We've offered Derrick Ward a contract!

[Whur CHad At?]

Things just got more interesting. Ward to the Bucs per pft

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/02/...igns-with-bucs/

WOW.

The off season has officially become a disaster for the Bengals.

Who do we get with the 20 million in cap space now?

I wasn't to hot on signing a 29 year old RB anyways. I say we trade Chad and draft a RB in the middle of round 1!

Thats a great f**king move. Trade away our only WR. Yay go Simpson and Caldwell

It is a great move, especially if Crabtree ends up being an impact player as a rookie. Donovan McNabb made it to 3 straight NFC Championship games with absolutly no WR's. Tom Brady didn't have a dominant WR until last year. If we were to draft Crabtree we would have a solid group (Unproven, yes, but talented)

Crabtree

Caldwell

Henry

Simpson

We would also have the top rated back in the draft

Now if you ask me if I would rather have Chad, Caldwell, Henry, and Simpson and Chris Perry than the above my answer is no.

Chad becomes especially expendable if we pick up Coles (Which I think we will)

We won't pick up Coles. Only if he signs for the veteran minimum, which some people on this board seem to think is the only way to get players here.

[Whur CHad At?]

Well all I can say is were f**ked. Carson Palmer has no weapons. Watch we will sign Kevin Jones. Yawn.

Great job Mikey, you never disapoint.

[Clackwoods]

Things just got more interesting. Ward to the Bucs per pft

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/02/...igns-with-bucs/

WOW.

The off season has officially become a disaster for the Bengals.

Who do we get with the 20 million in cap space now?

I wasn't to hot on signing a 29 year old RB anyways. I say we trade Chad and draft a RB in the middle of round 1!

Thats a great f**king move. Trade away our only WR. Yay go Simpson and Caldwell

It is a great move, especially if Crabtree ends up being an impact player as a rookie. Donovan McNabb made it to 3 straight NFC Championship games with absolutly no WR's. Tom Brady didn't have a dominant WR until last year. If we were to draft Crabtree we would have a solid group (Unproven, yes, but talented)

Crabtree

Caldwell

Henry

Simpson

We would also have the top rated back in the draft

Now if you ask me if I would rather have Chad, Caldwell, Henry, and Simpson and Chris Perry than the above my answer is no.

Chad becomes especially expendable if we pick up Coles (Which I think we will)

We won't pick up Coles. Only if he signs for the veteran minimum, which some people on this board seem to think is the only way to get players here.

He is coming in for a visit tomorrow. He may have been waiting for TJ to sign and set the market, but he hasn't been very active so far which gives me optimism.

[Whur CHad At?]

I hope your right. That $6 mill a year is a great price for a good reciever(But shhhhh don't say that to loud! Guys on here will freak out because that sounds like a lot of money).

[Clackwoods]

I hope your right. That $6 mill a year is a great price for a good reciever(But shhhhh don't say that to loud! Guys on here will freak out because that sounds like a lot of money).

Now that is funny, IMO if we get him we will get rid of Chad.

[Whur CHad At?]

Alright Next Season...I am all for it. Give me the Crab Man at #6. Build through the draft right?

[GoBengals!]

Bye..Bye.. Ward

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3947527

[Clackwoods]

Bye..Bye.. Ward

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3947527

LMFAO...you are a little late. Anyways, If Crabtree comes even close to Fitzgerald I would be ecstatic.

[HairOnFire]

The off season has officially become a disaster for the Bengals.

Nothings officially a disaster until Benson moves on...which he probably will.

Who do we get with the 20 million in cap space now?

This is starting to feel like a few years ago when the headlines were written about the Bengals money being no good, and endless weeks long pursuits of 3rd tier guys like Jamie Sharper. In the end they can still come up with good players, but they'll have to grind to do it.

[jditty47]

losing benson would not be the end of the world.

[Baraka]

The off season has officially become a disaster for the Bengals.

Nothings officially a disaster until Benson moves on...which he probably will.

Who do we get with the 20 million in cap space now?

This is starting to feel like a few years ago when the headlines were written about the Bengals money being no good, and endless weeks long pursuits of 3rd tier guys like Jamie Sharper. In the end they can still come up with good players, but they'll have to grind to do it.

that does not instill me with much confidence.

