Bengals Cap Strategy

[*ochocincos*]

(11-26-2018, 11:52 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Bengals PR kind of sold us (Model Model) on the strategy that they don't overspend on external free agents allowing them to essentially be competitive every year because they wouldn't be massively over the cap.

They also value Compensatory Picks like they are gold. (In reality, most of our compensatory picks turn out to be special teamers.)

It also gets talked about how the Steelers and Ravens will be in a cap hell where they have to significantly get rid of players. Meanwhile, the Steelers seem to extend guys like Pouncey, DeCastro, Brown, Roethlisberger, and had enough money to franchise tag Bell.

We've lost some really good Pro's over the years in Whitworth, Zeitler, Jones, Sanu, Nelson, Andre Smith, Joseph, Justin Smith, and several more...as re-signing them could have hindered our ability to have cap space into the future.

Meanwhile, we seem to have tens of millions of cap space each year. We had enough to absorb Cordy Glenn's contract this past offseason. We are projected to have a lot this offseason. ie It looks to me like we could have retained Zeitler or Whitworth...and maybe both.

Then, our model is also built on being able to draft well and replace talent. We have a small scouting staff though. Are our scouts 10 times as smart as those of the Patriots?

What are your thoughts on our cap strategy?

I think the strategy for comp picks is stupid. The lower the picks, the less likely they pan out to become starters let alone above average starters.
If they continue with this strategy, they need to try to trade multiple Day 3 picks back up into Days 1 and 2 in order to try to find more starter-level players. Sure, you may find a Marvin Jones on Day 3 but for every Marvin Jones you find, you're also more likely to get a Mario Alford. Give me 4-5 picks in Days 1 and 2 over 10+ picks where 7+ of them are on Day 3.

As for the cap situation, the excuse of rolling over $10+ mill a year can only be justified if there's a plan to go all-in at some point. So far, we've seen just a continuation of rollover for no other than reason than "just because."

I also think the type of players the Bengals pursue is a bad method. They look to sign multiple lower-tier players rather than sign 1-2 upper-tier and fill those backup spots with cheap draft picks and/or sub-$1 mill a year veterans. 

Last, if you are going to say you focus on the drafting and developing "homegrown" talent, you need coaches and a FO who are elite at evaluating and developing talent (mainly developing). They don't seem to be doing well at this for the past few years at least and it's caused a (big) decline in the outcome of the past few seasons as good veterans have left.