Tee’s market price (Update: 3 March 25, Tee has been tagged again)

[*Go Cards*]

Doubt Higgins will sign an incentive based contract because other teams will offer contracts without incentives to help lure him away.

If it is going to work then Burrow needs to take a cut in wages and pay Tee what he is worth on open market.

[Bengalbug]

Take it for what it’s worth… another list with Higgins as the top FA.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-top-100-2025-free-agents-tee-higgins-sam-darnold-top-the-list

[ERIC1]

(02-24-2025, 10:26 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Take it for what it’s worth… another list with Higgins as the top FA.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-top-100-2025-free-agents-tee-higgins-sam-darnold-top-the-list

good tag him and trade him

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-23-2025, 09:39 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Josh Palmer: spotrac projection 3yr/$12.8m
Tyler Boyd: 1yr/$3m
Trade for either Noah Fant (1yr/$9m) or Kyle Pitts (1yr/$10.9m) for a Day 3 pick.

None of them singularly replace Tee, but each do their part while also keeping scrubs off the field by there being 3 NFL-caliber players being added, so we don't see Charlie Jones or Cam Grandy caliber players taking offensive snaps. Burrow also would get the most talented TE he's had in his career thus far regardless of which one of the two we get.

That's ~$15-17m in cap space this year for the 3 of them, leaving you with $9-11m left from the Tee $26m tag number to put towards signing OG Trey Smith or DE Josh Sweat.

(02-23-2025, 10:53 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: We lack top end talent at WR? LOL...We have THE top end talent at WR in Chase. 

What we lack at WR is NFL-caliber depth, and Tee doesn't solve that because he's not going to be on the field 45% of the time. Heck, on top of signing Palmer and Boyd I would still use a 2nd or 3rd on a WR as well so that Iosivas is our 4th or 5th WR and only comes onto the field when we're inside the 10 yard line. He's the only other player in our WR room that would likely make another NFL roster for anything more than ST, and most of the other guys wouldn't even do that.

Fant blocks, Gesicki doesn't. Pitts doesn't block, but he's a better pass catcher than Gesicki. Both would be clear upgrades at TE and are still young enough to be at least a 3-4 year solutions. Gesicki is also both going into his age 30 season and isn't nearly as good but just got the Burrow TE bump. People were certain that we needed to re-sign Uzomah, people were certain we needed to re-sign Hurst. Gesicki is just more of the same.

You can still cut Hubbard and Cappa and use that savings to sign Trey Smith without re-signing Tee, and then you can use that $11m towards ALSO signing Josh Sweat.


Smith + Sweat + Palmer + Pitts + Boyd >>> Higgins + Smith (and still having Yoshi as a starter and C Jones/Burton playing a lot as soon as Tee inevitably gets hurt and having Murphy as a starter).

Nice posts TLL. Any of these moves would make me feel much better about tagging and trading Tee. We could add 3 players and between all 
of them they could easily replace Tee's numbers especially with him inevitably missing games. Palmer, Boyd and Pitts sounds really good to me 
as we would be able to add a Guard like Trey Smith, Will Fries, James Daniels, Tevin Jenkins etc as well.

[J24]

(02-23-2025, 10:53 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: We lack top end talent at WR? LOL...We have THE top end talent at WR in Chase. 

What we lack at WR is NFL-caliber depth, and Tee doesn't solve that because he's not going to be on the field 45% of the time. Heck, on top of signing Palmer and Boyd I would still use a 2nd or 3rd on a WR as well so that Iosivas is our 4th or 5th WR and only comes onto the field when we're inside the 10 yard line. He's the only other player in our WR room that would likely make another NFL roster for anything more than ST, and most of the other guys wouldn't even do that.

Fant blocks, Gesicki doesn't. Pitts doesn't block, but he's a better pass catcher than Gesicki. Both would be clear upgrades at TE and are still young enough to be at least a 3-4 year solutions. Gesicki is also both going into his age 30 season and isn't nearly as good but just got the Burrow TE bump. People were certain that we needed to re-sign Uzomah, people were certain we needed to re-sign Hurst. Gesicki is just more of the same.

You can still cut Hubbard and Cappa and use that savings to sign Trey Smith without re-signing Tee, and then you can use that $11m towards ALSO signing Josh Sweat.


Smith + Sweat + Palmer + Pitts + Boyd >>> Higgins + Smith (and still having Yoshi as a starter and C Jones/Burton playing a lot as soon as Tee inevitably gets hurt and having Murphy as a starter).

 Palmer has missed 9 games the past two seasons and has never produced like Tee in the first place, I'm not giving up a 4th Rd pick for Pitts when Gieski gives me virtually the same value, and signing Smith is not going to happen.

