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Whit is going to test the FA market, says he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender


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Whit wants to play on a Super Bowl contender and makes lots of money in the process, he doesnt' figure he can do either one of those while playing for the Bengals so he is reportedly going to test the FA market to see if he can make that happen for him. 

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/nfl-free-agency-2017-andrew-whitworth-rumors-cincinnati-bengals-offensive-line/hn0fr259joaw1mu6wim6nwqyq?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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Unless blown away by a massive contract offer from Bengals management, something he's unlikely to receive, Andrew Whitworth is poised to at least dip his toe into the free-agent waters.

Who can blame him?

After 12 NFL seasons without a playoff victory, the 35-year-old left tackle has different priorities at this point than a mere money grab. Whitworth wants to play for a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

That’s why Whitworth sounds inclined to see if a championship-caliber team makes a pitch and exactly how the Bengals are addressing their own roster heading into the 2017 offseason before making any decisions about his playing future.

“I love Cincinnati and want to be there,” Whitworth told co-host Solomon Wilcots and me Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I’m pretty positive things will work out in a way that I’ll be there in the end. But I want to take advantage of the opportunity of being free and listening to what other people have to say. I think that’s the right way to do it.

“At this point in my career it’s about the challenge, the excitement of trying to win that Super Bowl. I want to make sure wherever it is, and hopefully it’s in Cincinnati, that team is prepared to try and fight for that trophy.”

The Bengals took a step backward in that regard last season, failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010 with a 6-9-1 record. Cincinnati was hit hard in free agency last offseason as it lost quality veterans such as safety Reggie Nelson and wide receivers Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. Another round of departures for a team that builds primarily through the draft is possible with Whitworth, right guard Kevin Zeitler and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick headlining a lengthy list of pending unrestricted free agents.

“We had a great stretch run there where we were playing really well and making the playoffs and didn’t seem to make anything happen with it for one reason or another,” said Whitworth, who has started 164 games since being drafted by the Bengals in 2006. “Then you finally have that year where it was a down year and things don’t shake your way. You don’t really get a lot of breaks. You have some guys go down (with injuries). You didn’t play up to the potential you played a few years before with the same guys and realize, ‘Hey, you know what? We’ve got to rededicate and refocus.’

“I want to see what (Bengals management) is trying to do. Are we keeping Kevin Zeitler or Dre Kirkpatrick? There are other guys on the roster who are going to be free and what we’re thinking [about doing] in the draft, that’s important. When you’re a veteran, you realize how important all those pieces are and the commitment to all that. We’re close and I hope we can make some moves to solidify ourselves.”

Based upon conversations with Bengals brass, Whitworth believes he would remain at left tackle if re-signed even though he has shown the ability to play guard as well.

“If there was a special situation that some team would want me to play left guard I’d be open to hear it,” Whitworth said. “But I think most teams would want me to play left tackle (or) if anything maybe right tackle. I really have the ability to play both. It’s just always been a situation that’s where the Bengals have needed me to be.”

If Whitworth were to sign elsewhere, 2015 first-round draft choice Cedric Ogbuehi would be the leading contender to take his spot. Ogbuehi, though, is far from a sure thing after struggling with injuries and inconsistent play at right tackle during his first two NFL seasons.

Whitworth said part of the growing pains being suffered by Ogbuehi and fellow offensive lineman Jake Fisher, a 2015 second-round pick who also has failed to nail down a starting spot, is having to adjust from playing in spread-style offenses in college that don’t demand as much from their blockers.

“When you get into these NFL rushers – the power, the speed, the bull rush and all those kind of things – it’s just different than college football,” said Whitworth, who played in a pro-style system at LSU. “The ball is not out as fast. The plays take a lot longer. You’re playing grown men.”

To that end, Whitworth said Ogbuehi could benefit from a strong offseason of weight training to build upon what he called “uber” ability.

“You can’t just be athletic and talented and have arm reach and all that,” Whitworth said. “You’ve got to have core strength and power and the ability to sit on people because, really, it’s not as much about keeping up with these people on their feet as being able to stop their power first. I think that’s one of those things Ced will tell you that’s his main goal – to develop some of that.”

