2025 FA Thread: Rehkow 2y/2m | Rankins, Cappa Cut | Higgins Tagged | Hubbard Retires | Gesicki 3y/25.5m

[ArmyBengal]

Trade Tee. I love the guy and want him here. However if that number is $30 million a year, it’s just not smart. I don’t care if Burrow gets upset, don’t care if the fans or media get upset, don’t care. Don’t be stupid.

Replace Higgins with the Higgins from Iowa State in the draft and save the money.

If Burrow and Chase are that good the rest of the WR’s should be able to come in and find success.

[COB]

3 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

 

If Burrow and Chase are that good the rest of the WR’s should be able to come in and find success.

Yep.  Every TE we bring in here careers himself and gets paid somewhere.  Burrow is a fucking giant.  If they decide 70 million a year in two receivers isn’t doable, just have an auction, get Tee’s agent involved.  And I’d want a top 30 pick.  First rounders bust all the time.  If Higgins is that wanted, prove it.  
 

The Steelers gave up a first for Minkah, and I’d say that was a pretty smart move on their part.  If you’re getting 5-7 years of all-pro level play, and that’s how Higgins is talked about, it’s worth a first. 

[AMPHAR]

$30m might be the number.    It better be back loaded.    If Tee isn't willing to do that, then Tee doesn't really want to play with Burrow and is playing the public opinion game.

Bills just signed Shakir.  4 years at $53m.   But it COULD BE 2 year at $21m.  He's produced less than Tee the past 2 years but he's in his ball park.     It's COULD BE 2 years because IF he stays at his current level they'll probably dump before the extra $34m kicks in.

There's a bunch of teams dumping their high priced WRs.   I have no problem with Bengals overpaying on the tag and refusing a trade unless it significantly beats the comp pick.

Give Tee a contract that SAYS $30m a year.  Pay him $40 for the next 2 or something.  Then years 3,4, are up in the air with the remaining $80m or whatever.   If he's not willing to do that then he doesn't want to be here and all the insiders not calling that out are not reporting the reality.  This is what the Eagles have done.  

 

 

[AMPHAR]

Good news on Giesicki if it holds. 

[WelshBengal]

Now that big money deal has been done for Crosby you can bet your ass that Trey gets traded now as they won't go anywhere near that for his extension.

[HoosierCat]

2 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

Give Tee a contract that SAYS $30m a year.  Pay him $40 for the next 2 or something.  Then years 3,4, are up in the air with the remaining $80m or whatever.  

Exactly. There are a billion ways to structure contracts so they generate the requisite headlines. Really, I am pretty confident that the top line numbers like AAV and total value aren't the issue. It will be the guarantees and how they are structured. That's what ultimately stymied the deal with Chase last year.

[Stripes]

I don’t care about $30M as the number. They could comfortably accommodate that with their present cap situation and still do everything else they want to do. Push for 28-29 if you want. You’re never getting him for substantially less than that.

The draft and FA are both weak at wide receiver. Burton is a joke. Yoshi hit a plateau. Your team is built on offense. Don’t get worse during Burrow’s prime just to satisfy some notion of “fiscal safety”.

[ArmyBengal]

I don’t think it’s fiscal safety in not signing Tee, it’s just not smart. He’s not worth the tag he’s getting paid in my opinion, but that’s just me. The market pays what the market is though so I understand. I’d rather see them go after other players that would help this abysmal defense. That side needs far more help and now with Trey potentially leaving, even more. 

I know some don’t care for Trey but 17.5 sacks isn’t something just walking around waiting to join your ball club.

[AMPHAR]

29 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

Exactly. There are a billion ways to structure contracts so they generate the requisite headlines. Really, I am pretty confident that the top line numbers like AAV and total value aren't the issue. It will be the guarantees and how they are structured. That's what ultimately stymied the deal with Chase last year.

I cool with the Bengals holding the line on guarantees with Higgins.   He had 100% last year guaranteed going into a contract year.    A lot of people said he looked like a monster in TC.   Then he had a disaster first half of the season.   Then the last 7 games salvaged it a little to make his overall numbers look respectable.

At some point the "insiders" or at least local media need to quit taking the agent's message and ask the obvious.  Does he only want to play with Burrow IF he's getting paid/structured like an elite WR? 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

Just saw Bengals have given Hendrickson permission to seek trade.    So he gone.    Frees up $21m at some point and hopefully brings some decent picks.    

Not real sure about this one.   We've watched Hubbard and Atkins physically break down.  Then Dunlap production fall off a cliff.   

Trey pretty damn good and will be tough to replace.  

