Tee Higgins, down the road in '24?

[SunsetBengal]

According to Jeremy Fowler it doesn't look optimistic for the Bengals to sign Higgins to any long term deal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-insider-doesn-t-sound-optimistic-about-bengals-keeping-key-free-agent-this-offseason/ar-AA1jYL6z

Quote:SPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler doesn't sound optimistic about the Cincinnati Bengals re-signing a key free agent this offseason.

On Wednesday, Fowler wrote about what he's hearing when it comes to Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, a free agent after the 2023 season, and he doesn't sound confident that Cincinnati will re-sign the talented wide receiver.

The ESPN insider wrote that Higgins will be hard for the Bengals to keep.

From ESPN: Largely considered a No. 1-caliber receiver, Higgins will be hard for Cincinnati to keep. The franchise tag is $22.9 million, and the Bengals also need to pay Chase eventually. Higgins had significant trade interest at the deadline. He's exactly what a team like Carolina needs -- a bonafide vertical threat with size. Should he get to free agency, Higgins is probably the best wide receiver on the open market since Amari Cooper in 2020.
Cincinnati will almost certainly give wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase an extension this offseason. And with Higgins likely looking for WR1 money, it seems unlikely that he would sign an extension instead of hitting the open market (where his value will only increase). The Bengals can and should find a way to bring Higgins back -- we've seen how important it is to have multiple elite options at wide receiver. But it won't be easy.

Joe Burrow on short week before Ravens game: 'We've got what we've got'
Wide receiver Tyler Boyd is also set to hit free agency this offseason, though he's a player that Cincinnati could attempt to replace through the draft.

Right tackle Jonah Williams is also set to be a free agent after the 2023 season. Fowler thinks Williams will likely command an average annual salary in the "double-digit range" (at least north of $10 million, but not likely more than $17 million).

It sounds like it's going to be an extremely busy (and important) offseason for the Bengals.

[The D.O.Z.]

Eh, with his injury history and agent, I braced myself for his departure before the season even started. Sure, I would like to keep him, but not at some crazy number like the one he will command on the market. I would rather that money go to Reader or a FA pass rusher that's not a retread, or Jonah's possible replacement if he chooses to test the market.

Sometimes I think, what if we had drafted Sewell instead and ended up in a situation HAVING to re-sign him. Sure, he's a quasi- WR1, would probably be WR1 on half the teams in the league. But man, the guy is an injury magnet. From Steeler headhunting concussions to this hamstring, he has missed some games. Would we, the fan base, be clamoring for them to re-sign him or be looking to replace him due to availability? Then I think, if they replaced him in FA with a cheaper, stopgap player...who will be out there that could excite the fan base, be a reliable target for Joe, and not miss many crucial games?

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Fine with it. We need to add to the trenches in FA clearly, we can always draft WR's.

We are actually good at this from what we have seen in the past with the exception of John Ross.

I would add another RT and LG in Free Agency and bring back DJ Reader and add a pass rusher.

[Clark W Griswold]

I know it would cost them big $ but I have wondered if they should/would franchise tag Jonah as a RT.
It will be expensive but he has played well this year and it will push that need down the road for another season.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-15-2023, 03:25 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: I know it would cost them big $ but I have wondered if they should/would franchise tag Jonah as a RT.  
It will be expensive but he has played well this year and it will push that need down the road for another season.

Wouldn't be against it. Jonah has played decent at RT this year besides this last Texans game and another game I forget which.

Still think we could get a better RT that has always played RT for cheaper though than the tag and for longer term.

[Clark W Griswold]

(11-15-2023, 03:28 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Wouldn't be against it. Jonah has played decent at RT this year besides this last Texans game and another game I forget which.

Still think we could get a better RT that has always played RT for cheaper though than the tag and for longer term.

You are probably right.
I am hoping they might be able to draft a plug and play RT in the first round of the draft.

[J24]

At the very leat he will be tagged for next season; the only real question is will he be traded or will he play for the Bengals come August.? Also don't be suprised when Chase isn't signed until 2025( of course they will sign him longterm but there in no rush because he has a 5th year option in 2025))

As for Boyd we already have his replacement in Charlie Jones!

Also if we trade Tee do you want picks or a player in return?

[Whatever]

(11-15-2023, 03:03 PM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: Eh, with his injury history and agent, I braced myself for his departure before the season even started. Sure, I would like to keep him, but not at some crazy number like the one he will command on the market. I would rather that money go to Reader or a FA pass rusher that's not a retread, or Jonah's possible replacement if he chooses to test the market.

Sometimes I think, what if we had drafted Sewell instead and ended up in a situation HAVING to re-sign him. Sure, he's a quasi- WR1, would probably be WR1 on half the teams in the league. But man, the guy is an injury magnet. From Steeler headhunting concussions to this hamstring, he has missed some games. Would we, the fan base, be clamoring for them to re-sign him or be looking to replace him due to availability? Then I think, if they replaced him in FA with a cheaper, stopgap player...who will be out there that could excite the fan base, be a reliable target for Joe, and not miss many crucial games?