[HairOnFire]

losing benson would not be the end of the world.

True, but how many "top priorities" can they miss out on before it's safe to conclude their plan isn't working?

[jditty47]

theres a plan?

[Spor_tees]

losing benson would not be the end of the world.

True, but how many "top priorities" can they miss out on before it's safe to conclude their plan isn't working?

If you call closing your eyes and throwing darts at a wall of second tier free agents a plan...maybe Mikey should have worked in the White House during the Bush administration. If there really is plan it is this...Mikey is simply making offers to free agents knowing they are not the best ones, thusly giving himself an out once the team sucks next year. He'll come out and say he tried to make the team better but unfortunately other owners spent their money unwisely driving the Bengals out of the market. He'll give this interview while sitting behind his desk with drawers filled with money...

It's been how many days into free agency and the Bengals have signed exactly how many new players? They have filled th RB position right? The center position? The pass rusher? The back up QB? The veteran WR? They have more holes than the Titanic and Mikey boy sits tight like he's floating in his bath tub and not in the Atlantic Ocean. I guess you can be so nonchalant when you are still cashing checks despite poor job performance.

[HairOnFire]

theres a plan?

There's always a plan. In fact, over the last couple of weeks they've made much of their plan known, and of the four signings they once claimed were priorities the Bengals have landed one player (Crocker), lost two others (Stacy and TJ), and are now monitoring the negative signals being sent by a rent-to-own player they had openly identified as a "top priority" (Benson). To be fair, they also tagged Opie and promptly saved themselves about 500k in pocket change. (Who Dey.)

So a better question acknowledges the plan that was (above) and quickly asks what the current fallback option might be.

Speaking only for myself the first though that comes to mind is the same one I had before FA started. That being, bite the bullet and willingly overpay for Cedric Benson.

[HairOnFire]

If there really is plan it is this...Mikey is simply making offers to free agents knowing they are not the best ones, thusly giving himself an out once the team sucks next year. He'll come out and say he tried to make the team better but unfortunately other owners spent their money unwisely driving the Bengals out of the market. He'll give this interview while sitting behind his desk with drawers filled with money...

And apparently his interview will be read by a vast horde of Mike Brown haters...each one loudly backing and supporting his unwillingness to overpay anyone. After all, Justin wasn't worth what he got on the open market, and Andrews wasn't worth half of what he got, right? TJ was too old to justify paying what he got, and Benson is an average back at best and at worst is just somebody elses problem child.

So the smart money says pass on everyone, ehhh?

[membengal]

I have no problem with them passing on each of those guys, actually.

What I wish was they were in turn being aggressive with the others in free agency, but that just isn't what they do. Jason Brown would have been a nice prize, and they could have afforded him. Among others.

Maybe they will still get Birk. Maybe.

It is a frustrating team.

[coupdayta]

Bengals out of it. Ward signs a 4 year $17 mil deal with Tampa Bay.

[ArmyBengal]

I never took that Ward WANTED to sign with the Bengals in any shape, form, or fashion, so no loss for something we never had and never would.

Losing Andrews doesn't cause me to lose an ounce of sleep. Losing TJ really doesn't bother me either.

Not getting Benson back will hem up the draft process and they need to try harder to get him back in the fold.

The question is always about what is happening with the money that has been saved in cutting other players. I can't account for all of that, but I'm of the line of thought that the uncapped year coming up is more than a bit scary for the front office. I guess we will see.

[Baraka]

I never took that Ward WANTED to sign with the Bengals in any shape, form, or fashion, so no loss for something we never had and never would.

Losing Andrews doesn't cause me to lose an ounce of sleep. Losing TJ really doesn't bother me either.

Not getting Benson back will hem up the draft process and they need to try harder to get him back in the fold.

The question is always about what is happening with the money that has been saved in cutting other players. I can't account for all of that, but I'm of the line of thought that the uncapped year coming up is more than a bit scary for the front office. I guess we will see.

you would think if the FO is scared about an uncapped year they would try to sign as many guys as possible while the cap is still in place, i'm not sure how not spending to the cap this year has any effect on next year, hopefully they want to use this years extra cap space to re-sign players that will be FA's next year or the year after.

[TJJackson]

Actually, in an uncapped year, they can pay whatever the CBA allows.

