Can The Bengals Keep This Team Together?

[Murdock2420]

Players I see leaving when their contracts run out would include Bates, Higgins and maybe Hurst.

Bates I feel like is an obvious one at this point. The Bengals drafted a couple guys who could be his replacement and the contract talks already stalled once. He seems to be playing like a guy who doesn't want to get hurt instead of going all out. Someone will over pay for the potential and maybe he plays harder with a long term contract.

Higgins is going to want to be the guy and he will never be that here since the drafting of Chase. He has the skills and ability to be the top option and there will be plenty of offers for his services when his contract runs out. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go to Jacksonville and reconnect with Lawrence in the upstart offense they are building in another year. He is an UFA after next season and on pace for 1000 yards this year even with the missed time, he's going to cost a lot and the team can't pay him, Chase and Burrow what they will all want while keeping other pieces around. It sucks, but I really think Higgins will leave and be elite elsewhere.

Hurst is one I'm not sure about. He is playing well and is the #1 TE which he has wanted to be since being drafted yet always lost out to just a great talent, be is Andrews or Pitts. A fair offer might keep him since he has good chemistry here and seems to be growing into his role with this offense, but money talks and there are other jobs out there where he'd be the top TE target and might be lured away by the money.