They're Done!!! Our long wait is over

[Bengalitis]

Awesome!

24 pts or less per game is unacceptable though... another season starting 1-3 is unacceptable too.

Let's go 2025!!!

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-17-2025, 12:30 AM)pulses Wrote: I would get Jenkins agent on the phone and I wouldn't let him go to Seattle tomorrow.

Yep. Me, too. Even if Trey isn't done, with him saying he wants to be in Cincy +and veing under contract), the Big 3 being here has to make us a more desireable FA destination than when that was iffy. 

[cinci4life]

About damn time!!!

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-17-2025, 01:11 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Missed this in the shuffle - Tee has big incentives that can add value to that deal up to $30 million. Nice.

Also as Schultz points out here the 5 years of control for Ja'Marr come in at ~$36.56m APY https://t.co/gtSkwBDkb1

— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) March 17, 2025

Being able to spread Chase’s out over 5 years certainly helps.

And an incentive laden contract like I was wanting for Tee....

[JaggedJimmyJay]

The Bengals will have to serve as their own proof of concept, as they're now almost unprecedented in their QB-WR1-WR2 pay scale (the recent Dolphins are reasonably similar).

I believe these three players can be a Super Bowl core though. Be like the Peyton Manning Colts.

Burrow --> Manning
Chase --> Harrison
Higgins --> Wayne
Gesicki --> Clark (this one's a big reach of course)
Hendrickson --> Freeney (if they can take care of this one)

Obviously all five of these players have much to prove before they can be listed alongside those Colts, but as a model it's at least some kind of structural precedent. Those Colts also benefitted from cheap, effective draft picks like Bob Sanders and a vastly superior OL.

Have some better luck in the draft on the OL and across the defense, and everything is right there for you.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-17-2025, 01:24 AM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: The Bengals will have to serve as their own proof of concept, as they're now almost unprecedented in their QB-WR1-WR2 pay scale (the recent Dolphins are reasonably similar).

I believe these three players can be a Super Bowl core though. Be like the Peyton Manning Colts.

Burrow --> Manning
Chase --> Harrison
Higgins --> Wayne
Gesicki --> Clark (this one's a big reach of course)
Hendrickson --> Freeney (if they can take care of this one)

Obviously all five of these players have much to prove before they can be listed alongside those Colts, but as a model it's at least some kind of structural precedent. Those Colts also benefitted from cheap, effective draft picks like Bob Sanders and a vastly superior OL.

Have some better luck in the draft on the OL and across the defense, and everything is right there for you.

Nice post JaggedJimmyJay. I just hope Ja'Marr and Tee get over the young partying stuff and be more like Marvin and Reggie were.

They were no nonsense and all about ball and I respected that about them. This drunk driving stuff can worry a guy like me.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Bump this *****.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Also, with Tee and Chase locked up we can just tag Trey if push comes to shove. Twice if need be.

I'd rather have the deal done, but he is under team control for the next 3. We do not have another tag candidate.

[Bilbo Saggins]

https://giphy.com/gifs/huge-KPtSLVJfug7DO

https://giphy.com/gifs/huge-11k7NCh7fVOyWc

https://giphy.com/gifs/rockwelltrading-dollars-markus-heitkoetter-markusheitkoetter-3xAjowOl3cTKH4l7ZO

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-17-2025, 01:58 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Also, with Tee and Chase locked up  we can just tag Trey if push comes to shove. Twice if need be.

I'd rather have the deal done, but he is under team control for the next 3. We do not have another tag candidate.

Yeah, but would rather him just sign the deal they offered him and be a happy man.

[Housh]

Amazing

[Bengalstripes9]

Honestly those average salaries per year are smaller than I thought for both Chase and Higgins.

Very happy this is done and now we can work on Trey and filling out the roster and the draft.

[reuben.ahmed]

Now get a defense that breaks top 20 and we have a chance.

[BoomerFan]

Ja'Marr really took care of his teammate letting his agent say both or nothing. Love it. And Tee has an incentive based deal which is probably more fair for everybody. I don't think he'll lose that much if he is out games but he has even more reason to play through discomfort now.

I wonder how the FO is feeling. Maybe they hate themselves right now? They shouldn't though, they are going to benefit from this. Even in uncertain economic times I believe the cap will always go up each year and the value of the organization increases too. This is our identity. People will want to watch our team. We need to get better at prime time games.

