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General Free Agency Thread


HoosierCat

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this guy will do nicely as the three down coverage linebacker I demand from this seasons FA period - as long as he comes at a reasonable price

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2020/3/17/21183644/bears-free-agency-2020-leonard-floyd-release-spells-end-robert-quinn-pass-rush-sack-ryan-pace-draft

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It's literally the same Free Agency story every year.    Bengals will not push money into future years for guys they don't draft.   The guys being signed currently ALL represent deals that does exactly that. 

Teams signing today know they are renting a player and the player knows it.

Bengals will get in FA when they can get to players that will match their service years to contract years.  Then they'll expend cap dollars July-September extending about to be free agents.

Everyone gets all HUFFY PUFFY these couple days in March and THEN all pumped up in August when the important Bengal gets the preemptive extension.  "OMG, this so not the Bengals!!!"

It's been going like this since 2010.     I really don't expect it to change.    It comes down to how well they draft and really how well they've drafted in 2018 and 2019.    Then how many turds they can polish. 

Quite frankly they haven't polished turds as nicely since Zimmer was here.  Until they start plucking players like Nelson etc.  Zimmer might have been the secret sauce to those playoff years. 

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37 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

Devil is in the details.   But I would have liked to have him,  the price tag for a LB is debatable.

 

I think I saw $22 million in total (full, partial, injury only etc) guarantees. Nothing out of the ordinary. And given that they are currently committed to handing Dalton $17 million, in salary, all this year, which no one expects to happen, it’s not like they don’t have the money budgeted.

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Hard to complain about them actually spending $ in FA and actually upgrading positions, both players are solid upgrades and CB depth was sorely needed.  And they had to over-pay to pry a guy from a winning team. (why else would come here???)

That said, if they can't find a vet o-lineman that is worth a damn, or two, and a LB somehow (draft?) they are not going to be much better, but the positions they upgraded (DT/CB) seem like the only areas MB feels comfortable spending $$ on - never a S or LB it seems.  Same old philosophy/approach ultimately, but, glimmer of hope that they're actually paying someone and making an effort I guess.

 

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Two good players.  This is a massive departure from the normal FA strategy (which was do almost nothing other than sign third tier guys).

They must be counting on our rookie 2.0 tackle to be an absolute beast, otherwise there’s no way they ignore OT in free agency.

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1 hour ago, TJJackson said:

You know I am a fan of having strong lines - I am MR GIMME A LINEMAN after all - but the upcoming Burrow pick necessitates that this years money go to OL rather than DL. LB is distant second to OL as a need. DT is waaaaaaaay back of the line

Yeah their priorities/approach still seem to be controlled by Mb's stupid "value approach" to positions on the field.  I'm not sure I understand the lack of urgency regarding the 0-line, that group is still trash and at league-bottom, you're not going to win games with that group as-is, especially when your most talented player is a rookie who just missed his first season.

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1 hour ago, TJJackson said:

I like them getting a quality FA

but that quality FA needed to be a passblocking OL or a cover LB

I guess this meanings the Billings experiment is done?

You know I want an OL as much as you, but I believe they really like what they have on the OL. I don’t see them getting one or even drafting any till the 3rd or 4th round. Hopefully I’m wrong but guess will see what happens.

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22 minutes ago, volcom69 said:

You know I want an OL as much as you, but I believe they really like what they have on the OL. I don’t see them getting one or even drafting any till the 3rd or 4th round. Hopefully I’m wrong but guess will see what happens.

Reader will def help the run defense, so there's that, that d-line was pushed all over the place last year and lacked gap-pluggers.  Just hope he stays healthy.  

I'm guessing it'll be a very offense-heavy draft.

Not sure how you get past the team offensive rankings from last year, and not seriously upgrade that side of the ball as well (relying on 2 rookies at this point prob won't be nearly enough). 

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I hope Reader helps improve things. He’s only missed 3 games in all his seasons with the Texans. Don’t know if he’s the “solution” however.

Trae Waynes is intriguing but he’s fallen short of expectations being the 9th overall selection. Maybe a change of scenery does him well.

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