The NFL 2024 season for me kicks off with FA and Monday it starts, the 13th Wednesday players can sign FA contracts.

My wish is the Bengals would make Simmons (recently cut by Denver) their #1 off season move. He has been an all-pro safety; he can help develop our young guys and he won't count against future compensatory picks.

Is anyone else excited for FA? I attempt to temper my expectations knowing we are likely to rely more on the draft than free agents, so I am not disappointed when we idle for first week or longer. Any signing early to me is a plus.

(03-08-2024, 03:01 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Is anyone else excited for FA?

I'm excited. The Bengals are FA players under Zac. Cappa, Karras, Hurst, Trae, and OBJ are just some of the signings that exemplify why the FA window is now fun to follow as a Bengals fan.

(03-08-2024, 03:01 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The NFL 2024 season for me kicks off with FA and Monday it starts, the 13th Wednesday players can sign FA contracts.

My wish is the Bengals would make Simmons (recently cut by Denver) their #1 off season move. He has been an all-pro safety; he can help develop our young guys and he won't count against future compensatory picks.

Is anyone else excited for FA? I attempt to temper my expectations knowing we are likely to rely more on the draft than free agents, so I am not disappointed when we idle for first week or longer. Any signing early to me is a plus.

Of course, the Bengals don't have to wait until Monday to negotiate a contract with Justin Simmons, since he was cut by Denver. My dream scenario is they sign him over the weekend. The Patriots didn't wait to sign an OT to be their RT and the Dolphins didn't wait to sign a TE (Jonnu Smith).

(03-08-2024, 03:01 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The NFL 2024 season for me kicks off with FA and Monday it starts, the 13th Wednesday players can sign FA contracts.

My wish is the Bengals would make Simmons (recently cut by Denver) their #1 off season move. He has been an all-pro safety; he can help develop our young guys and he won't count against future compensatory picks.

Is anyone else excited for FA? I attempt to temper my expectations knowing we are likely to rely more on the draft than free agents, so I am not disappointed when we idle for first week or longer. Any signing early to me is a plus.

Here is an updated list of the top 101 FAs post Henry signing with NE. 

https://www.nfl.com/news/top-101-nfl-free-agents-of-2024-who-are-the-best-players-available

I.  Our Guys 

45.  Reader, DT. Higher if not for injury. 
47.  J. Williams, OT 
50.  Awuzie, CB 
83.  Boyd, WR 

II.  Defensive Tackles (9)

1.  Jones, KC 
3.  Wilkins, Mia 
10. L. Williams, Sea 
33. Cox, Philly 
42. Stewart, Indy 
45. Reader, Cin 
51. Autry, TN 
90. Tart, Hou 
100. Rankins, Hou

III.  Safeties (11)

11.  Gardner-Johnson, Det 
14.  McKinney, NYG 
31.  Curl, Wash 
37.  Blackmon, Indy 
39.  Simmons, Den 
64.  Fuller, Rams 
65.  Chinn, Car
69.  Stone, Balt
80.  Whitehead, Jets 
86.  Gilman, Chargers 
89.  Hyde, Buffalo

Adams & Poyer & Gipson & Byard & Jackson & Diggs & Jenkins do not make the list. All former Pro-Bowlers save for Gipson & Jenkins, I think. 


IV.  Tight Ends (1)

71.  Fant, Sea

V.  OT  (8)

5.  Smith, Dallas 
9.  Onwenu, OG/OT, NE 
44.  Brown, NE 
47.  J. Williams, Cincy
48.  Eluemunor, LV 
67.  Nijman, GB 
85.  J. Jones, Hou 
99.  Smith, KC 




20 of the top 101 guys are DTs and S's. I just think the law of supply & demand dictate those would be good places to shop. And they match some of our biggest needs. 

TE is a need, but Fant is the only one left. Likely means his contract gets jacked up. Draft + bringing back Sample & Hudson seems a better value. Or Hurst. 

OT is not quite as barren in FA. But if you want better than Jonah, it is pretty much Smith at age 33 and Onwenu. Brown better when he plays, but has been over 600 snaps once in last 5 seasons. Fiscally, it might be better to give up the ghost on the Bowers dream at #18 (extremely unlikely) and just pick an OT. 

(03-08-2024, 03:50 PM)Nepa Wrote: Of course, the Bengals don't have to wait until Monday to negotiate a contract with Justin Simmons, since he was cut by Denver. My dream scenario is they sign him over the weekend. The Patriots didn't wait to sign an OT to be their RT and the Dolphins didn't wait to sign a TE (Jonnu Smith).

Or any of our own guys: Higgins, Reader, Chido, Jonah, Boyd, D. Sample, Hudson, ADG, Irwin, Tupou, etc. 

Definitely excited to see who the Bengals bring in. I'd be excited seeing a few from last years roster resigned (including Reader, Awuzie, Irwin, Sample & Hudson) and then see them bring in a few veterans (Simmons, Hurst and maybe Eluemunor at RT).

(03-08-2024, 03:01 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The NFL 2024 season for me kicks off with FA and Monday it starts, the 13th Wednesday players can sign FA contracts.

