Bengal FA

[redsbengalsbucks]

This is from the Bengals site

They'd also like to retain key backup guard-center Mike Pollak on the offensive line and their kick/punt returner, wide receiver Brandon Tate, would certainly interest them as a possibility to return, as well as backup safety/linebacker Taylor Mays, backup cornerback Brandon Ghee and backup tight end Alex Smith. The fate of nickel back Chris Crocker is never known since he always seems to surface in September.

I would like to see them move on from all of these players with the exceptions being Pollak and if healthy Ghee. Crocker is the only other player here that contributes positive results more than negative. I am very tired of watching Tate give up yards on punt returns, because he is practicing his dance moves.

[HoosierCat]

AC - keep

MJ - would be nice, depends on $$$

Pollack - would be a good depth signing, he played well

Tate - buh-bye

Mays - depends on $$$, Iloka came on this year but DB depth is an issue

Ghee - buh-bye

Alex Smith - don't care

Old Man Crocker - he'll be on his couch next year if needed

[redsbengalsbucks]

AC - keep

MJ - would be nice, depends on $$$

Pollack - would be a good depth signing, he played well

Tate - buh-bye

Mays - depends on $$$, Iloka came on this year but DB depth is an issue

Ghee - buh-bye

Alex Smith - don't care

Old Man Crocker - he'll be on his couch next year if needed

That sums up my thought spretty well also, but I like Ghee if he can stay healthy he is a talented player.

[kingwilly]

Only Collins and MJ will have any interest outside this club.

Keeping Collins over MJ, if they had to choose, makes the most sense. Signing one long term (prefer Collins) and tagging the other (MJ) makes the most sense, and might be the best economically.

Though not FAs, what to do with Hall and Geathers? Bengals sure make it sound like Hall will return. If he recovers well, I will be keen to see what kind of speed he has with two fixed achilles tendons. Age and injury make me nervous there, and at his price tag.

Geathers is not as expensive as he had been, so maybe it comes down to age. Is he solid enough to take a valuable spot a younger guy should have? I think DE is a spot to target in the draft, so that might be the deciding factor, seeing who they might pick.

[Walrus]

AC - keep

MJ - would be nice, depends on $$$

Pollack - would be a good depth signing, he played well

Tate - buh-bye

Mays - depends on $$$, Iloka came on this year but DB depth is an issue

Ghee - buh-bye

Alex Smith - don't care

Old Man Crocker - he'll be on his couch next year if needed

Not a FA, but the law firm is due something like $2.5 mil next season and seems a likely cut. Watch out for them to try replacing him with DMac on a one year deal...

[Kazkal]

AC-Agreed

MJ-Agreed though I wouldn't pay him more Dunlap and I have feeling he'll follow zimmer

Pollack-Depth is good

Mays-I doubt Mays will be $$$ and he gives us Depth so I say keep him

Ghee-He'll be Cheap I'd keep but I see us drafting a CB early next year.

Crocker/Smith-I'd prefer to see us not need them.

[HoosierCat]

May as well plug this in here: Tanier takes a look at some of the young players potentially up for new deals now that we are three years out from the new CBA and the first class can begin talks. He does mention Green and Dalton but really nothing in his comments hasn't already been said around here. However, I found this notable from a technical standpoint:

The new contracts are structured so no rookie can renegotiate his contract in his first three seasons, no matter how Russell Wilson-ish he was. (A built-in escalator system provides a little fourth-year relief for mid-round picks like Wilson who become superstars). At the end of three years, players and teams receive a three-month window to either renegotiate, exercise a fifth-year option (team's discretion, where applicable) or play out the fourth and final year of the original deal. Those first negotiation windows have just opened,

Emphasis added. So we should know relatively quickly what their intentions are.

[volcom69]

Reedy was saying that Collins will want starter money, that the bengals won't give him that because Whit will be back at LT next year. He said no way does Whit move to guard being a pro bowl LT making LT money. I will be pissed if Whit is not moved and Collins signed.

[HoosierCat]

Reedy was saying that Collins will want starter money, that the bengals won't give him that because Whit will be back at LT next year. He said no way does Whit move to guard being a pro bowl LT making LT money. I will be pissed if Whit is not moved and Collins signed.

I think Reedy is wrong. I don't think he has really fully internalized the changed nature of FA with the new CBA. I know I didn't until last year. COB was dead on then: the new CBA has drastically reduced the money teams are willing to pay in FA because high-talent rookies (think first three rounds of the draft) are just so cheap now.

Look at last March. The top tackle out there was Gosder Cherilus, who left Detroit and signed with Indy. Cherilus, who had started 71 games for the Lions, got a five-year, $35 million deal (including $10 million to sign). That $7 million/year average was already a big drop from the oline franchise tag, $9.8 million. And when you dig into the deal you find $15 million of it is backloaded into the last two years. It's really about a three-year, $20 million deal. Which is also pretty close to the three-year, $18 million deal Moobs got.

