Joe Burrow: I’m confident we’ll do what it takes to bring Tee Higgins back in 2025

[Arkansas Bengal]

By Michael David Smith

 

Published December 10, 2024 05:09 AM

 

 

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is in the final year of his contract, and there have been plenty of questions about whether the Bengals will be able to keep him while also working out a new deal for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who will be in the final year of his contract next year.

 

But Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow doesn’t think there’s any reason that all three of them can’t remain in Cincinnati. After the Bengals beat the Cowboys on Monday night, Burrow said he believes the Bengals will re-sign Higgins in the offseason.

 

“I’m confident that I think we’re going to be able to do what it takes to get Tee back,” Burrow said. “I know that I’m going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We have those talks, so those are going to be offseason discussions, but I think we’re excited about that opportunity.”

 

Burrow seems to be suggesting that he’d be willing to re-do his own contract to give the Bengals more salary cap space to bring Higgins back, while also working out a long-term deal with Chase. Burrow values having his longtime top two receivers with him and might have them both in 2025 and beyond.

 

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/cincinnati-bengals

[Arkansas Bengal]

Joe Burrow's 'confident' take hints at helping Bengals re-sign Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

By 

Jaren Kawada

Dec 10, 2024 at 9:44 AM ET

One of the biggest names to watch during the 2025 NFL free agency will be Tee Higgins, who is in the final year of his current contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. While the two sides could not come to an extension agreement ahead of the 2024 season, Joe Burrow remains confident that the team will be able to re-sign Higgins.

 

Burrow, who has maintained a solid relationship with Higgins, said he would be willing to do “whatever it takes” to help the Bengals bring Higgins back, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

 

“Joe Burrow just said he's confident they will be able to find a way to get Tee Higgins back and he's willing to do what it takes,” Dehner tweeted. “Asked why he's confident, offered a sly ‘we'll see.' Wow.”

 

‘Up and Adams Show' host Kay Adams added that Burrow's contract cap hit “isn't crazy” in 2025, giving the Bengals room to “get creative” with an offer to Higgins. The star quarterback is still on the five-year rookie extension he signed in 2023 which will raise his annual salary to $46 million in 2025. While a high price, that still does not even make him one of the 10 highest-paid signal callers in the league.

 

It is unclear what Burrow believes he can do to keep Higgins in Cincinnati but the stalled conversations in 2024 kept the fifth-year receiver out of OTAs before signing a franchise tag. Higgins did not make his 2024 debut until Week 3 as he dealt with an additional hamstring injury at the beginning of the season.

 

While re-signing Higgins will be a priority for the Bengals in 2025, the front office will have a lot more work to do. With four games remaining in the 2024 regular season, Cincinnati is on track to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year after another disappointing campaign.

 

Since losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals have continued to disappoint despite keeping most of their roster intact. The Burrow-led offense has been plagued by slow starts while their defense has continuously been an Achilles heel, often putting the team in deep holes to climb out of.

 

On top of Higgins, the team will also have defensive tackle B.J. Hill, cornerback Mike Hilton, tackle Trent Brown, tight end Mike Gesicki, center Ted Karras, defensive end Joseph Ossai and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither set to become free agents in 2025. Key reserves Trayveon Williams, Tanner Hudson and Cody Ford will also hit free agency.

 

 

 

https://clutchpoints.com/bengals-news-joe-burrow-confident-take-hints-cincinnati-re-sign-tee-higgins

[Jamie_B]

I believe he said similar this past offseason didn't he?

 

I'll believe it when I see it.

[LostInDaJungle]

[T-Dub]

37 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

 

At this point if Joe says he wants a moon base bachelor pad they better hand Troy a toolbox and shove some bottle rockets up his ass

[-GoBengals-]

Not a lot of wiggle room in his already team friendly contract structure, and jamarr is not interested in anything except the max pennies he can squeeze out of his deal upcoming. 

 

Here is the structure of Joes deal:

 

 

 

So while it is 5 years 55 per, the cap hits, never reach that number until the last year, it looks like they put 27 mil in bonus money on his 4th and 5th years of his rookie deal, which the 5th year option of that deal is the current season of 2024, there are also 500k yearly and 1.25mil a year incentives that he needs to win the AFCC or the SB to get, which are indeed part of the 255mil total number, so without incentives its a 248.75mil deal give or take. 