[Luvnit2]

(02-24-2025, 07:00 AM)Go Cards Wrote: Doubt Higgins will sign an incentive based contract because other teams will offer contracts without incentives to help lure him away.

If it is going to work then Burrow needs to take a cut in wages and pay Tee what he is worth on open market.

Are you saying a team is going to guarantee Higgins the majority of his contract? If so, I disagree. Tee's later years will be laced with roster bonuses (incentive to play well). There are many ways to structure and I just don't see any team going over 60% in guaranteed money with Tee. I see a huge contract overall number, but only up t0 60% guaranteed. Maybe I am wrong, we will find out very soon if they are goung to tag him. 

I say if no contract, Bengals will tag him for the 26 million all guaranteed and continue to negotiate. If no deal by the draft, I see them trading him for a lot on the 2025 draft. These need WR teams arent going to have great #1 WR's to choose. I see the following with needing a true #1:

Titans
Raiders
Bears (have a lot of picks and money)
Panthers
Pats
Browns )I don't think Jeudy is a true #1
Jets (they will cut Adams just too expensive
Jags

All draft in top 10 and only 1 WR to take a chance on and that is McMillan.

Denver
Colts
Bills
Bucs (Can Evans play forever)
Packers

I think Bengals can find a trade partner, too many very need # WR teams in 2025. and not enough WR free agents available. They may sign him long term, but a tag and trade is avery real possibility if Higgins want to break the bank for a #2 WR for us. Chase is our clear #1.

[Ell Prez]

(02-23-2025, 10:41 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: No, he suggested 3 signings to complete the offensive weapon arsenal. Learn to read more clearly.

Perhaps you should read better my friend. I said exactly what he said. And then said why it’s a bad plan and I offered a better plan.

[Ell Prez]

(02-24-2025, 04:19 PM)J24 Wrote:  Palmer has missed 9 games the past two seasons and has never produced like Tee in the first place, I'm not giving up a 4th Rd pick for Pitts when Gieski gives me virtually the same value, and signing Smith is not going to happen.

Great points. We’re also not signing sweat. If we let Tee go we need to add a player that is better than Tee is at WR. Roster construction in the NFL is about finding top end talent. I really don’t care if it’s at WR, CB, DL, OL. All of those are equally important

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-24-2025, 11:30 PM)Ell Prez Wrote:
Yeah I didn’t say we lack top end talent at WR. I said we lack top talent. Which is 100% true. I like smith and sweat. I don’t really care if we get Fant. Sure. Doesn’t move the needle for me. Not a fan of washed up Boyd and Palmer. You’re probably someone who got excited when we brought back Von bell.

Then why bring it up in a thread about a WR, while you're arguing to keep a WR and I am arguing to instead bring in top talent in the trenches? 

No I didn't get excited when we brought Von Bell back, but I did think we shouldn't have let him leave in the first place because of communication and leadership which we lacked both of in the secondary in 2023, but I didn't want to bring him back for his 30s. You're probably someone who got excited when we brought Trenton Irwin back. See? I can also just make random baseless claims about you that are actually thinly veiled insults.

We don't need a single unreliable $30m WR to go with our $40m WR. We need a handful of much cheaper solid NFL-caliber guys that Burrow can elevate to go with our with our $40m WR. Then we need to take that savings and build the trenches, the trenches, and the trenches. (And maybe a CB.)

[Ell Prez]

(02-24-2025, 11:38 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Then why bring it up in a thread about a WR, while you're arguing to keep a WR and I am arguing to instead bring in top talent in the trenches? 

No I didn't get excited when we brought Von Bell back, but I did think we shouldn't have let him leave in the first place because of communication and leadership which we lacked both of in the secondary in 2023, but I didn't want to bring him back for his 30s. You're probably someone who got excited when we brought Trenton Irwin back. See? I can also just make random baseless claims about you that are actually thinly veiled insults.

We don't need a single unreliable $30m WR to go with our $40m WR. We need a handful of much cheaper solid NFL-caliber guys that Burrow can elevate to go with our with our $40m WR. Then we need to take that savings and build the trenches, the trenches, and the trenches. (And maybe a CB.)

You want to bring Boyd back who is washed up. Sounds like Bell. No I don’t like Irwin at all. I’m open to letting Tee walk if we take that $30M and give it to one stud player. I haven’t seen anyone worth that in FA. I don’t believe we get better with quantity. I believe we need quality.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-25-2025, 12:06 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: You want to bring Boyd back who is washed up. Sounds like Bell. No I don’t like Irwin at all. I’m open to letting Tee walk if we take that $30M and give it to one stud player. I haven’t seen anyone worth that in FA. I don’t believe we get better with quantity. I believe we need quality.

If you think bringing a guy back and expecting him to be our best safety and bringing a guy back to be our 5th target in the passing game sounds like the same thing, then I am done with this conversation. Take it easy.

