Happy Tampering Day

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Chiefs restructure Mahommes & Jones, free up $49.6 mil in cap room.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44219014/source-mahomes-jones-restructures-give-chiefs-cap-room

Raise your hand if you think a similar type of move would be helpful here?

[Bengalbug]

(03-12-2025, 10:57 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Chiefs restructure Mahommes & Jones, free up $49.6 mil in cap room.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44219014/source-mahomes-jones-restructures-give-chiefs-cap-room

Raise your hand if you think a similar type of move would be helpful here?

Helpful for 2025 sure. Robbing Peter to pay Paul eventually comes at a price. The longer you can go without restructuring, the better the long term outlook.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

In terms of structures, I think we did alright.

Slaton has no guaranteed money next year (2026). Perine & Burks have zero Dead Money at all.

Ossai is a 1 year deal, nothing to be done there.

Gesicki only has a $2 mil in dead cap by year 3.

Hill's is not available yet.

OTC has us at $33 mil without Hill & Ossai.

We are getting down to the nub if a Jenkins deal gets done.

Releasing Moss adds a $3 mil.

But again, the failure to get Tee/Chase done and a Burrow restructure is likely costing us iver $30 mil on this year's cap. That is huge.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-12-2025, 10:59 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Helpful for 2025 sure.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul eventually comes at a price. The longer you can go without restructuring, the better the long term outlook.

They restructured Mahommes last year as well. They have won 3 SBs and been to 5 of the last 6? 7? 

I am pretty comfortable with that model. Trey is 31. How many more years of top production does he have left? Two? Theee? We shoukd be maximizing this time notcworrying about 5 years from now, when the cap will be $60 mil higher (or more) anyway.

[RunKijanaRun]

If they don’t have Tee extended by 4, watch out.

[Luvnit2]

(03-12-2025, 10:57 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Chiefs restructure Mahommes & Jones, free up $49.6 mil in cap room.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44219014/source-mahomes-jones-restructures-give-chiefs-cap-room

Raise your hand if you think a similar type of move would be helpful here?

They had no choice. They have to be under the cap today at 4 p.m. They also traded an all pro guard Thuney and lost Reid and Wharton to FA. They still have rostered players in 2024 unsigned and have one of the lowest rosters under contract in the NFL.

You are making the assumption we did not go after Fries or others due to cap restraints. Yet, we still have cap room. In contrast Chiefs were over the cap by 20 million. Has KC gotten better or worse so far in FA?

[Luvnit2]

(03-12-2025, 11:10 AM)RunKijanaRun Wrote: If they don’t have Tee extended by 4, watch out.

Why are you placing a self imposed timeline to sign Tee long term?

Watch out for what? More whining and crying by fans? Aren't they out of tears by now? 

[*ochocincos*]

(03-12-2025, 10:13 AM)Au165 Wrote: In reality, if they came away with say Jenkins, Zeitler, and Za'Darius Smith (or similar 1 year 8-10 sack guy) plus getting all three of ours signed are we really upset?

There was half a billion dollars in bad contracts cut last week from the last two FA's. 90% of the deals signed the last two days don't work out, see ours from previous years. The team was a 9 win team with the two worst guards in football. Assume we even get average guard play, the jokes about winning every game in a shootout honestly isn't something we couldn't do. 

Defensive wise we lost arguably our two best corners last year in Turner and Hill. The defense should be better simply as a function of having them back but also assume slight improvements from the rookie interior guys and maybe you can get to middle of the field on defense. Again, we don't need a great defense with this offense we just need to not be the worst.

I get wanting the shinny toys but look at the commanders last year. The FA's that propelled their team forward weren't the day 1 shinny toys it was actually a bunch of 30+ year old guys that people had major questions about. Heck, even our SB run a lot of our FA's were signed later in the week on week 1 and in week 2. 

If they add a couple good Guards, yes that will help, but I don't think that makes the team markedly better compared to last year.
They will need to hit on at least one, if not 2-3 draft picks who can contribute immediately as rookies, as well as a couple of these draft picks from the past couple years finally stepping up to play well.

[Frank Booth]

(03-12-2025, 11:33 AM)ochocincos Wrote: If they add a couple good Guards, yes that will help, but I don't think that makes the team markedly better compared to last year.
They will need to hit on at least one, if not 2-3 draft picks who can contribute immediately as rookies, as well as a couple of these draft picks from the past couple years finally stepping up to play well.

depends if they bring Trey back. 

if the defense is as bad as last year, but the 2 weakest spots on offense are fixed(Guards), I see 10 wins

they legitimately had the worst guard duo in the league last year, and the offense was still top 10. Countless drives would be ruined because Cappa and Volson couldnt block

[jj22]

(03-12-2025, 10:13 AM)Au165 Wrote: In reality, if they came away with say Jenkins, Zeitler, and Za'Darius Smith (or similar 1 year 8-10 sack guy) plus getting all three of ours signed are we really upset?

I don't believe there is anything that can be done to improve the defense anymore. The moment they decided to keep Stone. No matter what is added on that side of the ball we won't have the safety's to stop anything over the top of the defense. 

Adding Guards are nice and needed, but we'll still be losing games  38-45... Maybe 45-48 with guards. (Burrow could have better health which is something).

Re-signing the big 3 would be a publicity boost, but it still changes nothing as far as win / loss or team improvement. 2025 season looks to be already a wrap by all accounts. Not enough done, and nothing left that can move the needle.  

