03-06-2017, 10:53 AM
(03-05-2017, 01:51 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I've said this before, but worth repeating...Dre might be slowly climbing up the top free agent DB list. Trumain Johnson got franchised tagged, Malcolm Butler is a restricted free agent who I believe New England will sign long term or at least match a teams offer sheet. I think teams will also value Dre's height at 6'2, plus desperate teams overpay for corner backs. I'm torn with Dre because I think we might have to over pay to keep him. He's a good #2 corner who's up and down at times. If Pacman get suspended which I think he will and we lose Dre,we would be going into the season with Jackson III who's never played a snap in the NFl, Dennard who's struggled and Josh Shaw. If the team loses both Zeitler and Dre it will be interesting to see if they do anything in free agency. It would be tough for the Bengals to justify losing both Zeitler and Dre, doing nothing in free agency and bringing back Marvin and Pacman on top of it all.
It is funny how free agency works. A player's value is often determined by who else is a free agent the same year. Dre is a very good CB but this years free agent market is loaded with good young CBs. I just did a quick un-scientific google poll of 5 different sites that rated free agent CBs. Here is the general consensus. A.j. Bouye (26) is the clear #1 target. After that there is a group that includes Trumain Johnson (27), Malcolm Butler (27), Stephon Gilmore (26), Logan Ryan (26) and Mo Claiborne (27). Kirkpatrick (27) seems to be in a third tier that also includes Prince Amukamura (28), Deshawn Shead (29), and Captain Munnerlyn (29).
I think when it is all done Dre will be paid more like the guys in the second tier than the third. But I seriously doubt he comes close to the top 5 contracts for CBs this year. Teams looking to sign CBs are in good shape this year because there are a lot of good young guys that could hit the market, but it also drives down the contracts for all of the CBs. I am guessing Dre gets a deal that averages $10+million a year. And I think the Bengals need to pay him. But if just 2 or 3 of those other rop guys had re-signed and were not on the market Dre could be looking at close to $15 million a year. Teams overpay when talent is thin.