[Bengalbug]

(02-25-2025, 12:10 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: If you think bringing a guy back and expecting him to be our best safety and bringing a guy back to be our 5th target in the passing game sounds like the same thing, then I am done with this conversation. Take it easy.

Paying Boyd to be the 5th sting of the passing attack, still leaves a gaping hole at WR behind Chase. Palmer had every chance to produce in the nfl, with a talented QB, and can’t.

I did this earlier, go find the me the last closest thing to a Tee Higgins that has hit FA. Since 2019, Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley. Kirk isn’t close in impact as WR and Ridley was 29. Both got 9% of the cap from an AAV perspective and tee is better, by a lot. 25-30m is his price tag, and it’s warranted.

Josh Palmer as a 3, I’m cool with. But he isn’t it a top 64 WR in the league. Outside of Brady, every great QB gets handicapped when they don’t have good/great weapons.

Mahomes has won, true. But his WR core has been abysmal for various reasons since loosing hill.

Anyone in here saying “Joe will elevate ____”, it simply doesn’t work like that.

[Bengalbug]

(02-23-2025, 10:53 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: We lack top end talent at WR? LOL...We have THE top end talent at WR in Chase. 

What we lack at WR is NFL-caliber depth, and Tee doesn't solve that because he's not going to be on the field 45% of the time. Heck, on top of signing Palmer and Boyd I would still use a 2nd or 3rd on a WR as well so that Iosivas is our 4th or 5th WR and only comes onto the field when we're inside the 10 yard line. He's the only other player in our WR room that would likely make another NFL roster for anything more than ST, and most of the other guys wouldn't even do that.

Fant blocks, Gesicki doesn't. Pitts doesn't block, but he's a better pass catcher than Gesicki. Both would be clear upgrades at TE and are still young enough to be at least a 3-4 year solutions. Gesicki is also both going into his age 30 season and isn't nearly as good but just got the Burrow TE bump. People were certain that we needed to re-sign Uzomah, people were certain we needed to re-sign Hurst. Gesicki is just more of the same.

You can still cut Hubbard and Cappa and use that savings to sign Trey Smith without re-signing Tee, and then you can use that $11m towards ALSO signing Josh Sweat.


Smith + Sweat + Palmer + Pitts + Boyd >>> Higgins + Smith (and still having Yoshi as a starter and C Jones/Burton playing a lot as soon as Tee inevitably gets hurt and having Murphy as a starter).

Burrow has done a good job with the routine change at TE. But you are grossly exaggerating “the burrow bump”. Heck, there might not be one. Burrow does get the TE to play up to similar career high seasons.

Case in point.

CJ Uzomah 2018 - 43-439-3
CJ Uzomah 2021 - 49-493-5

Hayden Hurst 2020 - 56-571-6
Hayden Hurst 2022 - 52-414-2

Irv Smith - worst season by a mile as a pro with bengals.

Mike G 2021 73-780-2
Mike G 2024 65-665- 2

So, burrow does get near ceiling out of the TE, but he certainly isn’t getting a “bump” (I’ll give you Uzomah.. I guess). Please don’t use age either, none of these guys were “washed/past their prime”.

[*Go Cards*]

(02-24-2025, 06:39 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Are you saying a team is going to guarantee Higgins the majority of his contract? If so, I disagree. Tee's later years will be laced with roster bonuses (incentive to play well). There are many ways to structure and I just don't see any team going over 60% in guaranteed money with Tee. I see a huge contract overall number, but only up t0 60% guaranteed. Maybe I am wrong, we will find out very soon if they are goung to tag him. 

I say if no contract, Bengals will tag him for the 26 million all guaranteed and continue to negotiate. If no deal by the draft, I see them trading him for a lot on the 2025 draft. These need WR teams arent going to have great #1 WR's to choose. I see the following with needing a true #1:

Titans
Raiders
Bears (have a lot of picks and money)
Panthers
Pats
Browns )I don't think Jeudy is a true #1
Jets (they will cut Adams just too expensive
Jags

All draft in top 10 and only 1 WR to take a chance on and that is McMillan.

Denver
Colts
Bills
Bucs (Can Evans play forever)
Packers

I think Bengals can find a trade partner, too many very need # WR teams in 2025. and not enough WR free agents available. They may sign him long term, but a tag and trade is avery real possibility if Higgins want to break the bank for a #2 WR for us. Chase is our clear #1.

Agree to disagree on contract because I believe a team will be willing to pay him and there will be no room for the Bengals to low ball him. Also Tee has to sign that tag which he will find an insult I believe. At that point he may later sign it to get traded but don't see him so willing to sign if not already inked by the Bengals. Especially after Joe's comments about wanting him.  

