AMPHAR

Just beat the Patriots. Then I'll worry about the Chefs.

The refs could have called more penalties on both team's tackles. Jawaan Taylor and Staley are constantly moving early and lining up in the backfield. Its pretty obvious neither tackle is confident blocking in pass pro vs. whatever rusher they were going against. Hopefully nothing gets better for either team. If one of the edges struggles that badly it makes it very hard to slide protect to an elite rusher.

Its week 1 so can't bank on anything. Both teams didn't look at their best. I love how Collinsworth is scared to call out Lamar and insist on calling him a pocket passer. IMO, Lamar is an elite play maker on the ground. He is very inconsistent throwing and I think struggles to read defenses. Both KC and Baltimore have tackle issues, both QBs took a number of hits. The addition of Henry was just depth for Lamar Jackson. Again week 1 so hard to conclude anything concrete but based on week 1 that addition was way overblown because the Ravens could already run the ball at an elite level prior to Henry. Now they are stuck trying to design an offense for Lamar's running or Henry's running but it doesn't really produce more points. Ravens have always been a top offense when Lamar was healthy. On to New England!

I say he's going to play. Will it be his customary 100% snaps? Don't know. Chase pulling a Cordy Glenn would destroy his chance of getting the highest WR deal in the short term. National media has hot takes out the ass. Some have even gone as far to blame the Bengals for Hamilton County selling TVs.

Hope they get it done. The rumors or speculation through TC was Chase was secretly working out with the QB assistant coach in the practice bubble. How much work he needs to be a factor vs. the Pats will be known soon enough.

Bengals have moved forward plenty. I don't know why fans/media are determined to hold on to the 90s mindset. Maybe its time to revisit Ki Jana Carter drying off with a hand rag? Its fact the Bengals have voted "No" in the minority or lone wolf on several issues in the past and their point of view is latter accepted by the majority and even sometimes influence policy. Not all the time. Until the salary cap and revenue sharing platforms significantly change the rest is ALL hot air. The blow hard media that overwhelming are hacks with spout off when the Rams are buying a Superbowl "does the cap even exist?, the salary cap is a myth". Very few of them will point out when that same franchise is dead last in cash spending. Credit to the Rams though, because they haven't fallen off the cliff in terms of football W/L despite their spending levels. Truck Stop owner up in Cleveland is spending his ass off. We'll see if he has done a good job of building a football foundation when eventually his spending will decrease significantly. So far the Brown family has 2013,2015,2021,2022 Division Champ. 2021 AFC Champs. 2022 AFC runner up and Cleveland a big fat 0 since his ownership. All the ownership configurations they've since the reboot haven't produced a division champ since the return.

Weird things happen week 1. The worse Zac Taylor team should have won up in Seattle a few years back. Anyhoo - The radio is saying J'mar Chase is scheduled to talk to media on Friday.

Out on the twitter verse..... Chase dressed for practice. We'll see.

Is that official? I thought Zac gave they'll "We'll See". when asked?

There's only so long you can go cash over cap no matter who is providing the cash. The Rams predictably are at the bottom after buying a Superbowl. So are the Cowboys. Eventually the top spender in Cleveland will find themselves at the bottom.

Mega owners vs. Family has been a thing since the Salary Cap era. Metrics change or whatever. At the end of the day, the salary cap is what it is. Teams can go cash over cap but eventually they must pay the piper no matter what uninformed media wants to print. The salary cap is 48% of designated revenues not the full 100%. If you take a gander at the Cash spending there are mega owner Rams and Cowboys sitting at the bottom this year. Rams were dead last year along with Glazer family, Krafts, and whatever Commanders management group is funded by. It goes back to the Marvin Lewis year of not getting done. The bengals front office has been at the top of finding and building rosters for a longer time before Joe Burrow. You got to fire you best shot while you have the talent. Pending on what happens with Chase. That window could be extended for a while.

I would guess international expansion would be the best for them. It gives them access to new media markets and companies to sell broadcast rights to. Any market in the US is already consuming the NFL at some level so the bump wouldn't be nearly as great.

Well the Perine to KC became more clear. CEH is on the Illness list to start the season in KC. I think he'll have to miss a min of 4 games.

I'm surprised the NFL has not expanded. The franchise fees get split among the ownership groups. Considering what some of the newer owners paid, I'm sure they'd love a cash influx to settle some debts or return investment stakes. I don't think the Brown family has a billion in the Bengals. I don't think they had majority when Paul past away. I think Mike spent the 90s sucking money out of the team to secure tax issues, stadium issues, and buying shares of the team. They probably paid a couple hundred million for the team IF they own 100%. Can't remember if they do or don't.

