(05-13-2024, 03:56 PM)CJD Wrote: The way the Bengals were acting, I thought Higgins and his agent were asking for the moon and stars (think 30M+ AAV), so I thought, "Hey, if he won't accept a 3 year, 75 million dollar contract, just tag him three times. It'll cost the Bengals 79.4 million dollars over those 3 years, but it'll at least give them a possible out after each year if he continues to be injured. Maybe that's why the Bengals aren't willing to pay him what he's worth."

The report that Higgins really only wants approximately what Michael Pittman got (3 years, 70 million dollars, 46 million guaranteed) and that the Bengals had not even approached 20 million AAV is what turned this whole fiasco into an embarrassment.

Now, maybe that report was untrue and was propaganda spread by David Mulugheta to get the NFL fan base on his side but...if that were the case, the Bengals would have been truly idiotic to not at least address the allegation.

Their silence on the matter tells me it is at least mostly true, if not 100% true.

I think the way the Bengals have handled this has been truly shameful.

Where did that report come from?

(05-13-2024, 04:32 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Agree with this 100%. 

We didn't pay Bates because we had to pay Tee. We aren't paying Tee because we have to pay Chase. 

Meanwhile we sit there still with the tenth most cap space in the league (20 million) and 60 million next year (not counting this years rollover).

If you really want to get pissed off look at the numbers for 2026. We currently have 2 guys signed making more than 10 million with a projected 235 million in cap space. You're telling me the Bengals can't make that extension work? Riiiiiight. 

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Katie is running the business like the old man did. It is embarrassing. The eagles can pay two receivers 20 million+ with a 50 million dollar QB and still have a very competitive team. Katie can’t evolve just like Mike never did in the 90’s


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(05-13-2024, 10:44 PM)wanga Wrote: Where did that report come from?

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/tee-higgins-contract-bengals-wr-seeking-similar-deal-as-an-afc-south-counterpart-per-report/#:~:text=It's%20clear%20that%20the%20Bengals,protection%20beyond%20this%20upcoming%20season.

Quote:Tee Higgins has no interest in resetting the market for receivers, but the Cincinnati Bengals veteran is hoping to be paid his worth. Higgins, who reportedly reaffirmed his desire to be traded last week, was initially looking for a deal that was similar to the three-year, $70 million extension Michael Pittman recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts, according to Cincinnati.com. The Bengals haven't come close to the $20 million-per-year range for Higgins, per the report. 

I don't have a Cincinnati.com subscription so I can't read the original article, but it was written by Kelsey Conway.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Tee Higgins would be looking for more than what MPJ got. I don’t have anything other than the fact that two of his agents last high profile clients reset the market. The fact of the matter is no one really knows what’s going on behind closed doors, but my belief is Higgins and his agent have a higher value than the bengals want to pay. I could be wrong here, but just my thought.

I may be one of the few but I hope they get something done. Having Tee and Uno together for 4-5 more years (with Burton rounding out the troika) is just perfect. You've got a chance to really build something special and sustainable. I don't need a new toy every year.

Regardless, the Bengals should use it as a lesson for future contracts. The $ they were talking about last year ($20 mil or whatever) is presumably dwarfed by the number today- and Tee didn't even have a good year. Point being that numbers are rising and will continue to rise- so get it done when you can. You won't get a better deal later. We learned that from Bates too.

(05-14-2024, 01:30 PM)tms Wrote: I may be one of the few but I hope they get something done. Having Tee and Uno together for 4-5 more years (with Burton rounding out the troika) is just perfect. You've got a chance to really build something special and sustainable. I don't need a new toy every year.

Regardless, the Bengals should use it as a lesson for future contracts. The $ they were talking about last year ($20 mil or whatever) is presumably dwarfed by the number today- and Tee didn't even have a good year. Point being that numbers are rising and will continue to rise- so get it done when you can. You won't get a better deal later. We learned that from Bates too.

They fart around and let things evolve to the point where they have to pay more than they want to.   Even then, if the Pittman story is true, just sign him.  

