(09-12-2023, 07:27 PM)QueenCity Wrote: I'd let him walk... if Burrow is who we think he is we can get similar production from a vet free agent. Or draft one in the 1st or 2nd round with the Bengals track record on WR I like our chances

If you let him walk for nothing then the Bengals are missing an opportunity to improve the team in the future.  Tee is going to get you a lot in return if you trade him.

(09-13-2023, 01:34 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Trading Tee for a late 1 is like trading for Dax hill or Myles Murphy. No thank you. They need to find a way to pay Tee. Probably shouldn’t have given Wilson and Pratt deals. Cut Mixon, cut Boyd. Burrow Chase and Higgins are the offense. Everyone else is just an added piece

 Hill is actually a good player and Murphy has a bunch of Talent. If we got a player like that in return for Tee it would be an excellent move.

Wilson and Pratt have been key contributors for this team as well as Tee. Losing those guys would have been just as tough.

We're not going to be able to afford both Chase and Tee. Getting an early draft pick in return for Tee gives us a better chance at finding his replacement or can improve the roster in other spots.

Anyone saying to let Tee walk, for nothing, is just plain silly.

AJ Brown had one year left on his desk and returned a 1 and 3. Him being tagged in the off-season doesn’t mean he is absolutely on a one year contract as the team trading for him could sign him immediately to an extension.

My preference would be to sign him to a 3 year extension with this window. If we can’t, we tag him and trade him to a team that is (seemingly) one player away, or want to get a young QB a stud receiver. I can’t predict the future, but maybe teams like:

Giants, patriots, Texans, colts, panthers, chiefs (doubtful), broncos, and I might be missing a few.

Minimum a first round pick in the top half of round one, or a one and a three. 25 year old receivers in their prime do not grow on trees. Look what diggs and brown (AJ) did for their respective teams.

(09-15-2023, 10:54 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Anyone saying to let Tee walk, for nothing, is just plain silly.  

AJ Brown had one year left on his desk and returned a 1 and 3. Him being tagged in the off-season doesn’t mean he is absolutely on a one year contract as the team trading for him could sign him immediately to an extension.  

My preference would be to sign him to a 3 year extension with this window.  If we can’t, we tag him and trade him to a team that is (seemingly) one player away, or want to get a young QB a stud receiver.  I can’t predict the future, but maybe teams like:

Giants, patriots, Texans, colts, panthers, chiefs (doubtful), broncos, and I might be missing a few.

Minimum a first round pick in the top half of round one, or a one and a three.  25 year old receivers in their prime do not grow on trees.  Look what diggs and brown (AJ) did for their respective teams.

Post of year!

If this season continues to go south... count me in on trading Tee ASAP for a 1st rounder.

Would be a big way to reload for next season.

(09-17-2023, 11:29 PM)QueenCity Wrote: If this season continues to go south... count me in on trading Tee ASAP for a 1st rounder.

Would be a big way to reload for next season.

Agreed, I love Tee and think he could be part of a winning Bengals team but if the '23 season becomes one of loss after loss then trade him for a 1st rounder and retool.

(09-17-2023, 11:29 PM)QueenCity Wrote: If this season continues to go south... count me in on trading Tee ASAP for a 1st rounder.

Would be a big way to reload for next season.

(09-18-2023, 10:04 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: Agreed, I love Tee and think he could be part of a winning Bengals team but if the '23 season becomes one of loss after loss then trade him for a 1st rounder and retool.

Also agree, still think it is WAY too early to count this team out unless Burrow is REALLY hurt and the coaches don't learn.

But if both of these things happen, to get a 1st rounder for Tee while getting an early 1st round pick sure would help with retooling 
most likely. Get the trenches fixed and this team should be dominant with a healthy Burrow, a running game, Chase and Boyd (think
we can re-sign him for relatively cheap compared to Tee), the rest of our Defense and our improved ST's.

With some time being passed since this thread was started, I dont think Tee would fetch a 1st round pick any more. After this season he is a free agent. Do you think the Bengals are going to tag him at 23 million and pay him as a top 10 WR? At this point you dont know. The Bengals should have traded Tee in the spring when he had big draft pick trade value when all this talk was first happening.

I do think Tee will turn it around and have a good season but Im not so sure he will ever fetch what he could have.

(10-28-2023, 12:28 AM)007BengalsFan Wrote: With some time being passed since this thread was started, I dont think Tee would fetch a 1st round pick any more.  After this season he is a free agent.  Do you think the Bengals are going to tag him at 23 million and pay him as a top 10 WR?  At this point you dont know.  The Bengals should have traded Tee in the spring when he had big draft pick trade value when all this talk was first happening.

