A Closer Look at March 2024 as 2023 ends

[kevin]

Burrow did not need to be resigned in 2023, Bengals could have did that in 2024. However Bengals need to resign Chase in 2024. So to avoid the monster signings in same year Bengals resigned Burrow in 2023 and will resign Chase in 2024 and therefore keep the LSU Burrow to Chase combination going.

Jumping out at me is Boyd at 10 million dollars and Higgins who will seek to be a high paid #1 WR on one of the 32 NFL Teams, and he will get it.

Very possible we lose both Higgins and Boyd in March, but between March and September lock in Chase for the long term.

I also see Bengals losing high paid Reader on D Line in March. Bengals high paid Hendrickson is a free agent in 2025, so he is here at least one more year.

Awuzie could be gone in March also. Bengals could lose Higgins, Boyd, Reader and Awuzie in March free agency. Also Jonah Williams is in the free agency mix.

As Bengals look to free agency help and draft help, they must keep money to resign Chase this Spring or Summer, and Chase will be an expensive signing indeed. What good is Burrow without Chase.

Having Burrow and Chase locked in for years will help Brown Family, GM Duke Tobin and Head Coach Taylor and coaches figure out payroll for rest of the team.

Chase can not be all Bengals have, defenses would shut that down too easy. I would not be surprised to see a high pick WR in the draft, because WR will be needed if both Higgins and Boyd leave. The problem with just getting other free agent WR's from other teams is they will come at a high price also, and Chase needs to be locked in this off season. It becomes very complex and complicated on payroll, but in order for Bengals to run the offense, the Bengals may have to go high early in The Draft on not One, but Two WR's.

I thought there was a chance to lose Higgins and keep Boyd, until I saw that Bengals pay Boyd 10 million. Both Higgins and Boyd have high price tags for a team that needs to resign Chase this off season. Bengals got loaded up on top WR's through the Draft at rookie wages, and Bengals may well have to do that again. Burrow will need targets to pin Super Bowl hopes on.

So, who is very good at WR in Round One and Round Two in 2024 draft. Bengals hit WR hard in 1981 Draft and went Super Bowl getting Collinsworth and Verser to go with Ken Anderson favorite target Isaac Curtis. The Bengals will move forward with Burrow to Chase locked in for years once they resign Chase this off season, but if Higgins and Boyd both gone, then top picks in the Draft may offer the best WR's at the best price tag to go forward.

Now the TE added in free agency will probably be gone, he didn't do much, so there will be some adding by subtraction. Irv Smith payroll will be better spent elsewhere. So there are lesser players Bengals will resign in free agency, and some they just let walk. The players other teams can't wait to grab in March are gone already, so don't let Chase be one of them in 2025.

OK, there is the Franchise Tag. Bengals could keep a free agent one more year at a very expensive Franchise Tag price cap hit. Not sure that is a wise move.

The Super Bowl Bengals can not stay together financially, but Bengals can have Burrow to Chase long term and build around that.

[Whacked]

We paid Burrow 275m

He should be able to make Trent Irwin look like Ja’Marr Chase.

Ok ok. Mild sarcasm but seriously. Wth

Other Elite QBs make mediocre Receivers look solid all the time.

We need so much help on D and 2nd to that, a little more help on the O Line (which would help our run game too).

With an average D in the 2021-2022 season, we were one play shy of winning a SB.

Look what the Stains did this year even pre-Flacco w that D and putrid O.

Sign me up for all efforts being placed on a rebuild of our D

[kevin]

(12-26-2023, 04:57 PM)Whacked Wrote: We paid Burrow 275m

He should be able to make Trent Irwin look like Ja’Marr Chase.

Ok ok. Mild sarcasm but seriously. Wth

Other Elite QBs make mediocre Receivers look solid all the time.

We need so much help on D and 2nd to that, a little more help on the O Line (which would help our run game too).

With an average D in the 2021-2022 season, we were one play shy of winning a SB.

Look what the Stains did this year even pre-Flacco w that D and putrid O.

Sign me up for all efforts being placed on a rebuild of our D

We paid Burrow so he needs no top targets to throw to.  I say just the opposite.  Because they paid Burrow you now also lock in his LSU partner Chase.  You also bring in picks that will be much needed to replace Higgins and Boyd.  Saying all we need is Irwin is as when fans said all Bengals needed was Baby Hawk, it don't work.   For Burrow to get passes off before he gets clobbered, he will need top targets who get separation and get open Quick and Fast.  

If Bengals signed Burrow  and then let Higgins, Boyd go and also not resign Chase, then it is Last Place for Bengals for years to come, and they should have never resigned Burrow.  One thing is clear, Chase needs to be resigned long term this off season.  The LSU Combo of Burrow to Chase has won in Cincinnati and they are still young talents to build the team around. 

It is too late to not sign Burrow and sink all the money into Defense. Burrow is indeed locked in long time, now lock in his college teammate Chase who they have perfect timing with each other. If this team loses Higgins and Boyd now and Chase next year, those are Last Place moves that will producing Losing Only. At least lock in Chase this off season. Keep Burrow to Chase and then add much needed new pass targets.

[Whacked]

Forgive me if my message didn’t come off clear - I am a ginormous Chase fan.
Agreed that the Burrow-Chase connection must remain in place for as long as we can afford them both!

I was just saying that getting us a D that outperforms a mediocre high school team should be the priority over signing Tee.

Also that at 275M, Burrow should be able to make this work with Chase + (fill in the blank).

