Zeke to the Bengals?

[samhain]

(03-24-2023, 11:06 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Wouldn't Mixon need to take a pay cut or be released?  We overachieved he's goi last season for a team with one high-paid RB, so going to the SB with Mixon and Elliot on the payroll would be pretty against the grain, wouldn't it?

I doubt it.  It doesn't seem like the demand for Zeke indicates that he's going to get a lot of money.  He's not signing here (or wherever) to be the primary back.  He's basically going to be Samaje Perine with a household name.  He'll be paid similarly.  

If he signs here, he's either a 3rd down back with Mixon as the primary or a 3rd down back with a rookie as the primary in the unlikely case that Joe gets released.  He will be Burrow's personal protector on 3rd down and a goaline/short yardage specialist.  

I'm not as dismissive of this as some, even after the Taylor comments.  He's damn near a perfect fit for what they lack right now.  If he's realistic about his value and market, I could see it happening.  

I'm good with getting a rookie, but assuming a mid-round back can step in and pick up the things that Mixon hasn't in pass protection for half a decade is risky.  It's a skill, and not everyone can hack it.  I'd almost rather get a cheap vet that we know can do it than a rookie figuring it out on the fly in a potential Super Bowl season.  Zeke is possibly the best in the business at it.