The big question now is whether Whitworth will be around to see whether Ogbuehi and the Bengals take that next step in 2017.

 

Can't blame him one bit, if the FO lets Zeitler walk and keeps Adam Jones on the roster I would expect Whit to seriously consider signing somewhere else as it shows that Mike Brown is clearly inept and has no clue what it takes to build a team capable of winning the Super Bowl. 

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The good news is that most top contenders have a LT locked up already.

The bad news is that despite him being insistent on being the LT here over the past few years, he mentioned that he'd be open to playing LG or RT elsewhere. That opens up a lot more teams that are close to a championship that could be interested in taking him on a 1-2 year rental. I'm not sure those teams would pay $10+ mil for a 35+ year old guard or RT though.

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13 minutes ago, omgdrdoom said:

The good news is that most top contenders have a LT locked up already.

The bad news is that despite him being insistent on being the LT here over the past few years, he mentioned that he'd be open to playing LG or RT elsewhere. That opens up a lot more teams that are close to a championship that could be interested in taking him on a 1-2 year rental. I'm not sure those teams would pay $10+ mil for a 35+ year old guard or RT though.

On the footballsfuture forums I see a lot of free agency "mocks" that have him going to Denver. 

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30 minutes ago, omgdrdoom said:

The good news is that most top contenders have a LT locked up already.

The bad news is that despite him being insistent on being the LT here over the past few years, he mentioned that he'd be open to playing LG or RT elsewhere. That opens up a lot more teams that are close to a championship that could be interested in taking him on a 1-2 year rental. I'm not sure those teams would pay $10+ mil for a 35+ year old guard or RT though.

If you are a team like the Vikings or Falcons or Panthers that are close but only need to add few quality vets to get over the "hump" I would think they would consider Whit, he has a few good years left in the tank and could be the difference between going 9-7 or 12-4 and advancing far into the playoffs. 

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10 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

The other part of this is Whit isnt saying he doesnt want to be here, he said he wants to play for a contender, he could be using his leverage to push the team to sign some guys that will help put them on that level.

I am with you.  It is leverage talk.  Both leverage for him to get some extra cash & the hope that a little nudge nudge might get the old fashioned slow motion front office to be aggressive in their roster management.  I'm happy to see he, AJ, and even Dalton (to an extent) publicly making comments about making moves.  

I still can't believe they haven't cut Pac & Maualuga yet.  If it is the June 1st BS, then I read somewhere they can do it now and "designate" it for a June 1st cut (though I certainly haven't verified that can be done).

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2 minutes ago, rcarpenter62 said:

I am with you.  It is leverage talk.  Both leverage for him to get some extra cash & the hope that a little nudge nudge might get the old fashioned slow motion front office to be aggressive in their roster management.  I'm happy to see he, AJ, and even Dalton (to an extent) publicly making comments about making moves.  

I still can't believe they haven't cut Pac & Maualuga yet.  If it is the June 1st BS, then I read somewhere they can do it now and "designate" it for a June 1st cut (though I certainly haven't verified that can be done).

I don't think its a good idea to make a cut unless you already have a guy in place to take that person's spot.

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34 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

The other part of this is Whit isnt saying he doesnt want to be here, he said he wants to play for a contender, he could be using his leverage to push the team to sign some guys that will help put them on that level.

The only problem with that is we know how the Bengals FO responds to "leverage". They don't take kindly to players telling them who they should keep.

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1 hour ago, PatternMaster said:

If you are a team like the Vikings or Falcons or Panthers that are close but only need to add few quality vets to get over the "hump" I would think they would consider Whit, he has a few good years left in the tank and could be the difference between going 9-7 or 12-4 and advancing far into the playoffs. 

Yup.  I could see him landing with the Zimmers in a heartbeat.  Don't blame him a bit, tho I really hope the FO can come through with a deal to keep him here *and* give him the Super Bowl-contenting squad he wants to be a part of.

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1 hour ago, LostInDaJungle said:

The only problem with that is we know how the Bengals FO responds to "leverage". They don't take kindly to players telling them who they should keep.

