(02-23-2024, 04:03 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Somewhere between Randy and Thad.

Winner of the internet today.

(02-23-2024, 06:54 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: If we want to call him WR2, that number will have an AAV of $20M, max.  If he wants $25M/per, then that is WR1 sort of money, and the team should let him walk if that is his demand.

(02-23-2024, 07:06 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: I'd try for a 5 year deal with a progression ($20m/$21m/$22m/$23m/$24m) with the first 3 years guaranteed and a $3-5m signing bonus. That would put him approaching 30yrs old at the end of the term and we could cut bait at the end of 3 yrs if needed.

*edit* I wrote this before seeing the cap increase. Could bump a little if necessary.

Tee already turned down $20M AAV according to some.

I could see a 4 yr 95M doffer being the max we offer.


If Tee is extended, his cap hit could drop from 21m to under 10M this offseason.

(02-23-2024, 03:45 PM)impactplaya Wrote: This franchise went to 2 straight AFC Championship  Games
With the best WR core in the league and at best
A average oline. This oline doesn't have to be elite
OT to OT in order for the Bengals to win
The North and challenge the Chiefs
If o-line was everything the Browns would
Have 4 straight AFC Championship Game
Appearances.

They went because of Burrow.

(02-23-2024, 06:22 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I was just adding more context. 

Nah, you didn't add context, just raw stats. It's like the saying goes: Most people use stats like a drunkard uses a light post. More for support than illumination. 

Context is Tee did all this during his rookie year having Brandon Allen throw to him and then the next 3 years getting out targeted by Jamarr Chase 407 to 295. 

Context is about 50% of Tee's career catches go for 1st down

So many other "context" more than just how many yards he gained compared to others

(02-23-2024, 06:12 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: There were about 30 players last year that went over 1000 yards receiving. Tee has barely cracked 1000 yards twice in his career. He had 52 yards per game last year. 42nd in the league. Right behind Rashee Rice, Diante Johnson, and David Njoku. 

Tee is a good player, but his production isn't hard to find elsewhere. Seriously, we are going to pay 20-25 million dollars a year for a number two receiver with that kind of production when you have Jamar Chase on the team? That is just INSANE to me.

Having Jamar makes Tee expendable. Tag and trade Tee and go sign Calvin Ridley for half the price with just as much production. 

Hell to the no! Obviously, you didn't own CR in FFB last season...lol.... No thank you!

(02-23-2024, 03:45 PM)impactplaya Wrote: This franchise went to 2 straight AFC Championship  Games
With the best WR core in the league and at best
A average oline. This oline doesn't have to be elite
OT to OT in order for the Bengals to win
The North and challenge the Chiefs
If o-line was everything the Browns would
Have 4 straight AFC Championship Game
Appearances.

We went there also with a solid defense, by the # the defense performed better than offense in playoffs, to me Tee is more replaceable with depth of WRs out of college then a finding a quality DT

(02-23-2024, 04:27 PM)impactplaya Wrote: The trenches can be upgraded at the same time you can 
Also extend Tee Higgins. There is a perception that if you
Extend Tee then you can't address the oline. 
If Tee gets a long term extension then that helps 
The Bengals salary cap this year. They could add a couple 
Million to it on Higgins extension alone 

No it doesn't. Anything Tee gets is more than the $0 he's currently taking up on the cap.

(02-23-2024, 06:54 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: If we want to call him WR2, that number will have an AAV of $20M, max.  If he wants $25M/per, then that is WR1 sort of money, and the team should let him walk if that is his demand.

I agree he's not worth anything close to 25. I don't think I'd pay him 20 tbh. Rather use the money on the DL and OL and other areas. This draft class is DEEP at WR...this conception that we can't win without Tee and Chase is just stupid. Chase and another mid level guy(Ridley for 2 yrs maybe) and draft another WR in the 2nd this year and add a TE and fix the DL and OL and we can win without Tee. And the extra 20 or whatever it is just gives us more money to do it.

(02-23-2024, 04:04 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: I think those runs had more to do with having a really good defense. We had elite play from Bates, Chido, reader, Hendrickson. Really good plan from Wilson, Bell, Hubbard.


Last year we had elite play from: Hendrickson. That’s it. And that’s the difference. Build a strong D, give short fields to Burrow + Chase and this team may not score 35 but they’ll win 13 games/year

Agree in the main. But Reader was elite last year when healthy. Battle was close to elite. 

There is no way we should count on a rookie to replace Tee. First off, we'd have to spend #18 on him, and that pick should go trenches (Fuaga, Latham, Guyton, Mims, Newton, Murphy) or maybe DB.

Even if Tee plays on the tag, we have $45 mil in functional cap space. Say Reader costs $10, that's $35. You can get darned near two elite guys with that (DT & DB?). Heck, if Tee & DJ come in lower and/or we renegotiate some guys, it could be Tee + Reader + 2 elite guys and then some. Or you could go for just one morexelite guy and spread the rest out.

For me, it is chips in the middle time. Right now.

Source: The #Bengals informed star WR Tee Higgins that they are franchising him.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024

Well looks like we informed Tee he is being tagged. So now it becomes…and what?

(02-23-2024, 04:14 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: What lost the Bengals the SB in '21 and the AFCCG in '22? I'll give you a hint...it wasn't the WRs.

Well didn’t boyd drop the first down pass the prior play?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Source: The #Bengals informed star WR Tee Higgins that they are franchising him.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


My question why so quickly? They had time to work out a deal....

Sign and trade is definitely on the table now

If true, they must have quickly realized they couldn’t re-sign him (again). Found out Agent was t budging off of last offseasons demands. Didn’t even use up all the tag deadline to negotiate.

Reports earlier of them wanting to sign him long term looks to have been clearing their name from any pushback.

https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/2/23/24040789/tee-higgins-nfl-franchise-tag-cost-bengals-wr-2024-nfl-free-agents?fbclid=IwAR1P9-zUc2scQoJKaPbqJBDckdb9hMisjv66c8JruK9HR0I65EBbL2EJF4Y

Looks less likely they work a deal, hope we tag and trade.

(02-24-2024, 12:17 AM)QueenCity Wrote:

Source: The #Bengals informed star WR Tee Higgins that they are franchising him.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


My question why so quickly?  They had time to work out a deal....

Sign and trade is definitely on the table now

1. It isn't official yet. Guys cannot officially be tagged until Tuesday. 

2. You can still negotiate the longer contract after tagging someone. And I am sure we will continue to try to get a long term deal done. 

As to why do it so early? Why wait? Make it clear, both to Tee, his jerk agent, and other teams he will be in stripes next year. WR2 does not have to be on the front burner for the FO. We have clarity on our working cap number and can go forward. If a deal gets done, the number will get better, not worse.

1) The FO can still negotiate with him for a new contract.

2.) The FO can still trade him!

I agree with all the above... but I'm more impressed with the Bengals making an early decision.

They seem to have a plan... and I can always get behind that.

(02-24-2024, 12:37 AM)J24 Wrote: 1) The FO can still negotiate with him for a new contract.

2.) The FO can still trade him!

Only once/if he signs the tender.

Bates waited until August 23rd to sign his tag, 5.5 months after being tagged.