***NFL Free Agency News & Signings Thread***

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(03-26-2024, 06:05 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Thanks Bob, that is younger than I thought honestly. He must.


Arthur Smith is the new stealer OC?

Must of missed this?

He is.

I would expect a ton of running the ball, as a result.

[pulses]

(03-26-2024, 07:30 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: He is.

I would expect a ton of running the ball, as a result.

They signed Cordalle Patterson today too (spelling).

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-26-2024, 07:30 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: He is.

I would expect a ton of running the ball, as a result.

Thanks Truck. Wild, this sure doesn't help out their passing game at all that was already suspect. I like it honestly as long as we get better 
at stopping the run. I know their QB position is improved but Arthur Smith's Offenses are not really very QB friendly. The stealers being one 
dimensional wouldn't be something I would be celebrating if I waived the piss towel. 

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-25-2024, 09:48 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The top 51 salaries count towards the cap, so unless a PS player is in top 51, they are not relevant to the cap. They are relevant to a team' cash spend.


You also have to offset players being replaced in top 51. So, if Irwin cap hit is 2 million, he may offset a guy previously in top 51 making 900K. Net would be an additional 1.1 million to the cap, not 2 million.

Wrong. (Edit: or at least incomplete).

Top 51 is for the off-season only. 

During the season, which is what counts, the top 53 count towards the cap and so does the PS. That is why I include them in my cap projections. That is what I am talking about when I say practical space.

They have to count differently in the off-season because everyone has 90 guys in camp. And there is no PS. 

We have 50 signed guys who were on a 53 last year. The top 3 picks will cost around $2.3 mil more than a vet min guy for the last 3 spots. I estimate our PS costs higher, say $4.3 mil (mire vets). Leaves us around $16.9 mil. 

Now, more picks making the team at the expense of higher paid guys (Carman, etc) could save us a little. But not much. 

Chase/McPherson extensions could cost us a bit vs this year's cap. I'd flat out wait on Chase. Try to get him & JJ done next year. Maybe they take a slight haircut to play together. 

Edit: Irwin's deal is already in at $1.4. OTC has the number. 

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

You are right about displacement costs, but I do not start with Archimedes until we get to 53 signed guys I think have a non-longshot chance at the roster. PS/Future's guys don't clear that hurdle for me.

Right now, we are at 50. YMMV, of course.

I do not really care about the off-season cap number. Especially since we are comfortably under & I do not think we are looking for a big signing that would push us close to being over.

I think using a projection of the regular season number (with 53 and PS) gives a more accurate picture of where we are at & why we are doing what we are doing. And it is gonna run $6-$7 mil higher than the off-season number.

[Bengalbug]

Cornerback Tre’Davious White has a new job.

The 2017 first-round pick of the Bills, who had spent his entire career in Buffalo, has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Rams, via multiple reports. The Bills cut White earlier this month.

The deal is worth (wait for it) “up to” $10 million. ESPN.com puts the base value at $8.5 million. (We’ll wait for the official details before taking that as gospel.)

White suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 4 of the 2023 regular season. He’ll spend 2024 proving himself healthy and capable of a deal worth “up to” a lot more than $10 million in 2025.

[XenoMorph]

(03-26-2024, 07:30 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: He is.

I would expect a ton of running the ball, as a result.

based on the QB room this makes sense

[Bengalbug]

(03-26-2024, 09:44 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: Cornerback Tre’Davious White has a new job.

The 2017 first-round pick of the Bills, who had spent his entire career in Buffalo, has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Rams, via multiple reports. The Bills cut White earlier this month.

The deal is worth (wait for it) “up to” $10 million. ESPN.com puts the base value at $8.5 million. (We’ll wait for the official details before taking that as gospel.)

White suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 4 of the 2023 regular season. He’ll spend 2024 proving himself healthy and capable of a deal worth “up to” a lot more than $10 million in 2025.

If the bengals are in the market for a vet CB like Gilmore/Howard, the details here will be important as it would be a good comparison.

