Report: Bengals are trying to sign Tee Higgins long term

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-06-2024, 03:06 PM)Nepa Wrote: What about Brian Thomas?. 4.33 in the 40-yard dash. 6'4" like Higgins. 9.97 RAS score (10th best among WRs since 1987). Nate first opened up my eyes to Thomas as a possible replacement for Higgins, and the more that I see, the more I like. 

Thomas is faster than Tee when watching film as well. Might not be as good of a route runner yet, but his size as you say is the same and he is 
faster and could be perfect as an outside WR while Ja'Marr tears up the middle in the Slot. Adonai Mitchell also could be great and should be 
around as late as the 2nd and has great hands (even if it didn't show at the combine) and Adonai runs great routes. Mitchell in the RZ was deadly 
for the Longhorns.

Malachi Corley is another WR that could be great in the NFL, damn good Draft for WR's. Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith etc.

[jj22]

With the amount of solid receivers coming out (and have been coming out), salaries for the position should be about to drop drastically. Why pay 30m for a receiver when you have rookies coming in contributing significantly?

[tms]

(03-06-2024, 03:08 PM)jj22 Wrote: We are still down a receiver with losing Boyd people are forgetting. So we need a legit Boyd replacement. And Jones and Yoshi can't really be relied on yet (enough to pass on receiver). 

Yeah I might be naive but I'm not worried about the slot guy at all. At some point Burrow needs to turn water into wine. We can't spend top assets on every position. Honestly, I've had my eye on Terrace Marshall Jr for some time. If he gets cut by the Panthers- he reportedly will be- that's your short term fix. And whether it's TMJ or someone else, you can scoop guys like that off the street in today's league. Worst case, Jones deserves his shot. I would be incensed if we took another slot in the first three rounds when we just picked one in the fourth round last year lol

Either way, I love what Boyd did for us but I also know we weren't relying on him much with two stars on the outside. I fully expect that to continue with whoever replaces him.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-06-2024, 04:31 PM)tms Wrote: Yeah I might be naive but I'm not worried about the slot guy at all. At some point Burrow needs to turn water into wine. We can't spend top assets on every position. Honestly, I've had my eye on Terrace Marshall Jr for some time. If he gets cut by the Panthers- he reportedly will be- that's your short term fix. And whether it's TMJ or someone else, you can scoop guys like that off the street in today's league. Worst case, Jones deserves his shot. I would be incensed if we took another slot in the first three rounds when we just picked one in the fourth round last year lol

Either way, I love what Boyd did for us but I also know we weren't relying on him much with two stars on the outside. I fully expect that to continue with whoever replaces him.

Chase plays great in the Slot as well, agree, not really worried about the Slot WR. I would be for adding Terrace Marshall as well even if he 
has been a big time disappointment in Carolina. He has a history with Burrow and Chase, Marshall could flourish here and it makes sense to 
add him for these reasons. Still, we need a Tee replacement for the future though and there are plenty of WR's to be had that could be great
#2's in this Draft and they would be much cheaper on a rookie contract.

[007BengalsFan]

The problem with keeping Tee while drafting his replacement is you would be using your 1st or 2nd round pick on the WR position when that pick could have been used for a different need. If you trade Tee you now have an additional pick that could be used as a direct replacement for Tee. You get Tee's replacement plus you still have your 1st and 2nd round picks. Keeping Tee for this season and letting him walk for nothing makes no sense.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-06-2024, 05:13 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: The problem with keeping Tee while drafting his replacement is you would be using your 1st or 2nd round pick on the WR position when that pick could have been used for a different need.  If you trade Tee you now have an additional pick that could be used as a direct replacement for Tee.  You get Tee's replacement plus you still have your 1st and 2nd round picks.  Keeping Tee for this season and letting him walk for nothing makes no sense.

So true, trading Tee for a 1st or 2nd round pick is ideal alright.

[SunsetBengal]

(03-06-2024, 04:25 PM)jj22 Wrote: With the amount of solid receivers coming out (and have been coming out), salaries for the position should be about to drop drastically. Why pay 30m for a receiver when you have rookies coming in contributing significantly?

