(01-31-2024, 03:35 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I could see a team giving Higgins $20-25 mill APY.
He's better than Brandin Cooks, who is making $19.9 mill APY.
Also better than Diontae Johnson, who is making $18.3 mill APY.

Would the Bengals be willing to pay Higgins $20+ mill APY for Higgins while also inevitably going to pay Chase $30+ mill APY and also paying Burrow's premium?

I will say this...if they do pay Higgins along with also Chase, expect A LOT less to be spent on OL after this group of OL have their contracts ending in the next couple years.

(01-31-2024, 03:09 PM)ochocincos Wrote: This shouldn't be surprising.
Higgins is likely going to get (way) more on the open market than what the Bengals are going to (be willing to) pay.
We have to accept that sometimes the team will need to let some good players go and hold them accountable if they aren't hitting on their early draft picks.

(01-31-2024, 08:19 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yup

Every year there's a small group of teams willing to cough of big money for upper tier free agents. I wouldn't be shocked at all at somebody offering lower end #1 WR money for Tee. Perhaps even higher ?

And I'm just not sure he's worth that considering everywhere else we'll have to cut corners.

(01-31-2024, 05:27 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I did look at the year-by-year cap numbers to see how much Burrow would impact, and it's not very high these next few years.

Cap hit by year for Burrow:
2024 - $29.7 mill
2025 - $46.2 mill
2026 - $48.2 mill

It isn't until 2027 where Burrow's cap hit goes above $50 mill, culminating in $68 mill cap hit in 2029, Burrow's final year under contract.

Quote:Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has commented that he discussed the long-term plan with the team before signing his own major extension, which presumably includes plans for Higgins.

(01-31-2024, 08:33 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The funny thing is $20 mill APY still would put him close to the Top 10 among WR.

(01-31-2024, 10:51 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Tobin is the most overrated front office guy in the league. If he lets Tee walk for nothing, then I'm done with him.

I'm sick and tired of losing our best ***** players because the Bengals don't want to guarantee money or spend up to the cap.

(01-31-2024, 11:25 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I’m plenty critical of Duke myself, but what best players has he let walk outside of Bates?

(01-31-2024, 11:52 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Well, they won't pay Tee. Didn't pay Bates or Bell. That's 3 quality players in two years. 

(01-31-2024, 03:19 PM)jj22 Wrote: I don't see how they can rightfully offer more than they did last offseason given his season. And I doubt his agent will allow for him to take less. Tee and his Agent gambled and loss. I like Tee and love the "big 3" talk and relationship as we all do, but Bengals probably had the best offer to him last offseason. He didn't do enough to make them come back to the table with more money. 

(01-31-2024, 11:52 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Well, they won't pay Tee. Didn't pay Bates or Bell. That's 3 quality players in two years. 

(01-31-2024, 03:35 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I could see a team giving Higgins $20-25 mill APY.
He's better than Brandin Cooks, who is making $19.9 mill APY.
Also better than Diontae Johnson, who is making $18.3 mill APY.

Would the Bengals be willing to pay Higgins $20+ mill APY for Higgins while also inevitably going to pay Chase $30+ mill APY and also paying Burrow's premium?

I will say this...if they do pay Higgins along with also Chase, expect A LOT less to be spent on OL after this group of OL have their contracts ending in the next couple years.

(01-31-2024, 11:59 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: bell was older and they just succesfully replaced him with Battle

(02-01-2024, 01:22 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I feel like that word isn't fully applicable. Battle had some good performance from a personal standpoint and I think he is promising, but our secondary had terrible communication, they were constantly allowing huge plays, and apparently our LBs couldn't trust our safeties to be in the right spots. What Bell brought wasn't just his own play, and that hasn't been successfully replaced at all yet.

If it was fully successful, then the defense wouldn't have gone to complete shit like it did.

(02-01-2024, 01:25 AM)sandwedge Wrote: Is that Battle or Hill making those calls?

Quote:But it is not front of mind when the conversation turns toward Bell’s biggest impact. Instead, it’s the 6 a.m. clanging of weights, the off-day meetings ring-leading, the practice peacemaking, the gentle — and occasionally not-so-gentle — suggesting and correcting.

In a word: leadership.
“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve been around,” said senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner, who is in his 26th NFL season.
“One thing you can count on is Vonn’s always going to be there,” defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “There’s never been a day where that’s not been the case. And over time, you garner a lot of respect for people who do that.”

Quote:The 27-year-old is valuable to the Bengals in many ways but his leadership on and off the field tops the list. He’s a team captain and one of the main voices on defense. He’s also the player who carries the responsibility of making sure everyone is lined up right in Anarumo’s scheme.