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All O-Line, All the Time


HoosierCat

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You know, a year ago, I would have said who cares about Kooistra. However, he really made a difference last season, and stepped up his game. This project appears to be working out.

I do find it odd, however, that they made it such that yet another offensive lineman will join the post 2006 exodus crew.

Yup and yup.

What's occured to me lately is that, for a team which has historically been so focused on managing the cap and rewarding their own players and keeping one eye firmly fixed on the not-so-immediate future...having the entire starting o-line plus the top backup all becoming FAs simultaneously is an amazing example of poor planning. Hindsight is always 20/20, of course, but boy it's really starting to look like it would have been better to have used that $4-5 million in leftover cap space on an extension for Levi or Steinbach last December, instead of extending Carson through the middle of the next century. Oh, well, water over the dam now.

At this point in FA, I would have to say that unless they are planning a big play for LaVar -- which I consider extremely unlikely -- IMHO they would be best served to give whatever it takes to Levi and/or Eric to get them inked. (And even if they do go after Arrington they still need to lock one of them up before the year is out.)

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Agreed. I would rather we put the rest of our financial efforts towards getting Levi and Steiny extended, as they play a more vital role in the success of our Bengals than LaVar ever would in my opinion. I'm glad to see Kooistra signed, and I hope we can do the same with JJ soon.

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Excellent news!

I think this leaves Jeremi Johnson as the only remaining RFA of consequence? Anyone heard anything re: JJ?

Of course, with the tender now signed, Bengals mgmt can also approach Kooistra with a replacement contract with some signing bonus and a longer term.

Said another way, it's a good thing he's under contract...we have a year to talk extension

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That guy is good. He is our 6th man on the o-line rotation. If someone goes down they move Bach and koostra comes in and I dont notice any drop off. I hope we locked him up for a while. The real ? is , was he our priority over JJs contract. WE all know Katie prioritzes the contracts. Is that a statement of how good Koostra is? Also as teams will steal your seventh round products now. I would love to get Koos and Tab Perry locked up now!

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you are thinking ahead challenged dude! Im not saying this year, but if we have projects it might be better to sign them before they hit RFA. The paradigm has shifted teams are going after RFA now. More upside. We might not want to let Tb hit the market and ask for a posion pill 2 or 3 years down the road. TEams better start offering money to guys that have made improvement because The RFA market is wide open now.

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More care simply needs to be taken with the amount of the RFA tender

Clearly, Tab Perry has performed at a level wherein most teams would happily give up a 6th rounder to get him...and assuming he performs at the same level or better in 2006 and 2007, we'll simply need to tender him at the middle level (1st round compensation) rather than at the lowest level (6th round compensation.

In that fashion, we either keep Perry or gain a 1st round pick.

The "poison pill" loophole will hopefully be closed in the interim, but even if it isn't, proper management of the tender level will ensure compensation if we lose him.

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Can't see how this is anything but good, however, agree with leaving everyone coming due after 2006. I still believe Bach gets done, Willie signs cheaper to stay on, and Levi gets tagged. Well, something to that effect maybe switching who gets the tag.

Absolutely TJ, the tender will more than take care of teams trying to cherry pick our 6th and 7th rounders coming around better than expected. This will not be an issue at all in my mind.

Jeremi Johnson, while I love what he can do, can be replaced far easier than a backup o-linemen, but I really hope to see him back in stripes !!

WHODEY !!!

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Can't see how this is anything but good, however, agree with leaving everyone coming due after 2006. I still believe Bach gets done, Willie signs cheaper to stay on, and Levi gets tagged. Well, something to that effect maybe switching who gets the tag.

Absolutely TJ, the tender will more than take care of teams trying to cherry pick our 6th and 7th rounders coming around better than expected. This will not be an issue at all in my mind.

Jeremi Johnson, while I love what he can do, can be replaced far easier than a backup o-linemen, but I really hope to see him back in stripes !!

WHODEY !!!

What he said :sure:

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My guess.

Levi or Steinbach gets a new deal. Pick one. The other guy gets the tag.

Willie gets an offer, rejects it, get's another offer, rejects it too, and finally gets his walking papers.

I disagree.

This is what will happen.

Bach re-signs, Levi Tagged.

Willie gets a fair offer, which is less than he might have wanted, takes it and contines to play and retires as a Bengal :bengal:

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Little tidbit from Hobson's latest...

CONTRACT DEALINGS: Monday marked the first day of offseason conditioning for the Bengals, which meant guards Eric Steinbach and Bobbie Williams got hammered about their possible contract extensions. Neither appears to be close to a deal, but Williams is confident.

“If they can settle the CBA, I’m sure they can settle this," he said.

Sounds like the focus is on the G spot (ba-dum-dum) right now. So hopefully good things are coming (OK, I'll quit now, I promise). Makes sense, since those are the two cheapest holes on the line (I lied). If they can tie them down (getting kinky) then the franchise tag is cleared for Levi. As for Big Willy (you know he has to love that nickname), well, it's all about where he wants to be.

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So Kooistra signs his low-tender offer, apparently without getting any notable interest from other teams.

