sucks because pretty much no moves will be made without Burrow, Higgins, and Wilson extensions. But I think you definitely need to keep guys like Hurst, Bell, and Perine. And I'd even try to keep Bates and Pratt for the right prices.

I'd definitely be calling JJ Watt to see if he wants to run it back another year or two for a contender. He'd be a massive get for DL depth (can play both positions) and a leader in the locker room. The bonus is that he gets to play against his brothers twice a year.

For me I hope they do this:

Re-sign:

1) Vonn Bell
2) Eli Apple
3) Hayden Hurst
4) Tre Flowers
5) Michael Thomas
6) Sameji Perine
7) Treveyon Williams


Outside Free Agents: ( no starters but good depth rotation guys)

1) Justin Houston (DE)- 1 yr deal should be able to get us a situational pass rusher

2) George Fant (OG/OT) - fills a nice swing guy with experience on the line.

--- I think by resigning our own and adding a few depth guys through FA we can approach the draft to focus on areas of depth and wait for it.. acquire comp picks in 2024 from (Pratt, Bates) to further replenish the roster in the future.

This will be a more controversial name but a guy like Leighton Vander Esch. Neck/shoulder injuries are a very huge concern for a linebacker but damn when LVE is on the field is he really good. Cheap option to just help fill out the LB room a little before heading into the draft.

(01-31-2023, 05:25 PM)CottonHill Wrote: Big nooooo to McGlinchey. He’s responsible for more qb injuries than any d lineman.

He's far more agile than Collins, and would be a great fit in the scheme we run. Also a really good run blocker. Not as good in pass protection, but he is still very solid in that area, and MUCH better than Adeniji. He gave up 6 sacks (reg + post), as opposed to 9 between Collins and Adeniji combined (also reg + post).
And BTW, it was Tyler Kroft (yes, the backup TE who used to play for us) who gave up the sack that injured Purdy, not McGlinchey.

(02-02-2023, 12:50 AM)BuildTheWall Wrote: He's far more agile than Collins, and would be a great fit in the scheme we run. Also a really good run blocker. Not as good in pass protection, but he is still very solid in that area, and MUCH better than Adeniji. He gave up 6 sacks (reg + post), as opposed to 9 between Collins and Adeniji combined (also reg + post).
And BTW, it was Tyler Kroft (yes, the backup TE who used to play for us) who gave up the sack that injured Purdy, not McGlinchey.

He’s agile but he can’t anchor. He may not give up sacks in bunches but he is driven into the qbs lap all the time. I understand Collins struggled this year and Adenihi should never have to play an extended amount, but we can do better than McGlinch. I feel like he will get overpaid due to pedigree but go check on some Niner forums, they can’t stand the guy.

(02-02-2023, 01:18 AM)CottonHill Wrote: He’s agile but he can’t anchor. He may not give up sacks in bunches but he is driven into the qbs lap all the time. I understand Collins struggled this year and Adenihi should never have to play an extended amount, but we can do better than McGlinch. I feel like he will get overpaid due to pedigree but go check on some Niner forums, they can’t stand the guy.

Supposedly, we were really high on him when he got drafted and that could be a reason we bring him in.

(02-01-2023, 12:53 PM)CincyWestside Wrote: I think the Bengals need to try to keep their own players first. It sucks because pretty much no moves will be made without Burrow, Higgins, and Wilson extensions. But I think you definitely need to keep guys like Hurst, Bell, and Perine. And I'd even try to keep Bates and Pratt for the right prices.

I'd definitely be calling JJ Watt to see if he wants to run it back another year or two for a contender. He'd be a massive get for DL depth (can play both positions) and a leader in the locker room. The bonus is that he gets to play against his brothers twice a year.

Watt is done.  Give it up.  He's back in Houston where he wants to be, being a Daddy and a Hubby.

i'd be tempted to go hard after McGlinchey. Loved him at Notre Dame and was disappointed that we didn't get him in the draft. I have followed him a little bit and I think he has improved each year. Unfortunately, I'd probably take him over Jonah or La'el. The could cut Collins and save 7 million I think, so that might free up some money for McGlinchey. I'd like to have him, but we can't pay too much for him.

The George Fant idea was a really good one. That would be a great get. We just can't afford to let Adeniji play long term again. I, like all of us, would love to see Jackson Carman earn and keep one of the OT spots. I sincerely think that he can based on the small sample size that we have seen. He looks like a different person at T vs G.

If we don't get McGlinchey, try to talk to the Saints about a trade for Ramczyk post-June 1. They are in quite the bind cap-wise, and while trading him before June would carry a large dead cap number, a post-June 1 trade saves them $14M (which they'll need to pay their draft class and use towards emergency cap space for injuries). First and a third (what Orlando Brown got) for a proven tackle?