I do think Tee will turn it around and have a good season but Im not so sure he will ever fetch what he could have.

Of course they will tag him and yes some team will give us a ton of picks for him + a fat new contract.

(10-28-2023, 12:28 AM)007BengalsFan Wrote: With some time being passed since this thread was started, I dont think Tee would fetch a 1st round pick any more.  After this season he is a free agent.  Do you think the Bengals are going to tag him at 23 million and pay him as a top 10 WR?  At this point you dont know.  The Bengals should have traded Tee in the spring when he had big draft pick trade value when all this talk was first happening.

I do think Tee will turn it around and have a good season but Im not so sure he will ever fetch what he could have.

Tee Higgins already has 3 full seasons worth of tape a bad start in 2023 isn't going to hurt his value. They will tag him because they have to at this point... it's what happens after they tag him thats important will they just play him 1 more year and let him walk like Bates or tag and trade?

(09-12-2023, 07:27 PM)QueenCity Wrote: I'd let him walk... if Burrow is who we think he is we can get similar production from a vet free agent. Or draft one in the 1st or 2nd round with the Bengals track record on WR I like our chances

Let him walk? Heck, no. 

Look, we are gonna have a TON of cap room this off-season. Tons. 

We do not know what the cap will be. Spotrac is estimating $240 mil. OTC is guessing $256 mil. Right now we have a rollover cap of over $12 mil. Spotrac is estimating our cap room at just under $71 mil. OTC at $84.47 mil. 

Now, functionally, it is less than that, of course. That is for only 37 players, 2 of which are Harper & Maxwell. Assuming other MIN type guys fill those spots, we have 18 openings. We have 9 draft picks, and OTC has our draft pool value at just under $11 mil. So let's guestimate 9 openings with $60 mil/$73 mil left. 

Of those openings, 5/6 are likely to be significant in terms of pay. 7 are starters, but Adomitis is a LS and will make min. WR2 (Higgins), WR3 (Boyd), RT (Jonah), NT (Reader), CB1 (Awuzie), and TE1 (Smith) are your starters that need replacing. DJ Turner has been starting for Chido and you can go ahead and pencil him in at CB1, I think. I would not rule out Chido returning, but we are not going to pay top dollar for him with Turner ready to go for way cheaper. For now, lets assume all we need at CB is depth. 

That leaves 9 spots, but only 5 starters. Lets assume the backups average a little over a mil apiece ($1.25) amd allot 5 mil for 4 reserves. $55 mil/$68 mil to go get WR2, WR3, RT, NT, and TE1. It is a deep OT and WR draft, so let us assume we get at least 1 WR & OT in the first 3 rounds. 

So let's pay Reader. He is foundational to me, at least for 2-3 more years. Say at $15 mil cap hit. Down to $40 mil/$53 mil. Tag Higgins. $20 mil? $20/$33 mil left for RT, WR3, TE1. And that is assuming we have not drafted that guy on Day 1-2 (Harrison, Coleman, Odunze, Nabers, Egbuka, Legette, & Franklin all seem possible R1 WRs, and Fashanu, Alt, Latham, Mims, Morgan, Suamataia, Guyton, Paul, Barton, Fautanu, and Fuaga R1-2 OTs, though some may move inside as pros). 

At this point, retaining Boyd, Jonah, or Chido is within the realm. Or paying for TE1. All of them? No. But like last year, it will be a jigsaw puzle, if one guy wants the bag, he likely get the tag (like Bates) or we draft a replacement & retain the others. 

But my working assumption is pay Reader & tag Tee (if he won't do a reasonable extension), and go from there. I mean, if an awesome Highins replacement falls in our lap on day 1, we could trade him later. Or move Chase inside. Or retain Boyd. Or some combo.

But letting him walk is terrible asset management, especially with the amount of cap room we have. Plus, we are trying to win a SB. Don't subtract talent unless you absolutely have to and/or have a replacement lined up.

(10-28-2023, 10:16 AM)J24 Wrote: Of course they will tag him and yes some team will give us a ton of picks for him + a fat new contract.

A first and maybe one other.  I think we'll get AJ Brown type value out of him.  I would doubt we get more than that in terms of draft picks, unless they are bunch of low rounders.

(10-30-2023, 01:54 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: But letting him walk is terrible asset management, especially with the amount of cap room we have. Plus, we are trying to win a SB. Don't subtract talent unless you absolutely have to and/or have a replacement lined up.

