(03-19-2018, 12:04 AM)bengalsturntup926 Wrote: If we get rid of Hewitt that would be bad, he came in last year and was blocking good at fullback.

Loved Hewitt... Way overpaid.

Minimal impact. Give me a young hungry guy.

Him and cethan carter are replaceable. And i dont remember seeing plays where i say... Man if only Hewitt was in there... Or.. Boy Cethan Carter at FB there and we would have had a TD. 

If we need an extra million to get geno or dunlap locked up. Im putting those names on the list.

I'm not sure that we need a fullback with Mixon and Gio running the ball. Using 3 WR and spreading the field is a better approach with those two - provided we can actually get some decent interior line play next year.

According to spotrac we have 26 million left for top 51 contracts, 18 million for everyone. That includes the projected amount for the draft contracts. So assuming 10 million in rollover, we have 8-12 million for free agency left. We're projected at 65 million. In cap space for 2019 as well.

(03-18-2018, 11:48 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Because they have to put back money for the Rookie contracts, to cover additions/settlements for injuries, and it is most definitely wise to keep a fund available to bargain with existing players on extensions.

Sunset, I will understand if there is a need for cap space to extend current players. That would be the only reason.

The 18+ mil is more than enough for rookie contracts and possible injury settlements.

(03-18-2018, 03:32 PM)TSwigZ Wrote: We can draft Lamar Jackson and Mason Rudolph then cut AJ and Andy force Lamar to play WR

:andy:

(03-18-2018, 11:48 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Because they have to put back money for the Rookie contracts, to cover additions/settlements for injuries, and it is most definitely wise to keep a fund available to bargain with existing players on extensions.

What other team talks about setting aside money for a "rookie pool"? Rookies have to take a roster spot (and a salary) away from someone who was on the team a year prior, so the money is always mostly accounted for automatically. I realize it can be a bit more complicated than that, but the rookie pool stuff is BS. After we draft these guys, we will be cutting more players to get the roster back to 53. 

I've been watching and reading about NFL football for 25 years and I've never seen talk of a "rookie pool" from anyone other than Hobson. Not saying that no article has ever mentioned that for any other team ever, but I've never seen it.

I'm fine with keeping a little under for injuries, but usually the players you sign as replacements off the street are minimum salary guys. So you don't need much. $2-3 million should be plenty.

(03-19-2018, 03:01 AM)XsandOs Wrote: Sunset, I will understand if there is a need for cap space to extend current players. That would be the only reason.

The 18+ mil is more than enough for rookie contracts and possible injury settlements.

This. I realize everyone we're all in a good mood because the Bengals were very active in the first week of FA, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start accepting the Hobspin drivel. I like holding back some to extend players, when we actually have good players to extend. This year we do, and that's the only reason I would excuse a salary dump. Well that or signing some more good players to shore up a weakness.

(03-19-2018, 02:29 AM)Jpoore Wrote: According to spotrac we have 26 million left for top 51 contracts, 18 million for everyone. That includes the projected amount for the draft contracts. So assuming 10 million in rollover, we have 8-12 million for free agency left.  We're projected at 65 million. In cap space for 2019 as well.

Eifert, Preston Brown, and Matt Barkley aren't listed there yet.
Brown is $5 mill toward the cap and Eifert's incentives will cause the Bengals to reserve up to $8.5 mill more of the cap. Barkley will count $1.4 mill against the cap in 2018.
So reduce that cap space by another $15 mil.

(03-18-2018, 03:39 PM)TheUberHuber Wrote: Hopefully it's Kirkpatrick.... 

As much as I don't want to get rid of him -- depth at cb is always a good thing -- he is not worth 10 million and we can find another 3rd cb in the draft..

Aqib talib is getting that kind of dough and we should all be able to agree dre is no talib.. if we have the space then whatever but if we need players to cut  Dre should top the list... just under Cedric who should be gone already.

The sooner we get out of his contract the better as far as I am concerned. We will have to re sign wj3 at some point.

 If dre restructured his contract then that would be better for us but if not just cut him. Let the Steelers pick him up ... at least we would get some laughs when Ross trucks him over... 

If we dump Kirkpatrick after signing him over Zeitler or Whitworth that would be the biggest admission of idiocy a front office has ever made regarding the re-signing of their players.

I think Mike Brown is too...something...for that. Stubborn?

I would say prideful, but Brown can't possibly be proud of anything he does with this organization.

I think the likely cuts are Michael Johnson and, maybe, if we're lucky, Brandon Lafell.

Rey is also a possibility, but he's relatively small hit compared to a few others currently on the roster. Plus, he's still a good reserve LB.

(03-18-2018, 09:35 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I don't get why we have to dump salary. Isn't Eifert making less on this contract than his 5th year option? Did Huber really get a big raise? We dumped Pacman and Bodine already. Doesn't that cover most of the contracts for Baker and Brown? Then you have the fact that the salary cap went up $10 million. Sure, we took on Glenn's contract, but I was under the impression we had enough under the cap to make a move like that. Especially with that cap increase.

