It official now

The franchise tag has now officially been applied to #Bengals WR Tee Higgins, source said. https://t.co/dsoQEeSJFx

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024

(02-26-2024, 11:01 AM)pally Wrote: It official now

The franchise tag has now officially been applied to #Bengals WR Tee Higgins, source said. https://t.co/dsoQEeSJFx

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024

Thanks, Pally.

After reading through this thread, I'm formed the opinion that, with the dramatic increase in the salary cap, the Bengals could tag Tee two years in a row and still end up spending less over those two years than if they met the expected demands from Tee and his agent. That possibility alone should scare the agent enough to try and get this resolved: either more flexibility on a long-term contract or try to find a suitor for a trade.

(02-26-2024, 11:23 AM)Nepa Wrote: Thanks, Pally.

After reading through this thread, I'm formed the opinion that, with the dramatic increase in the salary cap, the Bengals could tag Tee two years in a row and still end up spending less over those two years than if they met the expected demands from Tee and his agent. That possibility alone should scare the agent enough to try and get this resolved: either more flexibility on a long-term contract or try to find a suitor for a trade.

if tee misses another 3-4 games next year, I dont want him back long term

Good deal! now try to lock him up longer term on a smaller cap hit with guaranteed money, I'd also look at the Bengals to jettison some contracts now to regain some cap space:

1) Nick Scott-4.3 million
2) Chris Evans- 1.1 million
3) D'Ante Smith-1.2 million

-frees up @6.5 million and these guys can be replaced by draft picks or veteran minimum players

(02-26-2024, 11:52 AM)schroomytunes Wrote: Good deal! now try to lock him up longer term on a smaller cap hit with guaranteed money, I'd also look at the Bengals to jettison some contracts now to regain some cap space:

1) Nick Scott-4.3 million
2) Chris Evans- 1.1 million
3) D'Ante Smith-1.2 million

-frees up @6.5 million and these guys can be replaced by draft picks or veteran minimum players

That's not quite right, as you need to factor in the dead cap.

Nick Scott: $4.3 mill cap hit - $2 mill dead cap = $2.3 mill savings
Chris Evans: $1.1 mill cap hit - $43k dead cap = $1.05 mill savings
D'Ante Smith: $1.2 mill cap hit - $125k dead cap = $1 mill savings
--------------------------
Total savings = $4.35 mill

*Bonus - Jackson Carman: $2.37 mill cap hit - $700k dead cap = $1.67 mill savings
---------------------
With Carman gone too = $6 mill savings

With the Bengals having three guys on their OL hitting FA (Williams, Scharping, Ford), I would expect we'll keep at least one of Carman or Smith, possibly both...at least until after the draft.
Ted Karras, Trey Hill, Jackson Carman, and D'Ante Smith are all entering their final year under contract this season.
I have a gut feeling they'll draft at least one OL, possibly two.

Afternoon boys it’s been a while.

At this point I trade him with a tear in my eye.

The fact is he’s injury prone you can’t be giving out guaranteed 2nd year money for a guy who just isn’t available as much as he should be and I question if his heart is really in it.

If we can get a late 1st rounder (not the chiefs ffs) or a high 2nd rounder and either a player or pick to go with that I think we have to take it.

Tee Higgins won’t be the be all and end all reason why we win a SB and at this point we have too many holes in the team to refuse high draft picks that could help build us for years to come.

We really need to avoid drafting players represented by that tit of an agent in future too or this will keep happening.

(02-26-2024, 07:30 AM)Go Cards Wrote: KC built that defense by trading Hill did they not. There is more than one way to skin a cat and the salary cap makes teams find them or become irrelevant like where the Bills are headed imo. Plus KC does not have a WR the caliber of Chase, not even close.

Think the 18th pick bundled with Tee would bring more than you think though. Yet have been wrong before. 

Can any of the experts on trading draft picks chime in ?  Because I do know you're right and top 5 picks are pricey. Yet there are more WR's NFL ready other than Harrison and Bowers on the cheap would be alright as well. Bowers and Chase would be formidable or whoever the #2 WR in the draft is behind Harrison. 

