Chase not Practicing

[Essex Johnson]

(09-11-2024, 10:04 AM)Whatever Wrote: Ehhhh...

Practicing, then not, is a leverage move.  One negotiations heated up, he started practicing, likely as a show good faith on his part or the team saying they won't negotiate until he practices.  Historically, the Bengals come in with low ball offers, which probably caused him to stop and then they upped their offer.  When asked about feeling if was being valued as the #2 priority behind Burrow when he was interviewed after returning to practice, his answer was "Now I do.". Not hard to figure out when you take our history into account.  They lowballed him to start, like they always do.

He was listed as Questionable on the Injury Report.  Do you realize that if he says he's definitely going to play the league can fine the club or take away draft picks for manipulating the Injury Report?  Also, he's not playing if the team doesn't dress him.  Technically, every player on the roster is a "game time decision" unless the HC says otherwise.  Not to mention that he said he wasn't going to sit due to his contract, already.  

"Good deal" is subjective, and it doesn't feel like you're being objective, here.  The only thing they agreed on and that can be assumed was "good" was the AAV.  They couldn't even agree on years, for heaven's sake, let alone payment schedule or the Bengals' Achilles heel, guaranteed money.

We can debate the issues, decisions made  and the assumptions on what we actually don;t know  im not saying that my post was this was not an objective interview... it was total one sided