I have 2 give the Bengals credit

[BengalByTheBay]

how can you go into the season counting on a guy that is in the last year of his contract.

It happens all the time. It seems to me that the problem of having a player do so well in his last contract year that other teams want him is exactly the problem you want to have. Sure, you'll have to pay him more to keep him (or apply the tag, which is essentially the same thing for one year), but so what? That's what other teams do all the time. It seems to me that if that occurs at least you've got options. Hoping for a player, and thus the team, to do badly so that you get a better draft pick or don't have to pay as much to retain that player seems somewhat backward to me. Besides, I have to disagree with you that a good year from Perry prices him out of the Bengals reach. He's an offensive player, after all, so I doubt there is a price out of the Bengals reach. Whether it would make sense to pay that is another question. That said, Rudi did well and was re-signed before he went on the market after he was durable for years. That didn't work out all that well. You can't predict injuries or to whom they will occur. If Perry makes it through the season healthy and has a big year, I'd say he's as likely as anyone else to be somebody you'd want to keep.

[Spor_tees]

how can you go into the season counting on a guy that is in the last year of his contract.

It happens all the time. It seems to me that the problem of having a player do so well in his last contract year that other teams want him is exactly the problem you want to have. Sure, you'll have to pay him more to keep him (or apply the tag, which is essentially the same thing for one year), but so what? That's what other teams do all the time. It seems to me that if that occurs at least you've got options. Hoping for a player, and thus the team, to do badly so that you get a better draft pick or don't have to pay as much to retain that player seems somewhat backward to me. Besides, I have to disagree with you that a good year from Perry prices him out of the Bengals reach. He's an offensive player, after all, so I doubt there is a price out of the Bengals reach. Whether it would make sense to pay that is another question. That said, Rudi did well and was re-signed before he went on the market after he was durable for years. That didn't work out all that well. You can't predict injuries or to whom they will occur. If Perry makes it through the season healthy and has a big year, I'd say he's as likely as anyone else to be somebody you'd want to keep.

If he does play well and the Bengals give him the Franchise tag to keep him, that would be a dumber move than placing the tag on Andrews and perhaps one of the top 5 dumbest moves of all time from the Bengals front office. I guess the point you failed to see in my post, is that when a player in the last year of his contract seems to play well, other teams often see his worth at a value far more than what it is worth, and is often times dictated on what else is out on the market. For example, if Chris Perry rushes for 1,000 yards and the next best guy out on the market is say, Kevin Faulk, Perry is going to get way overly paid for his services by another team. That is why I say the Bengals are in a lose-lose situation...they need Perry to stay healthy and do well, but if he does so, they are stuck with the option of over paying him in a contract to keep him or franchising him with a top 5 runningback salary. Fact is, Chris Perry isn't even in the top 15 as far as backs go in the NFL. Top 5 money would be WAY over priced for his production and talent. Consequently overpaying Chris Perry may in fact cause the Bengals to be forced to let other players more deserving of their contract numbers walk, because they don't have enough room left under the salary cap.

[HoosierCat]

Even if Perry does well, his extensive prior injury history is going to act like a battleship-size anchor on his value. I doubt anyone is in any hurry to throw big bucks at him.

[BengalByTheBay]

Even if Perry does well, his extensive prior injury history is going to act like a battleship-size anchor on his value. I doubt anyone is in any hurry to throw big bucks at him.

Then there's that.....

[BengalByTheBay]

Fact is, Chris Perry isn't even in the top 15 as far as backs go in the NFL. Top 5 money would be WAY over priced for his production and talent. Consequently overpaying Chris Perry may in fact cause the Bengals to be forced to let other players more deserving of their contract numbers walk, because they don't have enough room left under the salary cap.

There's the flaw in your reasoning. I he isn't in the top 15, then nobody's going to fall over themselves to pay him in the top 5 and he wouldn't be franchised anyway. I though the "nightmare" scenario isn't that he does okay -- it's that he has such a great year that he's fielding offers from everywhere. I agree with you that the Bengals shouldn't grant a huge contract to somebody after only one good year, but if the alternative is he gets hurt or has a crappy year that looks worse to me. The fact I see is that FA contracts are generally ridiculous -- with that I agree. But it wouldn't be much different than any other player's situation. If he has a good year he's gonna command a lot. Whether it's more than he's worth is up to each person's judgment. I still can't get away from this rather remote concern overriding the more immediate concern of hoping our #1 RB kicks all kinds of ass this year and helps us win games.

[HairOnFire]

Hair, how can you go into the season counting on a guy that is in the last year of his contract.

Let's be clear about something. At this point it's impossible for anyone to count on Chris Perry for anything at all, and contract issues aside that might still be true at seasons end regardless of how Perry plays. But I can understand the wilngness to take that chance because you need answers about Perry, you no longer needed answers about Rudi, and most importantly because it's a transition season.

Frankly, if I had to guess I'd say the Bengal fans who are most upset by all of the veteran cuts are those who were also the most optimistic this team could win now. Sadly, I was never one of those.

[HairOnFire]

Besides, I have to disagree with you that a good year from Perry prices him out of the Bengals reach. He's an offensive player, after all, so I doubt there is a price out of the Bengals reach.

Oddly familiar, but well said.