I know we are going back a month but this is what I said.... which I think is the most important part of the discussion. I want him to stay for the SB run. 

"I'd keep Tee this year for the SB run.

Offseason tag and trade before the draft if you can get at least a 2nd rounder." 




If you can't get the above then that's when I stated I'd let him walk. Because I rather have the money to chase another FA than get a 3rd or 4th rounder for Tee.

If we tag Tee, it is estimated it will cost about 23 million. We will have him one year and he will be gone. I would rather trade Tee for a 1st round draft pick and use that pick on his replacement who will be here multiple years not just one more season. Now that you dont have Tee eating 23 million into your cap space, that frees up money to go out a get some more D line help in free agency. Get another DT that can apply pressure to the QB.

We had an awesome game and there’s not much of anything to complain about and while Tee had a couple of catches ….

What’s the reason Tee can’t seem to get more separation / more open these days?

Not hating as I love me some Tee.

The dropped passes were a phase Im sure but w Chase commanding attn and Boyd garners some respect coverage-wise too, how is Tee not the beneficiary here? I’m sure he sees some single coverage and often.

He just seems like he lost a 1/2 a step this year.

(10-30-2023, 05:43 PM)Whacked Wrote: We had an awesome game and there’s not much of anything to complain about and while Tee had a couple of catches ….

What’s the reason Tee can’t seem to get more separation / more open these days?

Not hating as I love me some Tee.

The dropped passes were a phase Im sure but w Chase commanding attn and Boyd garners some respect coverage-wise too, how is Tee not the beneficiary here? I’m sure he sees some single coverage and often.

He just seems like he lost a 1/2 a step this year.

Higgins has never been fast.  At the combine he ran a 4.54 which is why he dropped in the draft.  Higgins has height and length and can out jump and out muscle DBs.  He is a very different type of receiver than Ja'marr Chase.  He fits in well with the other weapons we have on offense.  I dont think he is irreplaceable however.  

(10-30-2023, 07:44 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Higgins has never been fast.  At the combine he ran a 4.54 which is why he dropped in the draft.  Higgins has height and length and can out jump and out muscle DBs.  He is a very different type of receiver than Ja'marr Chase.  He fits in well with the other weapons we have on offense.  I dont think he is irreplaceable however.  

We'd likely take a hit replacing him with a rookie, short term. Johnny Wilson supposedly is around 4.5, and he is 6'7".  

(10-30-2023, 05:43 PM)Whacked Wrote: We had an awesome game and there’s not much of anything to complain about and while Tee had a couple of catches ….

What’s the reason Tee can’t seem to get more separation / more open these days?

Not hating as I love me some Tee.

The dropped passes were a phase Im sure but w Chase commanding attn and Boyd garners some respect coverage-wise too, how is Tee not the beneficiary here? I’m sure he sees some single coverage and often.

He just seems like he lost a 1/2 a step this year.

He’s dealing with a fractured rib. Beginning of year was more on Burrow, I think.

Tee will have a bounce back year next year. But i am starting to question if the money spent on him would be better spent on another stud DL. But it doesn’t work that way and I don’t think w let Tee go and go get a stud FA DL this off season.

(10-31-2023, 02:36 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: He’s dealing with a fractured rib.  Beginning of year was more on Burrow, I think.

Tee will have a bounce back year next year. But i am starting to question if the money spent on him would be better spent on another stud DL. But it doesn’t work that way and I don’t think w let Tee go and go get a stud FA DL this off season.

I would rather have a stud DL too.  Instead of using 23 million to tag and keep Tee, spend that money on a stud DL and trade Tee for a 1st round draft pick.   If you tag Tee and keep him, you only have him the one year.  If you trade him, you could use that 1st round pick on his replacement that you would have for several years plus you free up 23 million you would have paid Tee so now you can bring in more help on the D line

no one here is surprised at this

#Bengals WR Tee Higgins has garnered trade interest at the deadline, as he did in the offseason, but Cincy is not expected to move the receiver, per source.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 31, 2023

(10-31-2023, 03:55 PM)pally Wrote: no one here is surprised at this

#Bengals WR Tee Higgins has garnered trade interest at the deadline, as he did in the offseason, but Cincy is not expected to move the receiver, per source.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 31, 2023

I am on board with trading Tee but not in the middle of the season.  It should have been done this last off season or the coming off season.  It would be too much of a disruption to do it now while we are in the middle of a playoff race.