02-20-2023, 12:46 AM
(02-19-2023, 01:45 AM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: I was being sarcastic about saving cap space by trading first rounders. I was more thinking about a scenario like this: Bates, Hurst, Pratt, and Apple all get paid way more money than the Bengals are willing to pay them. The decision is made to cash in on the future comp picks and to focus on re-signing other players this year. Kind of passive but whatever, I get why the team would do that. They can still get depth guys in FA with this method. Now it's draft day. Do you sit on your hands and continue to play it passively? The clock is ticking on your core that's about to go out of contract. You don't know how much you're going to have to pay your top two WRs. Do you continue to be passive? Or do you move some future 2nd, 3rd, or 4th rounders to try to land impact players this year? Impact rookies at TE, RT, OG, RB, Slot WR, and/or edge could be the difference this season.
I wouldn't call it passive. The plan would be to sign the right player even if it meant giving up the 4th you'd get for Bates or 5th for Pratt....but since you're more likely to spend it agressively front loading extensions for your own guys...you aren't spending big bucks on the market anyway. Then you're talking about similar players between cut vets and remaining FAs...why not get the picks?
Also, knowing you'll get extra comp picks next year, you're more likely to trade picks next year for a vet this year. If they see two RT options as projected BPAs in the 1st, maybe you trade a 4th or 5th next year for a descent TE. Feeling free to trade a mid rd pick to replace an injured starter by the trade deadline could be a major deal.