 

The team did a great job is projecting and keeping his cap hit around the 16% of the total cape range, i cant imagine that 2029 year exists in its current form no matter what plays out, either he gets a new massive extension after 2028, and that year is converted to a bonus and split over the next 5 years or his career falls shy an d is done playing or whatever, but that final year is about as close as the bengals ever get to a "fake year" at the end of a deal, its 100% doable, but the odds of it standing as is are close to nothing. 

 

So with this structure model, apply that so chase, see the bengals were down for the ultras early extensions ask from Chases agent, as they could have pulled off this same thing, but now theyll be working with one less season to do so.

 

so if he gets 5x for 35 per, thats $175 mil, probably 140-150 guaranteed, possible its 100% guaranteed, but not super likely, but def possible.

 

so if you cant eat 5% of the deal in bonuses over 2 years you only have 1 year, and his fifth year option is already 21-22mil. so there really isnt much to spread, if you wanted to take the same angle of the base salary for the 5 years.

 

If yo take 10-15 mil of the garauntees and split them up over 6 instead of 5 years. what can you make work?

 

Imaginary cap hit numbers: this is if you eat 20-30 mil next years cap as cash then spread it over 6 years instead of 5. 

 

2025: 22+15 bonus from extensions

2026 - 25mil cap hit

2027 - 29mil cap hit

2028 - 31mil cap hit

2029 - 35mil cap hit

2030 - 40mil cap hit

 

that would be 5/$175 with reasonable cap numbers for jamarr and joe for the next 2-3 years together. Had they been able to ink this deal this year, they could ahve eaten 5 mil this year, on the cap side, but honestly 1 mil isnt likely to be a factor year in and year out.

 

Here is joes cash in hand payouts of his years so give that perspective as well.

 

 

[-GoBengals-]

Joe was on the old school 5th year option rules, jamarr is on the new school 5th year option, which is a huge difference as well. Joes deal was incredibly easy to get done with it being done when and how it got done.

 

[LostInDaJungle]

21 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

 

At this point if Joe says he wants a moon base bachelor pad they better hand Troy a toolbox and shove some bottle rockets up his ass

I have been advocating for resigning Tee for a while now.

I honestly think he's another guy who's price went up this year. Recent article from the Pats saying he was going to be a priority FA target and they'd "offer him the moon".

Cutting Stone, Hubbard and Rankins next year frees up a lot of cap space. And if Chase and Higgins really want to stay together, it makes those deals you can negotiate and structure at the same time. It's a long shot.

 

[sparky151]

The team can certainly afford to give Chase and Higgins new contract extensions after this season. The question is whether it would be wise to extend Tee. His tag number is about 26 mil and that would bring in a top tier defensive free agent or a couple of solid players. 

[T-Dub]

31 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

The team can certainly afford to give Chase and Higgins new contract extensions after this season. The question is whether it would be wise to extend Tee. His tag number is about 26 mil and that would bring in a top tier defensive free agent or a couple of solid players. 

 

Good point but I don't trust them to do that. Plus, in their defense, it's a lot easier and safer to sign one of the few great players we have instead of betting on finding a new one. Those guys typically aren't FA without some baggage, injuries or having lost a step. 

 

It'd be nice if we could trade Higgins for another Bates + a player to be named later but in all likelihood we end up with a fixer-upper or just magic beans and a comp pick.

 

Burton is off playing video poker and Higgins is here making plays, but IDK if they let that pressure them. I think they'd have no problem drafting another first round WR & to hell with roster building.

 

Someone will pay Tee WR1 money with guarantees, and it'd be foolish to match that deal after promising Chase even more. This is part of why QBs have been the only ones expecting guaranteed contracts. 

[-GoBengals-]

5 hours ago, LostInDaJungle said:

I have been advocating for resigning Tee for a while now.

I honestly think he's another guy who's price went up this year. Recent article from the Pats saying he was going to be a priority FA target and they'd "offer him the moon".

Cutting Stone, Hubbard and Rankins next year frees up a lot of cap space. And if Chase and Higgins really want to stay together, it makes those deals you can negotiate and structure at the same time. It's a long shot.

