2024 FA Thread: Higgins Tagged | Geno Stone 2y/15m | Zach Moss 2y/8m | Mixon Traded | Mike Gesicki 1y/3m | Jonah to Cards | Sheldon Rankins 2y/26m | Bell Back | Reader to Lions | Trent Brown 1y/4.75m | Boyd to Titans

[HoosierCat]

Seems like a good time for this with the two-week window for teams to use the tag starting tomorrow.

Also, the salary cap could come in higher than expected. Was projected around 242, might be more like 250. An extra 8 million would be handy for a “tag tee, sign chase” scenario.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/salary-cap-is-poised-to-be-as-much-as-243-million-per-team-and-maybe-higher

[COB]

Time to scour the FA candidates for a RT and possibly a guard to push or replace Volson.  

[AMPHAR]

Both Volson and Cappa are Free Agents after the 2025 season.   Both were underwhelming this past season.    I would welcome Zietler back but the Bengals and he have never been on the same page financially since his rookie deal.    I don't get the sense they are looking to move past any of the current starting guards which is unfortunate.

I'll put my early vote in for Joey Bosa IF he gets cut from SD.   Injuries have plagued him but a nice rotation opposite rush threat from Trey would be nice.

RT? Not a whole lot out there.  Maybe some cuts throw a veteran out on the market?   I'd have to think they aren't walking into the draft having to have a Right Tackle at 18 or 49 so I'd expect to have someone signed at that spot.   Jonah Williams projections wouldn't seem like he'd be back or have to settle for a cheap deal.

Addition:  CJ is also rumored to be cut from Jets.  Assuming his lack of use was Jets being Jets,  I wouldn't be surprised if he got a chance to return.

 

 

 

 

 

[HoosierCat]

While there might not be a lot at tackle there now, chances are there will be, if the actual draft goes anything like the mocks.

Take that pff post-SB mock. They have 9 tackles going in the first and 3 more in the second. That’s 12 new guys who all will either be handed a starting role or expected to challenge for one. Very likely there will be a Riley Reiff type situation if the Bengals want to just try to patch things for a year.

Even if they do take a tackle early my guess is they will be looking for a cast off vet as insurance.

[AMPHAR]

Meki Becton would be a gamble but his rookie season was with Pollack.   Worth a gamble +rookie draft pick?   Jets are probably going to use up 1 of those projected first round linemen, maybe.

[HoosierCat]

I remember liking Becton back in 2020. If his knee is ok, I would consider it. Certainly worth a look.

[ArmyBengal]

Yes loved Becton. 
However, he has been injury plagued from what I have seen, likes to spew shit (maybe deserved), and does not want to play RT.
Not sure he's a good fit for what Coach Taylor seemingly wants in a football player.

Had a great rookie year, 2 missed seasons due to problematic knee injuries and then a sub-par 2023 where he gave up 12 sacks a ton of penalties and rated horribly.
I will pass on him at this point, but giving the slightest of maybe's, that a change of scenery may help.

[ArmyBengal]

I would be more curious about a guy like the Patriots Mike Onwenu.
He can play both RT and OG positions and has done well over the past years in New England.
I could see a guy like him and a new rookie to help the line.

[ArmyBengal]

Also, weren't the Bengals one of the teams to put in a claim for DT Teair Tart, who ended up with the Titans?
Well, he's a free agent as well this year.  Wonder if there's any interest remaining there?

[AMPHAR]

Becton would have to be a prove it deal.   Yeah he's said he doesn't like Right Tackle because of the stress on the knee.  So that's a red flag.   On the plus side his rookie season was with Pollack and that season had him tabbed as future top player.      He clearly was at odds with the Jets organization which seems to be the norm.

For what its worth A-Aron Rodger said nice things about him.

 

[HoosierCat]

1 hour ago, ArmyBengal said:

Yes loved Becton. 
However, he has been injury plagued from what I have seen, likes to spew shit (maybe deserved), and does not want to play RT.
Not sure he's a good fit for what Coach Taylor seemingly wants in a football player.