Hoping you're right on the trade partners though because we all know ultimately that is what I am hoping for per it is my belief it is what's best for the team. Doubt the Bengals will get "a lot" as you claim but I like your confidence and certainly hope you're right. A 1st round pick in the top half of round would be plenty enough for me but expecting a 2nd and later round pick bundled if traded. Yet hope the Bengals do get "a lot" instead. 

[WeezyBengal]

I think a lot of you guys are missing the "bigger picture" here.

The bigger picture with all of this is to keep Burrow happy. That begins with signing Tee and ends with signing Hendrickson and Jamar.

Keeping Joe happy should be priority 1A for this organization right now. It's pretty clear what Joe wants, and it's also pretty clear that there's a bit of frustation/unhappiness creeping in when it comes to Joe and his relationship with this organization. You think he likes missing the playoffs (again) and seeing a guy like Hurst (same draft class) winning a Super Bowl this year all while the organization he plays for continues to let good players walk?

You sign Tee because yes, he's good and can help your team, but more importantly because it keeps Joe happy.

[ERIC1]

(02-24-2025, 11:38 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Then why bring it up in a thread about a WR, while you're arguing to keep a WR and I am arguing to instead bring in top talent in the trenches? 

No I didn't get excited when we brought Von Bell back, but I did think we shouldn't have let him leave in the first place because of communication and leadership which we lacked both of in the secondary in 2023, but I didn't want to bring him back for his 30s. You're probably someone who got excited when we brought Trenton Irwin back. See? I can also just make random baseless claims about you that are actually thinly veiled insults.

We don't need a single unreliable $30m WR to go with our $40m WR. We need a handful of much cheaper solid NFL-caliber guys that Burrow can elevate to go with our with our $40m WR. Then we need to take that savings and build the trenches, the trenches, and the trenches. (And maybe a CB.)

1000% ..there are  plenty  of WRs both coming out of college  and in the NFL that can run 10-15 yrd routes  and rake the pressure off chase

[ERIC1]

(02-25-2025, 11:16 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I think a lot of you guys are missing the "bigger picture" here.

The bigger picture with all of this is to keep Burrow happy. That begins with signing Tee and ends with signing Hendrickson and Jamar.

Keeping Joe happy should be priority 1A for this organization right now. It's pretty clear what Joe wants, and it's also pretty clear that there's a bit of frustation/unhappiness creeping in when it comes to Joe and his relationship with this organization. You think he likes missing the playoffs (again) and seeing a guy like Hurst (same draft class) winning a Super Bowl this year all while the organization he plays for continues to let good players walk?

You sign Tee because yes, he's good and can help your team, but more importantly because it keeps Joe happy.

The big picture here is to win football games..Regardless of what happens or waht you may think... Burrow will be out on the field giving 110% every game..And Tee Higgins, regardless of where he is  , Chase and Burrow will conrtinue to be best friends in the multimillionaire mens club without missing a beat..I think you are perhaps missing the bigger picture..Mike Brown and family made Joe real happy last year with a ginormous contract

[WeezyBengal]

(02-25-2025, 11:32 AM)ERIC1 Wrote: The big picture here is to win football games..Regardless of what happens or waht you may think... Burrow will be out on the field giving 110% every game..And Tee Higgins, regardless of where he is  , Chase and Burrow will conrtinue to be best friends in the multimillionaire mens club without missing a beat..I think you are perhaps missing the bigger picture..Mike Brown and family made Joe real happy last year with a ginormous contract

You probabaly said the same thing about Carson Palmer the year before he requested a trade. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-25-2025, 11:57 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You probabaly said the same thing about Carson Palmer the year before he requested a trade. 

You probably said the same thing about making Carson Palmer happy the year he wanted the Bengals to sign TO rather than address the fact that his OL had Nate Livings, Kyle Cook, and Dennis Roland on it. Then we went 4-12.

Extending Chase will make Burrow happy. Extending Hendrickson will make Burrow happy. That'll have to be enough happiness for him as they then do what needs to be done to win games rather than just make him happy.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-25-2025, 02:04 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You probably said the same thing about making Carson Palmer happy the year he wanted the Bengals to sign TO rather than address the fact that his OL had Nate Livings, Kyle Cook, and Dennis Roland on it. Then we went 4-12.

Extending Chase will make Burrow happy. Extending Hendrickson will make Burrow happy. That'll have to be enough happiness for him as they then do what needs to be done to win games rather than just make him happy.

Mike G being extended would also make Joe happy as he says so. In the end if we can add say Trey Smith and Josh Sweat and weapons, 
either the ones you mention or others the team as a whole would be better than just keeping Tee no question in my mind. But some say 
we can extend Tee on top of it and still do this, if so I am fine with extending Tee as well. Seems far fetched, but crazier things have 
happened and we will have a lot of dough once we cut a bunch more guys.