Hobs: Whit Extension Close

[HoosierCat]

Per Geoff, they're close to a 2-year extension. I believe that would keep him here through 2015. Get 'r done, Mike.

[Sea Ray]

Whit must be OK with the food MB gives him. He's a class act and very underrated. He's a leader and a hell of a LT

[membengal]

Per hobs, the extension is done.

[jonahdsage]

per reedy, the extension has been signed. Whit is in through 2015.

[HoosierCat]

Here's Hobson's report.

Whitworth had signed an extension before his third season as a left guard in 2008, but he’s heading into his third season at left tackle and the club rewarded him with an extension average of about $10 million that is near the figures for perennial Pro Bowlers Joe Thomas and D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

It’s believed that Whitworth’s count against the salary cap for this season is upwards of $7 million.

Good deal. He deserved it.

[membengal]

This is gonna f**k with the still incorrect meme that no one wants to play here and that Mike Brown is cheap.

[volcom69]

Very good/smart move by the bengals. He is a true leader in the locker room, and this team needed him, and need more guy like him. I truly feel like this year there is a good locker room vibe, with some really good guys. Just what this team needs. Good job bengals

[kingwilly]

This is gonna f**k with the still incorrect meme that no one wants to play here and that Mike Brown is cheap.

No it doesn't.

The issue is that SoP will only pay a portion of it. This will play out much like how it did with Big Willie. Whit will end up a bum ankle or knee, and then SoP will attempt to cut his pay or cut him outright. Funny, when SoP does that, all is well. When he holds Carson's feet to the fire, he expects Carson to uphold his end of the agreement.

If Whit sees all of his money, I will be dipped in shizit.

[Stripes]

Awesome, I am surprised it went so smoothly.

[membengal]

This is gonna f**k with the still incorrect meme that no one wants to play here and that Mike Brown is cheap.

No it doesn't.

The issue is that SoP will only pay a portion of it. This will play out much like how it did with Big Willie. Whit will end up a bum ankle or knee, and then SoP will attempt to cut his pay or cut him outright. Funny, when SoP does that, all is well. When he holds Carson's feet to the fire, he expects Carson to uphold his end of the agreement.

If Whit sees all of his money, I will be dipped in shizit.

Oh good f**kin' jumping jeebus, willy, is THAT the best trolling you got?

That IF Whitworth were to get hurt Brown might cut him? And that is alleged to be proof that Mike Brown is cheap?

Find me one NFL owner that hangs onto truly hurt players. Find me one NFL owner under this system that pays out entire contracts if the player can't perform.

Hint: You f**kin' can't.

So spare me this false equivalence bulls**t.

Bottom line: the Bengals drafted a guy who many said couldn't play LT, started him at LG, worked him into LT, and, say! He turned out to be a damn fine LT by a LOT of indedependent observer accounts.

Even better, as soon as he had proved that, the Bengals came to said player and tore up his contract in order to pay him like one of the league's better LTs rather than holding him to his previous contract that paid him like a guard.

Seriously, anyone gonna complain about this sequence?

If so, f**k that person.

This is a pure draft, develop and retain win for the team and the player. I am so f**kin' tired of people being so bitter toward the team/ownership/whatever that we can't acknowledge this kind of really nice sequence.

[derekshank]

The issue is that SoP will only pay a portion of it. This will play out much like how it did with Big Willie. Whit will end up a bum ankle or knee, and then SoP will attempt to cut his pay or cut him outright. Funny, when SoP does that, all is well. When he holds Carson's feet to the fire, he expects Carson to uphold his end of the agreement.

If Whit sees all of his money, I will be dipped in shizit.

If I were you, I'd be mentally preparing myself to be dipped in shizit... because this is nothing like the Willie deal. Willie's contract extension would have kept him here until he was nearly 37.

Whit will turn 34 years old at the end of the last year of his deal. There is no reason to think he won't play out the entire contract.

