05-17-2024, 06:36 PM
(05-17-2024, 04:05 PM)J24 Wrote: Losing Tee is going to be huge no matter how you slice it. Add on too the fact that we could have traded him this offseason to lesson the impact of his loss makes the FO look even dumber.
Once we again we don't know what was offered for Tee in a trade if anything, only rumors. I was all for trading Tee during the
Draft, but no point now unless a team loses a WR and wants to give us quite a bit for him. Even then, might be better to just
keep Tee here and make a run at a SB with him on the team.
(05-17-2024, 04:08 PM)CJD Wrote: To be clear, (almost) any player can be replaced. The Bengals have shown the ability to replace players fairly well, especially at WR, where we have had at least 1 tier 1 receiver every season for the last 25 years.
I'm looking at it from an asset management stand point.
You have Jessie Bates. A tier 1 safety who wants to stay in Cincinnati, and you fail to sign him because of the 2nd year guarantee when everyone in the universe knows that you will not cut them after 1 year, even if it's the worst season in the NFL. Just give him the money.
You have Tee Higgins. A tier 1 (or tier 2, whatever) wide receiver who has shown he can be a #1 receiver (some of his best games are when Chase was injured), and who can make circus catches regularly. You have him on a cheap deal in the 2023 off season where everyone was talking about trading for him.
You don't trade him because "he's too valuable."
Now, it's one year later, and you don't even want to offer him 20M AAV?
If he is so valuable, lock him up or trade him for the first round pick you plan to use to replace him.
We let Bates go and got basically nothing for him.
If we continue down this embarrassing path, we're going to lose Higgins in 2025 and get nothing for him either.
Either lock up your assets or trade them when their value is at its highest.
The Bengals are sitting on the fence between these two options in the absolute worst way possible.
And they're embarrassing themselves in the process, with two players requesting trades and leaks coming that they are cheaping out on Higgins without any response from the front office.
This is a Super Bowl caliber QB and a super bowl caliber roster at the moment.
I want a Super Bowl caliber front office. One that knows how to manage its assets.
Guess I understand what you mean than CJD. I don't think we are in a bad place with Tee on the team and needing to have a big
year to get paid big next year by another team. It only hurts his stock if he sucks it up this year with us after not having a good year
last year. Also could hurt if we pay him what he wants in an extension and we cannot afford to keep some players here longer who
still have something in them.
(05-17-2024, 04:16 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: What makes the team better this year...having or not having Tee on the roster?
I don't think it's 'dumb' to get at least one more year out of a talented WR that makes your team stronger because he's experienced in the system and has established chemistry with the QB. If the goal is to make a legit SB run this year, then having Tee out there is the smartest move, IMO.
Agree Holic as usual. It is best to just keep Tee on the Tag this year and make a run at a Super Bowl.
I was for trading him during the Draft but it didn't happen and we don't know the particulars of why.
Just have to hope Tee stays healthy and has his best year before moving on.