It is all bullshit just like with the comments Whit made 2 years ago.  It would be the ultimate shocker if the details of his extension aren't verbally agreed upon at the combine and then signed a week or so after.

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Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but I don't see anything to indicate he is "leaving for a SB contender".  That's just people misinterpreting things to mean what they want them to mean.  His comments about testing FA and teams being SB contenders were two completely different statements.  I don't see anything where he even implies the Bengals aren't SB contenders.

This is more of that terminal Bengals fan spin;  "The Bengals will always disappoint me and I'll always be a Bengals fan", sad-sack shit.  Pathetic.  Quit trolling for your pity-party.

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19 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but I don't see anything to indicate he is "leaving for a SB contender".  That's just people misinterpreting things to mean what they want them to mean.  His comments about testing FA and teams being SB contenders were two completely different statements.  I don't see anything where he even implies the Bengals aren't SB contenders.

This is more of that terminal Bengals fan spin;  "The Bengals will always disappoint me and I'll always be a Bengals fan", sad-sack shit.  Pathetic.  Quit trolling for your pity-party.

The first post doesn't follow at all from the actual content of what he said. It's basically fake news.

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2 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but I don't see anything to indicate he is "leaving for a SB contender".  That's just people misinterpreting things to mean what they want them to mean.  His comments about testing FA and teams being SB contenders were two completely different statements.  I don't see anything where he even implies the Bengals aren't SB contenders.

This is more of that terminal Bengals fan spin;  "The Bengals will always disappoint me and I'll always be a Bengals fan", sad-sack shit.  Pathetic.  Quit trolling for your pity-party.

You're not reading it correctly...

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“At this point in my career it’s about the challenge, the excitement of trying to win that Super Bowl. I want to make sure wherever it is, and hopefully it’s in Cincinnati, that team is prepared to try and fight for that trophy.”

He clearly doesn't think it's Cincinnati or he would have said something like "I committed to staying with Bengals because I know we're a legitimate Super Bowl contender....." He said, "wherever it is, and HOPEFULLY it's in Cincinnati"...to me that means that he doesn't know for sure that they are a legit contender and he is hoping that they will be. 

Whit said he was going to test FA and wanted to sign with a "team that is prepared to try and fight for that trophy" and "hopefully it's in Cincinnati", basically it seems if Whit doesn't think the Bengals are a true SB contender then he could leave via FA and the moves the FO makes/doesn't make will definitely help him decide. 

This is a change from the expected as it was supposed to be a formality but it seems as if Whit is making it known that he won't be coming back if he does't feel like the Bengals are doing enough to win a Super Bowl and he gets an offer from a team that he feels is in a better place. If a team like the Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings offer him 11-13 million per year for a few years you know he's going to consider it. 

2 hours ago, MichaelWeston said:

The first post doesn't follow at all from the actual content of what he said. It's basically fake news.

It is inferring and reading between the lines, but it's a change of tune from the Whit will be back regardless song that Hobson and other local media have been singing for the past few months. 

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1 minute ago, PatternMaster said:

You're not reading it correctly...

He clearly doesn't think it's Cincinnati or he would have said something like "I committed to staying with Bengals because I know we're a legitimate Super Bowl contender....." He said, "wherever it is, and HOPEFULLY it's in Cincinnati"...to me that means that he doesn't know for sure that they are a legit contender and he is hoping that they will be. 

Whit said he was going to test FA and wanted to sign with a "team that is prepared to try and fight for that trophy" and "hopefully it's in Cincinnati", basically it seems if Whit doesn't think the Bengals are a true SB contender then he could leave via FA and the moves the FO makes/doesn't make will definitely help him decide. 

This is a change from the expected as it was supposed to be a formality but it seems as if Whit is making it known that he won't be coming back if he does't feel like the Bengals are doing enough to win a Super Bowl and he gets an offer from a team that he feels is in a better place. If a team like the Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings offer him 11-13 million per year for a few years you know he's going to consider it. 

It is inferring and reading between the lines, but it's a change of tune from the Whit will be back regardless song that Hobson and other local media have been singing for the past few months. 

