{The Ultimate Bengals Offseason Extravaganza Thread}

[basballguy]

Florio is so salty this deal got done

[WeezyBengal]

Awesome that the front office got it done...

But its honestly INSANE what it took. Tee switching agents, Jamar and their agent basically strongholding the Bengals front office, Burrow speaking out publicly. I mean, sheeeeesh.

All fine and good, but there is still work left to get done. Give Trey an extension, sign a guard (or two), and maybe another plus defender.

Let's ride.

[TJ528]

(03-17-2025, 09:17 AM)jj22 Wrote: Glad to finally get this behind us. Now maybe we can move on to actually improving the team if there is anything left. I know this may free up some cap but it's hard for me to think this FO would spend this kind of money and still add free agents.

These (and rightfully so given the money) can be sold to us as the big FA signings...

I think you can still pick up a potential FA OL or 2.  I think they'll be additions similar to Cody Ford last year. 

He was brought in a low 1 year contract and was able to get a 2nd contract.  

Personally, if they sign Hendrickson to an extension, I'm good with 4 high end free agents who happen to be on your own team. 

Myself I think being able to target RB and mostly defense during the draft will be a boost to this team to help increase the team speed on that side of the ball. 

I also dont think we're as bad defensively as some others on here.  I think the way the team is currently constructed with Hendrickson the defense could be ranked 10-15 in the NFL 

[Speedy Thomas]

(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 comp!

[WeezyBengal]

(03-17-2025, 09:49 AM)TJ528 Wrote: I think you can still pick up a potential FA OL or 2.  I think they'll be additions similar to Cody Ford last year. 

He was brought in a low 1 year contract and was able to get a 2nd contract.  

Personally, if they sign Hendrickson to an extension, I'm good with 4 high end free agents who happen to be on your own team. 

Myself I think being able to target RB and mostly defense during the draft will be a boost to this team to help increase the team speed on that side of the ball. 

I also dont think we're as bad defensively as some others on here.  I think the way the team is currently constructed with Hendrickson the defense could be ranked 10-15 in the NFL 

They currently don't have a starting quality guard on the roster. They absolutely need to go out and sign AT LEAST one plus guard. 

[TJ528]

(03-17-2025, 09:52 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: They currently don't have a starting quality guard on the roster. They absolutely need to go out and sign AT LEAST one plus guard. 

I mean we dont think they have a quality starting guard on the roster.  I have more faith in the new OL coach than I ever did the last one. 

I'm willing to be patient to see what else they do with this roster going into training camp.  

Hell we still have June 1st cuts coming up to I believe.  There's always cuts that teams make due to salary cap.  

[Nepa]

(03-17-2025, 09:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: See there, all the hand-wringing, whining and criticizing about Chase and Tee's contracts over the last month or so was for nothing. Next up is Trey.

Well, it is a fan discussion forum. But, it does turn out, unbeknownst to those fans pushing for it, trading Tee was never an option, as we now learn from Ja'Marr/Tee's agent that Chase wasn't going to sign a contract unless Tee had a contract. Those entire discussions were essentially forays into snipe hunting.

[WeezyBengal]

(03-17-2025, 10:04 AM)TJ528 Wrote: I mean we dont think they have a quality starting guard on the roster.  I have more faith in the new OL coach than I ever did the last one. 

I'm willing to be patient to see what else they do with this roster going into training camp.  

Hell we still have June 1st cuts coming up to I believe.  There's always cuts that teams make due to salary cap.  

We saw all of the guards on their current roster play last year. These are 3-4 year players we are talking about. They are who they are and they are BAD players, no offensive line coach is going to turn them around. 

They aren't servicable, they are BAD. Rolling them out there to start week 1 is a completely irrisponsible. 

[*ochocincos*]

(03-17-2025, 09:43 AM)Millhouse Wrote: It may not move the needle, but if these deals didn't get done, then there wouldn't be much of a needle to move for next few years (imo).

I think that's the point.

Is the team kind of in limbo right now with the current roster such that without really getting a boost from more/new talent, they just hover between 8-10 wins and maybe just get WC spots like the Dalton-era or Palmer-era Bengals?

