(02-24-2024, 12:31 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: 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.

They have been trying for a while, I prefer to try to seek a trade and get something for him.

Glad we have him at least one more year. Hoping they get the LTC in place.

(02-24-2024, 12:38 AM)QueenCity Wrote: 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.

Yeah. I'm happy that our front office seems to be using their heads.

We could be doing it to put other teams on notice that we want him or that we mean business and they'll need to come with a good offer in order for us to trade him.

Also lets teams know we'd be willing to trade him before the franchise tag their own guys. Better value with Tee.

Tag and trade is a pipe dream. He’s going to play on the tag and then walk next season for nothing. Only way this turns out positive is if he helps win them a bowl.

(02-24-2024, 12:41 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: They have been trying for a while, I prefer to try to seek a trade and get something for him.

We can tag him again next year if a deal cannot be done. We have craploads of cap space. We are trying to win a SB. 

This was always gonna be an easy decision. And one made quickly. 

I mean, I know sports media is about the level of passing notes before recess in 5th grade, but the amount of "the Bengals have a big decision on Higgins" stuff was dumbfounding in my view . With dumb being the operative part. 

When the cap was $12.9 mil higher than expected, it became even easier. We essentially tagged him for $7.2 mil compared the original estimate. No-brainer.

Hope it doesn’t cause alligator arms. Can’t risk the hits with the defenses we play.

Would gladly eat crow if I am proven wrong at the end of the 2024 season, but I just don't see this going well.

He's not going to love playing under tag, and he's prone to get dinged up every single year. His game is about out-physicaling defenders and he's going to want to stay healthy for a big payday in 2025 FA. Won't be shocked if we see a 2020 AJ Green/2022 Jessie Bates type season.

(02-24-2024, 12:31 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: 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.

You're still not GETTING IT....it's not the overall contract it's the GUARANTEED MONEY that he wants and that's not gonna GET BETTER when i'm sure they've already told them he's not getting a huge amount upfront.

Surprised it took so long.

I expected to see this news on Tuesday which I thought was the first day they could apply the tag.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39580128/what-nfl-franchise-tag-how-does-work

Just a part of the process. I think it locks it in that he isn’t going anywhere. Up to him to chase titles here or chase money somewhere else. Hopefully he chooses to accept what I assume would be a strong long term contract offer. Chances are he could get more elsewhere. But also chances are he becomes a Bengal all time great and is a living legend round these parts if he re-signs and spends his career with Burrow.

(02-23-2024, 10:32 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: 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

You are not wrong there. But I'd say there are 4 WRs I'd be confident could replace Tee in Y1. 3 will be long gone by #18: Harrison, Nabers,,& Odunze. Thomas is a coin flip at #18. After that gets sketchier.

Plus, if you pick Thonas at #18, what do you do at RT? 

I'd much rather retain the guys we know are elite/near elite (Reader/Higgins). We are gonna still have north of $35 mil in functional cap space. Try to land an elite DT with $20 mil of that (Madubuike, Wilkins). 

Pencil in picking the best available RT at #18. 

We then have $15 mil in cap and our Day 2 & Day 3 picks to fill in more areas of need. WR3, TE, CB, P, S + OL depth.

Try to restructure some guys to open up even more space. If so, anotherxwignificant FA signing becomes real. 

Mea culpa. I though Tue was the day (2/27). But it was 2/20.

The OP was right and I was dead wrong. Apologies.

(02-24-2024, 12:07 AM)ah5 Wrote: Well didn’t boyd drop the first down pass the prior play?


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OL is why we lost the SB had nothing to do with Boyd or anything the WR's did or didn't do.

(02-24-2024, 12:57 AM)pulses Wrote: You're still not GETTING IT....it's not the overall contract it's the GUARANTEED MONEY that he wants and that's not gonna GET BETTER when i'm sure they've already told them he's not getting a huge amount upfront.

That is speculation. 

(02-24-2024, 01:06 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: That is speculation. 

Yeah, that seemed kinda made up 

(02-24-2024, 01:06 AM)pulses Wrote: OL is why we lost the SB had nothing to do with Boyd or anything the WR's did or didn't do.

Which makes the Jackson Carman pick that much worse

(02-24-2024, 12:57 AM)pulses Wrote: You're still not GETTING IT....it's not the overall contract it's the GUARANTEED MONEY that he wants and that's not gonna GET BETTER when i'm sure they've already told them he's not getting a huge amount upfront.

I love that you and MB talk daily, so you can tell us that without a doubt, he’s not getting a huge amount upfront.

None of us know what they’re going to do. Most likely is tag and walk. None of us know what Tee is asking or what the Browns are offering.

(02-23-2024, 06:52 PM)PCB Bengal Fan Wrote: So we should keep rolling out an O-line that sucks at protecting Joe's health? Joe should be #1, 2, & 3 priority.

So we pay Higgins big money, we pay Chase big money, we pay Burrow big money and now we should go after a great offensive line and pay them?   Also, some people also want to pay Fant 9 million a year.  Are we going to spend all the big contracts on offense or are we going to try to field a defense these next few years?

(02-24-2024, 01:47 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Which makes the Jackson Carman pick that much worse

Should have already cut him too.

Wow early tag. This may mean they are really serious about taking trade offers since they got this done before the combine (aka illegal tampering period).

(02-24-2024, 12:56 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Would gladly eat crow if I am proven wrong at the end of the 2024 season, but I just don't see this going well.

He's not going to love playing under tag, and he's prone to get dinged up every single year. His game is about out-physicaling defenders and he's going to want to stay healthy for a big payday in 2025 FA. Won't be shocked if we see a 2020 AJ Green/2022 Jessie Bates type season.

Yeah, I hope Tee is more of a man then those two and ball out. It would not surprise me if it didn't go well. My hope is Callahan wants him and we have a trade in the works already.