THE Offseason Roster Question to Ask

[Mike M (the other one)]

(01-25-2020, 04:20 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: A good list of upcoming free agents:

https://nfltraderumors.co/top-25-2020-nfl-free-agents-list/

Out of your list?

I would:

Tag AJ
Trade AD, IDC if everyone knows I'm taking JB, who wouldn't really?
Trade Glenn
Bring back
Vigil (he's a safe signing)
Billings, (he's a safe signing)
Dennard (cover that slot wr)

Sign:
WR Armani Cooper (once secured, AJ is free to talk to other teams and work out a trade, unless he takes a team friendly incentive based offer)
DB Byron Jones (once secured, i'd look to trade Dre).
ILB Joe Schobert (can cover TE and is a team leader)
S Vonn Bell (best young S I have seen, really turned it on this year)
DT Michael Brockers (great run stuffer and OL eater), DL of Los, Brockers, Geno, Hubbard/Lawson would make that TE stick around at the line.
TE Henry Hunter

Best to target players where the original team is going to be hard pressed money wise to retain them and all of these players are 27 years old or less. Catching them in their primes and locking them up for 4-5 years.

This would open the draft to grabbing JB (obviously)
Say we are able to trade AD, AJ, Glenn, Dre, I'd say a 2nd, 2 3rd and 2 4th round picks.

Obviously
1. QB Joe Burrow
2. IOL Creed Humphrey (yes he's a C, but also plays LG/RG, so great pick up to help on the interior of the Line)
2. OT Mechki Becton (We can keep Hart for one more year and see if Becton can beat him, if Becton wins, then bye bye Hart and hello money).
From there, just grab another couple OL and go BPA, with emphasis on grabbing a LB/CB/WR as well.

Now before you guys laugh saying that's too many. Think about it, I am spending next to nothing for my OL/QB. yes it's imbalanced on the money, Def/Off, but by the time Geno, Los contracts expire that money will be shifted to the OL and now is the time to Front Load those contracts.

I am also trying to get these FA's all done under the current CBA, I'm not sure what the future holds, but the rules won't change much, and if they do, more than likely more in favor of the players as far as salaries goes. Yea, MB will have a cow paying all of those signing bonuses this year, but it's still averaged out over the life of the contract so it's not as complicated as Hobspin always makes it out to be.

Besides for the most part it's player salaries replacing them.
AD -> Cooper
AJ -> Byron Jones
Glenn/Dre -> Schobert/Bell/Henry (half)
New salary -> Brookers and Henry (half)

As it is right now, with all those guys except AJ on the payroll, we still have 48 mil in cap space.

And if you really want to get technical, Hart's salary as well, find another OL if you want.

[Circleville Guy]

(01-25-2020, 12:42 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Why bring Whit back now? He's three years older than when we let him go (which was the right decision, they just didn't have the replacement work out) and he just had ankle surgery. He's close to done....

No, the tag was the right decision. That way you made sure you had the right replacement.

[Hammerstripes]

Getting back to the way the Bengals operate, here's what I would do:

1. I would re-sign: Dennard, AJ, Billings and Vigil.
2. I would trade Dalton as they obviously aren't going to use him this year.
3. I wouldn't cut anyone (Dre, Glenn, etc) as we all know they won't spend the money in free agency to replace any of them with a mid to upper level starter.
4. I would sign some specialty guys on the defensive side of the ball (speed LB, Cover safety)
5. I would draft BPA at each spot in the first 3 rounds (hoping that a first round caliber LB is around in round 2 or a first round caliber OT)
6. Rounds 4-7 draft the following - speed LB, Speed CB, Speed WR. Essentially getting guys that are fast and play fast.