While having Chase and Higgins obviously helps to not bottom out for 2026-2029, it doesn't really do much to improve the team from where it was last year.

If they don't hit on draft picks, we have to hope existing other players on the team really take the next steps to boost the overall performance of the team.
Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Hendrickson are pretty much about as high as they can possibly go.

[TJ528]

(03-17-2025, 10:06 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: We saw all of the guards on their current roster play last year. These are 3-4 year players we are talking about. They are who they are and they are BAD players, no offensive line coach is going to turn them around. 

They aren't servicable, they are BAD. Rolling them out there to start week 1 is a completely irrisponsible. 

Give me the following, Mims at RT, Karas at C, Ford at RG, and Orlando Brown at LT, and I can fill that other guard spot. 

My guess is you're looking at Kirkland being a potential RG, or even potentially Matt Lee if he can switch positions.  

There's talent on that OL IMO

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-17-2025, 10:06 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: We saw all of the guards on their current roster play last year. These are 3-4 year players we are talking about. They are who they are and they are BAD players, no offensive line coach is going to turn them around. 

They aren't servicable, they are BAD. Rolling them out there to start week 1 is a completely irrisponsible. 

Agree 100%. 

The Tee/Chase deals are a relief. But also a year/week late and coslier because of the delay. Both in terms of the $$ and opportunity cost during FA. 

In my book, these deals bring us from a D to a C this offseason. Cannot go higher than C/C- with the situation at G still so poor and with Slaton our biggest outside FA. 

An "A" offseason would be a Burrow restructure + a Trey deal + Jenkins & Scherff to solidify guard + another impactful signing or two on D (DE Smith, DT Campbell, S Simmons or Blackmon, CB Gillmore or Hilton, etc). 

I seriously doubt we get into A territory,,but I coukd see a B/B- from here. Trey + 1 guard. 

[jj22]

(03-17-2025, 09:36 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Multi-player deals, especially with players like Chase and Tee, take time. People have no patience anymore. 

They've been having these contract issues with these two for the last 2-3 years. Patience was tested. You can give fans a little leeway. Even Burrow himself had succumb to speaking out on it. 

[Luvnit2]

(03-17-2025, 10:06 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: We saw all of the guards on their current roster play last year. These are 3-4 year players we are talking about. They are who they are and they are BAD players, no offensive line coach is going to turn them around. 

They aren't servicable, they are BAD. Rolling them out there to start week 1 is a completely irrisponsible. 

Step 1 was to cut the worst starting guard on our roster who was set to make way too much money.

Bengals have been tsoo loyal in t he past (opposite of cheap keeping players who underperform their contracts. Step 2 is to replace Cappa with a better guard in FA. In my opinion step 3 may be draft the future other starting guard in the 2025 draft.

I see Bengals keeping Trey and adding a pass rushing edge with pick #17. The draft option needs are closing. I think they will closed further prior to teh draft.

Needs Now through FA and or draft
2 OG's
Pass rushing Edge/DE
I think we need a more dynamic saftey to replace Stone

A healthy CB room will greatly improve the defense
Slayton will improve the run defense
The 2 2nd year DT's will improve the defense after going through injuries and inexperience in 2025
I see a healthy Wilson helping our defense
I see Pratt being kept and coached up in 2025 or we draft his replacement in round 2 or 3
I see Yoshi continuing to improve and if we get anything out of Burton and Jones it is a plus

The biggie is I see the Bengals finally giving Joe a solid OL for first time since he took the reigns. Give Joe and extra half second to 1 second and defenses will be in dep trouble.

[BFritz21]

(03-17-2025, 03:07 AM)Housh Wrote: What’s the likelyhood Trey isn’t being offered fair market price after seeing what Gesicki and Tee got?

To my knowledge Trey has never said he ISNT seeking top 3 money.

Top 3 money for a DE right now is like 31M so i find it hard to believe we aren’t at least offering 30M.


Unless we are choosing to lowball Trey because we knew we were giving Chase and Tee big deals.