As for your complaint about how mean old Mikey treated big Willie, do you remember that 3 year $15 million deal he signed with Baltimore? He got a whopping $1.67 million guaranteed, and was cut the following offseason. How's that for a phony contract?

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

This is gonna f**k with the still incorrect meme that no one wants to play here and that Mike Brown is cheap.

OK. The only people who want to play here are people who are already under contract to play here. If you think that Cincinnati is anything other than the last option for actual free agents, you're nuts. The teams blows, and the owner operates the team like it's 1950. Players use Bengals offers to get other teams to match. Oh, and we get criminals whom other teams won't touch, so there's that going for us.

And Mike Brown is still quite cheap. With salaries to a degree, but he really loves to save money on non-salary costs. You know, those costs that don't count against the cap? The ones where paying a million in salaries to doctors can save tens of millions in injuries? Where a few hundred thousand in scouts can save millions in crappy players?

Even more, he's a spiteful old b*stard who would rather win petty grievances rather than win on the field. Or am I missing the draft picks we got for Carson?

Seriously, screw that a**h***.

As for extending Whitworth - good move. But given the state of the team, and Brown's decision to sit out free agency, what the hell else was he going to do with the money? Not like they have much else in terms of talent ready to be extended.

[HoosierCat]

If Whit sees all of his money, I will be dipped in shizit.

Hard to say until we see more details about the deal. But under his old deal he was scheduled to make a little over $3 million a year in 2011-13 for a total of a bit more than $10 million in salary. He was set to make about $3.7 million in salary this year.

I'm assuming that the Bengals already wrote down his signing bonus from the 2008 extension. Hobson says his cap number for 2011 is now about $7 million. So, he now has a five-year deal that increased his cap hit by something in the $3.3 million range. Some of that might be higher salary, but that number suggests to me that at least $10 million of the new $20 million was bonus money.

Whether he sees all of it depends, as you note, on him staying healthy and continuing to play well. But from all I can tell Whit's bank account just got a lot fatter.

[Sea Ray]

Who cares if he sees all of it? He's set for life financially regardless and I say good for him. If he becomes Levi Jones in a few years then the Bengals should cut him rather than pay him $10mill a yr. What kind of idiot thinks the Bengals should pay Pro Bowl money to a player who's lost his skills?

[Wraith]

"But given the state of the team, and Brown's decision to sit out free agency"

Look it might not reflect wins this year but I think the Bengals did phenominally well in this free agent period.

Added: Manny Lawson, Nate Clement, Kelly Jennings, Thomas Howard, Taylor Mays, Bo Sciafe, Bruce Gradkowski, Victor Adeyanju

Kept: Brian Leonard, Brandon Johnson, Gibril Wilson, Chris Crocker

Traded: Chad Ocho-Cinco, Clinton MacDonald

Lost: Johnathon Joseph

The Bengals added alot of talent this offseason and stayed away from bloated contracts for high profile, over-rated players. Pretty good offseason when you factor a pretty awesome draft as well. Signing Joseph and trading Palmer would have made it better, granted. Still think they will go 4-12 but it is a step in the right direction.

[COB]

Kept: Brian Leonard, Brandon Johnson, Gibril Wilson, Chris Crocker

Don't forget the Ruler of D Block, Ced. He'll play a huge part in the offense this year and is on a 1 year deal trying to earn more.

[volcom69]

As far as the bengals free agency i thought it was pretty good, and made alot of moves that will help out. Also made moves where they can extend some of there own guys, and also maybe give some of these 1 year players extentions at the end of the season.

Dont forget about the trades, they have been doing a pretty good job of these lately.

[derekshank]

Michael Johnson has looked filthy out there this season.

I know he's only in his 3rd year of a 4 year deal... but I'd be all for getting him an extension.

[COB]

Michael Johnson has looked filthy out there this season.

I know he's only in his 3rd year of a 4 year deal... but I'd be all for getting him an extension.

If you can get him cheaper now than after he has a break out season, do it. Get it done before his agent figures out how good his client is.