ESPN - Troy Blackburn comments on Bobby Hart signing

[*ochocincos*]

(03-28-2019, 04:06 PM)Ravage Wrote: Again, hating to be fair to that idiot, but look at the contract details. Hart's deal is really a 1 year deal with easy outs the following two years. The three years isn't awful if he can put it together and play well. If he just is what he is and doesn't improve (he's still young-ish at 25), they can cut him in the off season before the roster bonus hits and have a pittance of dead cap as a result (2 mil). Much as I loathe the Hart signing, on the off chance he figures it out and becomes a decent tackle, I'd rather have him under contract than have to pay him a ton on the off chance he performs well. His money looks stupid considering his past performance (and it IS stupid make no mistake), but compared to the top FA tackles, it isn't THAT bad. 

I'm just choosing to believe it's really a 1 year contract, with team options in years 2&3. Sure he might (OK, likely will) be here all 3 years, or he might be gone next March. Until we see who we get in the draft and who's available on the 2020 FA market, at least we know we have one semi-competent (I'm being very generous) RT on the roster. Hart isn't anything to write home about, but he's better than Fisher or Ogbuehi were at least. I think what happened was they panic signed Hart, way overpaid, and preferred to go with the devil they knew than an outside player.

Was it a ridiculous over-pay? Absolutely. Was it dumb? Most likely. Is it surprising considering who runs the team? Not at all. Could it be worse? Absolutely, they could have re-signed Ogbuehi instead (I still can't believe Jacksonville gave him a contract, he'd be a benchwarmer in the AAF).

Dammit, I just managed to defend the Bobby Hart contract...I need a drink, or a shower, or both...

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bobby-hart-16952/

I would say the Bengals will keep Hart at least through the 2nd year of his deal because that's what they do, but they did just release Burfict with two years left on his deal. So I guess it's possible.

I've lost optimism a long time ago though haha.