 

 

i cant see a scenario where Hubbard is cut, for a few reasons, 1. his poor play is likely, partially tied to him being injured. 2. if he has surgery in the offseason if they cut him there is a injury settlement at play. 3. He is about the biggest hometown fan favorite type face of franchise, tied to community guy, and he doesnt totally suck balls even when hurt, so i could almost more likely see an extension to allow a restructure, like 2 years 20 mil,  but like second year is 15mil of it, turn his current 10 into 8 mil bonus, split over the three, so he goes from almost 11mil to 4-5 next year, is 8mil the year after, and a year we have no intention of paying that 18 mil hit in three, when cut then is a 3 mil hit.

 

Rankins and Stone gotta go i think, im ok with stone or bell being back if battle and a new starter are in place, BUT the cost isnt worth the backup role player. so they gotta go or take a huge pay cut.

 

5 hours ago, sparky151 said:

The team can certainly afford to give Chase and Higgins new contract extensions after this season. The question is whether it would be wise to extend Tee. His tag number is about 26 mil and that would bring in a top tier defensive free agent or a couple of solid players. 

 

the bengals are going to leave 8mil or so in the cap (as they should) and spend the rest (as they should) the 8 mil buffer is for IR and injuries buffers. they have gone over the cap due to injury once or twice in the last 20 years so they keep that buffer.

 

so projection is 60-65 mil in cap space next year, cutting stone and rankins and restructure of hubbard ads 20 mil. so 85mil. now if the cap goes up more than projected it would be more, but i dont think that happens by much if at all. so 85 million.  I think realistically you can have a cap hit for jamarr of 29 for next year and the year after, and a hit for Tee of 26 and 27 the year after. 

 

which would give the totals for the trio at 46+29+26 for 2025 = 101 mil and 48+27+29 = 103mil. which is 40$ of the cap in 3 players.

 

i posted about this elsewhere, the only team with this heavy of a trip on offense is the eagles. they got their QB spent high on free agents in Barkley and Brown, and drafted endless defense. its working for them currently, they are a SB contender. but no one else in the league has a cap hit like this for 3 offensive players.

 

im thinking maybe they do it short term, with the tag again. 

 

5 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

Good point but I don't trust them to do that. Plus, in their defense, it's a lot easier and safer to sign one of the few great players we have instead of betting on finding a new one. Those guys typically aren't FA without some baggage, injuries or having lost a step. 

 

It'd be nice if we could trade Higgins for another Bates + a player to be named later but in all likelihood we end up with a fixer-upper or just magic beans and a comp pick.

 

Burton is off playing video poker and Higgins is here making plays, but IDK if they let that pressure them. I think they'd have no problem drafting another first round WR & to hell with roster building.

 

Someone will pay Tee WR1 money with guarantees, and it'd be foolish to match that deal after promising Chase even more. This is part of why QBs have been the only ones expecting guaranteed contracts. 

 

i dont get why fans keep acting like the bengals have never signed great free agents before. they have, recently, how does this years batch being hurt and trash wipe all of that away?

 

as for trading tee. this is nearly impossible, much to my frustration. you cannot trade a players rights, only thier contract, so tee must SIGN the tag to be tradeable, unless you did a sign and trade, but thats not negotiating in good faith. and is almost NEVER done. so this is why players dont sign the tag until the last minute, becuase they dont wanna be trade bait on draft night or the summer. sign it in july at the deadline, team has had you in camp already tough to trade you 6 weeks before games start, assets in return would be for the next year if its picks.. its really really really hard to do.

 

Bates will very likely be cut after next year as his salary is a hot air balloon theyll need to wipe away. id like to stay away from those type of situations, the bengals like to avoid them as well.

 

 

 

[T-Dub]

1 hour ago, GoBengals said:

 

i dont get why fans keep acting like the bengals have never signed great free agents before. they have, recently, how does this years batch being hurt and trash wipe all of that away?

 

They've signed some good ones and also quite a few bums, which is typical of free agency.  Weren't we just lamenting Rankins and Stone not living up to the hype?

 

Forget whether the Bengals are better or worse in free agency than most, more to the point they already have Higgins and know exactly what they're getting.  The choice isn't between Higgins and some equally talented defender, it's signing him or having the money to go fishing in free agency.  I'd feel better about the safe bet paying off but the defense needs serious help.

 

I do think there's a 3rd option where Higgins returns and they bring in a difference-maker on D, but that's going to take some creativity on the part of both the team and these guy's agents.  The amount of wiggle room the players give them will say a lot about how they view the organization. 

