Here is the potential free agency list we should be using.

[phil413]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sportsnaut.com/nfl-salary-cap-casualties-2023/amp/

This may cause stress, but reality is that Cincy's best play may be playing the comp pick game. The best short and long term plan is to use a heavy chunk of this year's money on locking in most of your core 2024 free agents. These guys in the link won't offset comp picks if they hit the market. This may enable them to make trades of picks knowing they'll be restocked.


Bates leaves along with a few others, and without much to use you're hoping for a few vets to ring chase. I doubt they pay going rates for UFAs when they can keep their own.

A tackle like Donovan Smith may make sense to give stability (even in a down year) to the line. Maybe Kendricks softens the blow if Pratt leaves. I'm not saying avoid UFAs, bu th I am saying this may become the right play if the right fits come....if you have money after the 2024 guys.

[*ochocincos*]

(02-08-2023, 04:22 AM)phil413 Wrote: https://www.google.com/amp/s/sportsnaut.com/nfl-salary-cap-casualties-2023/amp/

This may cause stress, but reality is that Cincy's best play may be playing the comp pick game.  The best short and long term plan is to use a heavy chunk of this year's money on locking in most of your core 2024 free agents.  These guys in the link won't offset comp picks if they hit the market. This may enable them to make trades of picks knowing they'll be restocked.


Bates leaves along with a few others, and without much to use you're hoping for a few vets to ring chase.  I doubt they pay going rates for UFAs when they can keep their own.  

A tackle like Donovan Smith may make sense to give stability (even in a down year) to the line.  Maybe Kendricks softens the blow if Pratt leaves. I'm not saying avoid UFAs, bu th I am saying this may become the right play if the right fits come....if you have money after the 2024 guys.

Some may not like hearing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if this year they focus on retaining their own and drafting replacement starters/depth.

They have the following starting positions set:
QB (Burrow)
C (Karras)
OG (Cappa, Volson)
WR (Chase, Higgins, Boyd)
DL (Hubbard, Hendrickson, Hill, Reader)
1 LB (Wilson)
CB (CTB, Awuzie, Hilton)

RB starter can be set too with Mixon, or he could be a cut candidate to replace with a draft pick and/or cheaper veteran and repurpose that money elsewhere
OT starters MIGHT be set between Williams, Carman, and Collins. I would expect at least one of those guys will start, if not two.
I have a feeling Dax Hill will take one of the starting safety spots, leaving just one spot open.

If the Bengals can re-sign Bates or Bell, that likely covers the starting safeties
If Hurst is re-signed, that covers starting TE. Alternatively, I think a Day 1 or Day 2 draft pick can start at TE.
If Pratt is not re-signed, I think the Bengals might try to fill that void with ADG/Bailey, but I could also see a LB added for competition there.
Apple is a guy I could see back who can be the first CB off the bench, probably start again until Awuzie is ready.

Assuming the Bengals can get one of the safeties plus Hurst and Pratt back, they'll be in pretty good shape to draft BPA and really boost their depth without having to find a Day 1 Starter.

[Tomcat]

I agree with you on the Tackles with Carman and Jonah starting out until Collins is healthy and then you have 3 guys for 2 spots. That's a pretty solid backup whoever it ends up being.

[casear2727]

(02-09-2023, 05:24 PM)Tomcat Wrote: I agree with you on the Tackles with Carman and Jonah starting out until Collins is healthy and then you have 3 guys for 2 spots. That's a pretty solid backup whoever it ends up being.

We know Carmen has extreme difficulty playing on the right side even at Guard, much less tackle.  Life would be great if we can draft an excellent RT, I dont see LC being ready until Thanksgiving.

[J24]

Robert Woods and Hunter Henry seem like perfect fits for the Bengals.

[casear2727]

(02-10-2023, 07:55 PM)J24 Wrote: Robert Woods and Hunter Henry seem like perfect fits for the Bengals.