Not to mention the 4 games they don't have to pay Bufict for.....

(03-19-2018, 09:46 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: If we dump Kirkpatrick after signing him over Zeitler or Whitworth that would be the biggest admission of idiocy a front office has ever made regarding the re-signing of their players.

I think Mike Brown is too...something...for that. Stubborn?

I would say prideful, but Brown can't possibly be proud of anything he does with this organization.

I think the likely cuts are Michael Johnson and, maybe, if we're lucky, Brandon Lafell.

Rey is also a possibility, but he's relatively small hit compared to a few others currently on the roster. Plus, he's still a good reserve LB.

MJ is the most likely candidate. He'd free up $5 mill in cap if cut and the Bengals already drafted two DEs last year in prep to replace him. Plus, both Lawson and Willis played well.
LaFell just received a $1 mill roster bonus, but he would still free up $3 mill in cap. But unlike MJ, the WRs behind LaFell are less proven so there might be hesitation to cut. However, the other WRs do need a chance to see the field more to see what they can do and cutting LaFell would force that (even though the receiving game could end up being even worse without Lafell).
With Burfict facing suspension, I don't think it makes sense to cut VRey. He's not even counting $3 mill against the cap.

With just MJ and LaFell, $8 mill of the cap would be freed. I would think/hope that would be enough.

Do we really need to sign Dunlap and Atkins to extensions this year? Maybe extend Atkins and wait on Dunlap til next year?

We can focus on one, preferably Atkins and tag the other. Depending on which position the tag is cheapest (which I don't know off the top of my head).

The only player outside of Lafell I could see cut was MJ.

Paying a 1m roster bonus doesn't seem like a big deal for other teams but for the Bengals, you have to think that means Lafell is safe.

(03-18-2018, 07:38 PM)Bryan Wrote: Hasn't Iloka been playing out of position since Reggie left? When Reggie was here George was listed at SS since he's been gone he's been listed at FS. I know under Zim they were just labels and they could be flipped around, not sure about Guenther since I haven't been able to watch many games the last 2 seasons. Wouldn't drafting a FS and moving Iloka back to SS be the best move?

Nice post Bryan, yes that would be the best move.

(03-18-2018, 03:29 PM)BrownAssClown Wrote: Yep....Michael Johnson is probably on the chopping block.

He should be.  It's time.

(03-19-2018, 12:04 AM)bengalsturntup926 Wrote: If we get rid of Hewitt that would be bad, he came in last year and was blocking good at fullback.

Hewitt just does not see the field that much with our offense.. so probably a waste to have him on this team .. so would not be surprised of saving some with that cut.. and maybe MJ if they feel the youth is ready to step up....

(03-20-2018, 09:36 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Hewitt just does not see the field that much with our offense.. so probably a waste to have him on this team .. so would not be surprised of saving some with that cut.. and maybe MJ if they feel the youth is ready to step up....

I think injury has something to do with this with Hewitt.

Not sure, but that is what i heard. Thing is when he is healthy the running game has looked considerably better when he plays.

Don't know why they gave him that deal and sat him unless there was an injury.

Dude can block.

(03-20-2018, 09:36 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Hewitt just does not see the field that much with our offense.. so probably a waste to have him on this team .. so would not be surprised of saving some with that cut.. and maybe MJ if they feel the youth is ready to step up....

I see what you're saying, but that was the offense of the last couple of seasons. I hope that can change due to the Good Stuff that's been happening. Thing is, if the line gets sorted out and Andy's not running for his life, the running game can and should get back on track. Hewitt could be a big part of that.

But yeah...for all Hobson's nonsense, when he actually goes on record as saying something's going to happen...it usually does. I look for some kind of salary dump to happen.

Always have been a MJ fan but would say it is time to make that move and thank him for his service here.

(03-21-2018, 12:14 AM)Go Cards Wrote: Always have been a MJ fan but would say it is time to make that move and thank him for his service here.

I can see this happening, but not until the end of training camp.  Gotta have his replacement first.

So there is something to remember when we talk contracts going forward,this CBA runs out in 2020 which is why you see a lot of contracts run to 2020. The reason being is the 2020 year actually has some weird rules including a Tag and Transition tag both in that year. The rule that really affects the resigning is that no contract can increase in value the year after this current CBA expires by more than 30%. The issue here is this affects the way you can structure extensions that go beyond this CBA because of this restriction. Add into the fact that there are no post June 1st cut designations into the last year and you may actually see a bunch of guys contracts get dumped leading into the final year.

Why this all matters? Agents know the CBA is ending and the closer we get to the CBA renegotiation the tougher they will be to try and work with. I'd get any extensions we plan to do over the next couple years done now if you want to ensure they get done..