(03-26-2025, 02:16 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I might be in the minority, but I wouldn't be opposed to contracts being forced to stick to AAV for cap hits and removing things like Void Years.
It would help keep things simpler and allow more parity across the league because teams like the Chiefs, Eagles, and Steelers couldn't manipulate the heck out of the cap like they do today.

I'm sure though doing that would be a lose-lose for both the teams and players themselves.

(03-26-2025, 03:24 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I have been beating the TE drum. I think Drew Sample is our poorest starter at any position. Evan worsr than G (Volson/Ford), WR3 (Yoshi), DE2 (Ossai), S (Soine & Battle), and PK (McPherson). 

While we have two viable starters at DT in Hill & Slaton. Which makes the DT a rotational piece. Now, I'd love for that DT to be a stud va run & pass & make BJ or slaton a reserve. And I do think Nolen, Grant, or Harmon could do it. 

But by the same token, BJ/Slaton are better at their jobs than Sample is at his. Having Gesicki as a WR4/TE2 kind of mitigates our shortcomings at TE1 & WR3, though..

If my chiice is Warren or Nolen, I'd take Warren. 

(03-25-2025, 11:15 PM)XsandOs Wrote: This is what I'm thinking recently. If Campbell has shoulder issues (especially both shoulders), Emmanwori makes sense. BTW, it is disgusting that so many LBs are diagnosed with Labrum tears at the combine. The Cortisone shot culture in College Football is criminal. 

Nonetheless, unless a Will Johnson falls to us, it may be Emmanwori. I don't see another safety worthy of picking in round 1. But we can get a second round CB or S. 

However; after Campbell, I don't see another three down LB worthy of a first or even a second rounder. 

So the choice I do keep coming back to is Campbell.   

(03-26-2025, 04:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I would also be fine if they stripped most of the cap manipulation abilities away and made teams play it more straight. I don't think I would tie it to AAV though... but I wouldn't hate getting rid of void years, post-June-1 cuts, and then do something like tying restructuring base salary as a signing bonus to requiring adding at least 1 more fully guaranteed year worth no less than the franchise tag in base salary to do so so you can't just float future cap hits to un-guaranteed years.

Until they do that, though (aka almost certainly never), the Bengals need to learn how to play the cap game if they want to be real contenders for any stretch of time more than just a lucky blue moon year here or there.

(03-26-2025, 02:31 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: This is about team needs after free agency.  The draft is a paper of that, no?

(03-26-2025, 04:16 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Why would anyone want the NFL to turn into something like MLB?  Fully guaranteed contracts are a bad idea.  Look at Cleveland with Deshaun Watson.  Does anyone really want that for the entire NFL?  It's not good for the team.  Its not good for their fans.  It's not good for the NFL as a whole.  If players cant guarantee their same level of production why should their contracts be guaranteed.  In my job if I start sucking at what I do, I get let go.  

Being able to cut guys allows that extra money to go toward other guys that are playing better.  What if everyone in the NFL were on guaranteed contracts right now and the salary cap stays flat?  How would you pay all the rookies coming off their contracts?  and other players coming off their current contracts that deserve a raise.  You need to be able to cut players and give that money to other players that deserve a raise instead of those that are under-performing.

...and void years are bad too.  You are borrowing money from future years to pay current players.  Its like going to a check cashing place to borrow money on your future checks to pay a current debt.  Next month when you have to pay bills, you have less money to cover your expenses.

(03-26-2025, 05:26 PM)Whatever Wrote: The player's union would never go for it, as void years is a big way teams squeeze more guaranteed money into their contracts.. 

More likely, the league and union could agree to do away with the escrow rule, as that was put in place when a number of the teams weren't stable financially and losing money.  That would enable the cash poor teams to manipulate the cap to the same extent as the ones with more liquid cash on hand.  

(03-26-2025, 05:37 PM)jj22 Wrote: Yes my fault. I misread your statement. (I actually thought I had commented this in the  Happy Tampering Day thread that has turned into a draft thread).

(03-26-2025, 05:08 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I would trade back and draft Jihad Campbell if that is who we want, he should fall with the shoulder injuries. Starks is another 
possibility but I like Emmanwori's elite size, speed and overall talent more than Starks. In the end I would rather take the dude 
that isn't coming off of injury.

(03-26-2025, 06:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Chase already no longer the highest paid non-QB.

Crosby signed a 3yr/$106.5m extension. Can only imagine that there's still at least 1 more record setter coming this offseason with Micah Parsons.

(03-26-2025, 03:04 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Well, someone thought we did pretty well in FA. This guy at ESPN ranked our FA class (new, retensions, extensions) and how close we maximized as #6 of 32.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/44363563/2025-nfl-free-agency-class-rankings-teams-improved-better-worse-signings-deals

(03-26-2025, 06:52 PM)CJD Wrote: I don't understand what you're saying.

Crosby's extension averages 35.5M AAV. Chase's extension averages 40.25M AAV.

(03-26-2025, 03:04 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Well, someone thought we did pretty well in FA. This guy at ESPN ranked our FA class (new, retensions, extensions) and how close we maximized as #6 of 32.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/44363563/2025-nfl-free-agency-class-rankings-teams-improved-better-worse-signings-deals

(03-26-2025, 06:19 PM)XsandOs Wrote: I am all for Fulcher 2.0, with more speed.

(03-26-2025, 05:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: That's why I said "aka almost certainly never" as when they'd do that.

The escrow rule going away would mean the ones with more liquid cash would then just move to larger signing bonuses and down that road is eventually fully-guaranteed contracts, which does NOT benefit fans.

I just want the cap to be more of an actual hard cap like it used to be because right now with void years and the such it's acting a bit more like a soft cap... obviously not quite MLB soft cap, but even without going that far it still isn't good for league parity.

(03-26-2025, 11:00 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Trey was quite a bit underpaid, compared to his production. I can't speak for last year but this year he deserved a pretty decent pay raise. 

How many other WRs are yelling for new contracts, after recently sigining, because of the JJ and Chase deals of the last 2 years? Any?