Henry was a 15M cap hit this past season.  How big of a discount do you think you can get him?

Woods is 31 and currently on a 14M salary, he wont make that much but doubt he is looking to go way low.  A WR4 should most likely be a rookie that could take Boyd's spot after this season dont you think?  (assuming we extend Tee).

[J24]

(02-10-2023, 08:46 PM)casear2727 Wrote: Henry was a 15M cap hit this past season.  How big of a discount do you think you can get him?

Woods is 31 and currently on a 14M salary, he wont make that much but doubt he is looking to go way low.  A WR4 should most likely be a rookie that could take Boyd's spot after this season dont you think?  (assuming we extend Tee).

I think you can sign Henry to a similar deal to Hurst this past season.

As for Woods I think he could take Boyd spot as WR 3. If we keep Boyd then No I wouldn't sign him.

[Joelist]

I suspect we are thinking of taking a RB early as well as a Tackle (to replace Collins) and letting Mixon go.

[casear2727]

(02-10-2023, 09:23 PM)J24 Wrote: I think you can sign Henry to a similar deal to Hurst this past season.

As for Woods I think he could take Boyd spot as WR 3. If we keep Boyd then No I wouldn't sign him.

Hurst was on a 1 year 3.4M deal, why do you think he would go for so little?

Woods is 4 years older and makes 4M more per than Boyd... I'm not even sure the guy is a slot wr?  

If Henry will take the cut he could be a fine replacement for Hurst, Woods I'm not seeing.

[J24]

(02-10-2023, 10:16 PM)casear2727 Wrote: Hurst was on a 1 year 3.4M deal, why do you think he would go for so little?

Woods is 4 years older and makes 4M more per than Boyd... I'm not even sure the guy is a slot wr?  

If Henry will take the cut he could be a fine replacement for Hurst, Woods I'm not seeing.

Yes I think Henry  would take a deal that low. The Patriots would still owe him 5 million for this upcoming season.

As for woods yeah he is a Slot WR + he knows Taylor system.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-10-2023, 09:23 PM)J24 Wrote: As for Woods I think he could take Boyd spot as WR 3. If we keep Boyd then No I wouldn't sign him.

You would save $8.8m cutting Boyd. Probably that much money would go right back to Robert Woods.

So then you're spending the same money to get an older and less productive WR, with worse hands, who from a production standpoint was a shell of himself while coming back from a knee injury.

[casear2727]

(02-15-2023, 06:24 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You would save $8.8m cutting Boyd. Probably that much money would go right back to Robert Woods.

So then you're spending the same money to get an older and less productive WR, with worse hands, who from a production standpoint was a shell of himself while coming back from a knee injury.

This ^.  And this draft has several players that are way faster than both Boyd and Woods, good hands and can also be returners, on rookie deals for 4 years.  I dont get it?

[Bilbo Saggins]

If they do play the comp picks game this year, they really need to be looking into trading future picks in order to draft who they want this year.  I don't think that it's a coincidence that they started playing the FA game better once they decided that signing good players was a bigger priority than playing dead for marginal draft picks.

[casear2727]

(02-16-2023, 07:13 AM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: If they do play the comp picks game this year, they really need to be looking into trading future picks in order to draft who they want this year.  I don't think that it's a coincidence that they started playing the FA game better once they decided that signing good players was a bigger priority than playing dead for marginal draft picks.

The issue I have with this suggestion is that we need more, not less picks in the future.  Eventually all of these big contracts will hit and we will need as many as possible that are productive and on rookie deals.

[J24]

(02-15-2023, 06:24 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You would save $8.8m cutting Boyd. Probably that much money would go right back to Robert Woods.

So then you're spending the same money to get an older and less productive WR, with worse hands, who from a production standpoint was a shell of himself while coming back from a knee injury.

Woods would for Vet min. No way he would get 8 to 9 million thie upcoming season. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-16-2023, 10:51 PM)J24 Wrote: Woods would for Vet min. No way he would get 8 to 9 million thie upcoming season. 

