A Very Bengals-esque Offseason

[*ochocincos*]

(01-20-2021, 07:53 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: 4.7 million isn't that much.  And if we've learned one thing, it's that the starter we have can't stay healthy an entire season.  Hell, one step further - Gio is miles ahead of anyone we have on the roster as a 3rd down back.  No way I would cut him.  $4.7 million isn't preventing the team from upgrading another spot.

1) I have confidence a draft pick, Trayveon Williams, Samaje Perine, or some other random cheap FA could perform about as well as (if not better than) Bernard for less than half the cost. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/running-back/

2) That $4.7 mill could be the difference in getting a good FA on OL vs a mediocre one. Or getting a solid WR3, which is more impactful than a backup RB. You say that money isn't preventing upgrading another spot, but it actually could be. They need the following upgrades: WR3, TE, 2-3 OL, 2 DL, LB, possibly CB. They have $35 mill in cap without cutting people. $4.7 mill makes a difference.

3) The Bengals have the 7th highest paid RB on average (Mixon) at $12 mill APY and also the 14th highest paid RB on average (Bernard) at $4.85 mill APY. The Bengals can't cut Mixon because he has $11 mill in dead cap in 2021, so he'd cost more to cut than keep.

4) The Bengals are not contending in 2021, so why waste that money on Bernard, who will be in the last year of his contract?

We're going to have to agree to disagree because there's no way you convince me Bernard is worth keeping at his current cost.