Your Greatest Concern Player Wise

[Wraith]

Hell if they have a healthy Sanu the last half of the season I think they win two additional games and beat Houston.

[HoosierCat]

OK, so today a career (4 years) 82.8 rating* QB with a career completion percentage of 59.8%** , a 17-28 (.377) record as a starter*** and just one playoff appearance (and loss) in four years**** just got a new deal averaging $15 million a year and which on paper will push his lifetime earnings near $100 million.

Memo to Andy Dalton: add Matt Stafford to your Christmas card list.

* worse than Dalton

** yup, worse than Dalton

*** Dalton, still better

**** Andy wins again

[Wraith]

The truly great thing about this team as it is composed is that I don't think they need a superstar performance from the QB. I believe they have the makings of a top 2 defense (San Fran is the only team I would have as a better defense). I believe the running game will be sufficient to take the pressure off the passing game. I believe we have enough weapons now (and depth) to prevent defense loading down on AJ Green so all Andy has to do is play smart and be a good distributor something I am confident he can and will do.

Our defense should keep teams to below 20 points almost every week (provided we don't have mistakes that give the opposition the ball deep in our territory very often) and thus our offense doesn't have to be spectacular, just efficient and reasonably mistake free.

[cHaD711Johnson]

OK, so today a career (4 years) 82.8 rating* QB with a career completion percentage of 59.8%** , a 17-28 (.377) record as a starter*** and just one playoff appearance (and loss) in four years**** just got a new deal averaging $15 million a year and which on paper will push his lifetime earnings near $100 million.

Memo to Andy Dalton: add Matt Stafford to your Christmas card list.

* worse than Dalton

** yup, worse than Dalton

*** Dalton, still better

**** Andy wins again

Big arm QBs will be given a million chances.

[HoosierCat]

Yup. Just looking to get a handle on what Dalton might cost in a year or two.

[ArmyBengal]

I'll worry about Dalton when I have to. Right now ?? Nope.

HOWEVER, seeing contracts being handed to QB's like Stafford won't do anything but drive that price up when it comes time to address it.

If Dalton continues to have success and improves in the areas he needs to, he's going to get paid handsomely.

If he tracks the same way Flacco did and ends up winning a Super Bowl, he's breaking the bank.

I would have zero problems with that scenario, but it would only force the Bengals to make additional difficult decisions.

I really wish they would find a way to extend Geno before this season begins. If there is one player that would be motivated to sign an extension, I think it would be him. He's not making nearly the amount of money he should and will be making, but this is one of those situations where the injury concern comes into play.

The highest paid DT not playing under the tag is Gerald McCoy at a little over 8 million per year. Offer to make Geno the highest paid DT in the game, somewhere between what McCoy makes and 9 million per year. If he has another monsterous year and is healthy, that number goes 10 million per year EASILY. You know some team is going to throw mad money at him on the market and the Bengals won't be able to keep up. Heck, even if the Bengals "could" keep up at that price or more, do you think the Bengals "will" ?? I don't.

[HoosierCat]

I agree about Atkins. The team has spent the last two years talking about how it had to hoard cash and cap space to sign him, Green and a couple others. It's time to actually get it done.

I'm not particularly worried about Dalton, I just don't have a strong sense of what it might take to re-sign him. Personally I think the Lions way overpaid Stafford, but such is the QB position nowadays, I suppose. I wasn't expecting Dalton to come cheap, but 15 big ones a year was several million north of the number I was thinking of ($10-12 million range).

[ArmyBengal]

As it stands right now, i'm right there with you on Dalton. If things turn better for the Bengals that number is sure to climb.

Honestly, I expect things to go well for the Bengals and I expect that price to climb.

Stafford's contract (agree with Lions overpaying) isn't helping the Bengals in regards to Dalton.

[ArmyBengal]

I agree about Atkins. The team has spent the last two years talking about how it had to hoard cash and cap space to sign him, Green and a couple others. It's time to actually get it done.

As the cool kids say, "THIS".

If the Bengals don't find a way to get Green and Atkins signed, I think the organization takes a fairly significant PR hit.

Yeah, the players have to want to do the deal, but the fans will simply say the organization should have done more.

The organization will just look like they are pocketing money and not really worry about putting a contender on the field.

[Scottishbengal]

I agree about Atkins. The team has spent the last two years talking about how it had to hoard cash and cap space to sign him, Green and a couple others. It's time to actually get it done.

As the cool kids say, "THIS".

If the Bengals don't find a way to get Green and Atkins signed, I think the organization takes a fairly significant PR hit.

Yeah, the players have to want to do the deal, but the fans will simply say the organization should have done more.

The organization will just look like they are pocketing money and not really worry about putting a contender on the field.

You can only extend the players contracts if the players/and their agents are willing to talk/negotiate. If a player has a good 2 year deal remaining he (under advice from an agent)may not be in any rush whatsoever to enter into negotiations at all until nearer the expiration of the current contract.

Now, I don't know how much longer Green or Atkins have remaining on their current deals, but the point I'm trying to make is that it's not just down to the Bengals FO to get a deal done ..... it takes both of the parties concerned to have a conversation, and it could be the advice from the players agent is to hold back and not rush into anything.

[ArmyBengal]

I agree about Atkins. The team has spent the last two years talking about how it had to hoard cash and cap space to sign him, Green and a couple others. It's time to actually get it done.

As the cool kids say, "THIS".

If the Bengals don't find a way to get Green and Atkins signed, I think the organization takes a fairly significant PR hit.

Yeah, the players have to want to do the deal, but the fans will simply say the organization should have done more.

The organization will just look like they are pocketing money and not really worry about putting a contender on the field.

You can only extend the players contracts if the players/and their agents are willing to talk/negotiate. If a player has a good 2 year deal remaining he (under advice from an agent)may not be in any rush whatsoever to enter into negotiations at all until nearer the expiration of the current contract.

Now, I don't know how much longer Green or Atkins have remaining on their current deals, but the point I'm trying to make is that it's not just down to the Bengals FO to get a deal done ..... it takes both of the parties concerned to have a conversation, and it could be the advice from the players agent is to hold back and not rush into anything.

Scottish, that's exactly why I said "Yeah, the players have to want to do the deal" but the follow on to that in my statement speaks to how the fans would react by saying, "The organization should have done more". When the organization has been talking about hoarding cash to sign these guys, the fans expect it to get done. They won't care. They will think (right or wrong) that the organization simply failed at doing the one thing they said they would do. It won't go over well.

Green can wait because there is a club option to keep him for 5 years, which would pay in the average of the top 10 WR's in the league. The Bengals will be getting off easy on that one if you ask me. Now Atkins is another story and why i'm so much for pushing RIGHT NOW. He's entering the last season of his rookie contract and is an UFA after 2013. The difference is, Atkins hasn't made NEAR the amount of money he will be making and the risk of injury is certainly a bigger concern for him. If the Bengals were to approach him with a deal making him the highest paid DT in the game BEFORE this season begins, that would be the best approach and one I don't think he or his agent would turn down. The reason this wouldn't be bad for the Bengals either is due to the fact the highest paid DT in the league isn't getting 9 million per year. It's MORE than doable for a team that has been carrying cash over for a couple seasons now and is why I think the fans won't care.

I suppose they could always tag Atkins and I expect that to happen without a deal in place, but it's not the way this should go down.