My wish is the Bengals would make Simmons (recently cut by Denver) their #1 off season move. He has been an all-pro safety; he can help develop our young guys and he won't count against future compensatory picks.

Is anyone else excited for FA? I attempt to temper my expectations knowing we are likely to rely more on the draft than free agents, so I am not disappointed when we idle for first week or longer. Any signing early to me is a plus.

I am very excited for FA, this is a different time than the way it used to be under Marv and Mikey Boy. We are willing to pay a lot to make us 
better, maybe not as much as some want but we have done a good job for the most part the last 3 or 4 years in FA. We have some misses here
and there but it hasn't been bad at all considering how other teams handle FA.

My wish is also to sign Justin Simmons and we can do this over the weekend since he was cut. I also would like to bring in Mitchell Morse the 
Center the Bills just cut over the weekend. Then once FA starts concentrate on getting a DT like Christian Wilkins, Leonard Williams or Rankins
and a RT in Onwenu, Eluemunor or Trent Brown.

Absolutely am excited about FA to see who the Bengals retain and who they bring into the fold.

This will tell the tale about how their draft strategy will most likely set up.

We all remember the days we would all get excited for FA only to see the Bengals set on their hands and take whoever was leftover in lieu of filling their needs. Those days seem to be behind us and it is becoming a very exciting time for Bengals fans imo.

They should be kicking the tires on the S, DT, RT, and TE crowd.

That said, I am not a big social media guy, so I have to ask.

Is there anyone out there that the Bengals players are actively courting to come to Cincinnati?

(03-09-2024, 10:15 AM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: They should be kicking the tires on the S, DT, RT, and TE crowd.

That said, I am not a big social media guy, so I have to ask.

Is there anyone out there that the Bengals players are actively courting to come to Cincinnati?

I've not seen any rumors and unfortunately, the TE free agents are thinning out.

(03-09-2024, 11:40 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I've not seen any rumors and unfortunately, the TE free agents are thinning out.

Hurst is risky due to the concussions, but he is apparently cleared. And likely pretty cheap. 

I have a hunch we starting to hear things tomorrow. The Bengals could free up cap space by signing Tee to a long-term deal by giving him a huge 1st year bonus.

Like many others, I would love Simmons or Chris Jones. I love Reader, but I would take the money to pay him for Chris Jones.

If the Bengals were interested in the guys that they could sign Simmons, Jordan Poyer ... they would have signed them already. I think they will sign CJ Uzomah and Tanner Hudson to contracts. They will offer 2 to 3 of the following.
- Teair Tart
- Michael Onwenu
- Josh Jacobs
- Lloyd Cushenberry
- Chase Young
- Xavier McKinney

(03-08-2024, 03:50 PM)Nepa Wrote: Of course, the Bengals don't have to wait until Monday to negotiate a contract with Justin Simmons, since he was cut by Denver. My dream scenario is they sign him over the weekend. The Patriots didn't wait to sign an OT to be their RT and the Dolphins didn't wait to sign a TE (Jonnu Smith).

Justin Simmons is a great safety but he's probably out of their range age wise.

(03-09-2024, 08:14 PM)SuperBowlBound! Wrote: If the Bengals were interested in the guys that they could sign Simmons, Jordan Poyer ... they would have signed them already. I think they will sign CJ Uzomah and Tanner Hudson to contracts. They will offer 2 to 3 of the following.
- Teair Tart
- Michael Onwenu
- Josh Jacobs
- Lloyd Cushenberry
- Chase Young
- Xavier McKinney

They aren't gonna pay no big money for ANY RB...you can mark Jacobs off. Probably not gonna pay big money for a DE either.....I can see them being interested in McKinney and Tart tho.

(03-09-2024, 10:15 AM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: They should be kicking the tires on the S, DT, RT, and TE crowd.

That said, I am not a big social media guy, so I have to ask.

Is there anyone out there that the Bengals players are actively courting to come to Cincinnati?

Just checking. I know the players have a history of recruiting as well...

I have no idea how KC could afford to pay Chris Jones, but they did it

Boo!!!

(03-09-2024, 09:07 PM)pulses Wrote: Justin Simmons is a great safety but he's probably out of their range age wise.

I agree.  However, if I could have one safety out there now, it would be him.  I personally think he goes to Philly to play in Fangio's defense again.

(03-10-2024, 01:05 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I have no idea how KC could afford to pay Chris Jones, but they did it

Boo!!!

They have to trade Sneed. Pronto.

The only weird thing I've heard was from Paul Dehner this past week. He said that if Harrison Smith were to be cut by the Vikings, the Bengals would likely try to sign him. This hasn't happened yet, but his contract is huge and he's a prime candidate to be a cap casualty. It was mentioned that when the Bengals played Minnesota last year, the coaches spoke of Smith in an unusually high regard. They seemed (to Dehner) to almost unanimously believe that his ability to communicate and lead in a secondary was elite and game-changing.

Zimmer being in Dallas might make that a tough signing, and Smith seems primed to retire, but you never know.

Not anything tangible, but something to keep an eye on....