On the rookie deal for 3-4 years is the deal because it gives the team extra money for the trenches in FA. RB's and WR's are easier found to plug in and play imo, especially for the Bengals scouts. 

Just believe if the Bengals can protect Burrow better and get more pressure on other teams QB then everything else will work out.

Hear me out. If we trade Tee it has to be to move up to get a great WR? Right? Most of those teams need a WR so why not keep their pick and draft one? Like many I think the Bengals will do with Higgins just like Bates but I think we have a chance to re-sign him.

Bengals make tagging of Tee Higgins official. Zac Taylor says "Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020. I’m glad that he’ll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team.” pic.twitter.com/HYrEn5wOhr

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) February 26, 2024

(02-26-2024, 11:52 AM)schroomytunes Wrote: Good deal! now try to lock him up longer term on a smaller cap hit with guaranteed money, I'd also look at the Bengals to jettison some contracts now to regain some cap space:

1) Nick Scott-4.3 million
2) Chris Evans- 1.1 million
3) D'Ante Smith-1.2 million

-frees up @6.5 million and these guys can be replaced by draft picks or veteran minimum players

That is not accurate, at all. 

Scott has $2 mil in Dead Cap. So cutting him saves you only $2.3 mil. Of course, then you have to sign someone to replace him. At least $1 mil. And how good a player are you gonna get for $1 mil? 

The same dynamic means cutting Evans or Smith saves us effectively nothing. 

Now, if you draft a guy you think is a better player, sure. But the cap savings here is like $1 mil. 

(02-26-2024, 11:23 AM)Nepa Wrote: Thanks, Pally.

After reading through this thread, I'm formed the opinion that, with the dramatic increase in the salary cap, the Bengals could tag Tee two years in a row and still end up spending less over those two years than if they met the expected demands from Tee and his agent. That possibility alone should scare the agent enough to try and get this resolved: either more flexibility on a long-term contract or try to find a suitor for a trade.

Good point Nepa, maybe that might make the punk agent think a bit. Would love a trade the most but if Tee plays hard on the Tag this might
be a possibility in tagging him twice as it won't cost any more than extending him now most likely.

I don't think the FO is savvy enough to trade Tee without another team blowing them away with an offer (and even then they may consider it helping that team find a receiver!).

However, I do think we should take note of the timing and this happening before the combine as some posters stated. That is significant and makes the trade possibility still on the table.

(02-26-2024, 02:47 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Good point Nepa, maybe that might make the punk agent think a bit. Would love a trade the most but if Tee plays hard on the Tag this might
be a possibility in tagging him twice as it won't cost any more than extending him now most likely.

Agreed. The early tag after the cap news hit, in my mind, is every bit a power move and a message to Tee's agent. We will tag him next year, too. 

(02-26-2024, 03:04 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Agreed. The early tag after the cap news hit, in my mind, is every bit a power move and a message to Tee's agent. We will tag him next year, too. 

There yah go, problem solved lol

I'll ask again, if Tee wants to stay when does he step in? The guaranteed structure didn't stop Burrow. Won't (hopefully) stop Chase? So when does Tee say ok, I want to stay and the APY is WR1 and they've held true to others that they have signed (with the surprise exception of Mixon)and made sure they kept through the contract just to gain the confidence of the agents to agree to these types of contracts.

(02-26-2024, 03:04 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Agreed. The early tag after the cap news hit, in my mind, is every bit a power move and a message to Tee's agent. We will tag him next year, too. 

They should tag him next year and then trade him. That is 100% the smartest move. 

(02-26-2024, 03:09 PM)jj22 Wrote: I'll ask again, if Tee wants to stay when does he step in? The guaranteed structure didn't stop Burrow. Won't (hopefully) stop Chase? So when does Tee say ok, I want to stay and  the APY is WR1 and they've held true to others that they have signed (with the surprise exception of Mixon)and made sure they kept through the contract just to gain the confidence of the agents to agree to these types of contracts.

