03-16-2018, 11:32 AM
Rumor has it that the Bengals are done in FA, which wouldn't surprise me in the least. But we all know that Mikey B has a propensity for "bargain bin" shopping toward the end of free agency ... Just so happens that there are quite a few safeties still on the market, which is one of the positions I'd like to see us upgrade. Top 5:
- Morgan Burnett - solid player, but 29 and being pursued by Bears and Browns.
- Tyrann Mathieu - very good, young player with significant injury history
- Kenny Vaccaro - younger player (27) who never realized his potential; some recent injury history
- Eric Reid - another young guy (26) with some recent injuries
- Tre Boston - mediocre career until last year, when he broke out for the Chargers (5 ints); looks to be a solid coverage FS and only 25
Burnett is probably out, and I have to believe that some team will pay Mathieu, as he can be an all pro if healthy.
Boston could be a one-year wonder, but he was a bargain on a one-year, $1 mil. deal last year. Vaccaro and Reid are former first rounders, which seems in the Bengals' wheelhouse. I never really loved Vaccaro's game, as he's more of an in-the-box guy than a coverage safety. But I can't believe that no one has kicked the tires on Reid -- apparently he's drawn no interest at all, which he claims is related to protesting. Reid's stats have gone down a bit over the years, but that's arguably because he's been playing out of position at SS/LB-hybrid.
What do you guys think? If we could get Vaccaro, Reid, or Boston on a short-term deal worth $3-5 mil/yr -- or even better, an Eifert-like incentive-laden contract -- would you bite? Are Reid (protest issues) and Vaccaro (PED suspension) worth the trouble? Would one of these guys potentially be a cheaper upgrade over Iloka ($6 mil/yr) or Williams ($4 mil/yr)? I'm thinking yes.
- Morgan Burnett - solid player, but 29 and being pursued by Bears and Browns.
- Tyrann Mathieu - very good, young player with significant injury history
- Kenny Vaccaro - younger player (27) who never realized his potential; some recent injury history
- Eric Reid - another young guy (26) with some recent injuries
- Tre Boston - mediocre career until last year, when he broke out for the Chargers (5 ints); looks to be a solid coverage FS and only 25
Burnett is probably out, and I have to believe that some team will pay Mathieu, as he can be an all pro if healthy.
Boston could be a one-year wonder, but he was a bargain on a one-year, $1 mil. deal last year. Vaccaro and Reid are former first rounders, which seems in the Bengals' wheelhouse. I never really loved Vaccaro's game, as he's more of an in-the-box guy than a coverage safety. But I can't believe that no one has kicked the tires on Reid -- apparently he's drawn no interest at all, which he claims is related to protesting. Reid's stats have gone down a bit over the years, but that's arguably because he's been playing out of position at SS/LB-hybrid.
What do you guys think? If we could get Vaccaro, Reid, or Boston on a short-term deal worth $3-5 mil/yr -- or even better, an Eifert-like incentive-laden contract -- would you bite? Are Reid (protest issues) and Vaccaro (PED suspension) worth the trouble? Would one of these guys potentially be a cheaper upgrade over Iloka ($6 mil/yr) or Williams ($4 mil/yr)? I'm thinking yes.