I don't like the trend:

Didn't sign Bates when he was relatively affordable, pissed him off and he goes to Atlanta and proves he's a top 5 safety
Didn't talk to Tee for a year when they could have signed him to a very affordable contract.  Like Bates he wants to sign, and we get to the point that he wants out
Granted we extended Hendrickson - but could the money have been a little better and the security better (longer contract)
Didn't sign Reader to a very affordable contract.  Sends us into the draft having to sign two DTs.   Might have used one of the other picks on a higher level IOL.  Or at the very least you have insane quality depth at DT.

Stop farting around.  Get your top players into the fold and have them be ambassadors for a top league destination.   I don't care what the players say, it affects the whole building.

Leverage is not as good a currency as good will.  Screw the "it's a business" vibe.

A Patriots website, MusketFire, has a few articles from yesterday about a possible trade for Tee.

The start of the article just says the normal about Tee wanting a trade, us refusing his request, and then him saying he wants back in Cinci.

It says how Higgins is the only franchised player without a new contract after Winfield Jr signed his deal, and then goes into the possibility of a trade to the Pats:

Quote:This should be even more reason for the Patriots to get on the phone about a Higgins trade. He's likely looking for any way out, and clearly, the Bengals don't want to keep him around long-term.

I don't know that we don't want to keep him around long-term, so much as we're not willing to pay his asking price to be paid like a top receiver.

Quote:Although they're not on the same Championship path as the Bengals, he would instantly be paid and become the clear-cut WR1 of the offense.
That seems to be a driving force for him to want a trade. He was drafted a year before Ja'Marr Chase and had an impressive season. But once Chase arrived, he became the go-to receiver, pushing Higgins to the backburner.

He's continued to put up solid numbers and would be a WR1 on several teams in the league, which makes him a great fit in New England. Their receiving corps is much improved from a year ago, especially with Kendrick Bourne's re-signing, K.J. Osborn's arrival, and the drafting of Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk.

He'd be a much-needed target for Maye or Brisett and be valuable down the road as well.

Quote:However, most believe they still need a true game-changing number one guy, and Higgins would fit the bill. He might be their last chance to add that caliber of player before the 2024 season, and the longer they wait, the less chance they'll have to get a deal done before anyone else can swoop in.

That's exactly what I meant above: they need someone to get their fans excited and he'd be a great weapon for Brisett or Maye.

You think we'll deal him or you think we'll be the same old stubborn franchise that we seem to be transitioning away from?

(05-14-2024, 03:11 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: A Patriots website, MusketFire, has a few articles from yesterday about a possible trade for Tee.

The start of the article just says the normal about Tee wanting a trade, us refusing his request, and then him saying he wants back in Cinci.

It says how Higgins is the only franchised player without a new contract after Winfield Jr signed his deal, and then goes into the possibility of a trade to the Pats:


I don't know that we don't want to keep him around long-term, so much as we're not willing to pay his asking price to be paid like a top receiver.


He'd be a much-needed target for Maye or Brisett and be valuable down the road as well.


That's exactly what I meant above: they need someone to get their fans excited and he'd be a great weapon for Brisett or Maye.

You think we'll deal him or you think we'll be the same old stubborn franchise that we seem to be transitioning away from?

I don’t think T gets traded unless someone blows them away. That hasn’t happened yet so I doubt it does. They’ll see how this year plays out


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(05-14-2024, 08:49 AM)Bronxbengal Wrote: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!  Katie is running the business like the old man did.  It is embarrassing.  The eagles can pay two receivers 20 million+ with a 50 million dollar QB and still have a very competitive team.  Katie can’t evolve just like Mike never did in the 90’s


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Katie and Troy are nothing like Mike, and that's obvious with things like the practice bubble and just the way things have been run in recent years,

(05-14-2024, 04:24 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: I don’t think T gets traded unless someone blows them away.  That hasn’t happened yet so I doubt it does.  They’ll see how this year plays out


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I think the Patriots could offer something worthwhile, and there's always a chance that another team's #1 or #2 receiver gets hurt.

I just don't think they drafted Burton and two tight ends with the intentions of keeping Higgins. 

What would you consider the minimum that you'd give up for him?

A first or second and fourth? 

