Why the **** is Jessie Bates not signed yet?

[CJD]

(05-21-2022, 03:17 PM)fredtoast Wrote: What central argument?

That players go to the team that offers them the most money?

Since the Bengals have signed so many big money free agents lately you can no longer claim they are being "cheap" or "underbidding" for all these free agents.  Our offers have obviously been MORE than "competitive".  We have actually outbid all the other teams in the league for a long list of free agents over the last two years.  And the percentage of "guaranteed money" is just a part of the total package.  Sometimes players are offered an option of more money and less guaranteed, or less total but more guaranteed.  You can't just cut out the guaranteed portion of the contract and say that was the deal breaker.

If we don't sign Bates it is not because the front office was "too cheap".

The two Arguments were:
Historically, we underbid the "non- premium" positions moreso than other franchises. Especially guard but safety is in that same category. 

Historically, we don't offer a lot of guaranteed money. 

Given these two historical bases, it's likely we are underbidding and/ or offering less guarantees than the current market would. 

Which may be why Bates isn't signing.