Offers on the table for Levi and Stienbach, willie turned one down...

[turningpoint]

Read the new article about chad's extension.

Says we have offers on the table for stienbach and Levi.

Willie anderson turn down a 3 year $13mill extension last year.

I thought he said he wasn't looking to get a mega contract?

3year 13 million would of been a great deal of money a year ago.

s**t if we offer him 2 years 10million this year it should be more then plenty.

Anyways who do you think get's signed 1st between the 3?

EDIT sorry I missed the williams extended thread.

[Spain]

Willies done in stripes, just busines thats all.

[Kazkal]

I think willie problem was the amount of bonus money not the overall size of the contract...

I'd like to get willie 3year ext (4years total) but only if its very cap friendly so we can sneak in the other 2 guys

[Stripes]

EDIT sorry I missed the williams extended thread.

No worries. With this being the most important unfinished business of the offseason for the Bengals, it'll probably warrant enough discussion to have it's own thread.

I believe that article said we have 4.5 million left under the cap? It'll be pretty tough to get Levi and Eric both signed as well as the draft picks. I think one more of the two gets done soon, and the other will have to wait until next offseason if he is to stay with Cincinnati.

[kingwilly]

I don't see any of them getting extensions unitl mid-way through the season.

I think Levi get his bank first. Somewhere in the 5yr/30M range with a 7.5 singing bonus.

I think Eric getts tagged while the other injured OL continue to heal and develop (kieft, Guichuc, Wilkerson, Andrews).

I think Anderson will get, as suggested, a 2 year deal in the 9-11M range.

Where will all this money come from??? Who knows....I do know the cap keeps going up, so they probably won't risk going over...but you've got to have the $$ to spend the $$...can you say ticket /parking/beer/concession price hikes?

[Kazkal]

EDIT sorry I missed the williams extended thread.

No worries. With this being the most important unfinished business of the offseason for the Bengals, it'll probably warrant enough discussion to have it's own thread.

I believe that article said we have 4.5 million left under the cap? It'll be pretty tough to get Levi and Eric both signed as well as the draft picks. I think one more of the two gets done soon, and the other will have to wait until next offseason if he is to stay with Cincinnati.

it's hobson so I'm sure he took 6million-10million out for the rookies alrdy

[Larry]

I kinda agree on Levi getting his first. His cap hit is a lot bigger than Eric's this year. But wouldn't that make you think Eric might be more open to getting the deal done?

[walshfan]

I don't see any of them getting extensions unitl mid-way through the season.

I think Levi get his bank first. Somewhere in the 5yr/30M range with a 7.5 singing bonus.

I think Eric getts tagged while the other injured OL continue to heal and develop (kieft, Guichuc, Wilkerson, Andrews).

I think Anderson will get, as suggested, a 2 year deal in the 9-11M range.

Where will all this money come from??? Who knows....I do know the cap keeps going up, so they probably won't risk going over...but you've got to have the $$ to spend the $$...can you say ticket /parking/beer/concession price hikes?

I disagree about Anderson getting 9-11mil salary.. Think about it.. The guy cant even practice for a full week due to his body breaking down now... the uncertainty of him playing a full season at 100% looms even bigger as he gets older now...

Your going to pay a RT all that money and expect to sign your LT for 2/3 of that amount.. Aint gonna happen..

Look for the team to sign Steinback as he's a guard and will come cheaper than the tackles ..

They could franchise Levi for one year and try and negotiate with him when there's more cap money.

Letting Willie go will save the club about 5 mil cap space and that should cover Steiney...

Look for the team to DRAFT a RT this year to add depth or possibly groom as a starter...

[KiLBurn]

I don't see any of them getting extensions unitl mid-way through the season.

I think Levi get his bank first. Somewhere in the 5yr/30M range with a 7.5 singing bonus.

I think Eric getts tagged while the other injured OL continue to heal and develop (kieft, Guichuc, Wilkerson, Andrews).

I think Anderson will get, as suggested, a 2 year deal in the 9-11M range.

Where will all this money come from??? Who knows....I do know the cap keeps going up, so they probably won't risk going over...but you've got to have the $$ to spend the $$...can you say ticket /parking/beer/concession price hikes?

Look for the team to DRAFT a RT this year to add depth or possibly groom as a starter...

We already have Kooistra, Kieft and Andrews...

[walshfan]

I don't see any of them getting extensions unitl mid-way through the season.

I think Levi get his bank first. Somewhere in the 5yr/30M range with a 7.5 singing bonus.

I think Eric getts tagged while the other injured OL continue to heal and develop (kieft, Guichuc, Wilkerson, Andrews).

I think Anderson will get, as suggested, a 2 year deal in the 9-11M range.

Where will all this money come from??? Who knows....I do know the cap keeps going up, so they probably won't risk going over...but you've got to have the $$ to spend the $$...can you say ticket /parking/beer/concession price hikes?

Look for the team to DRAFT a RT this year to add depth or possibly groom as a star

We already have Kooistra, Kieft and Andrews...

Yes we do and all of them may be serviceable .. My thougts are that none of them were touted very highly in the draft because of one defienciency or another ...

the reason a player is regarded as a blue chipper is beacuse he's been dominant in college..

None of these guys were.. Im thinking about a blue chipper to tutor and possibly being an allpro in time ..

none of those guys fit that mold unless you want to think andrews might .....I dont think they know right now and with the draft one week away they may feel that getting a stud is a good idea ..

[KiLBurn]

Bottom line... I would offer Levi a "top 5" contract and Steinback a "top 10" contract. If they take it, fine. If they don't take it, we move on without them. We have some pretty decent backups already on the team.

