It's February and a Franchise Tag decision on TEE Higgins will have to be made soon.

Predict the outcome.

Take the POLL as to what you think will actually happen with TEE

In case anyone is interested, the projected franchise tag cost for a WR is $20.7 mill, per Spotrac.

Gut feel - I think a tag will happen, if anything for a stopgap, especially if they think $20+ mill is what Higgins would get in a new contract elsewhere.
That removes a potential short-term need for the season but still allowing them to draft someone if they see the value there.

I think they (I) think they want to keep the band together for one more year, as there is unfinished business with this group due to the lost season given the Burrow injuries. Last season would have been the all in year, but that never materialized.

If they can try 1 more time, I think they; even if they know they won't re-sign Tee, will want to give it one more shot with the current group.

I don't think this FO is savvy enough to tag and trade. They are always a year ahead when it comes to the draft and the players they use the picks on, but they do not manipulate the draft and the picks in a way that would benefit the future ie stockpile picks.

(02-01-2024, 02:10 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Gut feel - I think a tag will happen, if anything for a stopgap, especially if they think $20+ mill is what Higgins would get in a new contract elsewhere.
That removes a potential short-term need for the season but still allowing them to draft someone if they see the value there.

Spot on, and I speculate is the thought process of most people who will vote and post in this thread.

Tee Higgins will be on our roster this year. That's all I know.

(02-01-2024, 02:23 PM)jj22 Wrote: I think they (I) think they want to keep the band together for one more year, as there is unfinished business with this group due to the lost season given the Burrow injuries. Last season would have been the all in year, but that never materialized.

If they can try 1 more time, I think they; even if they know they won't re-sign Tee, will want to give it one more shot with the current group.

I don't think this FO is savvy enough to tag and trade. They are always a year ahead when it comes to the draft and the players they use the picks on, but they do not manipulate the draft and the picks in a way that would benefit the future ie stockpile picks.

I see it this way also.

Plus the Bengals may feel that even though TEE will likely be upset to have to play on the Tag in 2024, he will eventually

be pulled back in by wanting to Win a Super Bowl during his final season in Cincy.

Once TEE gets back with Burrow and Chase on the field they will all become Team first again with that Super Bowl Goal.

Leaning more towards thinking they will not tag him.

They're almost certainly not going to tag-and-trade him, and he won't be happy getting tagged and having to play under it. The last two times they used the franchise tag (Bates, Green) the guy was malcontent and mediocre while playing to not get hurt for next FA and ended up walking.

So I think Tee just walks.

(02-01-2024, 02:51 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Leaning more towards thinking they will not tag him.

They're almost certainly not going to tag-and-trade him, and he won't be happy getting tagged and having to play under it. The last two times they used the franchise tag (Bates, Green) the guy was malcontent and mediocre while playing to not get hurt for next FA and ended up walking.

So I think Tee just walks.

The Bengals could also be betting that he doesn't get the deal he's looking for in FA and the Bengals somehow match it. That would be a pretty big/foolish gamble, though. 

Note too that 2024 is the final year for Chase playing on a sub-$10 mill contract.
In 2025, he'll either be on his 5th year option or on a new big veteran contract.
Last year, the 5th year option for WRs who have made 2+ Pro Bowls was $19.7 mill.
Chase would fall under that category, and it will assuredly be above $20 mill by 2025.
Chase's veteran contract is likely expected to be $30+ mill APY.

That's another reason I lean toward Higgins probably getting the 1-year tag only so they don't have $40+ mill tied into 2 WRs every year starting in 2025.

(02-01-2024, 02:23 PM)jj22 Wrote: I think they (I) think they want to keep the band together for one more year, as there is unfinished business with this group due to the lost season given the Burrow injuries. Last season would have been the all in year, but that never materialized.

If they can try 1 more time, I think they; even if they know they won't re-sign Tee, will want to give it one more shot with the current group.

I don't think this FO is savvy enough to tag and trade. They are always a year ahead when it comes to the draft and the players they use the picks on, but they do not manipulate the draft and the picks in a way that would benefit the future ie stockpile picks.

Well Tee was terrible this year with drop & injuries. So they had what 3 games of the Big 3 healthy? They should've traded him before the season, but loyalty is King in Bengalsland. His he worth the tag? I hope so.

(02-01-2024, 02:51 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Leaning more towards thinking they will not tag him.

They're almost certainly not going to tag-and-trade him, and he won't be happy getting tagged and having to play under it. The last two times they used the franchise tag (Bates, Green) the guy was malcontent and mediocre while playing to not get hurt for next FA and ended up walking.

So I think Tee just walks.

Was'nt Green injured early? Bates was a f!cking b!tch. Bates never played a full season up to his abilities. He did'nt deserve what he wanted from the Bengals.

There's almost a zero percent chance they let him walk. You can't let him leave without anything in return. Our front office isn't that stupid.

I think this would be a good spot for the transition tag

(02-01-2024, 01:59 PM)depthchart Wrote: It's February and a Franchise Tag decision on TEE Higgins will have to be made soon.

Predict the outcome.

Take the POLL as to what you think will actually happen with TEE

After his 2023 season i let him walk

(02-01-2024, 03:07 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: There's almost a zero percent chance they let him walk.  You can't let him leave without anything in return.  Our front office isn't that stupid.

If you tag him and Dont trade him then he walks next year and we get nothing... like almost every player we have tagged.

THe only way I see them NOT tagging Tee is if they try going after Chris Jones or someone to bolster the d-line.

The fact most here seems to think we need 2 #1 type receivers makes me think you all dont trust burrow so much

(02-01-2024, 05:28 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: The fact most here seems to think we need 2 #1 type receivers  makes me think you all dont trust burrow so much

The majority of the votes for Higgins getting tagged are simply emotional votes, as they don't want the inevitable to happen.  As was previously mentioned, the last two Bengals to play under the tag did so grudgingly, and played with extreme caution as to their physical health.  In my opinion, executing the franchise tag without a clear path to productive negotiations towards a viable contract does nothing but harm for the team.

Zero issue with not re-signing him.

BIG issue with letting him walk with nothing in return.

Also, for those of you in the "they tagged Bates, they will just do the same with Tee" camp - the safety vs. WR tag is 14 million vs. 20 million. It's a significant more amount of money.