Bengals tag Smith...

[skyline]

It's official:

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5889

Fine by me. No, he's not a dominant player, but with our defense in the shape it is we need to keep as many quality players around as possible.

[HairOnFire]

I'm not in favor of the idea, but I don't hate it....mostly because I like Justin Smith as a player. But the timing seems odd since applying the tag wasn't required for about a month. Does this imply that negotiations for a long term contract weren't going well?

[WhoDeyForever]

Not bad, I guess there goes our chance at resigning Steiny Anybody know how much were under the cap now?

[HoosierCat]

I'm not in favor of the idea, but I don't hate it....mostly because I like Justin Smith as a player. But the timing seems odd since applying the tag wasn't required for about a month. Does this imply that negotiations for a long term contract weren't going well?

I think you mean a week, right? IIRC the tag had to be applied by the 22nd. But anyhow, I suppose it could signify that negotiations were at a standstill. However, I've seen no indication that they are at all acrimonius. Like I've said before, I suspect there's a lucrative long-term offer on the table from the Bengals and Smith just wants to see if the first week or so of FA brings any surprise interest in him, or blockbuster deals for other DEs that he can use to get the Benals to bump up their own offer.

On a lighter note, doesn't Shula have to puke in his mouth now?

[Stripes]

I'm also surprised they didn't wait longer, but it looked to be inevitable either way. It'll be good to have Justin back on the line in '07. Get him signed long-term!

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I expect him to finish in the top 5 in sacks and TFL next year!

[Thurmanation]

WHY!...what a waste of cash..

[Whur CHad At?]

I like Smith, but he isnt worth $8.6 million i am sorry.

[WhoDeyForever]

WHY!...what a waste of cash..

Your boy Thurman was a waste of distraction last season.

[Whur CHad At?]

If he doesnt have more than 10 sacks next year I will be pissed off.

[AGrizzlyBaer]

maybe we can trade him like the jets did with abrahm last season

[Kazkal]

A perk is if the colts tag dwight freeney rather then give him a bigger contract...would make justins new deal on easier on us.

[HoosierCat]

WHY!...what a waste of cash..

Because your choices are this:

1. Tag Justin, let Steiney walk.

2. Tag Steiney, let Justin walk.

3. Tag neither, let both walk.

Now, I hear all the shouts: take No. 3! And then go out and get (insert poster's favorite FA here)!

The Bengals will not do that. They will not spend on big-bucks outside FAs. Never have, never will. Marvin specifically said again this year that they had no intention of doing that, and would continue to spend on their own players.

Given the team's self-imposed limitations, tagging Smith wasn't a good or bad decision, simply an inevitable one. This is how the Bengals do busines. I've pointed out the shortcomings of their appraoch for years -- but they don't listen to me.

[Kazkal]

Well I like justin and i'm glad he's back, I wish we had more players like him ya it's $$$$ but with cap going up he was expected to get a big deal...He's not a sack master but I'm hoping Geathers and hopfully our backers can improve our passrush...Isen't that what brooks is suppossed be good at? wasen't geathers a poor mans pollack? or hell we could take another SLB this year.

PS,We don't even know if this is a long term fix...They could be tagging him just to see what they have in the young DE's or see who they can get in this years draft...if Jamaal anderson is there in rnd 1 and justin hasen't signed the tag they very well could draft him and either yank the tag or trade justin on draft day.

. Tag Steiney, let Justin walk.

It's funny people bitch about how it's overpaying justin but they'll turn around and wanna over pay steinbach.

The Bengals will not do that. They will not spend on big-bucks outside FAs. Never have, never will. Marvin specifically said again this year that they had no intention of doing that, and would continue to spend on their own players.

I tryed pointing this out on bengals.com and the guy was like Marvin said the same thing last year and then we signed Sam adams who was top tier FA!...it's like um no though sam adams was our biggest signing ever it was still your typical marvin signing.

[HoosierCat]

. Tag Steiney, let Justin walk.

It's funny people bitch about how it's overpaying justin but they'll turn around and wanna over pay steinbach.

For my part, I didn't care which one they kept as long as they kept one of them. (And yeah, they could have kept both, but again that would require them to show some contract creativity, another thing that, for better or for worse, they don't do.)

[ShulaSteakhouse]

maybe we can trade him like the jets did with abrahm last season

Sounds good to me! I'd rather get a CB, C/G or LB with that money, maybe two of them.

