2024 Bengals Free Agents

[Essex Johnson]

(08-18-2022, 01:42 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Loved Geno but he will not sniff the HoF.

Yes he has a chance, he was voted to 8 pro bowls, 2 all pros and on the all decade team,, he will get consideration.:Willie had 4 pro bowls and 3 all pros and look the consideration he is getting.

[tms]

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

You're absolutely right. No question that's the core today. But I think you're being overoptimistic if you think it'll be the same in two years. First, with the wideout contracts being handed out today, I think it's next to impossible that this team can keep both Higgins and Chase long-term. It's getting harder and harder for franchise QBs to co-exist with one WR1 (see: Rodgers/Adams, Mahomes/Hill), forget about two.

This league is famously moving to backs who are 25 and under, and they've arguably never been more replaceable. Mixon is already 26. 28-year-old backs still getting 250 touches are the exception to the rule- legends like AP. God love Mixon but he's not in that category. I assume he's on his last contract in stripes. And if not, it won't be because he's playing well. By the way, I reserve the right to be wrong about all of this lol.

I visit a lot of boards and find it interesting how fans here seem to rate Jonah so highly. That's cool, but I'd just say it's widely expected that he's in his last year as a Bengal. He won't be tagged (since he doesn't merit Top 5 money- he's average across the board) and they won't break the bank for him. I don't think they even know yet whether he's better suited to play as a bookend or on the interior; they haven't really had a chance to see (for obvious reasons). He's kinda been forced outside by default. In fact, I personally think they've been grooming D'Ante to take over for him next year. That may yet change, of course, since D'Ante hasn't proven anything. But even if it does, Mike Brown has never shelled out for his OL before. It's hard to believe he'll start with Jonah Williams. 

I love Boyd but it's the same story: there's only so much pie. He won't demand 20+ but he'll want his bag. If Burrow's pegged for 50- safe assumption imo- the slot receiver may be one of the first casualties. 

Two more years on Reader's and Hendrickson's bodies is an eternity. We don't mind paying our DL but it remains to be seen what shape those two will be in in 2024. Two years ago Lawson was the future; three years ago Geno was a PBer lol. Point being that a lot could change (and likely will). 

As for Chido, I don't know. He'll be almost 30 so he'll be affordable. The only question is whether we'll want to afford him in two years. CB1s are generally on the same (unfair) clock as tailbacks. He'll probably lose a step by then and the FO will be tempted to let him go.

Honestly, of the 10 up there, I think the Bengals are budgeting for Franchise, Chase and Logan. Maybe they'll squeeze in one more (like Boyd) or maximum two (Trey). All the others will either be on their way out/tagged or already gone. And I'm not even worried about it. That's the reality when you're a perennial contender. I expect them to win 100-110 games over the next ten years (not including playoffs) and Burrow's everchanging supporting cast will soon become the norm. On the one hand we'd do well to enjoy the moment and not look too far ahead; very few franchises get the opportunity. On the other we'd better get used to the revolving door.   

[ATOTR]

(08-16-2022, 02:37 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Why they didn't lock up Jonah Williams this off-season is beyond me. I thought he would have been the perfect buy low candidate. 

He has turned into a very solid T.  Judging off 2021 he was top 5-8 in the league.

That being said, he was below average in 2020 (With more injuries) - compared to other starting LT's; and of course he missed 2019. 

I think waiting to ensure he looks as good/better this year is a fair hedge. 

It may end up costing them more, say 15%, but to me, that conservative approach is OK with a guy who missed a year w injury, had a mediocre/poor 'rookie year' and then a very good 2021 run. 

[ATOTR]

(08-18-2022, 09:52 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Not getting emotional at all. I just vehemently disagree with trading Tee while we’re trying to win a Super Bowl over the next couple years. This is not the time to be worrying about draft picks or the future. It’s the time to go all in like the Rams just did last year.

The chiefs traded a now 28 year old Tyreek Hill for a 1st, a 2nd, 2 4th rounders and a 5th.  Then. let Miami sink roughly 30M a year into him. 

I am not saying to dismantle the team - but they need to be smart and consider now and the next 5-8 years too.   They have a window with Burrow, so that is a luxury few teams have.  

