Sports Illustrated On Bengals Bates Contract

[WeezyBengal]

(08-10-2021, 10:27 AM)kevin Wrote: The Franchise Tag for a Safety is 11 mil plus.  The highest paid safety in NFL makes 15 mil, and #10 makes 10 mil.  So the top 10 is from 10 to 15 mil.  The Franchise Tag is 11 mil.  The problem with the Franchise Tag is most players leave the next year, and Bates would be only 25 leaving. If he leaves with no tag at end of year, he is only 24.  He is too young and talented and a team leader not to keep and build a team around Burrow. I'm not sure he deserves to be the highest paid safety in NFL just yet. I would think 10 to 11 mil putting him in the Top 10. Maybe they go to 12 or 13.  My guess is they are in the ballpark of 10 to 13.  

Now I would not sign him as the highest paid safety in the NFL, he has not earned that yet. Where are his play-off wins or All Pro awards ? 15 mil or more is out of the question and would show Bates agent is not that interested in staying with Bengals as they claim.  

I would guess Bates gets signed long term as one of the Top 10 paid safeties in NFL at 10 to 13 mil a year. It would cost them 11 mil to Franchise Tag him. Might as well lock in the talented young 24 year old for years to build a team around also young Joe Burrow. 10 to 11 mil makes Bates a very high paid safety for age 24.

Sports Illustrated thinks Bengals and Bates agent will get this done before season starts. It's really hard to guess on the money. I'm just hoping Bengals can show improved blocking in these preseason games starting Saturday against Super Bowl Tampa. No reason these Moon Pies can't Block.

It doesn't help that the Bengals are constantly pimping him on social media as "the best safety in the league". 

I mean I get that you want to build your players up, but when trying to leverage a contract its probably not the smartest move to say any of your players are "the best in the league".