I don't see how they expect things to change by lining up exactly the same people on the d-line next season.

Too much money tied up in oft-injured players and average hacks on this team.

He completely disappeared the 2nd half of the season from what I recall as well.

[Kazkal]

I don't see how they expect things to change by lining up exactly the same people on the d-line next season.

And who would come in and help our line from FA or Rookie right away?

Dwights gonna be tagged no way colts will let him go...look at day 1 DE's last year,Not one of them had a 5 sack season....the only 2 DE"s who had 8+ sacks as rookies were elvis and mark anderson and both were product of the defense they were on / how they were used.The only DT I woulden't have minded in FA was Terrall Sands and the raiders gave him a 4 year extension...so give me Branch rnd 1 Tyler rnd 2 or Soliai in rnd 4 and continue to build up with young guys.

[HairOnFire]

I'm not in favor of the idea, but I don't hate it....mostly because I like Justin Smith as a player. But the timing seems odd since applying the tag wasn't required for about a month. Does this imply that negotiations for a long term contract weren't going well?

I think you mean a week, right? IIRC the tag had to be applied by the 22nd.

Well, I guess this is the point where I blush a little before admitting that I forgot the date when the tags had to be applied.

Consider it done!

As for Steakhouse now having to throw up in his mouth a little, yeah...there's a smilie for that too.

For my part, I didn't care which one they kept as long as they kept one of them. (And yeah, they could have kept both, but again that would require them to show some contract creativity, another thing that, for better or for worse, they don't do.)

You do realize that you used to complain that the Bengals were never proactive about signing their own young players before they became free agents....something they routinely do now.

[HoosierCat]

You do realize that you used to complain that the Bengals were never proactive about signing their own young players before they became free agents....something they routinely do now.

Did I? I don't recall that. There was quite a stretch when they very rarely had anyone worth extending, early or otherwise, and the few they did have tended to be whack jobs (Dillon, Pickens, etc.).

[Thurmanation]

WHY!...what a waste of cash..

Your boy Thurman was a waste of distraction last season.

i dont understand, but i would never take steinbach or smith for this kind of money, 8 mill, come on now! this guy is like a 50% run stopper, bad pass rushing and either stops for loss or completly misses tackle/chases a RB from behind/gets blocked the hell out of..

[Spor_tees]

Well, one thing I can say about the Bengals investing money in players that they draft and coach is, it creates loyalty that the Bengals hope will be a motivating factor in the players and maybe even get the players to sign for less money versus signing with other teams.

I guess you could compare it to your own job. Would you like working for a company that promotes from within versus a company that always promotes and gives more money to people from outside the company? It's just simply a moral issue.

[kentjett]

You guys need to come to the realization that the Bengals will never sign a top tier free agent. Justin is one of the best FA out there and we are guaranteed to retain him. Either we spend the money on him or we let the money stay in Mike Browns pocket. I'm guessing he will sign the tender and be here another year before we agree on a long-term contract. If Pollack comes back for a few games next year and shows he can still play at DE, we'll let Smith walk next year. If Pollack never comes back, we'll sign him to an extension.

[schroomytunes]

Well I agree with the signing, I really dont think our Dline played poorly last year, I think our secondary and LB core was our weakness. I feel like they will sign Smith to a 3 year contract that will be more cap friendly, and they will be players in the FA market, there are alot of solid guys out there, we just need to find them. I agree we need to build through the draft, and the Smith signing allows us more draft flexability.

[Kazkal]

3 years? no way justin signs a 3 year contract.It's going to be 5-6 years which still can be cap friendly compared to a tag because it's all about the bonus.

[Whur CHad At?]

I agree with Shula on this one. I don't understand keeping the excact same defense after a piss poor year. You can't count on rookies to come in and do anything, and everyone is saying FA's wont work. I think they will work, look at Sam Adams this year. When he got full strength, our run defense excelled, along with the productivity out of Jumpy. Oh well, congrats J Smooth you just got more money then you ever deserved.

And I don't see Justin working out a long term deal. If yall recall his rookie year hold out, he can be pretty stubburn. He is gonna command s**tloads of money because he knows the Bengals will give it to him, and won't give it to a better player. I don't see a cap friendly long term deal at all, I just see us way over-paying the man.