Within time, it is not out of the question that they will have nothing but min salary guys. There will always be a subset of lowest-tier players who will play for whatever the minimum dollar is, ego they will be able to fill the 52 man roster - albeit with those lowest-tier quality players. On second thought, quality may not be the right word here.

If I am Carson, and my offensive line is suddenly 5 rookies each earning rookie min, I retire early and keep my health and the money I have already earned.

[Baraka]

Actually, in an uncapped year, they can pay whatever the CBA allows.

Within time, it is not out of the question that they will have nothing but min salary guys. There will always be a subset of lowest-tier players who will play for whatever the minimum dollar is, ego they will be able to fill the 52 man roster - albeit with those lowest-tier quality players. On second thought, quality may not be the right word here.

If I am Carson, and my offensive line is suddenly 5 rookies each earning rookie min, I retire early and keep my health and the money I have already earned.

that is all true, i guess i didn't even think of mike stooping that low, but . . .

as for carson, he seems like a good guy, i would advocate for him to retire if that were the case, as sappy as this sounds it hurt me last year to see him with his bloody face.

but talk about fire-bombing your own house mike brown can't be that stupid.

[HairOnFire]

I have no problem with them passing on each of those guys, actually.

But that's just the point. Few of us can look at the loss of free agents individually and complain very loudly. In fact, each of the decisions makes perfect financial sense. But there has to be more to the plan than making prudent financial decisions.

There's plenty of time left to salvage things and I'm not suggesting the Bengals don't have a plan. Nor am I a constantly whining dink who refuses to believe the Bengals plan might be better than any I can think of. That said, for a team that leans so heavily upon the draft the Bengals have done absolutely nothing to free up it's options on draft day. Rather, their needs have grown, and if they let Benson leave they'll grow again. And here's the rub. They'll grow in areas the Bengals have always used very high draft assets on.

IWhat I wish was they were in turn being aggressive with the others in free agency, but that just isn't what they do. Jason Brown would have been a nice prize, and they could have afforded him. Among others. Maybe they will still get Birk. Maybe.

I don't think they'll show any interest in Birk. He'll cost nearly as much as Brown and due to his age will come with twice the risk. So I'm guessing they're locked into the idea of drafting a new center, and probably not as early as most people think.

It is a frustrating team.

[Baraka]

I have no problem with them passing on each of those guys, actually.

But that's just the point. Few of us can look at the loss of free agents individually and complain very loudly. In fact, each of the decisions makes perfect financial sense. But there has to be more to the plan than making prudent financial decisions.

There's plenty of time left to salvage things and I'm not suggesting the Bengals don't have a plan. Nor am I a constantly whining dink who refuses to believe the Bengals plan might be better than any I can think of. That said, for a team that leans so heavily upon the draft the Bengals have done absolutely nothing to free up it's options on draft day. Rather, their needs have grown, and if they let Benson leave they'll grow again. And here's the rub. They'll grow in areas the Bengals have always used very high draft assets on.

IWhat I wish was they were in turn being aggressive with the others in free agency, but that just isn't what they do. Jason Brown would have been a nice prize, and they could have afforded him. Among others. Maybe they will still get Birk. Maybe.

I don't think they'll show any interest in Birk. He'll cost nearly as much as Brown and due to his age will come with twice the risk. So I'm guessing they're locked into the idea of drafting a new center, and probably not as early as most people think.

It is a frustrating team.

yeah, birk is old and nearly as expensive. he's talked about retirement. he was born and raised in st. paul, he's always said he wants to retire there i'm not sure there would be motivation for him to come to cincy, but his agent said he was talking to one undisclosed team so who knows.

you don't think the bengals will draft a center in the 2 or 3 round? that could be a mistake unless they like santucci, cook or crummey more than most think. losing richie in the fashion we did really hurt not having time to develope anyone.

[ArmyBengal]

I've heard the same thing about Birk not wanting to leave but there being one team they are talking to. I can't envision ANY scenario where that one team is the Bengals. If they don't want to bring in a vet Center, they almost have to take one in either the 2nd or 3rd. I just wouldn't be anywhere near comfortable not touching the Center position and waiting until next year when you consider next years Center class. They are all on the smal side of things.