It's not just the amount of new talent being introduced to the NFL each season, there are going to be A LOT of cap casualties hitting the market in the next week as teams scramble to get under the cap for the opening of the league year.  Pat Kirwin and Jim Miller on Moving the Chains are predicting that there will likely be an additional 100 players in free agency, simply by being cut by teams needing to shed cap.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-06-2024, 04:25 PM)jj22 Wrote: With the amount of solid receivers coming out (and have been coming out), salaries for the position should be about to drop drastically. Why pay 30m for a receiver when you have rookies coming in contributing significantly?

Because you are trying to win a SB and value the production more. And because if the WR class is weaker next year (especially amongst bigger WRs), Tee will have more value. Ditto if he has a big year. 

You save $9 mil by drafting Boyd's replacement this year. You don't want to lose Boyd & Higgins the same year. This isn't Madden. Familiarity and chemistry between QB & WR matter. Chase & Burrow is exhibit A. 

Plus, I'd rather burn #18 on a potential stud RT, CB1, or generational TE prospect than WR2. 

[SunsetBengal]

(03-06-2024, 05:53 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Because you are trying to win a SB and value the production more. And because if the WR class is weaker next year (especially amongst bigger WRs), Tee will have more value. Ditto if he has a big year. 

You save $9 mil by drafting Boyd's replacement this year. You don't want to lose Boyd & Higgins the same year. This isn't Madden. Familiarity and chemistry between QB & WR matter. Chase & Burrow is exhibit A. 

Plus, I'd rather burn #18 on a potential stud RT, CB1, or generational TE prospect than WR2. 

The Bengals are currently burning $21.6M on a guy that averages 900 yds and 6 TDs per season.  They could easily equal that production in a lower costing rookie.

[Bengal Dude]

(03-06-2024, 01:14 PM)tms Wrote: Sorry if it's been discussed already but there's one question that keeps gnawing away at me:

Would you still draft a WR high (say, somewhere in the first three rounds) if you knew Tee was coming back to play on the tag? So in effect, draft a guy to stash for a year?

I honestly don't know. Seems like a missed opportunity no matter how you look at it. Draft a guy this year and you prevent yourself from addressing an actual need that could help you win the SB right away. Don't draft a guy (from this relatively strong WR class) and you may regret that in a year, when you wont have the same cap flex to fill that hole through free agency. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.

What would you do?

Absolutely not. Boyd is leaving and this team has never extended a player on the tag. 

Go back to 2015. The Bengals didn't take a WR in the 2015 draft and then watched Jones and Sanu leave after the season. We had to panic-sign Brandon LaFell and everyone on the planet knew we were going to take a WR in the first two rounds. We were basically forced to take Tyler Boyd in the 2nd round because of what had happened. I'd prefer not to have to repeat that process. 

[Frank Booth]

(03-07-2024, 01:35 AM)Bengal Dude Wrote: Absolutely not. Boyd is leaving and this team has never extended a player on the tag. 

Go back to 2015. The Bengals didn't take a WR in the 2015 draft and then watched Jones and Sanu leave after the season. We had to panic-sign Brandon LaFell and everyone on the planet knew we were going to take a WR in the first two rounds. We were basically forced to take Tyler Boyd in the 2nd round because of what had happened. I'd prefer not to have to repeat that process. 

The lafell signing wasn’t bad and Boyd was a good draft pick. Things just seemed worse because Eifert couldn’t stay healthy after 2015. If he stays healthy, the offense is a whole lot better

[pulses]

(03-06-2024, 05:53 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Because you are trying to win a SB and value the production more. And because if the WR class is weaker next year (especially amongst bigger WRs), Tee will have more value. Ditto if he has a big year. 

You save $9 mil by drafting Boyd's replacement this year. You don't want to lose Boyd & Higgins the same year. This isn't Madden. Familiarity and chemistry between QB & WR matter. Chase & Burrow is exhibit A. 

Plus, I'd rather burn #18 on a potential stud RT, CB1, or generational TE prospect than WR2. 

How did familiarity and chemistry affect the Chiefs and all of their new WR's this year when they won the SB? That's what i thought!

[*bfine32*]

(03-06-2024, 06:01 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Bengals are currently burning $21.6M on a guy that averages 900 yds and 6 TDs per season.  They could easily equal that production in a lower costing rookie.

There was a total of 3 Rookie WRs that reached 900 yards and 6 TDs last year. Not sure that qualifies as easily replaceable. 