It will be interesting to see what Dax does. I think he has the ability to be a good blitz off the edge. Do they blitz boundary corners that much? Just seems its mostly slot CB guys that blitz. I thought he had solid first few games last year but the secondary was just never what it was before clearly Lou put last year on the safeties considering they've changed out the starters and it seems Battle will be an after thought early. I know Dax had a bunch of dropped INTs. I think the potential is there to be a really good player. Hope it works out. Trent Brown has put up some elite level PFF pass protection seasons with NE. However TB got the ball out quick. Hopefully he can replicate that in this system. Then it would be nice to bring Mims in the jumbo packages.

50 eggs? I hope he had enough common sense to boil them first. Anyway supposedly Lap was saying they had an agreement on the "number" but something went off. Probably the schedule payment. If any of that is true including the eggs. I'd have to think he plays sooner rather than later under a new deal.

Contracts as a whole go up as revenue rises. Individual market's rise and fall as their performance changes. We just saw that with Higgins in the off season coming off 700 yard season. No one sniffed him on a franchise tag. Once the JJ deal was done and then the Lamb deal failed to beat it. The top of the market was set. IF the Aiyuk deal is truly like the St. Brown deal. Those $$$$ are world's apart from what Chase is rumored to be asking and it won't factor into Chase at all. The rumors were the Chase camp waited for JJ and Lamb. Good move. But now he shoulders most of the risk of not signing. The Bengals have 3 years of reasonable control. Have significant financial gain IF they drag it out to the franchise tag because they would save $45m. From a money standpoint the Bengals have no motivation to rush. Other hand Chase can get fined/collect whatever game checks after what holdout is. Hope he doesn't or his QB doesn't get hurt or collect $35m+ this year and another $35m+ next year. You have to assume they were close considering he practiced. It'd be foolish not to sign at this point if they are close to JJ/Lamb deal, IMO. Using the average per year is not a good way to look at this. The important things are how much is guaranteed and paid out within 3 years.

Aiyuk signed his deal. Based on the description of the deal its just below St. Brown's deal. So it didn't come close to changing Chase's market. As always you'll have to wait for the details but if its just below St. Brown, Aiyuk can probably expect to get $65m the next 3 seasons with about $75m guaranteed.

If the Chase contract saga carries out over a couple seasons, given the stated contract rates the Bengals would pay out less by approx $45m vs. the current JJ/Lamb contracts. Its unlikely the Chase contract situation gets carried out that long and if it does the Bengals probably aren't paying out the JJ contract +$45m. The most likely time frame in which this deal gets done is today through next draft. The WR market isn't going to reset in that time frame. The Bengals hold most of all the cards. Chase will have some media/public opinion on his side until he misses a game. Approx values Chase 2024 -$4m; 2025 $21m, 2026 (franchise tag $25m??) - total approx $50m. 50% guaranteed until he gets offered the tag. JJ - will make $96m in that same time frame 100% guaranteed. Lamb - will make $93m in that same time frame 100% guaranteed. The Bengals are not going to wake up next spring and see a contract that's paid a WR more than that. The only guy possible is the one they are dealing with today. Ayiuk would be the only wild card assuming Cleveland cleared cap room to trade for him. But he's still more likely to come in less than Lamb/JJ.

NFL has been great at sucking money out of average Joe NFL fan. I'd imagine PE investment they'll get even better at it.

The price always goes up, true. But before the next draft? Is some team going to pay Higgins or Ayiuk who are the top 2 projected available 2025 Free Agents more money than JJ. I doubt it. Teams could have already had both them for far less via a trade. No one sniffed Tee. Ayiuk is in some holding pattern. The market for Chase isn't going to change between to today and April 2025.

I just assume they are close. But I think he had to report to get a $3m bonus in August. My thinking if there was no chance at getting a deal done before the start of the season. Then decide IF you are in or out. If its close then walk the line as long as you can then take the huge payday. Impossible to say because no one really knows what is being offered. I know this, IF I were Chase and there's 90+million for the next 3 years. Sorry, I'm taking it even if it might be lower than JJ.

some random unnamed agent/front office comments I stole from another board. Consume for your own enjoyment.

The Browns had a good roster, still do. They gambled at the QB spot as the final piece. So far they lost. I believe a lot of their defenders are on back loaded deals. The franchise guys will stay, but Cleveland after this season will have to revert to relying more and more on draft picks and cheaper players.

I would rather the Chiefs give snaps to Perine over CEH or McKinnon when playing them.