I really think they need to add something here, in the form of a battle tested veteran.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-27-2024, 09:39 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: If the bengals are in the market for a vet CB like Gilmore/Howard, the details here will be important as it would be a good comparison.

I really think they need to add something here, in the form of a battle tested veteran.

Yep. It seems to me CB has the most quality guys left in FA of any of our largest areas of need (OT, DT, WR, CB, TE, IOL). 

Gilmore, Howard, Steve Nelson, Adoree' Jackson, & Ahkello Witherspoon all pop into mind. Gilmore is the oldest, priciest, and playing at the highest level. I'd prefer Nelson or Witherspoon next. 

I have no idea what his injury recovery timeline looks like, but a bargain play for Conor Williams (86.5 pff last year) with an eye towards 2025 could be interesting, if we have unspent $$$. Karras is a FA. Both guys have C/G versatility. Both better pass pro than run blockers. But IDK if he plays this year (Dec injury). 

[*ochocincos*]

(03-27-2024, 09:39 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: If the bengals are in the market for a vet CB like Gilmore/Howard, the details here will be important as it would be a good comparison.

I really think they need to add something here, in the form of a battle tested veteran.

Bengals still have ~$25 mill in cap to work with, so they could easily add a vet CB if they wanted.
I would imagine it would only be a 1-year deal if they add someone. And I think it would be under $10 mill if they do one.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-27-2024, 11:59 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Bengals still have ~$25 mill in cap to work with, so they could easily add a vet CB if they wanted.
I would imagine it would only be a 1-year deal if they add someone. And I think it would be under $10 mill if they do one.

I imagine you are right on the CB thing. But it is tighter than you are projecting..

The cap space is more like $17 mil instead of $25. That off-season number is not real. Lose $2 mil for counting the full 53 instead of 51. Lose another $4 mil for the Practice Squad. And lose another $2 mil for the draft picks (that 1st is gonna make $2.7 mil, $1.8 more than the current occupier of that slot). 

So we have $17 mil. You know we have to have some cushion. If we fo a Chase extension (or McPherson), that will cost some as a signing bonus gets pro-rated. Now, I would wait on Chase until next year, but the FO likely wants to get it done now. 

If we do something close to $10 mil, we are getting awfully close max spending unless we do some restructuring. 

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(03-27-2024, 11:59 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Bengals still have ~$25 mill in cap to work with, so they could easily add a vet CB if they wanted.
I would imagine it would only be a 1-year deal if they add someone. And I think it would be under $10 mill if they do one.

That cap space may be needed more than we think. All of our AFC North rivals have significantly improved their rushing attack in the offseason; look at Baltimore adding Derrick Henry and adding Cordarrelle Patterson gives the Steelers another option alongside Najee Harris.

[*ochocincos*]

(03-27-2024, 12:13 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: That cap space may be needed more than we think. All of our AFC North rivals have significantly improved their rushing attack in the offseason; look at Baltimore adding Derrick Henry and adding Cordarrelle Patterson gives the Steelers another option alongside Najee Harris.

Not sure what you are getting at...?
Are you saying the Bengals should use what they have to add multiple new FAs who can help stuff the run?
Or are you saying to use a majority of it for extensions of current guys?

I don't quite understand how mentioning the Ravens and Steelers added a veteran RB somehow affects what the Bengals have done up to this point.

[Frank Booth]

(03-27-2024, 12:31 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Not sure what you are getting at...?
Are you saying the Bengals should use what they have to add multiple new FAs who can help stuff the run?
Or are you saying to use a majority of it for extensions of current guys?

I don't quite understand how mentioning the Ravens and Steelers added a veteran RB somehow affects what the Bengals have done up to this point.

