Bengals franchise tag Nugent.

[BengalszoneBilly]

This wasn't too surprising seeing how they did the same with Graham a few years ago.

K Mike Nugent gets franchise tag from Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP)—Kicker Mike Nugent has been designated the Cincinnati Bengals’ franchise player.

Nugent can negotiate with another team, but if Nugent agree to terms with someone else, the Bengals could retain him by matching the offer. If the Bengals decline to match the offer, the team signing Nugent would have to give the Bengals two first-round draft choices.

Nugent has played two seasons for the Bengals after signing as a free agent in 2010. He helped the Bengals earn a wild-card playoff berth this past season and set franchise records for points (132) and field goals (33).

[volcom69]

Stupid

[HoosierCat]

At the very least, it's an indication that one thing about the FO hasn't changed, namely its lethargic, lackadasical approach to getting deals done. Indeed, reports are that there have basically been no talks between nelson and the team, and countering reports that they had offered contracts to Fanene and Rucker, Fanene's agent says he hasn't heard from the team.

[volcom69]

Yea with all the money they have this year you would think they would like to keep most of the team together, and get a couple FA to fill in the holes. At this rate they will have more holes to fill. Hope they start talking to guys soon

[jonahdsage]

Who would you guys have preferred we use the pick on?! I think this is a great pick. He was the most accurate kicker the majority of the season. I'd much rather pay the tag price on a kicker than anyone else...and do you honestly think Reggie Nelson is a top 10 Safety right now? This was a smart move. Haters gonna hate.

[volcom69]

No Reggie is not a top 10 safety but the tag for safeties was pretty low, and he was the best safety on this team, hell u could argue the best d-back after hall went down. I guess I'm just mad because they have all this money to spend on there own or other FA so they could have signed Nugent to a long term deal or even Nelson. As of right now it seems the bengals have not talked to any of there free agents.

[ArmyBengal]

People tend to forget how and why the tag can be used.

It may not always represent the best player on the team, but maybe just keeping a particular position for another season while waiting for a replacement. The reason I disagree with this is, it should have been fairly easy to work out a deal for a freakin' kicker and use the tag on Nelson (again very cheap) while giving the team another season to find his replacement. We currently don't have his replacement on the roster unless you still want to argue one of the strong safeties will be the new free safety.

A rookie CB and FS along with either Mays or Sands at the other safety spot.

No, not enthused at all...

[BengalszoneBilly]

People tend to forget how and why the tag can be used.

It may not always represent the best player on the team, but maybe just keeping a particular position for another season while waiting for a replacement. The reason I disagree with this is, it should have been fairly easy to work out a deal for a freakin' kicker and use the tag on Nelson (again very cheap) while giving the team another season to find his replacement. We currently don't have his replacement on the roster unless you still want to argue one of the strong safeties will be the new free safety.

A rookie CB and FS along with either Mays or Sands at the other safety spot.

No, not enthused at all...

I understand not being enthused about franchising a kicker, but I feel the Bengals are looking at the stats he put up in his stay in stripes, and honestly they're not too shabby.

[HoosierCat]

People tend to forget how and why the tag can be used.

It may not always represent the best player on the team, but maybe just keeping a particular position for another season while waiting for a replacement.

This is exactly right. Especially at a time when tag amounts are coming down across the board.

As to franchising Nugent, the bottom line for me is that the league minimum contract for him is around $900k. The tag is $2.7 million. So there's a difference of $1.8 million-ish between franchise and league minimum for a kicker.

Any FO that wants to work out a long-term deal in those circumstances and can't either a. doesn't actually want a deal or b. is totally incompetent.

[wpeldios]

I just dont see it. I know Nugents numbers may not have seemed that bad, but missing 5 kicks in the last 6 weeks(including playoffs) is not what I want to see from a kicker. Shayne Graham was one of the most accurate kickers of all time too, but when it came to crunch time he struggled. I just dont see the point in franchising Nugent. I say worst case scenario he is replaceable.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Any FO that wants to work out a long-term deal in those circumstances and can't either a. doesn't actually want a deal or b. is totally incompetent.

Do I have to choose?

[UK Bengal]

Both of the above

[ArmyBengal]

My issue really has very little to do with Nugent and more to do with the apparent lack of effort on the part of the front office to get a deal done with either Nugent or Nelson. While I feel that both may be indeed replaceable, this simply isn't the year to do that for all the reasons already mentioned. No replacement on roster, nothing notable in free agency, not wanting yet another late pick rookie to have to step into a starters role.

They could have worked out a 3 year deal for Nugent and if he didn't perform, cut him. It happens everywhere, every season.

Then place the tag on Nelson for a small amount, keeping him in place for another season when they can address it later.

It has nothing to do in thinking he's a top 10 safety and more about keeping pieces in place for at least one more year.

[membengal]

Just throwing it out there in the midst of the bitching...but it could be the coaches are not as enamored with Nelson as some on this board. Not saying he's bad, or the coaches think he's bad, but that they must be comfortable with the possibility of replacing him. In that, whatever Nelson brings isn't appreciably different from what they are expecting from his replacement.

