My cut and add FA mock

[Luvnit2]

We have 44 million in cap space without a Burrow restructure. I propose we cut Rankins (+9 million to cap), Cappa (+8.5 million to cap) Hubbard (+8.5 million to cap), Stone (+5 million) and Moss (4 million) = new cap 2025 of 83 million

Rankins target Milton Williams DT Eagles - 3 years 36 million (8 million cap hit year 1)
Sign Tee Higgins - 4 years 100 million, 52 guaranteed and cap hit year 1 of 14 million
Extend Chase - 5 years 145 million with 110 million guaranteed (Cap hit year 1 of 26 million or + 5 million in 2025)
Extend Trey - 3 years 77 million and 50 million guaranteed- year 1 additional 7 million
Sign Gesicki for 3 years 15 million with 7 million guaranteed - year 1 3.5 million hit
Sign BJ Hill - 2 years 17 million with 9 million guaranteed - cap hit of 8 million 2025
Cappa - Target Becton - 4 years 50 million with 26 guaranteed - cap hit 8 million 2025
Safety - Target Reid - 4 years 80 million 50 guaranteed - cap hit 13 million year 1

64.5 million spent of 83 million - Does not include Joe B. Restructure, but would need FO to kick some cap to 2026 to 2029

Use Draft
Jackson - LG
Walker/Burch - Hubbard
Henderson for Moss

Here is my draft with no trades.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/user-mock-drafts/2025/user-mock-5613232

17 Jalon WalkerEDGE | Georgia

49Donovan JacksonIOL | Ohio State

81 TreVeyon HendersonRB | Ohio State

118 Jordan BurchDL | Oregon

154Lander BartonLB | Utah

195 Hollin PierceOT | Rutgers

[SunsetBengal]

That's a pretty good plan, very well thought out and addressing most current areas of concern with the roster. The only thing that I would suggest is having at least two options for each free agent/draft pick, as you never know when another team will jump out of nowhere and ruin your carefully laid plan.

[schroomytunes]

I like most of it, so with using your formula of 44 million w/o a restructure of JoeyB, and your cuts of ( Moss, Rankins, Hubbard, Cappa) I actually keep Stone as our Safety room is pretty bare we should have @74 million in cap space. So using your guys and mine I would go:

Yours:

1) Milton Williams- DT 3/36
2) Tee
3) Trey
4) Chase
5) Geisicki
6) Becton-RG 4/50

- I would pass on BJ Hill after signing Milton Williams, and look for a cheaper S than Reid. So with Hill/Reid money @ 20 million I would add:

Mine:

1) Klavion Chaisson- DE/Edge 2/10
2) Khalil Herbert- 2/5
3) Trevon Moerig-S 3/27

- These guys fill holes and are solid adds to the roster in areas of needs to allow us to keep the big 4.

Draft:
1) Jalon Walker- Edge- Georgia
2) Tate Ratledge- Guard- Georgia
3) Alfred Collins- DT- Texas
4) Terrance Ferguson- TE- Oregon
5) Raheim Sanders - RB- S.Carolina
6) Hunter Wohler- S- Wisconsin

[pulses]

(Yesterday, 03:36 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: We have 44 million in cap space without a Burrow restructure. I propose we cut Rankins (+9 million to cap), Cappa (+8.5 million to cap) Hubbard (+8.5 million to cap), Stone (+5 million) and Moss (4 million) = new cap 2025 of 83 million

Rankins target Milton Williams DT Eagles - 3 years 36 million (8 million cap hit year 1)
Sign Tee Higgins - 4 years 100 million, 52 guaranteed and cap hit year 1 of 14 million
Extend Chase - 5 years 145 million with 110 million guaranteed (Cap hit year 1 of 26 million or + 5 million in 2025)
Extend Trey - 3 years 77 million and 50 million guaranteed- year 1 additional 7 million
Sign Gesicki for 3 years 15 million with 7 million guaranteed - year 1 3.5 million hit
Sign BJ Hill - 2 years 17 million with 9 million guaranteed - cap hit of 8 million 2025
Cappa - Target Becton - 4 years 50 million with 26 guaranteed - cap hit 8 million 2025
Safety - Target Reid - 4 years 80 million 50 guaranteed - cap hit 13 million year 1

64.5 million spent of 83 million - Does not include Joe B. Restructure, but would need FO to kick some cap to 2026 to 2029

Use Draft
Jackson - LG
Walker/Burch - Hubbard
Henderson for Moss

Here is my draft with no trades.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/user-mock-drafts/2025/user-mock-5613232

17 Jalon WalkerEDGE | Georgia

49Donovan JacksonIOL | Ohio State

81 TreVeyon HendersonRB | Ohio State

118 Jordan BurchDL | Oregon

154Lander BartonLB | Utah

195 Hollin PierceOT | Rutgers

Milton Williams is one of the top DT's on the FA market gonna take more than 12 IMO. Gonna be a lot of suitors for his services.

