06-18-2022, 05:18 AM
IMHO. Bates not being in camp is because he doesn't have to. Bengals have used the franchise 8 times, and signed 1 guy, Rudi, to an extension. That means that the Bengals are not looking to sign him again. So Bates has to decide the best path to getting paid for the rest of his life. Part of that is playing under the tag this year. But he isn't looking to make the Bengals happy. He is going to do what he needs to do to put himself in a place to showcase his skills to other teams with the least risk. That means not playing in camp, minimal preseason snaps, playing at a high level in primetime games, and staying healthy.