[sparky151]

Doing a tag and trade requires the player's cooperation but isn't that hard to get. Most players want long term security on a multi-year contract. If the Bengals tag Tee next February and trade him to say the Patriots, they get a WR1 for their new QB, Tee gets a lot more money than the Bengals will pay, with guarantees, and the Bengals get an early 2nd round pick. Win-win-win.

 

 

[Le Tigre]

Imagine if that incredible 2nd round pick is another Burton? 

[sparky151]

Depends on what they do with it but it could be a high end player at safety, guard, or running back. Or a solid player at WR, DE, or CB. 

[T-Dub]

3 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

Imagine if that incredible 2nd round pick is another Burton? 

 

That's it exactly. Higgins is what he is, a 2nd round pick is a scratch-off ticket. 

 

My guess is we're outbid and left with a 2026 comp pick at best.

[Randle P McMurphy]

 

4 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

Imagine if that incredible 2nd round pick is another Burton? 

 

 

Not only that but if the Bengals tag Tee a 2nd time and this time offer him up for trade, that's, (showing your hand), basically saying

you do NOT want to pay that guaranteed $26 million allowing other teams to lower their trade compensation knowing full well the

Bengals don't want to pay it.  (Calling their bluff).  

 

[LostInDaJungle]

Lets talk Tee:

Bengals leverage - They can franchise him again for $26M.

Sportrac "Estimated Contract" - $18.8M per year.

The number is somewhere between those two. If Tee asks for $27M a year and you REALLY want to keep him, you franchise him again.

Cutting Stone and Rankins is 20.4M in cap space next year. Hubbard is another $11M. Cappa is another $10M. I dunno... Do you think 2 of those 4 guys are worth losing Tee? Hmmm... Let me say that again: Keeping Tee is equivalent to signing Stone and Rankins. I mean, love Hometown Hubbard as much as you like... 

Ranking our highest cap hits nest year: Rankins #5, Hubbard #6, Cappa #7, Stone #9. These are 4 of our top 10 highest paid players. Is that money well invested? You'd like to keep spending that?

The macro view - what will the cap be in 2025? The 2024 cap is $255M and since Covid the cap has gone up 7%-14% each year. So let’s use 8% and we’ll call the 2025 cap $275M.

Jamarr's cap hit is going to be $22M with the 5th year option, and a better FO would negotiate that. But let's just assume that is Jamarr's cap hit.

If we HAD to tag Tee... Wait for it... Add up the 17 players making 3M a year or more and we're at $210M. With Tee on the tag. We have $65M to sign the rest of the roster, pay draft picks... (And Drew Sample is the only player over $2M and under 3M.)

Replacing a Safety or a Dlineman naturally clears out some big contracts for guys who have underperformed anyway. Again, would you rather have Hubbard and Rankins, or Tee Higgins? We can have both. Or we can invest the money we use cutting these guys to beef up the Defense.

This all assumes that the Bengals do business as usual. Frankly, they could get creative with void years... But alas. But because of that... I also don't think the Bengals are going to be in the market for the top tier FA's. Where else do you spend it, and is that going to have as much impact?

 

So, props to Mike and Katie for keeping that cap space... But at some point you have to USE it.

In short, I find the "we can't afford it" argument to be specious at best. The Bengals have plenty of money to tag Tee again, much less resign him. And they still have room to move on the defensive side of the ball. Moreso if Katie rolls up her sleeves and wants to make it happen.

[sparky151]

The way it would work is the team agrees with Tee in February before tags have to be announced that they are going to tag him for 26 mil but make him available in trade to the team offering the most. They would give his agent permission to discuss contracts with other teams. Tee is clearly the best WR in this year's free agent class the the draft is thin at WR too. So lots of teams should be interested, perhaps sparking a bidding war. If nobody at all is willing to make a trade offer the Bengals accept or offer Tee a contract he finds acceptable, then he's a Bengal for another season. 

[-GoBengals-]

16 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

They've signed some good ones and also quite a few bums, which is typical of free agency.  Weren't we just lamenting Rankins and Stone not living up to the hype?

 

Forget whether the Bengals are better or worse in free agency than most, more to the point they already have Higgins and know exactly what they're getting.  The choice isn't between Higgins and some equally talented defender, it's signing him or having the money to go fishing in free agency.  I'd feel better about the safe bet paying off but the defense needs serious help.

 

I do think there's a 3rd option where Higgins returns and they bring in a difference-maker on D, but that's going to take some creativity on the part of both the team and these guy's agents.  The amount of wiggle room the players give them will say a lot about how they view the organization. 