Does this mean Spain is going to give us our props? Or is he going to be a chump?

In case you don't remember, Spain, here's the KWash/JJ thread you hijacked with your Kooistra/Tab theory. About how the paradigm had shifted, how our 7th round picks needed to be protected, because Kooistra was going to get lured away by big bucks.

But now it appears you were wrong. Are you going to eat your words, or do we have to wait for Tab to become a RFA in a few years? Because you'll recall that Tab is still only a second year ST'er with a 30 second highlight reel.

And in the realm of "looking ahead"...you can't sign everybody to long-term contracts. And with speed guys like punt returners and wide receivers, you'd be crazy to try. Look at the career trajectory of TJ Houshmandzadeh and tell me why it was wrong not to sign him to a long-term deal after his rookie year. Back before he got injured...and Warrick got injured...and Washington got drafted...and Chad got his extention....

As for the rest of the o-line, I'd be curious to see if the Bengals would be willing to use any tags at all, considering the kind of deals we've been seeing lately. By my estimations, a franchise tag would guarantee an o-lineman a 1-year contract in the $8 million neighborhood.

But hey, let's get Arrington!! :rolleyes:

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Tab Perry is a freaking second year man dude. He's not going to be a free agent any time soon.

Why was he a priority over Jeremi? Because a good guard/tackle is much harder to find than a good fullback. Oh, and we still have Luchey under contract don't we?

I'm pretty sure lower draft picks usually sign 2 or 3 year deals. So anytime soon may be sooner than you think. I don't know specifics, but I doubt the Bengals gave him a 4 year deal.

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Tab Perry is a freaking second year man dude. He's not going to be a free agent any time soon.

Why was he a priority over Jeremi? Because a good guard/tackle is much harder to find than a good fullback. Oh, and we still have Luchey under contract don't we?

I'm pretty sure lower draft picks usually sign 2 or 3 year deals. So anytime soon may be sooner than you think. I don't know specifics, but I doubt the Bengals gave him a 4 year deal.

Tab signed a 3 year deal. So he'll be an RFA after 2 more seasons. During which time he may blow out both of his knees, put on 200 lbs. of fat, or decide to become a missionary to New Guinea.

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you are thinking ahead challenged dude! Im not saying this year, but if we have projects it might be better to sign them before they hit RFA. The paradigm has shifted teams are going after RFA now. More upside. We might not want to let Tb hit the market and ask for a posion pill 2 or 3 years down the road. TEams better start offering money to guys that have made improvement because The RFA market is wide open now.

So let me get this straight Spain... In your delusional world, we should ignore the CURRENT free agents like Jeremi Johnson, not worry about guys who will be free agents NEXT YEAR, like our offensive line, and go straight to renegotiating the 4th or 5th string wide receiver and kick returner who is under contract for another year, and who will be a restricted free agent then?

In your delusional world, it's harder to draft another kick returner on day two than it is to draft an offensive lineman who can gel with the rest of the line quickly?

Get a grip, the fact is, Tab Perry is expendable.

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o_o

CONTRACT DEALINGS: Monday marked the first day of offseason conditioning for the Bengals, which meant guards Eric Steinbach and Bobbie Williams got hammered about their possible contract extensions. Neither appears to be close to a deal, but Williams is confident.

“If they can settle the CBA, I’m sure they can settle this," he said.

Left guard Eric Steinbach, a Pro Bowl first alternate, joked about the seven-year, $49 million deal Seattle’s Steve Hutchinson pulled down in Minnesota, saying that he wouldn’t mind seeing that love shown to guards here.

It was Steinbach who was working on Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen when von Oelhoffen smashed into the side of Palmer’s knee in the Wild Card loss. It looked like the play was over because Palmer had finished his follow through on the 66-yard pass, but Steinbach said he hasn’t been flogging himself.

“I haven’t really watched it,” Steinbach said. “I’m not losing any sleep. Neither is Carson.”

Johnson

GATOR POWER: University of Florida Gators Keiwan Ratliff and Doug Johnson

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Again, I think a combination along the lines of the following get done...

Williams who knows...

Bach gets a deal...

Levi gets tagged...

Willie stays for cheaper than he could get...

I'm more than happy having Guycheck, Kieft, and Wilkerson on board as well...

The tag may go another way, but unless something drastic happens, I don't see deals for everyone happening. Oh yeah, if Arrington signs, you can say goodbye to someone, becasue it won't even be an option to consider.

WHODEY !!!

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I also think Levi will get tagged, after a Pro Bowl 2006 season. Steinbach will get his big money deal, and Anderson will stick around for pennies. That seems to be the consensus. At center I say it'll be Ghiaciuc, and the other guard will either be Wilkerson or a draftee of 2006/2007. I also see Kieft as being a very valuable backup who could compete with Andrews for a starting job if Anderson does leave.

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LT - Levi - extension already proposed

LG - Eric - extension already proposed - could be long term replacement for Willie?

C- Ben Wilkerson - what is this guys story? still hurt?

RG - Boobie or Guy-check?

RT- Eric, Koostra, Andrews

Honestly, I like Eric's move outside, is it possible?

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