Are we over-rating CJ Uzomah?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

If Uzomah, a guy whose peers didn't even vote him to be a Team Captain, is such a vital part of the team leadership structure that the Bengals locker room will fall apart if they don't give their 4th/5th receiving target an $8-10m/yr deal... then this entire team is a house of cards built on sand and has much greater issues than this signing.

Teams replace guys all the time. The turnover in the NFL each year is significant. Good teams don't overpay guys who aren't vital to them winning on the field if they want to stay good teams. This is threatening to be the Reds all over again. Ask them how well it worked to hang onto for too long/overpay fan favorites and club house guys based off your feelings towards them rather than based off talent.

I mean, shit, the whole reason the Bengals were able to get to the Super Bowl in the first place was because they purged a ton of "our guys" and replaced them with talented outsiders. People came to love those talented outsiders and respect them as leaders. Why? Because winning cures all, and more talented players will help you win more than less talented players you like more.