(03-10-2017, 03:20 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Apparently we offered Whit 11 million. He chased the money.
Hard to compete with Cleveland when they are flushing 16 mil down the toilet to get a 2nd round pick next year. Making Zeitler the highest paid G in the league is a cleveland type move.
With Hobson bullshitting us about them having 2-3 mil left to spend they have to be setting aside a big chunk for extensions.
Does it go to Burfict and Eifert? Or are they getting ready to hand extensions to Clarke Hill and Bodine?
Ideally we get Eifert and Burfict locked up with fair deals and go in to next year with a new head coach and no big time free agents who would get us comp picks so we actually get involved in free agency.
Okay, he chased the money, and Zeitler broke the bank...but why did it come to this??? If they are "troubled" by the losses, then why did they allow them to even get to this point is what I am asking?? It's not against the rules to extend them before FA starts and before other teams can talk to them. You actually can extend them before they even start playing the final year of their contract.
To me it is simple. If you let a guy hit true open market FA, then you aren't too worried about losing him. Good teams, never let their best players hit that point. Did the steelers allow Brown, or Ben or Bell or DeCastro or etc, etc, hit that point? Nope, they locked those guys up before anyone else can get a chance to even tempt them with big money.
That is where this team is falling short. If Marvin Jones is a guy you value, let him know it by signing him before the Lions can overpay. Whit is a cornerstone of the franchise you say? Then sign him, so he never gets this offer from LA and retires a Bengal.
This isn't rocket science, it's just Mike being cheap, that's all there is too it.
Winning teams, only let guys hit this point if they are prepared to move on without them. And if the player wants to test the waters, that is when you tag him so other teams can't just take him.