Bengals could benefit by spending more in free agency

[Bengalholic]

Katherine Terrell talks about how the Bengals have fared in free agency over the last 3 years:

The Cincinnati Bengals have been one of the least active teams in free agency over the past three years, ranking 30th in the NFL in total signings and 28th in total contract value. Here's a look at how those decisions have panned out on the field:

Total signings: 19* (30th in NFL)
Total contract value: $99,895,000 (28th in NFL)
Three-year W-L: 28-18-2

While the Bengals' philosophy of building through the draft instead of free agency has kept them from signing any epic busts, the team also hasn't gotten significantly better in the past few years. The Bengals were a playoff team for several seasons but regressed in 2016 after letting several of their own free agents go.

The Bengals could definitely stand to spend more in free agency or go after more talented players. They usually target middle-tier players such as 35-year-old linebacker Karlos Dansby, but that didn't add much to their defense in 2016. With a young core group of players in place, the Bengals could be in "win now" mode by going after bigger fish in free agency.


Full article

[jj22]

She preaching to the choir, but she still new to this team. She'll be bengalized soon.

[Big Boss]

In other news, human beings could benefit by drinking more water.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-07-2017, 04:29 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Katherine Terrell talks about how the Bengals have fared in free agency over the last 3 years:

The Cincinnati Bengals have been one of the least active teams in free agency over the past three years, ranking 30th in the NFL in total signings and 28th in total contract value. Here's a look at how those decisions have panned out on the field:

Total signings: 19* (30th in NFL)
Total contract value: ******$99,895,000 (28th in NFL)******
Three-year W-L: 28-18-2

While the Bengals' philosophy of building through the draft instead of free agency has kept them from signing any epic busts, the team also hasn't gotten significantly better in the past few years. The Bengals were a playoff team for several seasons but regressed in 2016 after letting several of their own free agents go.

The Bengals could definitely stand to spend more in free agency or go after more talented players. They usually target middle-tier players such as 35-year-old linebacker Karlos Dansby, but that didn't add much to their defense in 2016. With a young core group of players in place, the Bengals could be in "win now" mode by going after bigger fish in free agency.


Full article

Now realize that Michael Johnson's $20m is a full fifth of that spending. He was technically an outside FA signing, but basically a guy that just took a year off from being with the team.

[Vas Deferens]

The brown family is benefiting by not spending money. I think we know who wins that convo. At what point is the so calle competition committee get involved? Hahaha

[bengals67]

This begs the question

If we are so low on free agent spending, why do we have no cap space????

We will lose at least 2 of our 3 top FAs and maybe all three.

Bodine will be center next year, we will lose to Steelers twice and have an awful season, Marv will get an extension, and we will have lots more cap space available in 2018 because all of the rest of our belter players will want out.

[fredtoast]

(03-07-2017, 04:33 PM)Big Boss Wrote: In other news, human beings could benefit by drinking more water.

Drinking water can lead to hyponatremia which causes nausea, confusion, headache, and fatigue.

[OrlandoBengal]

I truly don't believe this team will ever be in "win now" mode, which is extremely disheartening. It always seems to be about the future, somewhere 3-4 years down the road, something that never comes.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Thanks for this Holic. Happy she is bringing this up. If we would just use FA to open up the draft we would
be fine. FA hasn't even started yet but i am with you Holic being concerned cause if Whitwoth leaves we are
in some unknown territory. This would be different if either Ogbuehi or Fisher had played well yet but we all
saw both of these guys last year and while Fisher was better than Og that is not saying much.

Re-sign Whitworth and Burkhead, bring in Wisnewski, Sean Spence, Nick Fairley and Jabaal Sheard and it
would be a great job freeing up the draft. I think we would all be happy with this.

[muskiesfan]

I don't know why I'm going to bother, but okay.

This has been the point that I, and many others, have been making for multiple off-seasons. I'm not asking for the team to "win free agency". I'm asking them to add real talent to get us over the hump. An actual impact free agent and/or player coming into his prime here and there would help tremendously. By overvaluing comp picks and our dumpster diving approach to free agency, the team has not progressed. Treading water helps nothing. While we stay the same, other teams are passing us by.