[SunsetBengal]

(03-07-2024, 01:50 AM)bfine32 Wrote: There was a total of 3 Rookie WRs that reached 900 yards and 6 TDs last year. Not sure that qualifies as easily replaceable. 

It wouldn't have to be a rookie, there will be plenty of veteran WRs who could come here and produce for less money.

[Ell Prez]

(03-07-2024, 08:36 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: It wouldn't have to be a rookie, there will be plenty of veteran WRs who could come here and produce for less money.

Exactly. I’d like Hollywood Brown. But if we’re not singing Tee and cutting Mixon, it better be because we’re singing Christian Wilkins to a 4 year 100M deal and possibly going after a RT. If we did that and signed Brown to a 1 year small deal, it opens up 18 to be WR, or best defensive player available. I’d take another edge, DT, CB or S if that is the best available player.

Tell me our team isn’t better with Wilkins at DT, #18 CB, Hollywood, solid FA RT; than Tee Higgins, some random DT and a rookie RT.

[XenoMorph]

(03-06-2024, 06:01 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Bengals are currently burning $21.6M on a guy that averages 900 yds and 6 TDs per season.  They could easily equal that production in a lower costing rookie.

a guy that did not look like he wanted to be here at the start of last season as well based on body language on the field

[SunsetBengal]

(03-07-2024, 11:01 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: Exactly. I’d like Hollywood Brown. But if we’re not singing Tee and cutting Mixon, it better be because we’re singing Christian Wilkins to a 4 year 100M deal and possibly going after a RT. If we did that and signed Brown to a 1 year small deal, it opens up 18 to be WR, or best defensive player available. I’d take another edge, DT, CB or S if that is the best available player.

Tell me our team isn’t better with Wilkins at DT, #18 CB, Hollywood, solid FA RT; than Tee Higgins, some random DT and a rookie RT.

Not sure who you'd consider "random" buy Sheldon Rankins would be a good fit.  Slide BJ Hill over to cover NT while the rookie gains his footing and put Rankins in the 3T.

[depthchart]

(03-06-2024, 06:01 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The Bengals are currently burning $21.6M on a guy that averages 900 yds and 6 TDs per season.  They could easily equal that production in a lower costing rookie.

Last year the Chiefs Rashee Rice 2nd round (pick #55) as a rookie had 79 catches 938 yards & 7 tds with Mahomes.


Then we have what the Packers did with 2 rookies and their quarterback Jordan Love.

      Jayden Reed 2nd round (pick #50)  64 catches 793 yards & 8 tds

      Dontayvion Wicks 5th round pick  39 catches 581 yards & 4 tds


*The 2024 Draft has 9 receivers that ran a 4.39 forty or better  -&-   6 that ran between 4.44 to 4.41

                            Tyler Boyd ran a 4.58 forty at his Combine and TEE ran a 4.59


For those wanting to improve Team Speed at the receiver position, this Draft offers some opportunities to do so.
      
*Seems to me that if Jordan Love can get 2 rookies to produce like they did that Joe Burrow should be able to maybe get even 

  more production from 2 rookies or at least from 1.

**The Bengals can keep TEE or not but I would not FEAR replacing both Boyd & TEE with faster rookies especially if a portion of the 

    Money saved was used to upgrade at Tight End & then elsewhere.

[SunsetBengal]

(03-07-2024, 12:32 PM)depthchart Wrote: *The 2024 Draft has 9 receivers that ran a 4.39 forty or better  -&-   6 that ran between 4.44 to 4.41

                            Tyler Boyd ran a 4.58 forty at his Combine and TEE ran a 4.59

This year the draft seems to be offering a bumper crop of really fast WRs.  The Bengals would be wise to take advantage, lest they get left out, like they did with the TE position last year.

[*jason*]

(03-07-2024, 11:01 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: Exactly. I’d like Hollywood Brown. But if we’re not singing Tee and cutting Mixon, it better be because we’re singing Christian Wilkins to a 4 year 100M deal and possibly going after a RT. If we did that and signed Brown to a 1 year small deal, it opens up 18 to be WR, or best defensive player available. I’d take another edge, DT, CB or S if that is the best available player.

Tell me our team isn’t better with Wilkins at DT, #18 CB, Hollywood, solid FA RT; than Tee Higgins, some random DT and a rookie RT.

Doesn't Hollywood Brown kinda suck against zone coverage?