8 hours ago
(8 hours ago)BFritz21 Wrote: Great post.
I think Ossai and Murphy are both in for big years because they seemed to be coming into their own last season and were poised for big years regardless, and I think Golden's aggressive style with various looks and stunts will unleash them into big years.
That's why I think Hendrickson is really hurting himself with this holdout because, if other players have bigger years and see the field more, then he'll have less leverage after this season.
I hope Stewart gets in soon because, while we might not have had that language in contracts, it's standard now, so we're just adapting with the times.
Stewart needs to stop listening to his agent and realize that we're in a new time.
Admittedly, this is a lot to bet on if your Cincinnati. Murphy was worse on a per-snap basis than he was in 2023. He failed to log a sack and logged only five more pressures on 50 more snaps. That's just the numbers side of it, but from a film perspective I don't see anything that gives the signal of "big year incoming". He was already being utilized in stunts, so that aspect won't be new to him.
Now, Ossai had his best year as a pro last season so he may continue growing. There's at least some optimism there. Murphy didn't look good, though. Regardless, Trey is a top tier pass rusher. I think him not being available hurts Cincinnati more than it hurts him.
