(03-11-2021, 01:19 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Curious to hear from you on if you think we will see any cuts before next Weds (FA officially opens).

Fwiw, I'm always of the position that if you know for a fact a player is not in your future plans that you should always cut them prior to FA.  It does right by the player in giving them an equal chance with other FA's to get signed and to set the market.  If you dump a guy weeks after FA opens he's hitting a market that's now cheaper, and many teams will have already filled needs.

Plus, what benefit is there in waiting if you know the guy isn't going to be around?

I'll be interested to see if we have any cuts coming up.  If players aren't cut before Weds. then I have to believe we're still considering keeping them and it may be dependent on the market and their potential replacements.

If you see names like Atkins, Hart, Bernard, Uzomah, Hopkins, Price, and XSF all still here come Weds. I would have to think they all still have a very good chance to stick.  In fact, you're probably not going to see more than one or two of them get released later during FA, if any at all.  Some may not be purged until camp.

What do you guys think?  Are you suprised we haven't moved on from any what yet?  Do you want us to make cuts before next week?  Anyone you'll be shocked by still being here this time next week?

(03-11-2021, 01:21 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'm not sure we'll see many cuts before FA begins. The Bengals have Top 5 cap space right now, so they have room to sign a replacement and then let the incumbent go.

(03-11-2021, 01:22 PM)Au165 Wrote: I think they will do things in unison, so for instance a tackle may be paired with a Bobby Hart cut. I think they are just cautious not to make a move until they are sure they got the replacement in-house.

(03-11-2021, 01:25 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Right.
For instance, I can see them holding onto Hart until a new OT is officially signed.

(03-11-2021, 01:33 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I understand this thinking for players that are up in the air (We may replace them, we may not), but what about guys we know we're going to move on from?  Why wait?

Take Bernard for example.  If the FO has already established that they cannot afford to pay their backup running back 5 million dollars, do we really need to wait until we sign another RB at 1-2 million?

Take Geno.  He saves 9 million dollars.  I would think they've established whether or not he's worth it.  Do we really need to wait to know we can find a DT somewhere in FA?

Fwiw, I'm not saying these guys are guaranteed to be cut.  But I'm just saying if the team has already established that certain players are not in our future plans then they should move on now.  Why hurt the players chances of signing the best deal he can in FA?

And if the team hasn't established that ANY players aren't in our future plans, that to me is very concerning.  I don't think you need a replacement inked up to know it's safe to move on from some of these names.

(03-11-2021, 01:35 PM)ochocincos Wrote: What players do we know the Bengals are moving on from?
We may think we know but they may not think that way.

I agree though, any that are known should be cut ahead of time. But that's just my opinion.

(03-11-2021, 01:42 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: As an example:  The Dolphins have a similar amount of cap space as us and they've already cut bait from Kyle Van Noy.  They even ate 4 mil in dead cap to do so.

They didn't need to wait to find a replacement.  They just decided this guy wasn't worth the money was due, and they moved on.  It seems perfectly reasonable to make this assement, knowing you'll have ample options to choose from in FA and/or the draft.

Again, I can see waiting on players that are on the fence.  My question is, are all of our guys still on the fence, and we haven't been able to identify players we know we're moving on from?

.

(03-11-2021, 01:45 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: We don't know anything.  But I would think the team would know by now if they want to move from certain guys.  You don't exactly need a replacement player in tow to know whether or not you want to pay Bernard 5 mil, or Uzomah 6 mi, or Hart 7 mil.

To each their own, but the more time passes the more I don't think we're going to see the number of names come off the books as we would like.  Which I guess wouldn't be a surprise, this team hates eating money.  It may be one or two that get axed, but I have a feeling we're going to get the majority of these guys back.

(03-11-2021, 01:45 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: We don't know anything.  But I would think the team would know by now if they want to move from certain guys.  You don't exactly need a replacement player in tow to know whether or not you want to pay Bernard 5 mil, or Uzomah 6 mi, or Hart 7 mil.

To each their own, but the more time passes the more I don't think we're going to see the number of names come off the books as we would like.  Which I guess wouldn't be a surprise, this team hates eating money.  It may be one or two that get axed, but I have a feeling we're going to get the majority of these guys back.

(03-11-2021, 02:55 PM)Whatever Wrote: Why would you cut guys before you have to?

Hart is a big one that there's speculation that gets cut.  If we cut him before FA starts and don't sign a starting caliber RT, then every team knows we're going T in 1 or 2 in the draft and can jump you if they need one.

(03-11-2021, 01:19 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Curious to hear from you on if you think we will see any cuts before next Weds (FA officially opens).

Fwiw, I'm always of the position that if you know for a fact a player is not in your future plans that you should always cut them prior to FA.  It does right by the player in giving them an equal chance with other FA's to get signed and to set the market.  If you dump a guy weeks after FA opens he's hitting a market that's now cheaper, and many teams will have already filled needs.

Plus, what benefit is there in waiting if you know the guy isn't going to be around?

I'll be interested to see if we have any cuts coming up.  If players aren't cut before Weds. then I have to believe we're still considering keeping them and it may be dependent on the market and their potential replacements.

If you see names like Atkins, Hart, Bernard, Uzomah, Hopkins, Price, and XSF all still here come Weds. I would have to think they all still have a very good chance to stick.  In fact, you're probably not going to see more than one or two of them get released later during FA, if any at all.  Some may not be purged until camp.

What do you guys think?  Are you suprised we haven't moved on from anyone yet?  Do you want us to make cuts before next week?  Anyone you'll be shocked by still being here this time next week?

(03-11-2021, 03:37 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: The obvious cuts from a money standpoint would be Geno, Gio and Hart.

(03-11-2021, 03:12 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Why would you cut guys before you have to?  Because you know, no matter what, they're not going to he here for the 2021 season.

If you establish a guy isn't worth anywhere near the money he's being paid then why not move on now?  It's not like FA is some mystery.  We can see a plethora of specifi options that are going to be available, and we know more that will come via cuts.  Isn't that enough to know that the player can be replaced?

All sorts of cuts are being made right now that don't have to, by teams not in cap hell yet.  So why do they do it?  My guess is they know the player is going to be replaced one way or another by someone better, someone cheaper, or both. 

My fear is we aren't committing to moving on from anyone, and will be pefectly content bringing all but one or two back.  (I sure hope I'm wrong)

(03-11-2021, 05:16 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: As much as I loved Geno, any other team has already cut him by now. He produced nothing and has a big price tag with little in the way of dead cap if we cut him. It's a no-brainer. Not sure why we haven't done it yet...outside of "it's the Bengals".

(03-11-2021, 03:37 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: The obvious cuts from a money standpoint would be Geno, Gio and Hart.

So with the Bengals being under the cap, they don't need to make any cuts. This actually can strengthen their position in trying to rework contracts with Gio, and Geno the longer they hold onto them.

Every other team is struggling to get under the cap and cutting guys left and right. If your Geno and you know you might get cut a week or so into free agency when all the big money is already gone and you have to sign a one year vet min type deal or... you rework your current deal and stay here at a lower price but more then you will get in FA. Seems like an obvious choice. Maybe the new front office is smart enough to see this and is going to try and re-work some deals.