Keeping Tee Will Have Some Consequences

[*Synric*]

(09-08-2023, 01:49 PM)pally Wrote:

Higgins: “My resume is not as good as the greats. I got a lot of work to do. Looking forward to getting that done.”

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) September 8, 2023

While Kelsey Conway isn't the most reliable insider her tweet with the one pally posted makes me believe it. I can see the Bengals offering 18-20 mil and Tee wanting 22-25 mil.

Tee Higgins and the Bengals are not close/ never got close on a contract extension, per a source with knowledge of the situation

Unless something “shocking” happens in next 24 hours, a long-term extension is not expected to happen before Sunday
@Enquirer

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) September 8, 2023

[J24]

In all honesty I imagine they will have to trade him for a boat load of picks or a significant player in return. I don't think it's smart to have two 25 + Million players at the same position.
Give me DJ Reader plus the trade Value you get from Tee over Tee!

[basballguy]

(09-08-2023, 01:49 PM)pally Wrote:

Higgins: “My resume is not as good as the greats. I got a lot of work to do. Looking forward to getting that done.”

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) September 8, 2023

It's nice seeing him be humble about it.  He knows his skills are there but doesn't have the numbers (yet).  I'd like to see him with 85/1200/12 or something like that.  

I know it was a different era but Manning got to keep Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne for like 8 years.  I hope he at least gets one extension (like maybe a 2 or 3 year deal) then goes off and collects his bag somewhere else.  

[hoosierbengal]

It’s possible Higgins wants to go elsewhere anyway. Money aside he may wanna be someone’s #1. He could be a 90+ receptions a year receiver for another team but probably won’t ever do that here if Chase remains healthy. Just a thought.

[GodFather]

(09-08-2023, 02:39 PM)hoosierbengal Wrote: It’s possible Higgins wants to go elsewhere anyway. Money aside he may wanna be someone’s #1. He could be a 90+ receptions a year receiver for another team but probably won’t ever do that here if Chase remains healthy. Just a thought.

Said Marvin Jones Jr

[Bengalbug]

(09-08-2023, 02:40 PM)GodFather Wrote: Said Marvin Jones Jr

It’s worked out pretty well for him, but him and tee are not in the same class, so let’s get real with that.

[Housh]

Yeah the 1st thought would be why would he go somewhere and get #1 WR defense put on him?

Welp he gets those defenses here. Thats why teams staye din cover 2 so much last year against us, to shade Chase and Tee.

[*ochocincos*]

(09-08-2023, 02:09 PM)Synric Wrote: While Kelsey Conway isn't the most reliable insider her tweet with the one pally posted makes me believe it. I can see the Bengals offering 18-20 mil and Tee wanting 22-25 mil.

Tee Higgins and the Bengals are not close/ never got close on a contract extension, per a source with knowledge of the situation

Unless something “shocking” happens in next 24 hours, a long-term extension is not expected to happen before Sunday
@Enquirer

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) September 8, 2023

This isn't surprising if true.

If Higgins really wants to be paid in the $22-25 mill range, that would put him in the Top 5-10.
He's not going to be a Top 5-10 WR on a team with JaMarr Chase.
And because he's not the top guy and getting fed like a bona fide WR1, he's not going to get enough targets to be.

If we're being honest, Higgins is currently in the 15-20 range as long as he's a Bengal.
That puts his value in the $15-18 mill range.

If he really wants to justify getting paid like a top-end WR1, he needs to go to a team that needs a true WR1 and will feed him that many targets.
Honestly, with OBJ likely gone after this year and already 31 years old, Higgins might get be a great fit with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Or the Cardinals, Giants, Texans, or Patriots.

[bengals1969]

(03-15-2023, 04:15 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: i agree 100%... gotta have a team and trenches and defense 

Gotta have stars at premium positions.  LT & RT, QB and WR, CB's, DE.  
We are locked at LT, QB right now.  At least one elite WR will stay.  We've restocked the secondary and will soon know how good they are.
LB's are locked for years.    
We aren't in a bad spot over the next few years.  A smart FO can manage these positions and contracts.

I wouldn't be shocked if Tee is traded for a basket of high picks nor would I be shocked if he is re-signed.

[Shake n Blake]

(03-15-2023, 03:43 PM)GodFather Wrote: Obviously we are keeping Joe, so that is a no brainer. But keeping Tee with Joe and soon Chase, thats going to cost us alot of money. I know people aren't happy with so many players leaving in FA but this is what happens when we sign the big contracts coming up. Something will have to give.

I am just ECSTATIC we still have Lou and the other coaches. That is key. Those guys are going to find people to fit the system. Let them work their magic. They haven't let us down yet so let just let the process play out this offseason with FA and the draft.

We will be back on top competing for the ring this upcoming year...and the guys who left most likely wont but they will be getting whats most important to them..their money.

Ultimately, money is most important to 99% of players. Even the ones we keep. Very few guys take a discount, and even when they do, it's not a huge discount. The guys want everyone to get paid, then talk a good talk about keeping everyone together, but it's all talk. They just want everyone to get paid as much as possible, so that THEY get paid more as a result.

For teams, they have to strike while the iron is hot. There is a window. Joe said it's his entire career, and of course he will say that. To an extent, it may be true. That said, it will get a LOT harder for the team to surround Joe with the necessary players. Judging by Mike's comments over the last couple years, I feel he knows this and is worried that all the pressure and criticism is going to once again fall on him and his family.

Fans won't point to Joe's contract (or the combined salaries of Joe, Chase and Tee if we keep them) for lack of success as much as they will point to the usual punching bags. The margin for error in the draft will become razor thin. We'll need to hit on more free agent bargains. It can definitely be done, but it wouldn't be surprising to see some relative down years in the future if we strike out on some picks.

