02-17-2025, 06:22 PM
(02-17-2025, 04:59 PM)QueenCity Wrote: Rapien just said on twitter the Bengals plan on tagging him. They did also say they plan on trying to extend him long term.
Which is exactly the right play. For several reasons.
1) Tagging him almost certainly keeps him here. Be it under the tag (hopefully not), or on an extension.
2) It buys them time to work out a deal while simultaneously suppressing Tee's market. Is someone gonna make a serious offer that will cost them 2 1sts if we don't match it? Unlikely. Worst case, he plays for $26 mil, which is below what most were saying his fair market value was. Best case, he signs an extension for less than he would on the openarket because we are now his only market. There is no open market.
3) He is our 4th best player after Burrow, Chase, and Hendrickson. Letting your best players walk (Bates, Reader) is not usially a recipe for success.
4) Keeping him makes Burrow and Chase happy. And makes both of their lives MUCH easier. And us a better football team.
5) Has anyone taken a gander at our receiving corps beyond Chase atm? Iosivas made strides last year but still ranked 98th out of 98 ranked WRs at PFF. And that is our BEST option. After that? Burton, the always injured Chuck Sizzle and I. Williams. With Sample, Gandy, and McLachlan at TE. Why fo you think Burrow is pounding the table for Tee and Gesicki so hard? Our depth is terrible.
https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/andrei-iosivas/109811#gradesWidget
6) Yeah, we could sign a FA WR or draftca,WR high, but neither will be Higgins level good. And I'd rather use that FA $$ and picks tonipgrade the trenches OR nab a true 1stcround talent who drops if they are there (Walker, Warren, Starks, etc.). I don't want to have to take a WR RD1.
7) Keeping him sends a message to Burrow, Chase, Trey, and all the other FA's that we are serious about contending.
8) Sure, an extension would be better. But the early tag makes a statement. Maybe it helps with Hendrickson and Burrow's restructure. If I was Joe, I would not do that restructure until Tee, Trey, & Chase were taken care of.
9) If we can get those done prior to FA, well have cash to play with. And can make cuts as needed as we sign upgrades, but not before. I wanna know exactly how much space we have/can create at the FA bell, so we can hit the ground running. I don't wanna,be talking to Tee, Trey, Chase, & Burrow when I want to be talking to Smith, Jenkins, Sweat, Williams, Becton, Ford, Tart, Campbell, Freis, Hilton, Hill, Gesicki, Daniels, and company.
