With all of this talk about Tee Higgins, the franchise tag and possible trade, perhaps we should be thinking about what extending our WR1 will look like?


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/ja-marr-chase-contract-extension-projection-is-massive-number-for-bengals/ar-BB1jmO7K?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=4a6f58284e1a49b98027e9392db7c6b4&ei=15

Quote:What might a contract extension for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase look like this offseason?

Other than resetting the wideout market, of course?

For Spotrac's Michael Ginnitti, the contract projects to come in at four years and $120 million with a $30 million-per-year average, with $70 million effectively guaranteed:

Injuries to himself & to QB Joe Burrow over the past two seasons have limited Chase’s ability to reach his max ceiling. Cincinnati likely pays a king’s ransom to see that happen within their offense soon. The 24-year-old has 2 years, $26.6M left on his rookie deal through 2025, so there’s not an immediate rush to get something done here, but it’s certainly worth discussing. Spotrac projects a $70M guarantee over the next 3 seasons, including back to back $20M bonuses to keep cap hits at bay while this contending team continues to get more and more expensive across the board.

At face value, that looks like something the Bengals should be willing to rush to sign, should Chase and his reps be willing to accept. By Spotrac's own projections, that's in line with what CeeDee Lamb will get in Dallas and actually under what Justin Jefferson will get in Minnesota.

Of course, Chase has been very open about the fact he wants to wait to do an extension until Jefferson and others have signed their own, which will need to happen sooner.
As such, Chase is bound to reset the market and be the highest-paid receiver in football by pretty much every metric. But these projections, at least, provide a baseline -- and further explain why an extension with Tee Higgins is so tricky.

As with Joe Burrow before him, even an extension signed this offseason wouldn't kick in on the cap space until after the 2025 fifth-year option, though for the Bengals, sooner is probably better for peace of mind and a full understanding of what they're working with on the balance sheet.

Sounds about right. 30 mil per year was what I figured for our true #1 WR. JaMarr is a very special WR, his balance and
strength combination is unlike any other WR I know of. His quickness, burst and ability to change direction on a dime is as
good as anyone. Hope we get Ja'Marr's deal done before JJ's.

So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

(03-06-2024, 03:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

Not if we want to finally be dominant in the trenches. We can only pay Burrow and Chase elite money.

We will have to draft well at the other important positions and hope our coaches can develop the players.

(03-06-2024, 03:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

NO

(03-06-2024, 03:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

Paying Tee 25-26 AAV is a fool’s errand. Let someone else do that, keep the comp pick, and draft a replacement this year or next. Far better to spend 30-32 AAV on Chase and draft more WR depth. There are some decent mid round WR’s in this draft.

(03-06-2024, 03:58 PM)t3r3e3 Wrote: Paying Tee 25-26 AAV is a fool’s errand.  Let someone else do that, keep the comp pick, and draft a replacement this year or next.  Far better to spend 30-32 AAV on Chase and draft more WR depth.  There are some decent mid round WR’s in this draft.

Yes sir, Adonai Mitchell, Malachi Corley, Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith...

(03-06-2024, 03:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

No, it's why you don't pay a WR2 25 million. 

(03-06-2024, 03:45 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Not if we want to finally be dominant in the trenches. We can only pay Burrow and Chase elite money.

We will have to draft well at the other important positions and hope our coaches can develop the players.

(03-06-2024, 03:58 PM)t3r3e3 Wrote: Paying Tee 25-26 AAV is a fool’s errand.  Let someone else do that, keep the comp pick, and draft a replacement this year or next.  Far better to spend 30-32 AAV on Chase and draft more WR depth.  There are some decent mid round WR’s in this draft.

(03-06-2024, 04:24 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: No, it's why you don't pay a WR2 25 million. 

Yep, when you look a little more closely at the cost of paying your WR2 a WR1 level salary, you can clearly see how detrimental it could be on maintaining a championship level roster.  Tee is good, we'll miss him for sure.  But the smart thing to do is trade him and reinvest that pick into the deeply loaded WR pool that is available in this draft.

(03-06-2024, 04:40 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, when you look a little more closely at the cost of paying your WR2 a WR1 level salary, you can clearly see how detrimental it could be on maintaining a championship level roster.  Tee is good, we'll miss him for sure.  But the smart thing to do is trade him and reinvest that pick into the deeply loaded WR pool that is available in this draft.

the thing is.... We have Burrow.  Who if as good as we think he is should be just fine without a 50mil dollar WR core.  as long as we dont start throwing out PS caliber players again

(03-06-2024, 05:03 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: the thing is.... We have Burrow.  Who if as good as we think he is should be just fine without a 50mil dollar WR core.  as long as we dont start throwing out PS caliber players again

Don't need to put junk bodies out there, just stay younger and cheaper by replacing that talent with newly drafted talent.