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(03-12-2025, 10:13 AM)Au165 Wrote: In reality, if they came away with say Jenkins, Zeitler, and Za'Darius Smith (or similar 1 year 8-10 sack guy) plus getting all three of ours signed are we really upset?

There was half a billion dollars in bad contracts cut last week from the last two FA's. 90% of the deals signed the last two days don't work out, see ours from previous years. The team was a 9 win team with the two worst guards in football. Assume we even get average guard play, the jokes about winning every game in a shootout honestly isn't something we couldn't do. 

Defensive wise we lost arguably our two best corners last year in Turner and Hill. The defense should be better simply as a function of having them back but also assume slight improvements from the rookie interior guys and maybe you can get to middle of the field on defense. Again, we don't need a great defense with this offense we just need to not be the worst.

I get wanting the shinny toys but look at the commanders last year. The FA's that propelled their team forward weren't the day 1 shinny toys it was actually a bunch of 30+ year old guys that people had major questions about. Heck, even our SB run a lot of our FA's were signed later in the week on week 1 and in week 2. 

This would make some sense if our pass defense was good when these two were healthy...

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(03-12-2025, 11:16 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Why are you placing a self imposed timeline to sign Tee long term?

Watch out for what? More whining and crying by fans? Aren't they out of tears by now? 

It's the new league year, so it affects cap space and the like: it ISN'T a big deal like he's being overdramatic about, but it does make the extensions and the like a bit trickier to complete, that's all.

[RunKijanaRun]

(03-12-2025, 11:16 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Why are you placing a self imposed timeline to sign Tee long term?

Watch out for what? More whining and crying by fans? Aren't they out of tears by now? 

There is a significance to 4:00 today, and it has nothing to do with me.

[RunKijanaRun]

(03-12-2025, 11:39 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: It's the new league year, so it affects cap space and the like: it ISN'T a big deal like he's being overdramatic about, but it does make the extensions and the like a bit trickier to complete, that's all.

How am I being overdramatic? I referenced a deadline, a deadline that can complicate things, as you mention. This franchise has trouble with the easy stuff, and you think it’s a non-event when things become more complex?

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(03-12-2025, 11:44 AM)RunKijanaRun Wrote: How am I being overdramatic? I referenced a deadline, a deadline that can complicate things, as you mention. This franchise has trouble with the easy stuff, and you think it’s a non-event when things become more complex?

It essentially turns a 1 KM walk into a 5 KM walk: something that is harder, but far from impossible.

IE, being overdramatic.

[Essex Johnson]

(03-12-2025, 11:04 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: In terms of structures, I think we did alright.

Slaton has no guaranteed money next year (2026). Perine & Burks have zero Dead Money at all.

Ossai is a 1 year deal, nothing to be done there.

Gesicki only has a $2 mil in dead cap by year 3.

Hill's is not available yet.

OTC has us at $33 mil without Hill & Ossai.

We are getting down to the nub if a Jenkins deal gets done.

Releasing Moss adds a $3 mil.

But again, the failure to get Tee/Chase done and a Burrow restructure is likely costing us iver $30 mil on this year's cap. That is huge.

but the flip side, Tee gets hurt again, we probably saved $$ in long run by not signing him, Chase is the tough one, but for Bengals trade off is the guarantee $$, if they don't over pay there and a players gets hurt badly, you don;t have dead weight of paying a player that can't play... seems two sides to the coin here.  As for Burrow, he mentioned restructure but ive heard nothing else from Burrow on it.. so maybe it was just a pressure move, unless i missed something factual on negotiations. 

[Essex Johnson]

(03-12-2025, 11:39 AM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: This would make some sense if our pass defense was good when these two were healthy...

You just don;t know with young players, that is the point, growing pains, as a whole they should improve in their 2nd/3rd years, I did not see any major red flags with our young corners. i think they will be better this year, my gut Turner is moving the needle the most of the group,

[*ochocincos*]

(03-12-2025, 11:37 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: depends if they bring Trey back. 

if the defense is as bad as last year, but the 2 weakest spots on offense are fixed(Guards), I see 10 wins

they legitimately had the worst guard duo in the league last year, and the offense was still top 10. Countless drives would be ruined because Cappa and Volson couldnt block

For 2025, it doesn't though.
Hendrickson is currently under contract for this year.
Plus, he can be tagged for 2026 and even potentially 2027 if Bengals want to do so.
Although until they have Chase's extension sorted, they probably will want to tag Chase instead.

I agree on the approximate wins.
This team, to me, will be around a 7-9 win team as it stands. Maybe around 9-11 with improved guards.
If they do that AND hit on some draft picks, they may be able to get to 12 wins or so.

[Luvnit2]

I am confident if the Bengals ask JB to restructure (not take a pay cut) he will do it. As of now, we have over 20 million in cap space minimum. The deadline to be under the cap is 4 today, we are far under it so no urgency to restricture Joe, sign Tee long term or extend Chase. The last 2 Chase and Tee would also give us more cap momey.

If the Bengals come to terms with Jenkins or Becton and need cap space, they can get it quickly with JB. But, even signing a high riced guard woud not put us over the cap so again no urgency for FO to restructure JB yet.

[jj22]

No player refused to restructure. It means JB will get 55m direct deposit as soon as he says ok.