Let's Talk Extensions

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(10-04-2022, 09:50 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: We have a lot of players coming up for contracts the next couple of seasons. Below is the list of (notable) players that are up either at the end of this year or next year.

Offense

Jonah Williams - 2024 (will cost $12 million to pick up his 5th year option next year)
Tyler Boyd - 2024
Tee Higgins - 2024

Defense

DJ Reader - 2024
Logan Wilson - 2024
Germain Pratt - 2023
Eli Apple - 2023
Chido Awuzie - 2024
Vonn Bell - 2023
Jessie Bates - 2023


So, taking into account the fact that this team is going to re-sign Burrow in 2025 or earlier (which they 100% will), and the salary cap, who do you all want to extend?

To me, the biggest kicker in all of this is what they end up doing with Higgins and Chase. They are obviously going to try and keep at least one of those guys. Is there enough money to go around for both? Do they go all in on signing both of those guys while letting guys like Logan Wilson and DJ Reader go?

Also, a lot of money comes off the books if/when Bates, Reader, Mixon, and Boyd walk. I can't imagine they bring Boyd back past 2024 and Mixon past 2025 (if not sooner as a cut casualty). Reader is an interesting case - he is playing lights out but he will be expensive to keep.

So, what have you? Who are you trying to extend this off-season? For me personally I'd try to get Burrow done sooner than later...and then try and lock down some of the "not huge contracts but solid player" guys like Logan Wilson and Jonah Williams.

But man, this team could look a lot different in a couple years...especially the defense.

Might be able to get Reader a cheaper extension than you're thinking. He'll be in his age 30 season when he hits FA and right now he's been injured 2 of the last 3 years. Of course then it becomes a question of do you actually want to. He certainly helps when he's out there but he's not out there.

They're sadly locked into Jonah's 5th year already I believe, but I think you need to look at finding a replacement for him. Maybe they can find a taker for him in a trade? Don't know if they'll have to eat part of it or not to get anything in value in return.

I think Mixon gets cut this offseason. He'll save $7.35m in cap space by being cut.

I like Logan Wilson and if they can get something reasonable done, great, but I just don't know how smart dumping top money into a non-pass rushing LB is in today's NFL. There are 6 ILB making $13m+/yr. They are on the Colts, 49ers, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, and Falcons.

Vonn Bell should get an extension if you can pay him as a top-20 S rather than a top-10 S. 

Awuzie should get an extension, but look to replace him as CB1. I would love him as a CB2 but as CB1 he's just kind of... eh.

Eli Apple I would like an upgrade and I just don't like.


Germaine Pratt is a 2 down LB, which feels pretty replaceable.

Bates, good luck trying to get $18m/yr in FA. Seems more and more like 2020 isn't the norm that we can expect to happen, which is a shame because his stretches of high play as so good, but way too inconsistent and matched with much longer mediocre/subpar stretches.

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Higgins I think you gotta trade next offseason. I think the going market price is a 1st that year and a 3rd the next year. Burrow is about to get $55-60m/yr, and Chase will be getting $32-35m/yr. I don't think you can get all 3 of them into the cap (Higgins being in the $25m/yr range would put the 3 together at around $115m/yr, that's just too much) while still having a decent team around them. Even if you could, the Bengals ownership doesn't likely have the >$300m in liquid funds to put into escrow to cover the guaranteed money the 3 of them will combine for.

Boyd I just kind of assumed would be gone in FA, but then Jarvis Landry signed for only 1yr/$3m, which thoroughly confused me and made me think that maybe the big market explosion is only for #1 WRs. I know he was coming off a bad year, but when your QB is a broken Baker Mayfield that's pretty understandable. Boyd will be heading into his age 30 season then like Landry was this offseason. I have no illusions that he will be signed for $3m, but if they can extend Boyd for somewhere around $10m/yr, then Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd would be a pretty strong framework for some young rookie contract WRs and TEs to fill in around.

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So TLDR of the 10 guys you listed....

Extend (but don't break the bank):
Awuzie
Bell

Extend (if a bargain deal can be reached):
Reader
Wilson
Boyd

Trade (or let walk once FA if you can't trade):
Williams

Cut:
Mixon

Let Walk:
Apple
Bates
Pratt