Now ask yourself what is Collins going to get? He has just 25 starts in six years in the league, he just turned 28, and here's the list of FA tackles from yahoo:

1. Eugene Monroe

2. Jared Veldheer

3. Branden Albert

4. Jordan Gross

5. Anthony Collins

6. Rodger Saffold

7. Michael Oher

8. Breno Giacomini

9. Charles Brown

10. Zach Strief

11. Austin Howard

12. Bryant McKinnie

13. Ryan Harris

14. Eric Winston

15. Jason Fox

16. Will Svitek

17. J'Marcus Webb

18. Tyson Clabo

19. Mike Otto

20. Sean Locklear

21. Tony Pashos

22. Marshall Newhouse

23. Jeremy Trueblood

24. Khalif Barnes

25. Dennis Roland

26. Winston Justice

27. Jonathan Scott

28. Andrew Gardner

29. Rashad Butler

30. David Diehl

In my view, Collins will get very lucky to get an offer in Moobs' neighborhood. With no one on the oline making big $ the Bengals should easily be able to re-sign him, if they so desire.

[jjakq27]

Reedy was saying that Collins will want starter money, that the bengals won't give him that because Whit will be back at LT next year. He said no way does Whit move to guard being a pro bowl LT making LT money. I will be pissed if Whit is not moved and Collins signed.

I can't remember where I heard it (Lapham/Hobson) but they said Whit would probably stay at guard and AC to tackle if they could resign him. That is also where they were discussing moving Pollak to Center which is his natural position (?).

So I take him at his word since he probably heard it from within PBS. But depending on the MJ situation and the AJ Green extension they will have to find a way to sign AC. There was some discussion about older guys like Peko and Rey M getting the axe to make room. In the end they were pretty confident that both would be back but you never know.

[cincyhokie]

I love the offseason. It's alot of fun to speculate and talk about possibilities. Good stuff.

It's going to be really interesting to see what the Bengals do on the offensive side of the ball both in FA and in the draft.

While I wouldn't be jumping for Pollack at center, it does suggest that the Bengals know it's an issue.

At running back, it seems that Hue wants an extra guy in there to run a 3 back rotation.

[cincyhokie]

Reedy was saying that Collins will want starter money, that the bengals won't give him that because Whit will be back at LT next year. He said no way does Whit move to guard being a pro bowl LT making LT money. I will be pissed if Whit is not moved and Collins signed.

I think Reedy is wrong. I don't think he has really fully internalized the changed nature of FA with the new CBA. I know I didn't until last year. COB was dead on then: the new CBA has drastically reduced the money teams are willing to pay in FA because high-talent rookies (think first three rounds of the draft) are just so cheap now.

Look at last March. The top tackle out there was Gosder Cherilus, who left Detroit and signed with Indy. Cherilus, who had started 71 games for the Lions, got a five-year, $35 million deal (including $10 million to sign). That $7 million/year average was already a big drop from the oline franchise tag, $9.8 million. And when you dig into the deal you find $15 million of it is backloaded into the last two years. It's really about a three-year, $20 million deal. Which is also pretty close to the three-year, $18 million deal Moobs got.

Now ask yourself what is Collins going to get? He has just 25 starts in six years in the league, he just turned 28, and here's the list of FA tackles from yahoo:

1. Eugene Monroe

2. Jared Veldheer

3. Branden Albert

4. Jordan Gross

5. Anthony Collins

6. Rodger Saffold

7. Michael Oher

8. Breno Giacomini

9. Charles Brown

10. Zach Strief

11. Austin Howard

12. Bryant McKinnie

13. Ryan Harris

14. Eric Winston

15. Jason Fox

16. Will Svitek

17. J'Marcus Webb

18. Tyson Clabo

19. Mike Otto

20. Sean Locklear

21. Tony Pashos

22. Marshall Newhouse

23. Jeremy Trueblood

24. Khalif Barnes

25. Dennis Roland

26. Winston Justice

27. Jonathan Scott

28. Andrew Gardner

29. Rashad Butler

30. David Diehl

In my view, Collins will get very lucky to get an offer in Moobs' neighborhood. With no one on the oline making big $ the Bengals should easily be able to re-sign him, if they so desire.

I agree. Collins can be resigned. However, I think he'll only agree to a deal if he is named the starter. Since the Bengals have released (on their website through Hobson) that they want to retain him. That would suggest they know he's looking for a starter role AND they want to put him there.

Reedy is WAAAAAY off on this.

[kingwilly]

I think from here out, and if Collins is retained, Whit is your LG.

I think the notion that because he's paid "left tackle money" he has to play left tackle is incorrect.

I truly hope Collins is kept. He is a better LT than Whit. And Whit is a better LG than anyone else on the roster, or who they could draft.

I think we all see this.

[COB]

I think Crocker will follow Zim to Minny to be a sort of on-field coach to help Zim and whoever Zim hires as DC install Zim's D.

[Kazkal]

Well I'd say Vincent REy & Michael Johnson are as good as gone....How long till Vikings Defense becomes Cinci Purple :P/>

[HoosierCat]

Last Name Rey is an RFA. He isn't going anywhere.

[Kazkal]

Last Name Rey is an RFA. He isn't going anywhere.

My bad on lack of E,I could see it still possible though being undrafted we would have to use highest tender on him.

What are peoples thoughts about signing him long term? Seems like wouldn't be bad idea to sign him to couple years so that way when have WLB ready to go if Burfict ever moves inside.

[HoosierCat]

If I were the Bengals I would put the second round tender on Rey. It should be around $2 million. And if the Vikes want to sign him and give us the 8th pick in the second round (no. 40 overall) I would not complain a bit.

[Kazkal]

If I were the Bengals I would put the second round tender on Rey. It should be around $2 million. And if the Vikes want to sign him and give us the 8th pick in the second round (no. 40 overall) I would not complain a bit.

True that.2nd would be niceee