It really seems like you're reading what you WANT to see between the lines so it can be looked at in a negative light.

Whit even refers to himself in the Bengals' future a few times in the interview by saying stuff like " We’re close and I hope we can make some moves to solidify ourselves.”

If you take the doom and gloom out that you WANT to be there, Whit makes a lot of statements that would show that he looks at Cincinnati as a potential contender. He's obviously going to consider any large offers from top teams around the league and he's obviously going to be looking at what the Bengals do in free agency if it gets to that point where he's still a UFA somehow, but nowhere does he even imply that the Bengals aren't a contender.

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37 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

You're not reading it correctly...

He clearly doesn't think it's Cincinnati or he would have said something like "I committed to staying with Bengals because I know we're a legitimate Super Bowl contender....." He said, "wherever it is, and HOPEFULLY it's in Cincinnati"...to me that means that he doesn't know for sure that they are a legit contender and he is hoping that they will be. 

Whit said he was going to test FA and wanted to sign with a "team that is prepared to try and fight for that trophy" and "hopefully it's in Cincinnati", basically it seems if Whit doesn't think the Bengals are a true SB contender then he could leave via FA and the moves the FO makes/doesn't make will definitely help him decide. 

This is a change from the expected as it was supposed to be a formality but it seems as if Whit is making it known that he won't be coming back if he does't feel like the Bengals are doing enough to win a Super Bowl and he gets an offer from a team that he feels is in a better place. If a team like the Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings offer him 11-13 million per year for a few years you know he's going to consider it. 

It is inferring and reading between the lines, but it's a change of tune from the Whit will be back regardless song that Hobson and other local media have been singing for the past few months. 

He wouldn't come out and say he's definitely staying because Mikey would know he's got him and could pay him less. He's not going to show his cards. It's leverage, like others were saying.

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4 hours ago, omgdrdoom said:

It really seems like you're reading what you WANT to see between the lines so it can be looked at in a negative light.

Whit even refers to himself in the Bengals' future a few times in the interview by saying stuff like " We’re close and I hope we can make some moves to solidify ourselves.”

If you take the doom and gloom out that you WANT to be there, Whit makes a lot of statements that would show that he looks at Cincinnati as a potential contender. He's obviously going to consider any large offers from top teams around the league and he's obviously going to be looking at what the Bengals do in free agency if it gets to that point where he's still a UFA somehow, but nowhere does he even imply that the Bengals aren't a contender.

If the Bengals let Zeitler walk in FA, which they already said they are going to do and replace him with some 2nd tier FA, draft pick, or back up already on the roster how do you think that will make Whit feel about our SB chances. He keeps saying he "hopes", hopes and dreams don't really translate to much in the real world. I hope I win the Powerball lottery, but I know I probably won't. 

If the Bengals take the approach in FA that they have always taken, wait and see and then go after 2nd tier guys in hopes of getting lucky, how does that help improve this team and make them a SB contender? They need to at least re-sign their two best offensive lineman to seriously consider themselves a legit SB contender, especially since they aren't going to be major players in FA. The Bengals philosophy of re-signing their top talent, drafting well, and pretty much staying out of the FA market except for cheap vets doesn't really work if you don't re-sign your own top talent which they have already said they weren't going to do with Zeitler and there has been no news about Dre so it's likely he will also test the FA market. 

Most of the time when a player from the Bengals becomes a UFA and test the market, they leave. Some come back, some get cut and fall out the league, but very few test the FA market and come back to Cincy, especially when they get several offers from SB contending teams. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Zeitler, Whit, and Dre all left via FA this offseason as I can see them getting big money offers from other teams and Mike Brown not wanting to match. Besides they have had years to extend these guys contracts so this wouldn't even be an issue but they chose to let them go and see what they can get on the open market. 

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Most concerning to me were his comments about Ogbuehi.   Needs more strength and power.  That certainly matches what you see from him on the field.  Oogie-Boogie is going into his third year in the league and still hasn't bought into becoming a pro.  Combine that with the stuff Ogbuehi was spewing about being comfortable on the left and not the right and he seems like even more of a bust.  Hope he turns it around, but I have less confidence in that than ever.

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