[HoosierCat]

Just throwing it out there in the midst of the bitching...but it could be the coaches are not as enamored with Nelson as some on this board. Not saying he's bad, or the coaches think he's bad, but that they must be comfortable with the possibility of replacing him.

I'm sure you're right. I have no doubt that they are in love with Taylor Mays. Rumor a couple Aprils ago was that that after taking Gresham in he first they tried to trade back up in the second to get Mays, but couldn't make a deal. So it's really not that surprising that they are willing to dump Reggie in favor of the "first love."

The trouble is that the coaches have fallen in love with guys before, and their track record is iffy. Stacy Andrews and Nate Livings are examples of guys the coaches just couldn't quit, to the frustration of fans. OTOH you can point to guys like Housh who eventually rewarded their faith. Hopefully Mays works out, but given the holes the team already faces in its secondary, creating more question marks doesn't seem like a smart idea.

[derekshank]

A couple of thoughts...

With Prater and Scobee skill likely to be tagged, the Bengals are one of 5 teams to choose to franchise their kicker. It's fine if you don't agree with it... but let's not act like Cincinnati is the lone team doing this sort of thing.

I also agree with Mem. I think Zimmer and Marvin like Mays... and since Nelson plays strong safety, that keeps Mays off the field. Marvin has said he'd like Nelson back, but I'm sure they only want him back if the price is right. And the franchise tag is certainly overpaying for a player that the team feels it has a suitable replacement for.

As Army pointed out, the franchise tag is often used to buy time to find a replacement. But perhaps Nelson has already performed that role. They don't need another year to find a replacement. They have Mays... a player who certainly fits the bill for the Roy Williams type SS that Zimmer has stated he loves.

Free Safety is the position that really concerns me. They need someone who is better in coverage and less injury prone than Crocker. Here's hoping they go after Michael Griffin in FA... or else Markelle Martin falls to the 3rd round.

P.S. I love Mike Nugent.

[membengal]

No questions they can get beer goggles sometimes, I think that is true of many coaching staffs, probably all in some fashion or another. Their goggles when it comes to Livings are particularly egregious.

That said, Mays will have been here a year by next September, with last season's practices, off-season conditioning, off-season practices, and a full camp. If he possesses whatever it is that the coaches think he possesses, he should be ready to show it by next September.

If he isn't, and they really let Nelson walk, then, yeah, this could go Livings on us.

At the least, Mays has a f**kwad (technical term) more ability than Livings at the outset.

[ArmyBengal]

You know, what the coaches want and think certainly is more to the point about what we are going to see, it just seems to have a funny way working itself out. I have no issue with Nugent geting the tag, think he's a good kicker, but again that's not really my point. I'm glad he will be here in 2012.

Safety ?? I guess we will just have to wait and see. It won't be long to figure out how they are going to move with this.

It's just the one position I really think is going to have a big impact on the coming season.

Oh yeah, get us Guard please. Or two for that matter....

[COB]

Memo

From: Roger Goodell

To: Mike Brown

Mike,

I hope all is well with you and your family.

Unfortunately, I can't allow you to use the Cincinnati Bengals' 2012 franchise tag on your "sweet-ass 1991 Lumina." If, as you suggested in your email, your wife is going to sell your old car while you are engrossed in next week's 24-hour "Storage Wars" marathon on A&E, putting the franchise tag on it won't help. The tag only applies to NFL players, your wife could just sell your car anyway.

I'll direct the NFL offices to use your franchise tag on your kicker. If you want to remove it, you can do so and apply it to another player. Again, the tag can only be used on an NFL football player who is an active player on your roster.

This is like the fifth year in a row I've had to assign your franchise tag for you. Your attempt to tag Jim Alexander last year is still the talk of the NFL offices here in New York. None of us knew who Jim Alexander was until we went to your website. Assistant head coach? Whatever.

Signed,

Roger Goodell

[ArmyBengal]

And at the same time...

:frustrated:

[Sea Ray]

Could there have been another option here...could thay have used the transition tag on Nelson like the Steelers are doing with Wallace? Under that scenario we might have snagged a 1st rd pick if Nelson left and not commited to top 5 money

[derekshank]

Could there have been another option here...could thay have used the transition tag on Nelson like the Steelers are doing with Wallace? Under that scenario we might have snagged a 1st rd pick if Nelson left and not commited to top 5 money

Only can apply a tender to a restricted FA.

[Sea Ray]

Could there have been another option here...could thay have used the transition tag on Nelson like the Steelers are doing with Wallace? Under that scenario we might have snagged a 1st rd pick if Nelson left and not commited to top 5 money

Only can apply a tender to a restricted FA.

I had in mind a transition tag but I see that such a tag would not give us any compensation if we opted not to match so it really would have limited value here

[HoosierCat]

Nugent signed his tender today.

/>http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/25/mike-nugent-signs-franchise-tender/

[Scottishbengal]

Nugent signed his tender today.

http://profootballta...anchise-tender/

Doesn't seem he was over the moon about signing it though.

I'm not sure what Kickers would/could/should realise in terms of salary but he's either not happy with the $$ or not happy with the team or not settled in the area. Either way he could be on his way out of town after this season.