Off season FA and 3 mocks

[*ochocincos*]

(02-06-2017, 01:52 PM)Crowe Wrote: This post will have what I wish to see us do via free agency and our own guys. I also did 3 different mocks using different big boards. I also have a projected salary cap via sportrac.com that takes into consideration 1 year of service for the free agents I have us getting, some of these will be longer than 1 year contracts. I also traded McCarron for the Bears 2nd and 4th rounders, but did not use a draft pick for them two spots as I used Fanspeaks simulator.

FREE AGENCY

Let Dre K walk - replace w/ free agent/in house/draft pick
Let Zeitler walk - replace w/ Westerman/Hopkins/draft pick
Let Rex B walk - replace w/ draft pick

Traded A.J. McCarron (Saved: $690,000) to Chicago Bears for their 2nd and 4th rounders
Released Adam-Pacman Jones (Saved: $6,333,332)
Released Michael Johnson (Saved: $2,875,000)
Released Rey Maualuga (Saved: $3,668,750)
Released Jonathan Brown (Saved: $465,000)
Released Pat Sims (Saved: $1,075,000)

Sign/Resign
Brandon LaFell signed as a free agent (Cap: $2,000,000) - 2 yr deal
Justin Hunter signed as a free agent (Cap: $885,000) - 1 yr prove it deal
Andrew Whitworth signed as a free agent (Cap: $7,500,000) - 2 yr deal
John Sullivan signed as a free agent (Cap: $1,100,000) - 1 yr deal(maybe more)
Andre Smith signed as a free agent (Cap: $1,300,000) - 1 yr deal
Nick Fairley signed as a free agent (Cap: $3,000,000) - 1 yr prove it deal
Kendall Reyes signed as a free agent (Cap: $1,000,000) - 3 yr deal
Zach Brown signed as a free agent (Cap: $1,300,000) - 3 yr deal
Nolan Carroll signed as a free agent (Cap: $2,400,000) - 2-3 yr deal
Paul Dawson signed as a free agent (Cap: $600,000) - 2-3 yr deal

CAP TOTALS - post free agency(for 1 year)/pre-draft

Total Available Cap: $174,578,866
Total Team Cap $: $136,682,439
Cap Space: $37,896,427
Total Savings: $14,417,082

Draft 1 using CBS big board

9: LB REUBEN FOSTER ALABAMA
41: CB DESMOND KING IOWA
73: C PAT ELFLEIN OHIO STATE
114: WR ZAY JONES EAST CAROLINA
137: G DAMIEN MAMA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
144: EDGE TREY HENDRICKSON FLORIDA ATLANTIC
154: RB DONNEL PUMPHREY SAN DIEGO STATE
194: K ZANE GONZALEZ ARIZONA STATE
218: CB JALEN MYRICK MINNESOTA
221: QB JOSHUA DOBBS TENNESSEE
230: TE COLE HIKUTINI LOUISVILLE

Draft 2 using fanspeak big board

9: EDGE MYLES GARRETT TEXAS A&M
41: LB RAEKWON MCMILLAN OHIO STATE
73: G DORIAN JOHNSON PITTSBURGH
114: WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER USC
137: CB KEVIN KING WASHINGTON
144: C TYLER ORLOSKY WEST VIRGINIA
154: RB WAYNE GALLMAN CLEMSON
194: OT JON HECK NORTH CAROLINA
218: EDGE DARIUS ENGLISH SOUTH CAROLINA
221: LB BEN BOULWARE CLEMSON
230: CB JALEN MYRICK MINNESOTA

Draft 3 using Bleacher Reports big board

9: WR MIKE WILLIAMS CLEMSON
41: DL CALEB BRANTLEY FLORIDA
73: EDGE DEMARCUS WALKER FSU
114: C PAT ELFLEIN OHIO STATE
137: CB MARQUEZ WHITE FSU
144: OT CONOR MCDERMOTT UCLA
154: LB PAUL MAGLOIRE JR. ARIZONA
194: RB COREY CLEMENT WISCONSIN
218: EDGE DYLAN COLE MISSOURI STATE
221: LB BEN BOULWARE CLEMSON
230: QB CHAD KELLY OLE MISS

No chance in hell the Bengals let DK walk and cut Jones. As much as we all want to see WJ3 and Dennard play, you have to keep at least one of the two starting CBs in Cincinnati for 2017 at least as a bridge.

Also, if Whitworth and LaFell come back on those two lowball deals, they cheated themselves. Whitworth knows the Bengals need him, and he deserves to be paid $9 mill a year or more. The two year deal makes sense though. Brandon LaFell already played on his "prove it" deal at ~$2.5 mill last year and showed he is worth way more than that. He deserves at least $4 mill a year somewhere. What's your reasoning for these two important starters staying with Cincinnati on deals that are much more team-friendly?

If the Bengals retain LaFell and sign Justin Hunter, who is cut from the 6 WR spots to then make room for a draft pick? You're keeping AJ Green and Tyler Boyd. The other 3 are James Wright, Alex Erickson, and Cody Core. Given that none of the WRs you picked are return specialists, one has to assume the two players cut are James Wright (duh) and Cody Core? I think Cody Core showed enough last year to warrant sticking around. I can only see the Bengals adding two new WRs at most if LaFell isn't retained.

Why is Nick Fairley going to play on a "prove it" deal? 6.5 sacks and 9 TFL with a brand new team aren't enough to have proved it? I do think he can be a good addition though if the team is looking for an interior rush specialist and don't believe that Hardison, Thompson, or Williams can be good enough to get it done.

I think overall, you're really giving low estimates for what FA players will sign for. If this was a mock for New England where a player will sacrifice some $ for an outstanding shot at a ring, perhaps. But it doesn't make any logical sense for so many of the players you listed to sign for arguably peanuts when they likely could go to a better team and get paid more.