Doubt he's getting vet min either.

Julio Jones was 33, hadn't been healthy and good for 2 years, and got 1yr/$6m last year. 
Braxton Berrios got 2yr/$12m.
Cedrick Wilson Jr got 3yr/$22m.
Kendrick Bourne got 3yr/$15m.
Byron Pringle got 1yr/$4m
Jakobi Meyers got 1yr/$4m
AJ Green got 1yr/$3.5m

I was a bit hyperbolic when I said you'd spend the $8.8m on Woods, but realistically you're probably spending at least $3.5-5m out of that $8.8m on him. Possibly more if prices get driven up by overpaying due to it being a pretty darn brutal market for FA WR this year and the cap rising so much.

Just don't know if ~$4m in cap savings for one year is worth going from Boyd to Woods.

[bk42]

I hope Boyd is back with Higgins and Chase for one more year - with the Bengals drafting a WR this year to groom behind this group (mid rd pick) - maybe a WR that can return punts as well (have seen a few good one expected to go middle of the draft).

If moving on from a veteran contract (assuming Perine comes back at a reasonable salary), I'd prefer to see Mixon go over Boyd. Time to mix it up at RB and bring in a rookie behind Perine for the future (a good young RB on a rookie deal)

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-08-2023, 04:22 AM)phil413 Wrote: https://www.google.com/amp/s/sportsnaut.com/nfl-salary-cap-casualties-2023/amp/

This may cause stress, but reality is that Cincy's best play may be playing the comp pick game.  The best short and long term plan is to use a heavy chunk of this year's money on locking in most of your core 2024 free agents.  These guys in the link won't offset comp picks if they hit the market. This may enable them to make trades of picks knowing they'll be restocked.


Bates leaves along with a few others, and without much to use you're hoping for a few vets to ring chase.  I doubt they pay going rates for UFAs when they can keep their own.  

A tackle like Donovan Smith may make sense to give stability (even in a down year) to the line.  Maybe Kendricks softens the blow if Pratt leaves. I'm not saying avoid UFAs, bu th I am saying this may become the right play if the right fits come....if you have money after the 2024 guys.

Nice thread Phil.

I am fine with retaining our own as long as we don't sit pat at RT in FA. We simply cannot expect La'el to be back by the opener at all.

We also cannot expect a late first round pick to be the answer at RT either. Am fine with everything else. Wouldn't mind Donavan Smith.

My ideal scenario at this point is still trading for Garrett Bolles like Sunset said in his thread, he should be good to go by the opener and
should only cost a 3rd rounder or so. With what you are saying we might have multiple picks there anyways letting some players like Bates
and Pratt go etc.

[Bengalholic]

A lot of rumors about the Pats being open to moving on from Henry, especially since they have nearly 33m wrapped up in him and Smith. A possible scenario could be offering the Patriots Tyler Boyd for Henry. Both are in the final year of their deals, and the move would only cost the Bengals 1.6m against the cap. Boyd is Belichick's kind of player (smart and reliable)...so I could see him being open to the idea, with Meyers being a free agent and probably not going back. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-17-2023, 06:45 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: A lot of rumors about the Pats being open to moving on from Henry, especially since they have nearly 33m wrapped up in him and Smith. A possible scenario could be offering the Patriots Tyler Boyd for Henry. Both are in the final year of their deals, and the move would only cost the Bengals 1.6m against the cap. Boyd is Belichick's kind of player (smart and reliable)...so I could see him being open to the idea, with Meyers being a free agent and probably not going back. 

Hunter Henry is more talented than Hayden Hurst that is for sure. I guess I would be down with this if it only cost us 1.6m against
the cap and we wouldn't have to pay Hurst a lot. I still find it more likely Hurst gets extended a couple years and Boyd sticks around
for another year myself, but have to be open to these things.