Had a great rookie year, 2 missed seasons due to problematic knee injuries and then a sub-par 2023 where he gave up 12 sacks a ton of penalties and rated horribly.
I will pass on him at this point, but giving the slightest of maybe's, that a change of scenery may help.

Yeah, Tart was another one with alleged attitude and effort issues, which is why he got cut in December. I think we can expect that most of the guys the Bengals will target will have some warts. They seem to have done pretty well sorting through them in recent years tho, more hits than misses. Hopefully the trend continues.

[ArmyBengal]

Oh, I agree.  Whomever they decide to bring in, I will believe it's because they feel they will make an impact.
That's simply because, as you said Hoosier, more hits than misses.

If they feel Carl Lawson is going to come back and be impactful, I would tend to agree.
Not because I can't live without Lawson in stripes, but rather the coaches and what they have built over the years.
NO, I DON'T THINK LAWSON IS COMING BACK...

[AMPHAR]

I think the Bengals had an offer out to Lawson when he went to the Jets.  That money became Trey Hendrickson.   Lawson is an above average pass rushers and could also give them some interior rushes as well.   The issue has always been health and actually getting the QB to the ground.    Lou had him on the field a decent amount his final year for the Bengals.     Bengals D was also horrible that year as well.

The question will be do they want/need Lawson to push Murphy and Ossasi for DE back up Snaps?   They clearly need someone to step up to give more pass rush outside of Trey.   Ossasi was a major disappointment coming off a very good 2022 AFC Champ game.  Murphy came along slowly but showed progress as the year went along. 

I'm convinced with Jackson and Watson in the division.   Expected meetings with either Allen and Mahomes in the playoffs you need guys along the D-line that can run and chase QBs.   Its kinda amazing the success the Bengals have had against them with Hendrickson and Hubbard running themselves to death.

 

 

 

[COB]

Lawson was, in my opinion, juiced out of his mind. His musculature outgrew both his athletic ability and his subframe.  Equals can’t make plays it looks like he should make, and can’t stay healthy.

[TJJackson]

I want the ORT from the Raiders

[AMPHAR]

I would put a vote in for A'shawn Robinson formerly of the Rams for a run stopping DT.   He was a big factor in Superbowl 56.    Recently saw him pop up as a Free Agent.  Could be a cheap/effective add.

[glasgowbengal]

New cap set at $225.4m

$30.6 up on last season 

[COB]

30 million increase is unbelievable.  Actually it’s very believable, the nfl is ridiculously profitable.

 

Speaking of that, I just read the IRS is looking at every nfl owner.  The  feds woke up one day and decided to do their job.  Before they jump on Mike too hard they should revisit what happened the last time they took him on.

[HoosierCat]

Bengals cap is 266. So they now have 

$74 million

in cap space.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/cap/

[HoosierCat]

Also franchise tag amounts for 2024 are out. WR tag is $21.816 million.

So they can tag Tee and still have $52 million + in space.

[HoosierCat]

Bengals now 7th league-wide in cap space. EDIT 6th, apparently the NO number was screwed up.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/

Ravens at 24 with 12.

Steelers at 25 with 8, don’t know if that counts the center they cut today, that was worth 5. EDIT Now at 12 after cutting the center.

Cleveland at 7.7 OVER the cap. El oh el.

NOTE even figuring in Tee’s franchise tag hit, the Bengals still have about the 11th-most cap space.

[ArmyBengal]

Wow the Bengals are in a great spot and all the other North teams are sucking ass. Nice !!

[HoosierCat]

Yeah. There was spike of online chatter earlier today about a possible long term deal for Tee, and the cap coming in at this number I think explains it. Still a longshot but imo substantially less long than it was.

[ArmyBengal]

And the Bengals inform Higgins and his agent that Tee will be getting tagged.

Basically to all the others teams interested….
Fuck off !!

[Stripes]

Cool to have the conversation out of our hair right away. There may be shenanigans later with this agent as we saw with Jessie Bates, but whatever. We'll have Tee when it counts. Who knows about a long-term deal, but I am encouraged to think about what the big cap number might mean for the offensive line and defense. Keep reloading before the draft.