I wonder what the issue is with Trey. Saw somewhere we only have 26.8M of cap left barring anymore cuts so maybe it’s just way smarter to wait another year for Trey and pray for a salary cap raise. If the cap goes up another 20M then the Trey deal is easier. I think I’m starting to see what Cincy is thinking.

I'd give him the money if I knew his production would remain high, but he's turning 30 and that's generally when defensive ends fall off, so would we be setting ourselves up to be in a bad spot if we're giving him guaranteed money and his play drops off?

I could definitely see an incentive-laden contract.

[Luvnit2]

(03-17-2025, 10:19 AM)jj22 Wrote: They've been having these contract issues with these two for the last 2-3 years. Patience was tested. You can give fans a little leeway. Even Burrow himself had succumb to speaking out on it. 

True, but it is one thing to lose patience and another to trash the FO. It gets very old when our own fans label our team cheap. The same team that now has made Tee a top paid WR at #5 and for the second time gave a player the highest contract ever given in NFL history for a non QB after they made JB the highest paid QB when they signd him.

Maybe time for some fans to end the insults or go root for another team.

[NotBigzo]

(03-17-2025, 01:25 AM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Cry babies that don't believe in coaching or a possible good draft. We drafted Geno Atkins, we can draft other studs with new Defensive coaches.

The fact that you had to go that far back for an example of a nailed defender in the draft….


Im dead


I believe in drafting. I don’t believe in the Bengals drafting.

[THE PISTONS]

Watch Tee play all 17 games this year.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-17-2025, 10:24 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Step 1 was to cut the worst starting guard on our roster who was set to make way too much money.

Bengals have been tsoo loyal in t he past (opposite of cheap keeping players who underperform their contracts. Step 2 is to replace Cappa with a better guard in FA. In my opinion step 3 may be draft the future other starting guard in the 2025 draft.

I see Bengals keeping Trey and adding a pass rushing edge with pick #17. The draft option needs are closing. I think they will closed further prior to teh draft.

Needs Now through FA and or draft
2 OG's
Pass rushing Edge/DE
I think we need a more dynamic saftey to replace Stone

A healthy CB room will greatly improve the defense
Slayton will improve the run defense
The 2 2nd year DT's will improve the defense after going through injuries and inexperience in 2025
I see a healthy Wilson helping our defense
I see Pratt being kept and coached up in 2025 or we draft his replacement in round 2 or 3
I see Yoshi continuing to improve and if we get anything out of Burton and Jones it is a plus

The biggie is I see the Bengals finally giving Joe a solid OL for first time since he took the reigns. Give Joe and extra half second to 1 second and defenses will be in dep trouble.

DE, Guard, or Safety in Round 1 I'd say. But, looking at mocks, leaning towards DE too.

Supposedly it's a deep draft for DLine.

[kevinsea]

(03-17-2025, 03:07 AM)Housh Wrote: What’s the likelyhood Trey isn’t being offered fair market price after seeing what Gesicki and Tee got?

To my knowledge Trey has never said he ISNT seeking top 3 money.

Top 3 money for a DE right now is like 31M so i find it hard to believe we aren’t at least offering 30M.


Unless we are choosing to lowball Trey because we knew we were giving Chase and Tee big deals.

I wonder what the issue is with Trey. Saw somewhere we only have 26.8M of cap left barring anymore cuts so maybe it’s just way smarter to wait another year for Trey and pray for a salary cap raise. If the cap goes up another 20M then the Trey deal is easier. I think I’m starting to see what Cincy is thinking.

There are 4 possible outcomes here(ranked in order of my preference)

1. Trey gets his extension this year
2.He plays out next season and they franchise him
3 They trade him but they have to get more than a 3rd round pick for him (preferably multiple picks)
4 they draft his heir apparent in the 1st round and let him walk 

[BengalsBong]

(03-17-2025, 03:53 AM)wanga Wrote: Good news. Beef up the line for Joe now. Then D D D please.

Get vet guards in FA then give the whole draft to the defense rebuild.