I think we are paying for him to be able to do well w/o “needing” 2 very talented WR’s to do so.

We could sign Tyreek Hill and Deebo —- but w this D, still not convinced we would be able to get a ring.

This D is awful.

[*jason*]

(12-26-2023, 04:57 PM)Whacked Wrote: We paid Burrow 275m

He should be able to make Trent Irwin look like Ja’Marr Chase.

Ok ok. Mild sarcasm but seriously. Wth

Other Elite QBs make mediocre Receivers look solid all the time.

We need so much help on D and 2nd to that, a little more help on the O Line (which would help our run game too).

With an average D in the 2021-2022 season, we were one play shy of winning a SB.

Look what the Stains did this year even pre-Flacco w that D and putrid O.

Sign me up for all efforts being placed on a rebuild of our D

Which receivers would you say are propped up by elite QBs?

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(12-26-2023, 11:44 PM)jason Wrote: Which receivers would you say are propped up by elite QBs?

Just look at Mahomes with Receivers who have trouble catching the ball...

Not saying I want to bring back Tee, but we do need to extend Chase and add a couple Receivers when Tee and Boyd leave.

Charlie Jones hasn't proven anything this year and Iosivas is still a question mark with his consistency and such.

I also agree with Whacked though, we need to improve the Defense big time. Grab a DT in FA and even an Edge if we can.

Really like the WR's and DT's early in this Draft.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-26-2023, 04:57 PM)Whacked Wrote: Other Elite QBs make mediocre Receivers look solid all the time.

We need so much help on D and 2nd to that, a little more help on the O Line (which would help our run game too).

Look what the Stains did this year even pre-Flacco w that D and putrid O.

Examples of elite QBs making mediocre WRs look solid all the time? Modern ones preferably. 

- - - - - -

The 2024 starting defense currently has....
Hendrickson: Paid
BJ Hill: Paid
Hubbard: Paid
Wilson: Paid
Pratt: Paid
Hilton: Paid
Dax: 2022 1st Round Pick
CTB: 2022 2nd Round Pick
Turner: 2023 2nd Round Pick
Battle: 2023 3rd Round Pick

With backups..
Murphy: 2023 1st Round Pick
Ossai: 2021 3rd Round Pick
Carter: 2022 3rd Round Pick

...the only starting position that will be open is NT. Outside of that position you are just replacing a young high draft pick.

The help we need on D is just better scheme and defensive philosophy plus the secondary getting more experienced. Anything more than that means we need a full rebuild of the defense because we would need to start shedding veterans and young high draft picks.

- - - - - - - -

The Stains "putrid" offense is the 8th scoring offense in the NFL. That's just 1 spot lower than the Bengals highest ranked scoring offense in the Joe Burrow era.

Even with both OTs hurt, their RB hurt, and their QB hurt they still have a $20m/yr WR, $14.2m/yr G, $16m/yr G, and $13.7m/yr TE currently on their offense.

[dxdtdemon]

The best recent examples of great quarterbacks making average receivers great is pretty much anyone who Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees threw a football to on a regular basis that wasn't Jimmy Graham. I do agree that firing Marion Hobby and getting a real defensive line coach, and also probably getting rid of Lou Anarumo will help the team more than signing or drafting particular defensive players, outside of needing one more defensive back and one or two defensive tackles. But the biggest problem is the offensive line, and that if the line gave Burrow/Browning/McCarron enough time to throw the ball, "average" wide receivers could put up better numbers than the oft injured Tee Higgins. How much of changing the line involves new coaching vs new players, I'm not sure, but without a much better offensive line, this team won't go as far as they should.

[Luvnit2]

To the OP, Boyd was paid well for a 3rd receiver on his second contract. Boyd will be over 30 years old in 2024 and simply no way he gets paid the 10 million he made in 2023, not just Bengals, but anywhere. As for WR, what is the hurry paying Chase in 2024? The big question is how much does Tee Higgins want? Is Tee worth 20 million + in 2024 and beyond? I say no based on his injury history, so if he is willing to make WR money for a guy who is best 20 to 30 at his position (by the stats) then maybe he stays with us for 16 million a year back loaded for 4 years with 40 million guaranteed. We have 70 million in cap money in 2024 and 182 million in 2025.

So, yes if Tee is reasonable, I can see us address Tee in 2024 and then Chase in 2025. I think Boyd is worth 3 to 5 million on a 1 year deal, he may get more elsewhere so good chance he is gone. We have guys on our roster with improvement could take Boyd's spot.

As for the draft, it all depends on what we do in FA. Do we sign Williams at RT, If not it is either the draft or a FA? Either option would be less than we paid for a RT in 2023.

Som fans act like we are in cap hell, we are not as we have a lot of core players locked in for 2024 and have 70 million to spend.

We also have 9 draft picks, I look forward to a great draft and a wise FA signing by the FO. Let's be real, the OL improved over 2022, especially the back end of the year. But, our DL and safeties were a major issue, it has to be addressed. Too many big plays for first time in years in 2023 against our defense.

[Danger Zone]

(01-01-2024, 10:36 AM)dxdtdemon Wrote: The best recent examples of great quarterbacks making average receivers great is pretty much anyone who Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees threw a football to on a regular basis that wasn't Jimmy Graham.

Off the top of my head Rodgers had Davonte Adams, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, and Greg Jennings.

For Brees, besides Graham, most years he would have one of, if not the best receiving back in the NFL. As fas as his WRs go, I think M.Colston, M.Thomas, J.Horn, and B.Cooks would of been good with lesser QBs.

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