PFF Ranks Cincy's Defense top 10.

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(10-16-2020, 09:10 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: The question is how many of those safeties still had a year of control left? I am not on board with extending Bates this offseason.

Bates is playing for a $1.15m base salary next year if he doesn't sign an extension. PLUS the safety franchise tag in 2020 was only $11.15m. So even if you add a bit onto that and call it $12.something million... that means the Bengals can control Bates for another 2yr/$13.5m or so. 

I'm actually all good with not extending him for now. Let him play for $13m+ over the next two years, and turn that savings into money you can throw at FA OL. There's a finite amount of time the Bengals have where they don't have to pay a QB $30m+/yr. Don't blow it on giving players unnecessary raises while hobbling yourself from a cap standpoint. Get the most talent you possibly can for now because a time is coming where you won't be able to.

So you're saying you want to tell Jessie Bates we want to pay you the least we can possibly can for two years and let you hit free agency?

Or do you tell the Best Player on your defense that is still very young we want to pay you a year early to keep you in stripes for the entire prime of your career?

I'd go with B.