 

im 100% on board blaming stone and rankins for shitting thier pants and not playing well, but i think everyone was cool wit the signings and thought they were good additions in the offseason, perhaps not you, but others have stated the bengals are at fault for that failure in hte signing itself, as if they signed eli apple and started him at CB1 type of thing.. which was far from the case.

 

5 hours ago, sparky151 said:

Doing a tag and trade requires the player's cooperation but isn't that hard to get. Most players want long term security on a multi-year contract. If the Bengals tag Tee next February and trade him to say the Patriots, they get a WR1 for their new QB, Tee gets a lot more money than the Bengals will pay, with guarantees, and the Bengals get an early 2nd round pick. Win-win-win.

 

 

 

if it werent that hard to get, then teams would do it all the time and no one would leave in free agency thats a top player. this is 100% why the players do not sign the tag until the last week that they can. the second they sign they lose control of anything, can be dealt anywhere, why would they do that? and even if they love the team, why would they lose power and choice to do them  a favor on the way out the door? making the team they go to LESS good by losing picks or players upon his arrival?!?!

 

absolutely no reason to sign the tag to know youre geting traded. none.. very very very rare.

 

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

 

That's it exactly. Higgins is what he is, a 2nd round pick is a scratch-off ticket. 

 

My guess is we're outbid and left with a 2026 comp pick at best.

 

another tag is perfectly fine. both cost wise and on the books. 

 

1 hour ago, Randle P McMurphy said:

 

 

 

Not only that but if the Bengals tag Tee a 2nd time and this time offer him up for trade, that's, (showing your hand), basically saying

you do NOT want to pay that guaranteed $26 million allowing other teams to lower their trade compensation knowing full well the

Bengals don't want to pay it.  (Calling their bluff).  

 

 

no it isnt. and they can easily pay the 26mil, they just did it, and arent in cap hell (for probably 2-3 years if ever) even if they extend chase, so none of this is true, and is just you making up fake senarios that dont make much sense, tag and offering for trade is saying nothing more than we are tired of not getting a deal done, we can keep him a year or if compensation is good, we will take it to move on.

the one thing teams would know or that shows their hand as you say, is that teams willing to wait another season, could likely get him in free agency after the 2025 season.. as they wouldnt dare tag him a 3rd time. but thats it, completely.

 

14 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Lets talk Tee:

Bengals leverage - They can franchise him again for $26M.

Sportrac "Estimated Contract" - $18.8M per year.

The number is somewhere between those two. If Tee asks for $27M a year and you REALLY want to keep him, you franchise him again.

Cutting Stone and Rankins is 20.4M in cap space next year. Hubbard is another $11M. Cappa is another $10M. I dunno... Do you think 2 of those 4 guys are worth losing Tee? Hmmm... Let me say that again: Keeping Tee is equivalent to signing Stone and Rankins. I mean, love Hometown Hubbard as much as you like... 

Ranking our highest cap hits nest year: Rankins #5, Hubbard #6, Cappa #7, Stone #9. These are 4 of our top 10 highest paid players. Is that money well invested? You'd like to keep spending that?

The macro view - what will the cap be in 2025? The 2024 cap is $255M and since Covid the cap has gone up 7%-14% each year. So let’s use 8% and we’ll call the 2025 cap $275M.

Jamarr's cap hit is going to be $22M with the 5th year option, and a better FO would negotiate that. But let's just assume that is Jamarr's cap hit.

If we HAD to tag Tee... Wait for it... Add up the 17 players making 3M a year or more and we're at $210M. With Tee on the tag. We have $65M to sign the rest of the roster, pay draft picks... (And Drew Sample is the only player over $2M and under 3M.)

Replacing a Safety or a Dlineman naturally clears out some big contracts for guys who have underperformed anyway. Again, would you rather have Hubbard and Rankins, or Tee Higgins? We can have both. Or we can invest the money we use cutting these guys to beef up the Defense.

This all assumes that the Bengals do business as usual. Frankly, they could get creative with void years... But alas. But because of that... I also don't think the Bengals are going to be in the market for the top tier FA's. Where else do you spend it, and is that going to have as much impact?

 

So, props to Mike and Katie for keeping that cap space... But at some point you have to USE it.

In short, I find the "we can't afford it" argument to be specious at best. The Bengals have plenty of money to tag Tee again, much less resign him. And they still have room to move on the defensive side of the ball. Moreso if Katie rolls up her sleeves and wants to make it happen.

