Jones is locked up!!!! (merged)

[bengalboomer7]

Steiny's situation is a tough one. The franchise tag is a tad much and we'll probably have to fight for him under the transition tag. I'm hoping for some kind of midseason deal to develop here.

As of right now, I don't want Justin Smith back. He has a great motor and works hard, but just seems to lack the ultimate talent for that position. Because he hasn't gotten much help I'm willing and open to changing my mind, but right now, I say let him walk.

I was very impressed Levi's deal got done. You have to hand it to the Bengals organization. Carson got an extension, and up until it was announced there wasn't even a peep about it, same with Chad(even more suprising considering how much Chad, and his a**h*** agent like to talk) We had harldy a day or so of warning from Hobson, then BAM! Levi's a Bengal for life. Great jod by management.

BTW, I think Willie could get a contract done easily, the only thing holding it up is Willie. He demands LT money for a less valuable RT position.

[HairOnFire]

Even versatile G's are not worth 9mill. If you draft well you should be able to replace him. I dont mind if the Ratbirds or another AFC North team gets him for 9mill. It will skew their SalCap. We cannot let sentiment and emotion get in the way. This team needs to shuffle more of the Cap towards the D!

We actually could probably afford Steinbach under the tag. He would play 2006 at his current number (under 1 mil) plus the 2007 franchise number, not determined yet but probably around 7 mil. That's around 8 mil for 2 years which isn't prohibitive. If Willie leaves and is replaced by Andrews, Kieft, or Whitworth, we save 5 mil or so at RT. From Steinbach's point of view, his payday is deferred by a year in which he might get hurt so he has incentive to reach a long term deal with a signing bonus.

And there it is. The strategy involving the tag has to include this season...a simply fact which lowers the average salary paid dramatically. More importantly, Steinbach has to be tempted by the lure of guaranteed dollars as Levi Jones just pocketed more than 16 million of that sweet stuff, right? If Camp Steinbach plays hardball they could be looking at less than half that amount.

BTW, with the franchise tag now hovering over his client's head I found it entirely predictable that Steinbach's agent predicted talks would resume this week AND could continue even after camp begins. Best, the just signed deal with Jones, coupled with the one Jeff Backus just agreed to, gives both sides a very firm foundation of just how much a fringe pro-bowl quality offensive lineman should earn.

Bottom Line: Getting a new deal for Steinbach just got easier, and should be completed long before the tag option comes into play.

[HoosierCat]

In a related note, the Enquirer today says that Steinbach is believed to be asking for a deal in the $5.5 million to $5.7 million per year range -- top dollar, but hardly outrageous. That would essentially do nothing more than move Willie's money into Steinbach's pocket. From a cap standpoint that iis a very do-able deal.

[jditty47]

only ones that really need resigning next year are to my knowledge, justin smith, robert geathers, torey james on defense, and the line players on O. i dont see resigning the ones we want being that difficult.

[sparky151]

We'll also have Reggie Kelley up after 2006.

I hope that the team does extend Eric before the 06 season starts. It will help Carson a lot to have his backside protected by top notch guardians.

The team could leverage the situation a bit if they want to live dangerously and aren't worried about re-signing Justin. If a deal isn't done before the year begins, the incentives for Steinbach shift toward becoming a free agent. The team could tender him as a franchise player. He might simply sign the 1 year deal and play 2007 with no bonus but a big guaranteed check. This is what Woodson did to the Raiders in 2006. They tagged him, thinking it would be the opening move in negotiations, he just signed and played the 1 year deal with a huge salary. Steinbach could be tagged again for 2008 with a 20% raise but couldn't be tagged after that due to the new CBA.

If the team feels it has coverage for the loss of Steinbach, it could tag him but encourage him to find a new team on a long term deal with less compensation due than the 2 first rounders the tag carries. The Bengals might offer to take a first and a 3rd. There are currently only 2 LTs in the NFL whose contracts expire after 2006. Most are locked up long term. Since Steinbach can play LT, he would be tempting to a team like Houston. Steinbach signs with a new team and the Bengals decline to match in exchange for the agreed draft picks. This amounts to a sign and trade like Buffalo did with Atlanta for Peerless Price a few years ago or Washington did with the Jets for Santana Moss.

[ArmyBengal]

I'm on the back end of this, but I love the signing and any talk of him being overrated needs to be referred back to the games against Indy, the Ravens, and the Packers when he completely shutout the leagues best pass rushers. I'm just saying this is good for the team and I'm sure Carson is MORE than happy about it...

I can't see anyway in hell you can let someone of Steiny's versatility just walk away from this team. I would pissed off beyond belief if he just walks. Yeah, the tag is a bit high for his position, but (as stated) he can play multiple positions, so is the tag really that high ?? I don't think so... Get it done...

WHODEY !!!

[jrandom42]

I can't see anyway in hell you can let someone of Steiny's versatility just walk away from this team. I would pissed off beyond belief if he just walks. Yeah, the tag is a bit high for his position, but (as stated) he can play multiple positions, so is the tag really that high ?? I don't think so... Get it done...

WHODEY !!!

JUST a bit high?! $9+ million for 2007 alone! That's more than Rudi, TJ, Jeremi, and Bobby Williams combined for 2007. And that's not pro-rating anything, that's CASH IN THE HAND! Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden don't get that much for 2007 either, and there's little doubt that they are bettter than Steinbach at their respective positions. Now, IF Steinbach was a Pro Bowl selection at LG, LT and Center, it MIGHT be worth it, but not for anything less. As I said before, it's like paying Dave Lapham twice the money you'd pay Anthony Munoz, just because he's versatile enough to play anywhere on the offensive line.

[schweinhart]

Hard to believe Steinbach would be considered for a franchise tag. If it came down to a transition tag next year, not sure that would even be worth the trouble but it would buy time to look harder if Kooistra, Whitworth, Wilkerson, Kieft, Stacy the Giant or whoever can develop into the left guard. They've got options to pursue there in place of Steinbach but take out Big Willie and there'd be an awful lot of reliance on young unproven players to fill very sizable voids. And if Levi goes down w/o Steinbach or Big Willie on the roster, it could be a world of hurt for Palmer. There's just too much at stake to leave the O-line up to potential at this point and a lopsided amount of the cap should be thrown at the O-Line, which the Levi extension shows the Bengals are willing to do.

Big Willie is more problematic now. For all his jockeying in the media about not getting a decent offer, you would hope he comes out this year to play full bore w/o contract distractions. Biz wise, he looks pretty dead in the water as far as an extension but his level of play is still there and probably will be still be there 3 or 4 years from now. I'd personally like to see all 5 O-line starters extended. If it ain't broke, don't fix it because the success of the Bengals for the next couple years lives and dies with Palmer and the protection he gets.

[HoosierCat]

And if Levi goes down w/o Steinbach or Big Willie on the roster, it could be a world of hurt for Palmer.

Yup.

Hard to believe Steinbach would be considered for a franchise tag.

Nope. And you just gave another big reason why.