We will see, it sure doesn't look like his agent has his best interests in mind if by all accounts we have offered Tee a fair deal.

The truth is Tee is banged up a lot, hamstring injuries tend to reoccur, and Tee hasn't proven to be a #1 WR in the NFL yet. Might as well take a 
decent extension instead of listening to his punk agent telling him he is worth more than he is. As Nepa and Ike said, we can Tag him twice for 
cheaper than extending him, it is a power move by the Bengals and Tee should think in reality here.

It is his favorite team offering him a fair deal and he should have a good chance of winning SB's here, think about it.

(02-26-2024, 03:19 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: They should tag him next year and then trade him. That is 100% the smartest move. 

You would get more by trading him this year, so if they feel they are at impasse trading now would be better for draft picks

(02-26-2024, 07:11 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: You would get more by trading him this year, so if they feel they are at impasse trading now would be better for draft picks

I am not sure that is true. If he has a big year this year his value will go up. Plus, it is a good/deep WR class this year, which depressed value for FA's. Next year, who knows? But a weaker class would help his value  

Further, I have to say the point is not to maximize Tee's value. The point is to put the best team on the field we can and win the SB. Having a late 1st/2nd is no guarantee of finding a guy of Tee's quality, especially Year 1. And if ee butn #18 on a WR, what do we do with RT? There are no young RT studs in FA. 

Having cap space is no guarantee of landing an elite guy. Those are few, teams with spacexare many. What ysually happens is teams end up overpaying guys because they could not land the elite guy, and then are stuck with those bad contracts. 

Additionally, we already have a lot of space. We are #9 in space AFTER tagging Higgins. Tee is the #1 FA WR on the board. 

Tagging Tee for a year (or two) gives us an elite WR tandem & allows our younger WRs to develop. Iosivas, Jones, and whomever we draft/get to fill in for Boyd this year. If one blows up, then you make the trade. Not before. 

(02-26-2024, 07:40 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I am not sure that is true. If he has a big year this year his value will go up. Plus, it is a good/deep WR class this year, which depressed value for FA's. Next year, who knows? But a weaker class would help his value  

Further, I have to say the point is not to maximize Tee's value. The point is to put the best team on the field we can and win the SB. Having a late 1st/2nd is no guarantee of finding a guy of Tee's quality, especially Year 1. And if ee butn #18 on a WR, what do we do with RT? There are no young RT studs in FA. 

Having cap space is no guarantee of landing an elite guy. Those are few, teams with spacexare many. What ysually happens is teams end up overpaying guys because they could not land the elite guy, and then are stuck with those bad contracts. 

Additionally, we already have a lot of space. We are #9 in space AFTER tagging Higgins. Tee is the #1 FA WR on the board. 

Tagging Tee for a year (or two) gives us an elite WR tandem & allows our younger WRs to develop. Iosivas, Jones, and whomever we draft/get to fill in for Boyd this year. If one blows up, then you make the trade. Not before. 

All parties will be surprised ( did not say shocked) if Tee is not signed to a long term contract. It’s just a process. From what I’ve heard the only good thing to come out of not making the playoffs is the time to catch their breath. Zac’s hire of the passing game coordinator ( a new position) from Minnesota is going to take a lot off his plate. LMAO I don’t mean play calling but in regards to practice prep and the mechanics side of the nuts and bolts of each day. A lot to do with the flow of information to the offense daily. But I also think the new hires will provide new ideas.

(02-26-2024, 03:26 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: We will see, it sure doesn't look like his agent has his best interests in mind if by all accounts we have offered Tee a fair deal.

The truth is Tee is banged up a lot, hamstring injuries tend to reoccur, and Tee hasn't proven to be a #1 WR in the NFL yet. Might as well take a 
decent extension instead of listening to his punk agent telling him he is worth more than he is. As Nepa and Ike said, we can Tag him twice for 
cheaper than extending him, it is a power move by the Bengals and Tee should think in reality here.

It is his favorite team offering him a fair deal and he should have a good chance of winning SB's here, think about it.

What is this fair deal we've offered Tee?