[Hammerstripes]

Like it, but I do think that those free agent salary numbers are pretty low. I don't see any way that Tee signs a deal that is for only $25 million per year. Also think Williams will get much more than $12 million per as well as BJ getting more than that. Quality starters usually demand more than they are worth in free agency.

[SunsetBengal]

(4 hours ago)Hammerstripes Wrote: Like it, but I do think that those free agent salary numbers are pretty low.  I don't see any way that Tee signs a deal that is for only $25 million per year.  Also think Williams will get much more than $12 million per as well as BJ getting more than that.  Quality starters usually demand more than they are worth in free agency.

The OP is just going off of the stated market values listed on Spotrac. However, I could definitely foresee Williams getting $15M+, as he's a young player, I think the $9M value they have assigned to Hill is pretty close to accurate.

[*Synric*]

(3 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: The OP is just going off of the stated market values listed on Spotrac. However, I could definitely foresee Williams getting $15M+, as he's a young player, I think the $9M value they have assigned to Hill is pretty close to accurate.

How teams view Milton Williams in Free Agency is going to be interesting. Excellent pass rushing IDL but if a teams gives him close to 20m that means he will be a 70%/80% snap guy for a guy that's never taken 50% of the snaps in his career. He will have to become an impact run defender on the interior to justify a massive paycheck.


Edit: Will Fries is another. He looked really good in 250 snaps in 2024 but in the 1500 snaps before that he was very inconsistent.

[Luvnit2]

(4 hours ago)Hammerstripes Wrote: Like it, but I do think that those free agent salary numbers are pretty low.  I don't see any way that Tee signs a deal that is for only $25 million per year.  Also think Williams will get much more than $12 million per as well as BJ getting more than that.  Quality starters usually demand more than they are worth in free agency.

Just a reminder, I said Bengals FO needs to push cap dollars into the future. I gave 2025 numbers realizing Bengals may use signing bonuses and/or other methods to calculate my projected cap hits. We have 221 million in cap space in 2026, so in 2026 the team can absorb more cap dollars than in 2025.

[Luvnit2]

(2 hours ago)Synric Wrote: How teams view Milton Williams in Free Agency is going to be interesting. Excellent pass rushing IDL but if a teams gives him close to 20m that means he will be a 70%/80% snap guy for a guy that's never taken 50% of the snaps in his career. He will have to become an impact run defender on the interior to justify a massive paycheck.


Edit: Will Fries is another. He looked really good in 250 snaps in 2024 but in the 1500 snaps before that he was very inconsistent.

I think there are a number of options (I did not list them) at OG, Safety, DT and other positions. I agree Fries would be a nice option and a lot less than Becton for example.

[coachmcneil71]

(Yesterday, 03:36 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: We have 44 million in cap space without a Burrow restructure. I propose we cut Rankins (+9 million to cap), Cappa (+8.5 million to cap) Hubbard (+8.5 million to cap), Stone (+5 million) and Moss (4 million) = new cap 2025 of 83 million

Rankins target Milton Williams DT Eagles - 3 years 36 million (8 million cap hit year 1)
Sign Tee Higgins - 4 years 100 million, 52 guaranteed and cap hit year 1 of 14 million
Extend Chase - 5 years 145 million with 110 million guaranteed (Cap hit year 1 of 26 million or + 5 million in 2025)
Extend Trey - 3 years 77 million and 50 million guaranteed- year 1 additional 7 million
Sign Gesicki for 3 years 15 million with 7 million guaranteed - year 1 3.5 million hit
Sign BJ Hill - 2 years 17 million with 9 million guaranteed - cap hit of 8 million 2025
Cappa - Target Becton - 4 years 50 million with 26 guaranteed - cap hit 8 million 2025
Safety - Target Reid - 4 years 80 million 50 guaranteed - cap hit 13 million year 1

64.5 million spent of 83 million - Does not include Joe B. Restructure, but would need FO to kick some cap to 2026 to 2029

Use Draft
Jackson - LG
Walker/Burch - Hubbard
Henderson for Moss

Here is my draft with no trades.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/user-mock-drafts/2025/user-mock-5613232

17 Jalon WalkerEDGE | Georgia

49Donovan JacksonIOL | Ohio State

81 TreVeyon HendersonRB | Ohio State

118 Jordan BurchDL | Oregon

154Lander BartonLB | Utah

195 Hollin PierceOT | Rutgers

Well done! Wtbs, the one thing that stands out to me and has already been mentioned by bfine is that Golden runs his D through the LBs. I expect them to draft at least two LBs and possibly sign one in FA. It's going to depend on how Goldens conversation/meeting with Pratt goes. 

Still, I like what you have done here. It's moving in a positive direction. 

[Clark W Griswold]

Is my math bad or is that only $29 million/year for Chase?
That’s too low. Jefferson got $35 million/year so I would think the Chase negotiations start at $36 million/year. The Bengals are going to pay dearly for not getting his extension done last off season. I expect him to want and get “QB money”…

If I am Chase’s agent I would start out asking for 40 million per year and work down from there. I’m not that knowledgeable on the guaranteed $ part of it but they are also going to have to go way above their comfort zone for Chase.