[Shake n Blake]

(09-08-2023, 02:39 PM)hoosierbengal Wrote: It’s possible Higgins wants to go elsewhere anyway. Money aside he may wanna be someone’s #1. He could be a 90+ receptions a year receiver for another team but probably won’t ever do that here if Chase remains healthy. Just a thought.

People often romanticize these players, but Tee will look out for Tee. I have little doubt that he believes he's a #1 and will want the earning potential that would come with the increased stats.

[Bengalholic]

Joe Burrow is the first of three core offensive extensions that the Bengals have prioritized. The others:

?Tee Higgins is going into the final year of his deal.

?Ja’Marr Chase becomes extension eligible next offseason.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2023

 

[Clark W Griswold]

Odds are that they won’t be able to extend Tee so I say go all in on the WRs - trade Tee and picks for Justin Jefferson and get the band back together. $60 million per year for two WRs!
Sure they won’t be able to sign anyone else to play defense but man would that be scary fun to have JJ and Chase.

And no I am not being serious here (or am I?)

[THE PISTONS]

(03-15-2023, 04:13 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Some aren't going to like the sound of this, but paying huge money to two top recevers, along with a premier franchise QB is just wasteful.  It robs the team of the ability to put a strong "rest of the team" around them.  When you have a true franchise QB like Joe Burrow, he will develop average players into stars.  Just put the spending where it belongs, on an OL and solid defense.

It's hard enough with a Top paid QB. Not many teams with a Top 5-10 paid QB win a SB.

[Ell Prez]

Burrow sings and now everyone says we can’t afford Tee. Did you all really think Burrow was going to take a look a cheap deal to make it easier to keep Tee? For me, nothing has changed. They can make Tee work, they will just have to make sacrifices going forward, like moving on from Collins, Jonah, Reader, Hill, etc. Worst case scenario is we tag him, he plays and walks for nothing. Either sign him or trade him. Tag and trade not like. Can’t trade him now. Only option is sign him. Get it done.

[Bengalholic]

Just see too many people decrying the notion of "spending" $55M in combined cap for two WRs (Chase & Higgins), but that is a myopic view imo.

Retain and pay elite players who directly affect the passing game, which Ja'Marr & Tee clearly do.

— Andre Perrotta (@andreperrotta13) September 8, 2023

[*pally*]

For Tee to command top dollar on the market, he has to have a great season.  A good but not spectacular will not get him #1 money.

I'm not too worried about the "not close" idea.  We saw that same claim just this week from reporters about Joey Bosa and suddenly a deal is done.  Now that the Bengals have finalized things with Joey, they can negotiate with Tee having specific knowledge of their finances going forward vs hypotheticals.

https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nfl-preview-schedule-injuries-news-matchups/zlZZxwBMzwPf/gNlnAqY7b89t/

Quote:Higgins said if he received a call from his agent, David Mulgeheta, he’d call back “in two seconds.” He said he did receive one message last night: “It was, ‘Hoooo. You see Burrow deal!?’”

[DesertBengal]

(09-08-2023, 10:31 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: We have a winner 

Look I'd love, LOVE, to keep Tee. My heart would be ecstatic! But my head knows it's probably not realistic. I'm old school I know but I still strongly believe football is won in the trenches. We have to continue to strengthen Oline. Build Dline with more and better pass rush. So, something has to give.  

You can't have a giant chunk of team money tied up in 3 offensive skill players and let everything else go.

As much as I would love to have Tee on the team long term, I agree with this. That cap space can be used to build the roster in other places. 

Whether it be this offseason or next, my only hope is that the Bengals don't lose Tee and only get a 3rd Round comp pick in return, when they could tag and trade him and come away with a 1st round pick plus more.

[BengalsLUFC]

So according to the rat Conway Tee isn’t in our long term plans.

Rapien and Malik Wright both say the Bengals hope to keep Tee.

Somebody is lying and I wonder who that could be on previous form.

[depthchart]

(09-08-2023, 02:58 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Ultimately, money is most important to 99% of players. Even the ones we keep. Very few guys take a discount, and even when they do, it's not a huge discount. The guys want everyone to get paid, then talk a good talk about keeping everyone together, but it's all talk. They just want everyone to get paid as much as possible, so that THEY get paid more as a result.

For teams, they have to strike while the iron is hot. There is a window. Joe said it's his entire career, and of course he will say that. To an extent, it may be true. That said, it will get a LOT harder for the team to surround Joe with the necessary players. Judging by Mike's comments over the last couple years, I feel he knows this and is worried that all the pressure and criticism is going to once again fall on him and his family.

Fans won't point to Joe's contract (or the combined salaries of Joe, Chase and Tee if we keep them) for lack of success as much as they will point to the usual punching bags. The margin for error in the draft will become razor thin. We'll need to hit on more free agent bargains. It can definitely be done, but it wouldn't be surprising to see some relative down years in the future if we strike out on some picks.

Three of the four Teams in the AFC North have Paid Big Dollars to their QBs (Bengals/Browns/Ravens)

Lamar Jackson's health may be a roller coaster issue for the Ravens going forward.

The Browns still have 2024 Draft picks that they gave for Deshaun Watson that they won't be able to use. (Their 2024 1st and 4th I believe)

That leaves the Steelers who have Kenny Pickett on Lower dollars. They may continue to improve and challenge down the road but if Pickett 

plays well the Steelers will have to send some Big Money his way in a few years.

*I wouldn't trade places with any other AFC North Team. I like our chances with Burrow & our current Front Office but it will become more 

challenging as time goes by as you suggest.