 

tee higgins on the open market would get 28-30mil a year with absolutely no question what so ever. in fact, he would likely have 2-3 teams to choose from at those rates. Now will those delas have a fake ass last year he will never see? yes does he care? i dont know. his now OLD agent, cared deeply, as agents all have a "thing" they are known for, there are agents who specialize in getting you to  ateam you want to be via a trade, some for those who want the big dolalr spalsh and thats all they care about is the headline, some that get you ever real dollar you can get (the only good agents) and so on... Tee just canned his so this is about to get interesting. 

 

rankins and stone will be gone, no question, hubbard will be asked to restructure, Cappa will be asked to restructure OR let it play out that last year and not worry about it. the two cuts and restructure should salve 25-26 million, on top of the 60-65 we will already have.

 

i would also expect jamarrs number to be much higher as theyll likely get that deal done, and take on a bigger cap hit now to lessen the blow for later as joes and his base deals go up. 

 

whats the mike and katie keeping space but have to USE it?  there is 6 fucking mil available this year. it was closer to 10 until injuries salaries stacked up getting it under 7, last year was 10 with less injuries hits, years before was 3.8, 1.9, 10, etc... they ALWAYS use the cap... ALWAYS.. its not 1995.

 

and for the last time, mike fucking brown doesnt have shit to do with fucking anything and hasnt for a decade. why does his name keep coming up. he is fucking 90

 

10 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

The way it would work is the team agrees with Tee in February before tags have to be announced that they are going to tag him for 26 mil but make him available in trade to the team offering the most. They would give his agent permission to discuss contracts with other teams. Tee is clearly the best WR in this year's free agent class the the draft is thin at WR too. So lots of teams should be interested, perhaps sparking a bidding war. If nobody at all is willing to make a trade offer the Bengals accept or offer Tee a contract he finds acceptable, then he's a Bengal for another season. 

the monumental amount of risk involved in this series of events for everyone involved makes it so very unlikely. tagging a palyer snd just telling them you want to move them is a fuck you to them, and an agent going to teams saying "hey my client is going to get tagged them up for trade what do you wanna pay him" the tag date is a week before the new league year so while im sure no one cares, talking with other teams while under contract in the old league year is technically tampering. 

the best possible scenario, is if you want to trade, you tag him, work in good faith on an extension, call teams you trust not to leak the availability to the media (so rams, titans, etc) and get offers, if they are the same, tkae them to tee and say we are trading you to either X or Y do you prefer one, to be good about it, or if one is better then he goes there.

but developing today, Tee has dropped his agent, one notirous for wanting top dollar headlaine splashes and not carying about real dollars, and will have a new agent, this leads me to beleive he and the bengals are serious about keeping the band together.

 

gonna get real interesting. in march.

 

at least we can all argue about it for 4 months.

 

 

[LostInDaJungle]

2 minutes ago, GoBengals said:

tee higgins on the open market would get 28-30mil a year with absolutely no question what so ever.

Then you franchise him. He doesn't get a choice in the matter.

You're doing a whole bunch of mental gymnastics there to come up with reasons why we can't sign a generational talent. And you call US the worst fans in the league. Unreal.

[T-Dub]

16 minutes ago, GoBengals said:

 

im 100% on board blaming stone and rankins for shitting thier pants and not playing well, but i think everyone was cool wit the signings and thought they were good additions in the offseason, perhaps not you, but others have stated the bengals are at fault for that failure in hte signing itself, as if they signed eli apple and started him at CB1 type of thing.. which was far from the case.

 

 

if it werent that hard to get, then teams would do it all the time and no one would leave in free agency thats a top player. this is 100% why the players do not sign the tag until the last week that they can. the second they sign they lose control of anything, can be dealt anywhere, why would they do that? and even if they love the team, why would they lose power and choice to do them  a favor on the way out the door? making the team they go to LESS good by losing picks or players upon his arrival?!?!

 

absolutely no reason to sign the tag to know youre geting traded. none.. very very very rare.

 

 

another tag is perfectly fine. both cost wise and on the books. 

