(03-18-2025, 06:34 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The debate has been in the forum for months. I was on the side of use the Tee money and fix the trenches. I do agree the FA class is so bad and unpredictable it would be a huge risk. Last year our biggest FA signing (most money spend) was a dud in Rankins.

Williams for 21 million, maybe a great deal, but he only played in 50% of the defensive snaps on a very good DL so teams could not afford to double team him.

Chase Young, another possibility, but now if those 2, we are over budget already.

Fries another overpay at 21 million.

In the end, the decision was made. Bengals know they have 3 huge weapons for at least 4 more years, add a young RT and that is 4 huge weapons in the fold.

The key will be hitting on the mid level FA signings like Slayton, doiing better drafted NFL ready players right now and development of the existing roster and rookie by the coaching staff.

I did love Tobin's comment, we have our 2 WR's, other teams can go find their own. Peopl love to blast the FO for being cheap andthen switch gears when they are not cheap and sign Tee changing Bengals overpaid or he is bad investment.

Bengals have proven they are far from cheap signing Chase and Burrow to not one of best, but best contract for their positions in past few years. I hope our fans can try another attack line for the FO, saying they are cheap is lazy and wrong.

(03-18-2025, 07:21 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: We will never be able to say if not signing Tee would have been great or failed. All we can do now is wait and see the results. But, the key also is using the resouces (lefover cap and draft) wisely to get us big and win the Lombardi.

(03-18-2025, 10:02 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: The Bengals could have signed Justin Reid + Josh Sweat for about the same price as signing Tee Higgins at his base price not counting incentives which could push Tee's contract higher.  

Also if you sign Sweat, you dont need to spend 7 million dollars to bring back Ossai on a 1 year contract so that saves you 7 million dollars which could have been spent toward a guard like Zeitler.  There are many possibilities freeing up that money would have allowed + getting a 1st or 2nd round draft pick

(03-18-2025, 10:19 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: I think this is a good answer to the question. Hard to pull off and I don't really see the Bengals swinging it. What moves do you make from here before the draft?

(03-18-2025, 10:44 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: At this point I would probably would wait until after the draft.  See what guys and positions you are able to add during the draft.  After the draft, teams will cut some veterans and the Bengals will have options to fill remaining holes.  Maybe you could sign one of the free agent guards before the draft but only if they come at the right price. 

(03-18-2025, 10:31 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: The national sports media can pound sand.  I don’t care what they think.  You know whose opinion counts with me?  Joe Burrow.  He wanted Mike Gesicki, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins on the roster.  That’s more than sufficient rationale to get deals done.

(03-18-2025, 11:09 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: If Joe Burrow is going to call the shots on the roster then he needs to be responsible for the outcome.   Burrow got what he wanted at the cost of not being able to add better free agents to the defense so Burrow and the rest of the offense needs to win the games.  Dont count on the defense to do it for you.

(03-18-2025, 06:55 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You're framing it in an weirdly biased way there, Housh.

We weren't even a top-5 offense last year, so why would having a much improved defense require us to be a top-5 defense?


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If you're asking a real question of who instead of just making a venting thread.... for roughly the same money, who we could have signed on defense that would improve our team more than losing Tee would hurt our offense for an overall net gain? My answer would be signing both Josh Sweat and Justin Reid. Arguably I could probably then sign another player on top of that since Josh Sweat would remove the need for overpaying Joseph Ossai $7m, which could nearly be the AAV of a James Daniel or Kevin Zeitler contract upgrade at G.

(03-18-2025, 11:15 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Okay sure. But the team needs to improve the IOL position. That was a big weakness. 

(03-18-2025, 11:28 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: We were #5 in third down conversion % we were #6 points per play. #7 in points per game. #5 yards per point #5 in red zone scoring % #5 first downs per play 

(03-18-2025, 06:42 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I don’t know why anyone pays any attention to sports media. Whatever they said yesterday has no bearing on today. “Joke Bengals can’t sign their star receivers.”  “Joke Bengals sign both receivers.” There is no accountability to their blathering. They just say what they think is a hot take.

(03-18-2025, 06:18 PM)Housh Wrote: That would’ve made our defense top 5?


Iv been seeing the media say the dumbest shit ever in regards to us signing Tee and Chase.


If you are saying we would’ve been able to get a big fish you are talking about Milton Williams

So that’s 1 guy. Even if we had Milton Williams it’s not like he turns us top 5 by himself.


You could also say maybe with the 28M we could’ve gotten 2 mid tier guys. Like a Chase Young and a Jevon Holland.


Yeah our D would likely be better but 2 mid level guys ain’t taking our D into the top 5.







I guess I’m saying Iv seen ppl say we could’ve done so much more to help the defense with Tee’s money….

Ok give me the exact moves then. It’s everyone saying we messed up but not one media pundit has put together a plan with the 28M that would’ve taken our D to new heights. Mofos just wanna complain about us making a move right after they complained that we weren’t making moves.

(03-18-2025, 11:45 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Scoring points is what the final outcome of games are determined by.  The Bengals were not in the top 5

(03-18-2025, 06:18 PM)Housh Wrote: That would’ve made our defense top 5?


Iv been seeing the media say the dumbest shit ever in regards to us signing Tee and Chase.


If you are saying we would’ve been able to get a big fish you are talking about Milton Williams

So that’s 1 guy. Even if we had Milton Williams it’s not like he turns us top 5 by himself.


You could also say maybe with the 28M we could’ve gotten 2 mid tier guys. Like a Chase Young and a Jevon Holland.


Yeah our D would likely be better but 2 mid level guys ain’t taking our D into the top 5.







I guess I’m saying Iv seen ppl say we could’ve done so much more to help the defense with Tee’s money….

Ok give me the exact moves then. It’s everyone saying we messed up but not one media pundit has put together a plan with the 28M that would’ve taken our D to new heights. Mofos just wanna complain about us making a move right after they complained that we weren’t making moves.

(03-18-2025, 11:28 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: We were #5 in third down conversion % we were #6 points per play. #7 in points per game. #5 yards per point #5 in red zone scoring % #5 first downs per play 

(03-18-2025, 11:09 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: If Joe Burrow is going to call the shots on the roster then he needs to be responsible for the outcome.   Burrow got what he wanted at the cost of not being able to add better free agents to the defense so Burrow and the rest of the offense needs to win the games.  Dont count on the defense to do it for you.