(03-12-2025, 11:49 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/cap/_/year/2025

As of March 12 Spotrac is showing us with almost 36 million in cap space with Sample, Hill and Ossai contracts yet to post. Sample should be close to the 1.1 minimum coming off of an injury so very little impact as he will remove a $900K player. Not sure how team some of these contracts so we may have more than the Spotrac or less.

The key is we don't need cap space money to sign chase or Higgins long term, in fact we gain cap space. Bengals are well under the cap and not limited to sign multiple players to good contracts if they desire.

We are over 51, so the Sample hit should be negligible, he is just displacing someone counting $960k. Ossai should be $7 mil, it is a 1 year deal. Down to $27 mil.  Hill should be in the $8-$10 range, but that is just a guess. $17-$19. 

The cost of the PS is pretty much what we'll save from cutting Moss. So that is a wash. 

If you count the full 53 i stead of $51, it will be $2 mil more. So, $15-$17 practically. 

(03-13-2025, 12:09 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We are over 51, so the Sample hit should be negligible, he is just displacing someone counting $960k. Ossai should be $7 mil, it is a 1 year deal. Down to $27 mil.  Hill should be in the $8-$10 range, but that is just a guess. $17-$19. 

The cost of the PS is pretty much what we'll save from cutting Moss. So that is a wash. 

If you count the full 53 i stead of $51, it will be $2 mil more. So, $15-$17 practically. 

There is just funky numbers posted I don't trust. The Gesicki contract seems like too high a cap hit for 2025 if reporting of him getting 12 milion at signing is correct. I hink it may be 3 million high, but will have to wait and see. I know Ossai is a one year deal for 7 million, but they can add voidable years and take it down to a cap hit of 3 or 4 million in 2025.

It will interesting to see if Bengals FO starts using voidable years more. I believe JB is the only player with voidable years, he has 3 of them.

Update March 20

Hill's cap hit is on the site.The new contracts for Tee and Chase are not on yet. But, it is expected Bengal will gain in cap space as Tee hit for 2025 is showing 26+ million and Chase almost 22 million.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/_/year/2025

We have 22.4million
Practice squad - 3.5 million
Injury Pool - 5 million

So we have close to 14 million

Burrow could restructure and Tee and Jamar should give us mor cap dollars in 2025.

(03-20-2025, 12:50 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Update March 20

Hill's cap hit is on the site.The new contracts for Tee and Chase are not on yet. But, it is expected Bengal will gain in cap space as Tee hit for 2025 is showing 26+ million and Chase almost 22 million.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/_/year/2025

We have 22.4million
Practice squad - 3.5 million
Injury Pool - 5 million

So we have close to 14 million

Burrow could restructure and Tee and Jamar should give us mor cap dollars in 2025.

Spotrac is still showing the 5th year option and 2nd franchise tag values for Chase and Higgins. Those aren't the actual cap hits.

(03-20-2025, 07:50 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Spotrac is still showing the 5th year option and 2nd franchise tag values for Chase and Higgins. Those aren't the actual cap hits.

Yes, that is why I said it was not showing new contracts for those 2. But, it is supposed to be large net gain for us in cap space anywhere between 15 to 25 million additional cap.

Details on the Bengals WR contracts ...

• Ja'Marr Chase gets $73.9M fully guaranteed.
• Chase's 3-year cashflow: $105M.
• $103.9M of that vests early.
• Tee Higgins' full guarantee: $30M.
• Higgins has $2M/year in per-game roster bonuses.

More ?https://t.co/4xbKzgPReP

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 20, 2025

(03-20-2025, 09:10 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Details on the Bengals WR contracts ...

• Ja'Marr Chase gets $73.9M fully guaranteed.
• Chase's 3-year cashflow: $105M.
• $103.9M of that vests early.
• Tee Higgins' full guarantee: $30M.
• Higgins has $2M/year in per-game roster bonuses.