I also am not sure Tee would get the same haul. But, I do know he is a better person than Hill. He is 5 years younger, he would be a #1 on most teams (Some games is is our #1) and he has a ton of value. Just thinking of all options here, lot of unknowns and factors. But the idea is not insane.

https://www.si.com/college/ucf/university-of-central-florida-football/trading-tyreek-hill-chiefs-dynasty#:~:text=First%20and%20foremost%2C%20they%20traded,extension%20he%20was%20looking%20for.

[THE PISTONS]

(08-18-2022, 09:52 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Not getting emotional at all. I just vehemently disagree with trading Tee while we’re trying to win a Super Bowl over the next couple years. This is not the time to be worrying about draft picks or the future. It’s the time to go all in like the Rams just did last year.

Yes. Can always franchise tag him too.

Honestly, we need to pick a model. When you have an elite QB...it seems like most teams go with 1 elite WR and then rotate through the #2-5 WR's. This entails drafting and signing value guys.

It's pretty rare to find a successful team with 2-3 really highly paid WR's and an elite QB that isn't on a rookie deal.

The Bengals, for any of their drafting flaws...are pretty great at finding WR's and RB's.

Now, if we keep drafting RB's on rookie deals and rookie deal TE's...that may allow us to keep 2 highly paid WR's.

[AlphaBengal]

(08-19-2022, 09:40 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yes. Can always franchise tag him too.

Doesn't stop a holdout.

[THE PISTONS]

(08-19-2022, 09:43 AM)AlphaBengal Wrote: Doesn't stop a holdout.

The Bengals haven't played their starters in a game yet...and are heavily resting the vets.

Honestly, if guys want to hold out from training camp...it's not a huge deal.

[THE PISTONS]

In the context of this thread...you can see why Bates hasn't been paid as a Top 5 Safety. Lots of guys to retain.

[AlphaBengal]

(08-19-2022, 09:50 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Bengals haven't played their starters in a game yet...and are heavily resting the vets.

Honestly, if guys want to hold out from training camp...it's not a huge deal.

You're also trading him after the one year tag, because you definitely aren't tagging him again for 20+ million, and the new deal he wants isn't coming so we're still back to trading Tee Higgins at the end of the day.

There's too many players to sign and this isn't Madden. Same reason that Bates is gone after this year.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(08-19-2022, 09:37 AM)ATOTR Wrote: The chiefs traded a now 28 year old Tyreek Hill for a 1st, a 2nd, 2 4th rounders and a 5th.  Then. let Miami sink roughly 30M a year into him. 

And the Chiefs and Packers WR rooms are now significantly worse. It remains to be seen if those moves will work out for them. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is loading up on weapons for a virtual arms race (particularly the AFC) just to keep up with us after our Super Bowl run. I personally want to take full advantage of having the best starting WR’s in the NFL for the next couple years. If it means losing Tee for nothing in 2024 so be it. It will be worth it if he helps us win a ring.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-19-2022, 10:07 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: And the Chiefs and Packers WR rooms are now significantly worse. It remains to be seen if those moves will work out for them. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is loading up on weapons for a virtual arms race (particularly the AFC) just to keep up with us after our Super Bowl run. I personally want to take full advantage of having  the best starting WR’s in the NFL for the next couple years. If it means losing Tee for nothing in 2024 so be it. It will be worth it if he helps us win a ring.

Not to mention winning a Super Bowl may help us keep some of these guys on smaller contracts as they may want to stay with a team and create a championship dynasty.

[ATOTR]

(08-19-2022, 10:34 AM)PhilHos Wrote: Not to mention winning a Super Bowl may help us keep some of these guys on smaller contracts as they may want to stay with a team and create a championship dynasty.

Lol. Yeah that’s realistic.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-19-2022, 10:43 AM)ATOTR Wrote: Lol. Yeah that’s realistic.

Your mom's realistic. 

[Garrus]

(08-19-2022, 10:07 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: And the Chiefs and Packers WR rooms are now significantly worse. It remains to be seen if those moves will work out for them. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is loading up on weapons for a virtual arms race (particularly the AFC) just to keep up with us after our Super Bowl run. I personally want to take full advantage of having  the best starting WR’s in the NFL for the next couple years. If it means losing Tee for nothing in 2024 so be it. It will be worth it if he helps us win a ring.

We would still get a decent comp pick for him signing big elsewhere, a 3rd perhaps? So we would at least get something for letting him walk. 

[Nicomo Cosca]

(08-19-2022, 10:51 AM)Garrus Wrote: We would still get a decent comp pick for him signing big elsewhere, a 3rd perhaps? So we would at least get something for letting him walk. 