[wanga]

Good news. Beef up the line for Joe now. Then D D D please.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(03-17-2025, 01:58 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Also, with Tee and Chase locked up  we can just tag Trey if push comes to shove. Twice if need be.

I'd rather have the deal done, but he is under team control for the next 3. We do not have another tag candidate.

???

Trey won't be here when they can use the next tag in 2026. He'll be gone. He had a protest/one day holdout before he led the league in sacks. Even if he doesn't find a trade, he'll hold out for a new deal or trade and they won't be able to afford him.

I love watching him play. He is easily the best FA that they have ever signed, but the defense sucked with him, especially against the run and that's not his strength. New coordinator, new system . . . it's time for a re-boot.

[kevin]

(03-17-2025, 12:21 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: 2 down.

Trey + at least 1 guard to go.

They should have more space now.

Duke Tobin as kind of the GM, said he tagged Higgins to get a long term done, not to trade him, and to sign Chase long term also.  I'm glad they got it done and over early in March.  

Now I don't see how having one of the highest paid quarterbacks and two of the highest paid WR's opens more cap space.  I would think those 3 eat a ton of cap space.  Since I'm not at a Bengals front office desk, I don't have all the data on cap space.  I would imagine Chase ad Higgins are their 2 huge Free Agent signings.  

I'm guessing, but I think what getting them signed and locked in does, Bengals now know where they are going into College Player Draft.  It helps to know what you have and what you need going into The Draft.  Bengals are set on most of the offense.  The bad defense last 2 years is a different story.  I'm guessing these signings sets them up to go after some college studs in defense and try to fix this defense.  Drafting a QB or a WR now would be stupid and they also have TEs and RB's.  I see a defense heavy Bengals draft coming, with maybe some O line blocking, but mostly defense.  They will be rookie contracts to help keep Bengals under the cap as needed.  

I think this about wraps up Free agent spending, is my guess.  This lets them know where they are on Chase and Higgins as they head into The Draft, which is key. They now have a clearer picture of things, and know that WR is not a need, but the last thing they need in the draft.  Defense remains a huge need, because resigning some of the worst defense in NFL is not so great, they need defensive draft picks to fix the D. 

I like Hendrickson, but so many stories the Bengals are shopping him in a trade.  Could they use franchise tag on him in 2026 ?  Locking in Burrow to Chase and Higgins long term is The Offense. 

GO BENGALS....add in getting Notre Dame Golden as D Coach, and it's looking good for 2025 and rest of this decade.  Could be The Roaring 20's...  
Super Bowl trip in 2021 season, AFC Championship Game in 2022.  Reloading and ready for more AFC Championships and Super Bowls this decade. 

[BoomerFan]

(03-17-2025, 04:39 AM)kevin Wrote: Duke Tobin as kind of the GM, said he tagged Higgins to get a long term done, not to trade him, and to sign Chase long term also.  I'm glad they got it done and over early in March.  

Now I don't see how having one of the highest paid quarterbacks and two of the highest paid WR's opens more cap space.  I would think those 3 eat a ton of cap space.  Since I'm not at a Bengals front office desk, I don't have all the data on cap space.  I would imagine Chase ad Higgins are their 2 huge Free Agent signings.  

I believe the way it works is multi-year deals cost more in the last year and less in the first year. So the first year of the deal could be less than they were already paying Chase and Higgins (remember they were locked in to pay Tee $26 million with the tag). And that works for teams because the cap generally goes up. Other teams also tend to cut their players the final year, as you eat a relatively small amount of dead cap and have a high salary that year you'll save. Bengals don't like to do business that way (commendable...sort of) and probably want to keep these guys for as long as they can play regardless. 

So to a small extent this is cap friendlier now and less cap friendly later. It should probably all work out though. 

[Clark W Griswold]

So Tee got less than 30/year but could go over that with incentives? That’s good - probably based on playing time and/or performance

Also interesting that they reported that their agent told the Bengals no Chase extension unless Tee gets one, too.

Joe Burrow is running this show. He got exactly what he wanted (including Mike G) so his power play worked. Now they just have to go out and win a SB

[SunsetBengal]

Alright, so now the team is right back where they were last year, having a high powered offense with an undermanned OL and defense. 

Now what?