I take it as the bengals need to take their run defense much more importantly since every other team in the afc north not named cincinnati is run heavy. Those 3 teams have a big strength over the bengals when it comes to that facet of the game

[*ochocincos*]

(03-27-2024, 12:40 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: I take it as the bengals need to take their run defense much more importantly since every other team in the afc north not named cincinnati is run heavy. Those 3 teams have a big strength over the bengals when it comes to that facet of the game

Who in FA though is going to really do anything about that?
Adding an outside CB doesn't really do much for run defense.
There isn't really any IDL left who is going to be a stud against the run.
The Bengals will not move to 3-LB sets, and even if they did, they'd be running Pratt, Wilson, and ADG.

What I expect more to happen against these run-heavy teams is going 5 DL more frequently.

[Frank Booth]

(03-27-2024, 12:48 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Who in FA though is going to really do anything about that?
Adding an outside CB doesn't really do much for run defense.
There isn't really any IDL left who is going to be a stud against the run.
The Bengals will not move to 3-LB sets, and even if they did, they'd be running Pratt, Wilson, and ADG.

What I expect more to happen against these run-heavy teams is going 5 DL more frequently.

wouldnt that give those teams' play actions with the tight end a great advantage? Those 3 other teams have really damn good tight ends too...

Im gonna be honest here, I dont see this bengals defense being any good. The pass defense can be alright

 Healthy Burrow and this offense will have to do the heavy lifting this year

[*ochocincos*]

(03-27-2024, 12:58 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: wouldnt that give those teams' play actions with the tight end a great advantage? Those 3 other teams have really damn good tight ends too...

Im gonna be honest here, I dont see this bengals defense being any good. The pass defense can be alright

 Healthy Burrow and this offense will have to do the heavy lifting this year

That's what you get when you run a 4-2-5 or a 5-1-5.
It's gonna be focused on pass defense.

If Bengals want to move to more of a traditional 4-3-4, they need another run-stuffing LB.
Personally, I don't think it happens, as the Bengals want to be built to go against the Chiefs and Bills, not the run-heavy teams (who all floundered in the playoffs btw).

[Frank Booth]

(03-27-2024, 01:05 PM)ochocincos Wrote: That's what you get when you run a 4-2-5 or a 5-1-5.
It's gonna be focused on pass defense.

If Bengals want to move to more of a traditional 4-3-4, they need another run-stuffing LB.
Personally, I don't think it happens, as the Bengals want to be built to go against the Chiefs and Bills, not the run-heavy teams (who all floundered in the playoffs btw).

I get that, but the teams that cincy will have to face 2x a year are the run heavy teams. So im really not expecting a good division record

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(03-27-2024, 12:40 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: I take it as the bengals need to take their run defense much more importantly since every other team in the afc north not named cincinnati is run heavy. Those 3 teams have a big strength over the bengals when it comes to that facet of the game

(03-27-2024, 01:07 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: I get that, but the teams that cincy will have to face 2x a year are the run heavy teams. So im really not expecting a good division record

That’s exactly right, Frank. That’s six run-heavy teams the Bengals face and it’s time to stuff some ball carriers. Success in the AFC North starts with stopping the run.

[Luvnit2]

(03-26-2024, 09:30 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: You are right about displacement costs, but I do not start with Archimedes until we get to 53 signed guys I think have a non-longshot chance at the roster. PS/Future's guys don't clear that hurdle for me.

Right now, we are at 50. YMMV, of course.

I do not really care about the off-season cap number. Especially since we are comfortably under & I do not think we are looking for a big signing that would push us close to being over.

I think using a projection of the regular season number (with 53 and PS) gives a more accurate picture of where we are at & why we are doing what we are doing. And it is gonna run $6-$7 mil higher than the off-season number.

I stand corrected on my previous post on cap space.

It is very confusing. I looked at other teams as well. Based on cap space and practice squad now many teams are way over the cap. I found that comforting knowing we have cap space when everything is accounted for, but team like Browns are 20 million over the cap.

This means post June 1st and after the draft some teams will be forced to cut players. They won't be able to cut enough scrubs, they will cut bigger money cap hits.