I get tired of getting blasted because I want the team to take a chance on a proven player instead of an over the hill vet, comp pick, or UDFA. A couple of pieces here and there and this team is a contender. Instead, we continue the same old tired approach that has not generated post season success in almost 30 years.

[Big Boss]

(03-07-2017, 04:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Drinking water can lead to hyponatremia which causes nausea, confusion, headache, and fatigue.

http://www.bc.edu/offices/dining/nutrition/topics/drinkenough.html

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-07-2017, 06:05 PM)muskiesfan Wrote: I don't know why I'm going to bother, but okay.

This has been the point that I, and many others, have been making for multiple off-seasons. I'm not asking for the team to "win free agency". I'm asking them to add real talent to get us over the hump. An actual impact free agent and/or player coming into his prime here and there would help tremendously. By overvaluing comp picks and our dumpster diving approach to free agency, the team has not progressed. Treading water helps nothing. While we stay the same, other teams are passing us by.

I get tired of getting blasted because I want the team to take a chance on a proven player instead of an over the hill vet, comp pick, or UDFA. A couple of pieces here and there and this team is a contender. Instead, we continue the same old tired approach that has not generated post season success in almost 30 years.

Exactly, just go from 30th to 18th or so for Pete's sake.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-07-2017, 06:05 PM)muskiesfan Wrote: I don't know why I'm going to bother, but okay.

This has been the point that I, and many others, have been making for multiple off-seasons. I'm not asking for the team to "win free agency". I'm asking them to add real talent to get us over the hump. An actual impact free agent and/or player coming into his prime here and there would help tremendously. By overvaluing comp picks and our dumpster diving approach to free agency, the team has not progressed. Treading water helps nothing. While we stay the same, other teams are passing us by.

I get tired of getting blasted because I want the team to take a chance on a proven player instead of an over the hill vet, comp pick, or UDFA. A couple of pieces here and there and this team is a contender. Instead, we continue the same old tired approach that has not generated post season success in almost 30 years.

The definition of insanity, keep doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.

(03-07-2017, 06:24 PM)Wyche Wrote: Exactly, just go from 30th to 18th or so for Pete's sake.

It seriously is not too much to ask.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-07-2017, 04:40 PM)bengals67 Wrote: This begs the question

If we are so low on free agent spending, why do we have no cap space????

We will lose at least 2 of our 3 top FAs and maybe all three.

Bodine will be center next year, we will lose to Steelers twice and have an awful season, Marv will get an extension, and we will have lots more cap space available in 2018 because all of the rest of our belter players will want out.

We have $45 million in cap space. That's nearly 27% of the salary cap.

Only the Bengals spin that as '$15 million' cap space.

[SunsetBengal]

The funniest part about all of that, is the fact that with 3 more wins over that span, this team looks like they dominated and the staff looks like geniuses.  In some instances, it could have been as simple as a guy that was already a Bengal to have accepted the Bengals offer, rather than to have elected to accept similar money to play somewhere else. (See Reggie Nelson and Marvin Jones last year)

The primary problem that a lot of folks don't seem to get is that this team actually pays players what they say they will, rather than putting up these attention grabbing contract numbers that include a ton of voidable money.  I really can't argue much with their philosophy in general, but perhaps just a little more action in free agency could make the difference of being competitive and being a serious contender. 

[bonesaw]

[Derrick]

(03-07-2017, 04:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Drinking water can lead to hyponatremia which causes nausea, confusion, headache, and fatigue.

You been drinking too much water, Fred?

[Passepartout]

Tell me about the water. As drinking eight classes a day, most than that over to get rid of my Mucus thing. But still think in FA that the team need to look at that before drafting.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-07-2017, 04:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Drinking water can lead to hyponatremia which causes nausea, confusion, headache, and fatigue.

And of course Fred goes with the Albert Haynesworth scenario of hydration which also prevents heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, rhabdomyolysis, and is essential to life. 

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-07-2017, 04:40 PM)bengals67 Wrote: This begs the question

If we are so low on free agent spending, why do we have no cap space????

We will lose at least 2 of our 3 top FAs and maybe all three.

Bodine will be center next year, we will lose to Steelers twice and have an awful season, Marv will get an extension, and we will have lots more cap space available in 2018 because all of the rest of our belter players will want out.

In other lines of business it's often called cooking the books. Mike Brown calls it rollover money.