(03-06-2024, 05:03 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: the thing is.... We have Burrow.  Who if as good as we think he is should be just fine without a 50mil dollar WR core.  as long as we dont start throwing out PS caliber players again

For damn sure.

(03-06-2024, 05:08 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Don't need to put junk bodies out there, just stay younger and cheaper by replacing that talent with newly drafted talent.

So many options are available to keep this thing running smooth as well.

Honestly I would rather pay Ja'Marr and Chris Jones than Ja'Marr 30 and Tee 26 mil per year.

(03-06-2024, 05:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: For damn sure.


So many options are available to keep this thing running smooth as well.

Honestly I would rather pay Ja'Marr and Chris Jones than Ja'Marr 30 and Tee 26 mil per year.

Free Agency is likely going to be a buyers market, once the top 15 names get signed, as there could be upward of 100 additional players getting cut for cap reasons, in addition to all of the players that were already going to be free agents.  Don't forget, A LOT of guys signed one year deals last season in anticipation of a bigger jump in cap allotment, which actually came to fruition.

(03-06-2024, 05:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Honestly I would rather pay Ja'Marr and Chris Jones than Ja'Marr 30 and Tee 26 mil per year.

I had a similar thought about the top three Bengals salaries that Burrow, Chase, and a defensive stud might be better money spent than Burrow, Chase, and Tee.

(03-06-2024, 03:21 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: So if he gets $30 AAV.

Tee supposedly wants $25-26 AAV.

Burrow's AAV is $55 million, but at the end there is a $68 million year which skews it. So it's closer to $50 million.

The question is can we tie up $110+ AAV in 3 players over the next 4 years?

No, even with the cap going up that is still a lot of money dedicated to 2 WRs and the QB.  Sure you can manipulate to cap to fit all 3 in but it wouldnt be wise to do so.  One of the biggest issues I have with dedicating so much of the cap to Tee is he has been injured frequently.  I think it might make some difference if Tee didnt have the injuries but the Bengals would be dedicating so much of the cap space to fit in a WR with an injury history.  I think it is a safer bet to trade Tee, get a draft pick(s) for him,  lower the cap space and use the additional money in other areas instead of having so much dedicated to 3 guys one of which pulls his hamstring every year.

(03-06-2024, 05:50 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Free Agency is likely going to be a buyers market, once the top 15 names get signed, as there could be upward of 100 additional players getting cut for cap reasons, in addition to all of the players that were already going to be free agents.  Don't forget, A LOT of guys signed one year deals last season in anticipation of a bigger jump in cap allotment, which actually came to fruition.

True. Tons of one year deals last season.

(03-06-2024, 05:51 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I had a similar thought about the top three Bengals salaries that Burrow, Chase, and a defensive stud might be better money spent than Burrow, Chase, and Tee.

I think that would be a much smarter way to go about things. Ideally, we trade Tee for a 1st or 2nd round pick as well. But adding a stud
DT like Chris Jones or Christian Wilkins would really improve this team more than keeping Tee for this year. Chris Jones also didn't look happy
last season when the Chiefs didn't pony up the dough to keep him and he might love to go to the Bengals like Orlando Brown did so he could
beat on his old team, yah never know...

(03-06-2024, 05:55 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: True. Tons of one year deals last season.


I think that would be a much smarter way to go about things. Ideally, we trade Tee for a 1st or 2nd round pick as well. But adding a stud
DT like Chris Jones or Christian Wilkins would really improve this team more than keeping Tee for this year. Chris Jones also didn't look happy
last season when the Chiefs didn't pony up the dough to keep him and he might love to go to the Bengals like Orlando Brown did so he could
beat on his old team, yah never know...

I'd be content if they landed a 2nd round pick for Tee, signed a DT, and then drafted a Tee replacement.

(03-06-2024, 06:00 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I'd be content if they landed a 2nd round pick for Tee, signed a DT, and then drafted a Tee replacement.

Never say never, but man this seems like the sort of thing that our FO doesn't do.

(03-06-2024, 06:24 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Never say never, but man this seems like the sort of thing that our FO doesn't do.

Over the past 4 years we've seen our FO do a lot of things that seemed like the sort of thing our FO doesn't do.

(03-06-2024, 06:28 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Over the past 4 years we've seen our FO do a lot of things that seemed like the sort of thing our FO doesn't do.

True, still makes hoping for this seem like asking for the moon, but we shall see.