(05-13-2024, 03:56 PM)CJD Wrote: The way the Bengals were acting, I thought Higgins and his agent were asking for the moon and stars (think 30M+ AAV), so I thought, "Hey, if he won't accept a 3 year, 75 million dollar contract, just tag him three times. It'll cost the Bengals 79.4 million dollars over those 3 years, but it'll at least give them a possible out after each year if he continues to be injured. Maybe that's why the Bengals aren't willing to pay him what he's worth."

The report that Higgins really only wants approximately what Michael Pittman got (3 years, 70 million dollars, 46 million guaranteed) and that the Bengals had not even approached 20 million AAV is what turned this whole fiasco into an embarrassment.

Now, maybe that report was untrue and was propaganda spread by David Mulugheta to get the NFL fan base on his side but...if that were the case, the Bengals would have been truly idiotic to not at least address the allegation.

Their silence on the matter tells me it is at least mostly true, if not 100% true.

I think the way the Bengals have handled this has been truly shameful.

You think Higgins is worth 3 years, $75 mil?

(05-14-2024, 04:33 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Katie and Troy are nothing like Mike, and that's obvious with things like the practice bubble and just the way things have been run in recent years,

I think the Patriots could offer something worthwhile, and there's always a chance that another team's #1 or #2 receiver gets hurt.

I just don't think they drafted Burton and two tight ends with the intentions of keeping Higgins. 

What would you consider the minimum that you'd give up for him?

A first or second and fourth? 

We aren't getting anything for Tee Higgins that will help with what they're trying to do this year, which is presumably win the Super Bowl. The whole trading him for "something" isn't gonna happen. What's a 2nd round pick next year gonna do for this year? And the idea that we're not gonna get anything for him doesn't make sense. We're gonna get 1000 yards and 6 TDs from him.

(05-14-2024, 05:01 PM)Whatever Wrote: You think Higgins is worth 3 years, $75 mil?

The article said 3 years 70 million. If Pittman is worth that, so is Tee Higgins... But no, in the real world I don't think any of em are worth that. It's not my money though.

‘Reports’ sources either come from one side or the other. Or they’re totally made up BS. I don’t see the Bengals releasing any details but his agent, not so much.

(05-14-2024, 05:11 PM)jason Wrote: The article said 3 years 70 million. If Pittman is worth that, so is Tee Higgins... But no, in the real world I don't think any of em are worth that. It's not my money though.

I think they are comparable players in very different situations.  Both are realistically good WR2 's that would be the WR1 on a team with a bad WR corps.  Difference is, Pittman actually is a WR1 on a team with a bad WR corps and Higgins is firmly behind Chase as a WR2.  The Colts are more desperate to keep Pittman, hence he got Top 10 money.  The Bengals can easily replace Tee so long as they have Chase.

(05-14-2024, 05:01 PM)Whatever Wrote: You think Higgins is worth 3 years, $75 mil?

Yes

(05-14-2024, 05:38 PM)CJD Wrote: Yes

When you look around the league, he's not even really a Top 3 WR2, arguably not even Top 5. And he's worth Top 10 money?

(05-14-2024, 05:55 PM)Whatever Wrote: When you look around the league, he's not even really a Top 3 WR2, arguably not even Top 5.  And he's worth Top 10 money?

I think he's worth Devonta Smith money, yes.  He's a better receiver than Smith. 

(05-14-2024, 06:00 PM)CJD Wrote: I think he's worth Devonta Smith money, yes.  He's a better receiver than Smith. 

(05-14-2024, 05:31 PM)Whatever Wrote: I think they are comparable players in very different situations.  Both are realistically good WR2 's that would be the WR1 on a team with a bad WR corps.  Difference is, Pittman actually is a WR1 on a team with a bad WR corps and Higgins is firmly behind Chase as a WR2.  The Colts are more desperate to keep Pittman, hence he got Top 10 money.  The Bengals can easily replace Tee so long as they have Chase.

Michael Pittman could be in for a tough year. Unlike Tee Pittman plays alot more Z/Slot while Tee plays a ton of X so the Bengals can move Chase around. The Colts are likely to give Adonai Mitchell the free release and two way go opportunities so this bigger Pittman could see his role as the X vs man coverage increase.

(05-14-2024, 05:38 PM)CJD Wrote: Yes

if we didnt have Chase sure...   

but we do