More ?https://t.co/4xbKzgPReP

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 20, 2025

Wow, talk about some creatively negotiated contracts. Love that Higgins gets paid more if he's healthy and doesn't get paid for games that he's not.

(03-20-2025, 09:10 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Details on the Bengals WR contracts ...

• Ja'Marr Chase gets $73.9M fully guaranteed.
• Chase's 3-year cashflow: $105M.
• $103.9M of that vests early.
• Tee Higgins' full guarantee: $30M.
• Higgins has $2M/year in per-game roster bonuses.

More ?https://t.co/4xbKzgPReP

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 20, 2025

Seems like a great job by the FO.

Of all the things the FO should take flack for, and there's plenty, contracts are not it. 

(03-20-2025, 09:23 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Wow, talk about some creatively negotiated contracts. Love that Higgins gets paid more if he's healthy and doesn't get paid for games that he's not.

But, but, but Bengals FO is dumb and cheap................

I love the Higgins structure. I am trying to find out more, but I also believe the per game bonus does not require Bengals to put money in escrow since not guaranteed. I was listening to Bill GM Beane and he started to go through why they structure contracts that way to avoid escrow, then he stopped discussing it for some reason.

I still wan to see. the numbers, but it looks like Tee may have below the top end 60% guaranteed I thought he woukd get. He mat be less than 50% an if so it is genious. It appears here is only guaranteed 30 million if I read Breer's text correctly.

(03-20-2025, 09:24 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Seems like a great job by the FO.

Of all the things the FO should take flack for, and there's plenty, contracts are not it. 

I love he needs to stay on the field to get a bonus and also has oter escalators tied into resuts as well is my guess. It is fair for the team and makes him work on taking cate of his body (hamstrings) better to play every week. Bengals have all 3 play 17 games would be very scary for the NFL defensive coordinators.

OTC has Tee's cap hits: $20.3, $28, $31.3, $34.8.

Chase's not in yet. Moss not cut yet.

Top 51 at $29. 4 mil..

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/cincinnati-bengals

(03-21-2025, 10:08 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: OTC has Tee's cap hits: $20.3, $28, $31.3, $34.8.

Chase's not in yet. Moss not cut yet.

Top 51 at $29. 4 mil..

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/cincinnati-bengals

So Bengals gained 6 million is cap space in 2025. I am a bit surprised, I thought it would be lower in year 1. Also no restructure for Burrow if we need it yet.

https://thebengalsboard.com/forum-2.html

New number is 28.5 million (minus 3.5 million for PS and 5 million for injuries), we have 20 million in cap space. It is includes the draft, but as you stated Chase contract has not been updated.

I have to admit, I knew Tee's injury history woud hurt him, but Bengals could easily trade him after year 2 and have no dead cap since his guaranteed money is only 30 million.

(03-20-2025, 10:59 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: But, but, but Bengals FO is dumb and cheap................

I love the Higgins structure. I am trying to find out more, but I also believe the per game bonus does not require Bengals to put money in escrow since not guaranteed. I was listening to Bill GM Beane and he started to go through why they structure contracts that way to avoid escrow, then he stopped discussing it for some reason.

I still wan to see. the numbers, but it looks like Tee may have below the top end 60% guaranteed I thought he woukd get. He mat be less than 50% an if so it is genious. It appears here is only guaranteed 30 million if I read Breer's text correctly.

Doesn't matter how much you mock the chicken littles, they're still going to squawk next time.

(03-21-2025, 10:08 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: OTC has Tee's cap hits: $20.3, $28, $31.3, $34.8.

Chase's not in yet. Moss not cut yet.

Top 51 at $29. 4 mil..

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/cincinnati-bengals

Those are estimates but those numbers look pretty good, now and 3/4 seasons from now. 

20 and 28 his first 2 years are about what i believe most Bengals fans would find reasonable and the 30+ hits will not look so big 3 seasons from now, as the cap goes up and more WRs sign between now and then. 

