"I need to be here too"

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-19-2023, 11:11 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I have mentioned it in numerous threads, I think Boyd may be cut in 2023 and Mixon in 2024. Or they would have to restructure and take less money which I see neither doing.

Boyd - 2023 Dead money of 1.4 million, but we save 8.9 million in cap space
Mixon - 2024 Dead Money 2.8 million, but save 10.3 million in cap space

Also cut Brandon Wilson in 2023, save 2 million with no dead cap

The cap savings can go towards extensions for Burrow and Higgins (Chase has 3 years left) and added to our already very good cap surplus

The Bengals have some big decisions to make in 2023 with Bates, Bell, Pratt, Apple and a few others. There is a lot of money invested on the defensive side of the ball now, in the future that will need to even out as offense has a lot of rookie deals.

Chase had 1 year left before he gets an extension.

I just don't see how you can give out contracts that average $110m to a QB and 2 WRs and build a complete team around them. The Boyd and Mixon cap space savings is nice, but compared to what you'll be adding? Chump change.

Burrow, Chase, and Higgins had a combined $19.2m cap hit in 2022. Higgins alone is going to probably get $25m/yr.

That's not touching the fact that other guys cap hits are all going to rise even without new deals, eating up most of the cap increase you're getting. Hendrickson's hit will be $1m more, BJ Hill's will be $2.5m more, Hubbard's will be $2.8m more, Reader will be $1.9m more, Jonah will be $7m more, Cappa will be $1.9m more, Hilton will be $1m more, Chase will be $1.4m more, Collins will be $2.7m more.

So even with no internal (there's a good amount of important ones who will be more expensive if you want them back) or external FAs signed, or any extensions given, those guys are still going to cost $22.2m more cap space than they did in 2022. I just don't see how they maintain a competitive full roster while extending Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all to the contracts that they'll command.