Good point.

[*ochocincos*]

(08-19-2022, 09:40 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Yes. Can always franchise tag him too.

Honestly, we need to pick a model. When you have an elite QB...it seems like most teams go with 1 elite WR and then rotate through the #2-5 WR's. This entails drafting and signing value guys.

It's pretty rare to find a successful team with 2-3 really highly paid WR's and an elite QB that isn't on a rookie deal.

The Bengals, for any of their drafting flaws...are pretty great at finding WR's and RB's.

Now, if we keep drafting RB's on rookie deals and rookie deal TE's...that may allow us to keep 2 highly paid WR's.

Exactly.

Pay the QB, the top pass catcher, and then either the RB or the next best pass catcher.
Invest the rest in OL and key defensive players.
Use draft picks and/or cheaper veterans to fill out the remainder of the offensive weapons.

If we aren't seeing the Bengals getting a deal done for Bates, do people really think they'd give a WR2 $18+ mill a year? 
I don't.

[J24]

(08-16-2022, 02:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: This isn't next summer, but the summer after:

-Hendrickson
-Reader
-Mixon (Club Option)
-Boyd
-Burrow (Club Option)
-Higgins
-Awuzie
-Jonah Williams
-Tee Higgins
-Logan Wilson

And some other guys that aren't as important.

Just WOW! It's the core of our team.

I forsee the FO prioritizing 
1.) Burrow 
2.) Williams 
3.)Wilson or ADG
4.) Boyd
5.) Reader

Auwzie and Hendrickson will both be older at that point and more expensive. I could see Trey getting a 100 Million dollar deal done at that point as well with another team. 

Mixon will be an elder statesmen at that point; so I don't see the Bengals resigning him at that point.

Higgins will eventually be traded and it will probably happen next offseason.
1.) He is not the #1 player at his position on this team.

2.) His trade Value will be insane. We're looking at a first and third in return for him.
It would definitely suck to lose him but at the same time the FO can't pay everyone. 

(08-16-2022, 10:00 PM)J24 Wrote: There is  a lot of variables that are going to go into the future of the franchise.

1.) How much does Burrow sign for?

2.) Are the Bengals going to continue being proactive in trading and free agency?

3.) How well do the Bengals draft in coming years and well will the 2021 and 2022 drafts look like in 2024?

(08-19-2022, 11:44 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Exactly.

Pay the QB, the top pass catcher, and then either the RB or the next best pass catcher.
Invest the rest in OL and key defensive players.
Use draft picks and/or cheaper veterans to fill out the remainder of the offensive weapons.

If we aren't seeing the Bengals getting a deal done for Bates, do people really think they'd give a WR2 $18+ mill a year? 
I don't.

Especially when they have the same exact Agent. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-18-2022, 06:55 PM)ATOTR Wrote: Trading Tee this offseason might actually make a lot of sense.  As shitty as that might seem to consider. 

Nah, hold onto him as long as possible. He has 2 more years here and if he does blow up and gets paid #1 WR money 
like most all of us think we might get a mid round pick for him or even a 3rd. But we cannot pay Tee at the risk of not 
being able to keep Burrow, Chase or Logan Wilson IMO. All of which I don't think we can replace.

Watch Logan blow up this year but LB's don't get paid as much as #1 WR's so easier to keep around.

[*ochocincos*]

(08-19-2022, 05:24 PM)J24 Wrote: I forsee the FO prioritizing 
1.) Burrow 
2.) Williams 
3.)Wilson or ADG
4.) Boyd
5.) Reader

Auwzie and Hendrickson will both be older at that point and more expensive. I could see Trey getting a 100 Million dollar deal done at that point as well with another team. 

Mixon will be an elder statesmen at that point; so I don't see the Bengals resigning him at that point.

Higgins will eventually be traded and it will probably happen next offseason.
1.) He is not the #1 player at his position on this team.

2.) His trade Value will be insane. We're looking at a first and third in return for him.
It would definitely suck to lose him but at the same time the FO can't pay everyone. 


Especially when they have the same exact Agent. 

Remember back just in 2019 that we didn't think a WR2 should even be paid more than $10-12 mill APY?
And just 2016 offseason we were thinking $8 mill was sufficient for a good WR2 in Marvin Jones.
Now there's talk of $15+ mill.
Crazy.