03-06-2025, 09:20 PM
I wonder what sort of comp pick they might get if Higgins were to play out his last year on the tag and get signed elsewhere after the season. They could maybe pull something where they try to get a lot of cash out the door this year and they go in knowing that Tee will test free agency and probably get a bag next year. It'd be a shame, it'd sort of be doing him dirty, but I think that might be the direction that I'd lean with this FA period. Try to lock down Chase and Hendrickson. See if Tee can be persuaded into signing for something reasonable.
Beyond comp picks the other curveball is guaranteed money. The only way to get these guys to sign for less APY would be to offer a higher percentage guaranteed. I'd be offering Chase multiple options based on the Jefferson deal plus 9% inflation. I'd tell him he can have more APY but it'll cost an extra year of his rights. I'd tell him he can have the same APY x 1.09 with a slightly higher guaranteed %. Or he can have a substantially higher % guaranteed for the same contract with less than 9% inflation. If he just won't sign anything along those lines...yikes. Hendrickson I don't know. There isn't a cookie cutter template like the Jefferson deal to go off of. I stand by my assessment from last year: Trey Hendrickson is currently the second most important player on the team in terms of value over replacement.
Beyond comp picks the other curveball is guaranteed money. The only way to get these guys to sign for less APY would be to offer a higher percentage guaranteed. I'd be offering Chase multiple options based on the Jefferson deal plus 9% inflation. I'd tell him he can have more APY but it'll cost an extra year of his rights. I'd tell him he can have the same APY x 1.09 with a slightly higher guaranteed %. Or he can have a substantially higher % guaranteed for the same contract with less than 9% inflation. If he just won't sign anything along those lines...yikes. Hendrickson I don't know. There isn't a cookie cutter template like the Jefferson deal to go off of. I stand by my assessment from last year: Trey Hendrickson is currently the second most important player on the team in terms of value over replacement.