 

 

no it isnt. and they can easily pay the 26mil, they just did it, and arent in cap hell (for probably 2-3 years if ever) even if they extend chase, so none of this is true, and is just you making up fake senarios that dont make much sense, tag and offering for trade is saying nothing more than we are tired of not getting a deal done, we can keep him a year or if compensation is good, we will take it to move on.

the one thing teams would know or that shows their hand as you say, is that teams willing to wait another season, could likely get him in free agency after the 2025 season.. as they wouldnt dare tag him a 3rd time. but thats it, completely.

 

 

tee higgins on the open market would get 28-30mil a year with absolutely no question what so ever. in fact, he would likely have 2-3 teams to choose from at those rates. Now will those delas have a fake ass last year he will never see? yes does he care? i dont know. his now OLD agent, cared deeply, as agents all have a "thing" they are known for, there are agents who specialize in getting you to  ateam you want to be via a trade, some for those who want the big dolalr spalsh and thats all they care about is the headline, some that get you ever real dollar you can get (the only good agents) and so on... Tee just canned his so this is about to get interesting. 

 

rankins and stone will be gone, no question, hubbard will be asked to restructure, Cappa will be asked to restructure OR let it play out that last year and not worry about it. the two cuts and restructure should salve 25-26 million, on top of the 60-65 we will already have.

 

i would also expect jamarrs number to be much higher as theyll likely get that deal done, and take on a bigger cap hit now to lessen the blow for later as joes and his base deals go up. 

 

whats the mike and katie keeping space but have to USE it?  there is 6 fucking mil available this year. it was closer to 10 until injuries salaries stacked up getting it under 7, last year was 10 with less injuries hits, years before was 3.8, 1.9, 10, etc... they ALWAYS use the cap... ALWAYS.. its not 1995.

 

and for the last time, mike fucking brown doesnt have shit to do with fucking anything and hasnt for a decade. why does his name keep coming up. he is fucking 90

 

the monumental amount of risk involved in this series of events for everyone involved makes it so very unlikely. tagging a palyer snd just telling them you want to move them is a fuck you to them, and an agent going to teams saying "hey my client is going to get tagged them up for trade what do you wanna pay him" the tag date is a week before the new league year so while im sure no one cares, talking with other teams while under contract in the old league year is technically tampering. 

the best possible scenario, is if you want to trade, you tag him, work in good faith on an extension, call teams you trust not to leak the availability to the media (so rams, titans, etc) and get offers, if they are the same, tkae them to tee and say we are trading you to either X or Y do you prefer one, to be good about it, or if one is better then he goes there.

but developing today, Tee has dropped his agent, one notirous for wanting top dollar headlaine splashes and not carying about real dollars, and will have a new agent, this leads me to beleive he and the bengals are serious about keeping the band together.

 

gonna get real interesting. in march.

 

at least we can all argue about it for 4 months.

 

 

 

 

Really think they'll tag him again?  He's not going to like that...

[LostInDaJungle]

Just now, T-Dub said:

 

 

Really think they'll tag him again?  He's not going to like that...

It's like paying taxes... You don't HAVE to like it. It's the rules, they suck, but what are you gonna do?

[T-Dub]

Just now, LostInDaJungle said:

It's like paying taxes... You don't HAVE to like it. It's the rules, they suck, but what are you gonna do?

 

Demand a trade and sit out?  People do that.  They can't force him to run routes with a cattle prod (yet)

[LostInDaJungle]

1 minute ago, T-Dub said:

 

Demand a trade and sit out?  People do that.  They can't force him to run routes with a cattle prod (yet)

I mean, he could... He could have done that this year. And for all of the reasons he's still playing, he's not.

First of all, $26M isn't a small amount of money. Second of all, he's going to find it hard to get that same money after sitting on the shelf.

Judging by history, how many Franchised players decided to not take the money and hold out? Davonte Adams - traded. Dez Bryant - signed long term. And so on...

In fact, Leveon Bell is the only player who actually sat out the year. I encourage you to check Wikipedia for how that turned out.

If you refuse to even try to sign the dude, you also run the risk that Joe Burrow pulls a Carson Palmer. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. There's no 100% safe option here. Those who risk nothing win nothing.

And frankly, worrying about what the cap hit is going to be when Joe Burrow is in his mid 30's is just about the most "Bengals" thing we can do. People are in here saying "Well in 5 years...." Child please. Go back 5 years and see how many of your plans fell to shit and had to change. For all we know by the time Joe's cap hit becomes unmanageable the world will have been taken over by a race of sentient boars. The future is in the future.

You have to strike while the iron is hot. And a bird in the hand is a lot better than an FA in the bush.