[walshfan]

Bottom line... I would offer Levi a "top 5" contract and Steinback a "top 10" contract. If they take it, fine. If they don't take it, we move on without them. We have some pretty decent backups already on the team.

read my post just before your last one..

[kingwilly]

As far as Willie goes, he will still get a deal...you say he can't practice because his body breaks down, I choose to describe it as him understanding his body and maintaining his form through a rigorous season with excellent results (Pro Bowl and almost no sacks the past several years) all while anchoring what is now one of the best OL's in the league. This is not something you low-ball or cut...you nurture it along and get the absolute most out of it while you can...even if it costs a bit more ching. If we can give JJ extra $$, we can pony up an etra few Million to protect Carson...

Look at it this way, would you park your Bentley in South Central LA with no alarm or insurance??

As far as Levi and Eric go, I think they both are emerging to All-Pro levels...Willlie wasn't all-pro for several years despite providing CD with a pathway to all those yards and he got bucks. Levi is on the cusp. His performance last year was reallynothing short of deserving a Pro Bowl trip. The Bengals have toask themselves if they'd prefer to negotiate this before or after he breaks out and gets his ticket to hawaii. I'd prefer before.

Eric can be tagged. In fact, it will probably be a requirement. The cap goes up but a long-term deal includes the pro-rated bouns money and salary. A tagged player is straight $$ and does not leverage the future...then they can use the time they buy to assess the back-ups, watch Eric's progress and then plan the best move.

[KiLBurn]

The smarter move would be to make a "top 5" offer BY POSITION to both players. In other words, offer Levi the average of the top 5 OT's and offer Steinbach the average of the top 5 OG's (maybe make some adjustments to the OG offer because Hutchinsons deal really threw it out of whack). If Steinbach does not accept, let him move on. If Levi doesn't accept, tag him. It makes more financial sense to tag Levi than it does Steinbach.

I'm sure if Steinbach walks that we would at least get a 4th round comp pick to boot.

[Sox]

It makes more financial sense to tag Levi than it does Steinbach.

Yep.

Especially since the NFL doesn't differentiate between tackles and guards when it comes to using the franchise tag.

[HoTbOy]

Offering top 5 and top 10 contract sounds good if it could happen, if neither took the deal I would tag LJones, and offer more $ to EStienbach if he refused again, I think you let him walk...I would hate to lose any of them but a LT is harder to replace than a G....as for WAnderson he knows that WJones type $ is not going to happen, but I think the Bengals will offer him a damn good contract, if he beleives in the things MLewis is doing, and the team concept that he talks about then take a little less $, or this may be his last season...I am confdent in the backups but WAnderson's leadership would be hard to replace...

[AMC]

It will be extremely hard to keep Levi and Steiny off the open market after this year given their youth and up-and-coming Pro Bowl status....

Will they be RFA or UFA next year if they don't sign???

[turningpoint]

UFA's but we have the option to use the franchise and transition tag at the sametime now so I expect them to both be used.

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

[andybren]

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

Curnette:

"The club also is believed to be looking at fast, pass-rushing defensive ends. Top end Mario Williams (N.C. State) will be off the board by the time they pick, but the Bengals like his college teammate, Manny Lawson, who could be there in the second or third round. A possibility in the first or second round is Boston College end Mathias Kiwanuka, as the Bengals face the expiration of starting left end Justin Smith's contract after the 2006 season."

[TJJackson]

UFA's but we have the option to use the franchise and transition tag at the sametime now so I expect them to both be used.

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

The signing of OG Steve Hutchinson by Minnesota when he was transition-tagged explains the complete worthlessness at the moment of the transition tag.

Transition tagging a player now is like inviting teams to take the player away.

[turningpoint]

UFA's but we have the option to use the franchise and transition tag at the sametime now so I expect them to both be used.

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

The signing of OG Steve Hutchinson by Minnesota when he was transition-tagged explains the complete worthlessness at the moment of the transition tag.

Transition tagging a player now is like inviting teams to take the player away.

that's going to be addressed in the winter or fall meetings, apperently.

Tagliabue was not happy with it.

[TJJackson]

UFA's but we have the option to use the franchise and transition tag at the sametime now so I expect them to both be used.

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

The signing of OG Steve Hutchinson by Minnesota when he was transition-tagged explains the complete worthlessness at the moment of the transition tag.

Transition tagging a player now is like inviting teams to take the player away.

that's going to be addressed in the winter or fall meetings, apperently.

Tagliabue was not happy with it.

Tags (or his replacement) will have to agree to additional concessions to the players union in order to get that one under control, because the players union will have to agree to it and they are very much a "you want that, ok, what do I get in return" organization.

The owners have already given too much up, and will be fairly unwilling to give up anything more.

It is entirely possible, then, that this issue will go un-addressed and you will never see the transition tag ever used again.

[JPW]

UFA's but we have the option to use the franchise and transition tag at the sametime now so I expect them to both be used.

BTW I wonder what Justin Smith is thinking right now, since no1 has said a word about extending him. I'd feel a little unappreciated.

The signing of OG Steve Hutchinson by Minnesota when he was transition-tagged explains the complete worthlessness at the moment of the transition tag.

Transition tagging a player now is like inviting teams to take the player away.

The league office was really pissed at the way Minnesota got around the tag to sign Hutchinson.

I thonk that there will be a move to crack down on posion pills in offers for tagged players.

[TJJackson]

I understand that Tagliabue and his office want it dealt with.

I got that, really, I did.

What I am trying to add is that any codified correction of this issue has to be approved by the player's union, who will almost certainly want something in return for this concession.

Not sure the owners, who have already given up too much, will agree to give up anything more to get this loophole closed