Long term, it looks good. Really waiting to see how Chase's contract looks. 

If I had to build a 53 man roster atm with the guys we have signed:

QB (2): Burrow; Browning
RB (3): C. Brown; Perine, Moss
WR (6): Chase, Higgins, Iosivas; I. Williams, C. Jones, Burton
TE (5): D. Sample; Gesicki, Hudson, Grandy, McLachlan
OT (3): O. Brown, Mims; Cochran
G (4): Volson, Ford (G/T), Kirkland (G/T), Stueber
C (2): Karras (C/G), Lee (C/G/T)
----------
DE (6): Hendrickson, Ossai; Murphy, C. Johnson, C. Sample, I. Thomas
DT (4): BJ Hill, Slaton; Jenkins, Jackson
LB (5): L. Wilson, Pratt; Burks, Heyward, Njongmeta
CB (6): CTB, Turner, D. Hill; Newton, Ivey,,M. Wilson
S (4): Battle, Stone; Anthony, Anderson
---------------
PK (1): McPherson
P (1): Rehkow
LS (1): Adomitis
-----------
IR (1): All (TE)

Now, some things will change with more FA signings and the draft. I am assuming All is IR'd and Cam Sample can play. I assume Moss will be cut, but he is still on the roster atm. We only have 4 DTs so I carried an extra DE, plus Sample can kick inside some. And Chase's contract is not in yet, and his cap hit should decrease.

But those 54 ar Chase's current number yields $26.8 in space. Moss getting cut will roughly cover the PS cost, but we still need to fill that spot, $1 mil. Plus a net of -$2 mil for the first round pick. So, $23.8 mil + Chase's savings. I'd guess around $30 mil.

Minus what Trey will cost and whatever cushion/carryover we need ($8-$10 mil).

Absent more cuts (Pratt, Stone, Volson) or a Burrow reatructure, I think we are looking at around $15 mil in practical cap space.

I have yet to read the contract, but my guess is based on Tee's incentive laced deal, these are maxium hits for Tee. If he misses games, he will lose money and team will gain back that cap space each year following if Tee's misses the target.

(03-21-2025, 12:56 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I have yet to read the contract, but my guess is based on Tee's incentive laced deal, these are maxium hits for Tee. If he misses games, he will lose money and team will gain back that cap space each year following if Tee's misses the target.

Likely incentives are included in the cap number. Can't count on him being hurt from a cap savings perspective. We cannot spend that money up front.

(03-21-2025, 01:19 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Likely incentives are included in the cap number. Can't count on him being hurt from a cap savings perspective. We cannot spend that money up front.

I agree and why I stated after the season we gain cap space if he misses game or targets. Simply brilliant contract structure. Katie and Troy should be appluaded for their creativity but giving Tee what he wanted. The guarantee versus the maxium contract is extremly low and a little surprised Tee agreed to it.

(03-21-2025, 02:28 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I agree and why I stated after the season we gain cap space if he misses game or targets. Simply brilliant contract structure. Katie and Troy should be appluaded for their creativity but giving Tee what he wanted. The guarantee versus the maxium contract is extremly low and a little surprised Tee agreed to it.

If he misses time, it will help us next year in terms of cap. No doubt. 

(03-21-2025, 12:56 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I have yet to read the contract, but my guess is based on Tee's incentive laced deal, these are maxium hits for Tee. If he misses games, he will lose money and team will gain back that cap space each year following if Tee's misses the target.

There's only $2m at play each year in game incentives. ($117.6k per game) So if he misses another 5 games, we're only talking about saving $588k in cap space.

There's then incentives that aren't added yet in the form of $1m and $1.7m if Tee plays 65%+ of the snaps and the Bengals win an AFCC game or a SB.

So those numbers aren't the maximum, the maximum is $2.7m/yr more. The minimum is just $2m less.