I would personally look to the draft for a replacement.  Per the Consensus Big Board, there are currently 5 WR's in the Top 20 and 9 in the Top 50 prospects.

Mike Evans, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tee headline a very deep FA class that also includes guys like Hollywood Brown, OBJ, Calvin Ridley, Darnell Mooney, Gabe Davis, Boyd, and others.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(11-15-2023, 03:30 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: You are probably right.  
I am hoping they might be able to draft a plug and play RT in the first round of the draft.

Well, that is the reason I would go after a RT in Free Agency, no pick in the Draft is close to being a sure thing, especially OL for us.

Lots of good weapons in the Draft that could come in immediately and help and drafting them would save us money over extending 
Tee or Jonah. Just my opinion, I also still don't trust Jonah to stay healthy for an entire season. He has been healthy so far, we will 
see if this continues if it does and Jonah continues to play good I certainly wouldn't be against extending him or even the tag though.

Jonah will command a lot though and there WILL be RT's in Free Agency to be had that have played exclusively at RT. Should be 
cheaper than Jonah and might not have the injury history he does.

[*Synric*]

Tee Higgins should be a no brain tag and trade this off-season. The signing of Orlando Brown pretty much coffin nailed a Jonah Williams resigning. DJ Reader will be this off-season Vonn Bell need to bring back or else it's gonna be ugly.

[*ochocincos*]

This shouldn't be some new revelation.

With the expected cost, it was not high probability that Higgins would be retained, at least not if the Bengals also wanted to keep Chase (which you would think they would want).

It could still happen, but I was never holding my breath for Higgins to return.

[*ochocincos*]

(11-15-2023, 03:44 PM)Synric Wrote: Tee Higgins should be a no brain tag and trade this off-season. The signing of Orlando Brown pretty much coffin nailed a Jonah Williams resigning. DJ Reader will be this off-season Vonn Bell need to bring back or else it's gonna be ugly.

If Reader does return, I can't see it being at $13.25 mill again.
Reader will be 30 next year, which Bengals haven't traditionally signing FAs that old.
Plus, they have so much money already tied up in Hubbard and Hendrickson that they need to go cheaper at DT at some point.
They have soooo much money put into that DL right now, and it's limiting what they can put toward the OL and pass catchers.

[WeezyBengal]

Cut Mixon and Nick Scott (12M cap hit in 2024) and tag Tee (23 million)

Re-sign Jonah at RT and beef up the interior OL and DL.

We have a butt ton of cap room next year. Around 90 million dollars with a Mixon cut. There should be zero excuses. My only question is tagging Tee. Really don't love players playing under the tag...doesn't seem like they are all in.

[*psychdoctor*]

If this is the case, why not just trade Tee and get something for him.

[*Synric*]

Remember to tag and trade Tee you have first to get his 22.9m tag under the cap while finding a trade. After the trade the Bengals are responsible for half the tag salary of 11.5m dead cap.

[WeezyBengal]

(11-15-2023, 04:01 PM)Synric Wrote: Remember to tag and trade Tee you have first to get his 22.9m tag under the cap while finding a trade. After the trade the Bengals are responsible for half the tag salary of 11.5m dead cap.

They may as well just let him go and get the comp pick. It'd prob be a 2nd or 3rd rounder. 

[BFritz21]

It’s unfortunate but it’s the nature of the business.

We tried to fix it this offseason but we’re still the nineteenth ranked defense.

We have easily a top three QB with a top three receiver that have a great relationship, and we’ve been on the edge of winning Super Bowls with no offensive line.

If we can give Burrow protection, he’ll win us many championships because defenses will be so focused on Chase that he’ll make average receivers look like All-Pros.

Let him walk or tag and trade for a lineman.

[*Synric*]

(11-15-2023, 04:04 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: They may as well just let him go and get the comp pick. It'd prob be a 2nd or 3rd rounder. 

Nah it's worth the tag and trade because it would be at best a  3rd round Comp pick (around pick 100) highest you can get and in 2025. It would be essentially buying draft picks which teams do... (some teams sign veteran OL and trade them mid season for day 3 picks lol).

They mentioned Carolina in this article but I would be calling the Giants in the offseason to try to talk them out of a couple top 100 picks. (My December mock draft spoiler lol).

[Nepa]

This is why I was hoping the Bengals would use a high-draft pick on a TE, so they would have that extra target, and large target, for Burrow should Higgins sign elsewhere. This was a TE-heavy draft and they walked away without one. I suppose they were looking but couldn't pass up who was available at their draft spots.

[SunsetBengal]

(11-15-2023, 03:25 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: I know it would cost them big $ but I have wondered if they should/would franchise tag Jonah as a RT.  
It will be expensive but he has played well this year and it will push that need down the road for another season.

No, the estimated OL tag value for 2024 is $22.9M.  They are estimating Williams value to be $11-17M/per.  If they want to keep Williams on the team, the best route would be to offer him something like $60M for 4 years.