(05-30-2024, 11:11 AM)J24 Wrote: Waddle just signed a contract for 84.5 million on 3 years with 76 million guaranteed.

(05-30-2024, 11:46 AM)pally Wrote: that's our direct comparson for Ja'Marr's next contract. Thiis is the low mark.  We need Justin Jefferson to get his deal done for the high mark.  Things will get a lot more clear after that

(05-30-2024, 01:52 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Tee Higgins is a free agent that isnt signed with the Bengals.  I dont know why anyone would expect him to be at the Bengals OTAs.  To keep going on about Tee not being at OTAs is bizarre when he isnt even part of the team.  Why didnt Higgins show up for New England's OTAs?  New England is one of the teams reported being interested in Tee.  That makes about as much sense as expecting him to be in Cincinnati when he isnt a member of either team.

(05-30-2024, 02:08 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: as far as needing to sign Tee to a long term deal, the Bengals dont need to.  The Bengals can keep Tee for the next 2 years instead of giving him some outrageous contract.  Tee will make 21.82 million this year and ~26.18 next year on the franchise tag.  That means the Bengals can keep Tee for the next 2 years at an average of about 24 million per year while not giving out huge guaranteed money.  They are also not locked into a contract if Tee keeps having an injury history.  From the Bengals perspective why give Tee 24+ million a year on a long term contract with a bunch of guaranteed money when they can keep him the next 2 years at 24 million with only the current season being guaranteed and if Tee does leave, you stand a chance at getting a 3rd round comp pick?

(05-29-2024, 11:20 PM)kevin Wrote: This site hasn't mentioned it, but google up Tee Higgins and most of the NFL is talking about it today.  Chase and Higgins missing from start of Bengals OTA's this week.  Many reports are that Higgins has no plans of ever putting on a Bengals uniform again, and he demands traded.  That isn't me, that is most news sources on this.  

Here is the problem. Bengals have to resign Chase this summer long term, because Chase is one of the premier WR's in NFL.  Bengals can't afford to let Chase be a free agent after this season. Resigning Chase is going to take Big Bucks.   So here you have Higgins who is a top #2 WR who wants to be paid as a #1 WR long term. The Bengals can't sign both Chase and Higgins long term to #1 WR paid contracts. Plus Bengals just shelled out huge money for Joe Burrow long term.

The Bengals did draft a WR early and other WR's stepped up for Bengals last season. The Bengals have not offered Higgins a long term #1 WR paid contract, and Higgins has said he won't play without a long term #1 WR paid contract.

So the NFL story is Tee Higgins drama continues.  

Bengals had Carson Palmer refuse to play, and Bengals were willing to let Palmer sit out and not get paid. However The Raiders stepped up and made Bengals an offer they could not refuse.  I think the Raiders QB got injured early in the season, and there sat Carson Palmer ready to go get. I'm not sure any team offers that much for Higgins at this point.  What I've read in past months is that if Higgins plays, he gets paid a ton as a Franchise Tag WR.  He probably gets paid too much if Bengals need to resign Chase this summer at a huge price.  If Higgins doesn't play, he doesn't get paid, and when Higgins goes free agent to another team in 2025, the Bengals get a 3rd round comp pick anyway.

It looks like Bengals are in the position that to resign Chase long term, it's probably better if Higgins sits out and doesn't get paid.  However that makes using the Franchise Tag on him at such a high price kind of stupid. It's not good for Higgins or Bengals and this use or abuse of the franchise tag is something The Players Union and The NFL need to change.

So as it is now, per most of The NFL.  Don't count on ever seeing Higgins in a Bengals uniform again, and the news story is, " Tee Higgins Drama Continues ".  There is not that much concern about Chase not at OTA's, although Bengals better be resigning Chase this summer, since Bengals policy has always been no contract negotiations once season starts.  The concern in NFL is Tee Higgins demanding traded not at Bengals OTA's.  

Now, I'd just as soon none of this was happening, and I didn't have to bring it up.  The fact remains that the top NFL story today is how Bengals drama over Tee Higgins continues.  Higgins is a no show, just as he said after he was upset Bengals shackled him with the franchise tag before free agency started.

There, now you can all get mad at me for posting what the entire NFL is talking about.  I would just as soon wish none of this was happening, and the only thing Bengals had to do this summer is get ready to play The Patriots.  I also wish there was a way to post this in a 7 word or less sound bite as many of you request, but this Higgins story is too complicated to sum up in a short sound bite.

(05-30-2024, 02:36 PM)J24 Wrote: You do realize that the franchise Tag is guaranteed money right. You're talking about 47 million in guaranteed money if we tag him twice.

(05-30-2024, 02:36 PM)J24 Wrote: He's essentially locked in to play for the Bengals  in 2024. 
You do realize that the franchise Tag is guaranteed money right. You're talking about 47 million in guaranteed money if we tag him twice.

(05-30-2024, 05:15 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: If he breaks his leg, tears his ACL, or just stinks, we don't tag him a second time and he doesn't get it, so it's not a guarantee. That's not how the word works. That is just a 1 year team option, which is very much not the same thing as guaranteed money.

(05-30-2024, 06:09 PM)J24 Wrote: And if he has a good season(like he usually has) the FO will be paying 47 million dollars guaranteed money for two seasons along with two outstanding  cap hits as well. This is if they franchise tag him twice!

(05-30-2024, 09:30 PM)Joelist Wrote: Tee isn't staying, get used to it. He and his agent are likely asking huge guaranteed and probably not willing to break it into pieces like Burrow was - which leaves us unable to meet it because of the NFL funding rule. I wish people would remember we don't have a rich sugar daddy like other franchises do who is using the team as a tax write-off and can afford to write checks for massive cash on the spot.

Chase I expect they have been hoarding cash for (like they did Burrow) so they can meet the escrow requirement. With it seeming like Jefferson's deal is imminent expect them to move on Chase once it is announced.

Really the NFL and the NFLPA need to get together and either totally junk or substantially change the funding rule.

A record deal: the Vikings and three-time Pro-Bowl WR Justin Jefferson reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million guaranteed and makes him not only the highest-paid WR in NFL history, but the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history,… pic.twitter.com/OAESU3dOop

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2024

(06-03-2024, 10:28 AM)Synric Wrote: The shoe has dropped.

A record deal: the Vikings and three-time Pro-Bowl WR Justin Jefferson reached agreement on a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $110 million guaranteed and makes him not only the highest-paid WR in NFL history, but the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history,… pic.twitter.com/OAESU3dOop

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2024

Joel is spot on, as usual.

The #Bengals won't have a problem paying the AAV to Chase. The question will be how they approach the guarantees/structure. Way out of their non-Burrow comfort zone. Unless Burrow and Chase were an exception-to-the-rule package from Day 1. https://t.co/NESosMepYf

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) June 3, 2024

(06-03-2024, 10:51 AM)pally Wrote: Keep in mind the Vikings have Sam Darnold at $10 million/year as their QB and next year will likely have a rookie for the rest of Jefferson's contract

Joel is spot on, as usual.

The #Bengals won't have a problem paying the AAV to Chase. The question will be how they approach the guarantees/structure. Way out of their non-Burrow comfort zone. Unless Burrow and Chase were an exception-to-the-rule package from Day 1. https://t.co/NESosMepYf

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) June 3, 2024

(06-03-2024, 11:09 AM)J24 Wrote: They don't have a choice and if they fail to sign one of Chase, Tee, and Bates over a three year period  then they should be forced to sell the  team.

(06-03-2024, 10:37 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: This should slot chase in at a 130M 4 year deal is my guess.