 

[AMPHAR]

33 minutes ago, Stripes said:

I don’t care about $30M as the number. They could comfortably accommodate that with their present cap situation and still do everything else they want to do. Push for 28-29 if you want. You’re never getting him for substantially less than that.

The draft and FA are both weak at wide receiver. Burton is a joke. Yoshi hit a plateau. Your team is built on offense. Don’t get worse during Burrow’s prime just to satisfy some notion of “fiscal safety”.

First, Tee is going to be with the Bengals in 2025.   Unless some team gets fucking nuts with  a trade package, I think that's clear.   He can miss TC or whatever.  A holdout does shit for him and he knows it.   This is his bite at the apple.   A hold out guarantees him 1 year older and 3 years in row without 1,000.  

So then what are we talking about?  Signing Tee to whatever he wants just so you can feel good about the Bengals?  Seriously?

Second, there's several teams that have punted on paying 1 WR top money.  There's plenty of reasons not to pay 2 WRs elite money.

Third,  Burton could sleep outside, play craps all night and match Higgins production from the first half of 2024.  Higgins had a disaster of a contract year til mid-November.   Then salvaged it a little.    Point is not to promote Burton as an all star, its simply to point out being without Higgins is nothing new to this team.

 

 

[HoosierCat]

16 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

Just saw Bengals have given Hendrickson permission to seek trade.    So he gone.    Frees up $21m at some point and hopefully brings some decent picks.    

Not real sure about this one.   We've watched Hubbard and Atkins physically break down.  Then Dunlap production fall off a cliff.   

Trey pretty damn good and will be tough to replace.  

 

Like I said a while back, I'm fine with it. I'd like to keep all of the big 3, but if I had my choice Trey is the one I would deal.

[volcom69]

Still think a better front office knows how to keep all 3 and so far they have no done 1. 

[Stripes]

I don’t want to “feel good about the Bengals”.

I want to win the Super Bowl.

Doing that requires great players. Don’t bleed great players.

[TJJackson]

Terrible News

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/report-cincinnati-bengals-give-trey-hendrickson-permission-to-seek-trade-01jnphtp3gcn

[ArmyBengal]

Ok fine Trey sucks.

So riddle me this…
Who‘s going to pressure the QB on this defense?

Make that sound logical and I’m on board. Truth is, this defense sucks balls due to lack of talent. If the argument is not to bleed talent, Trey has to be part of that conversation.

[volcom69]

Trey was the only good piece to this defense, and truthfully seemed like a good teammate also. They are going to give up 17 sacks for who exactly, guys they refused to play, because of Trey? So unless they have some great plan to replace him with 2 guys who each can get 10 sacks, then this one is hard to swallow. 

[HoosierCat]

51 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

Ok fine Trey sucks.

So riddle me this…
Who‘s going to pressure the QB on this defense?

Make that sound logical and I’m on board. Truth is, this defense sucks balls due to lack of talent. If the argument is not to bleed talent, Trey has to be part of that conversation.

Trey doesn’t suck, but he didn’t matter. He put up great individual stats…and the defense was still one of the most horrific in memory. If you ever need evidence that sacks are over rated as a statistic, there it is.

As to not bleeding talent, I agree. I’ve loooooong complained about it using exactly that language. But Trey is 30, he’s not a building block for the future, and the d is 100 percent in rebuild mode.

To be clear, I would prefer to keep him, even for just one more season. And as volcom said, a real FO gets all these deals done. But if we have to lose one, my preference is Trey.

[ArmyBengal]

No certainly not a building block. No more than a two year deal. However, put pieces around what does work and maybe that’s enough to get back to the dance. Sacks may be overrated but no one else on this roster does that.  

I have zero faith in a 2025 team without Trey on the defense. ZERO. I may be wrong, but I will hold out hope for 2026.

[COB]

In my opinion Trey did not want to be here.  His statements - he always seemed to qualify his desire to play in Cincinnati.  His body language - I know this is subjective, but he didn’t act like he even liked playing for us.  He’d happily and exuberantly celebrate; his own good plays.

 

As far as reality goes, if I just had a couple huge seasons as a 30 year old edge rusher and I was looking to leverage those years into one last large deal, honestly Cinci is the last team I’d be interested in negotiating with.

So, I think they gave him “permission” to seek a trade because he and his agent asked for permission.  He wants out and the last thing he wants is to play this last year of his deal out.  

[AMPHAR]

5 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

Ok fine Trey sucks.

So riddle me this…
Who‘s going to pressure the QB on this defense?

Make that sound logical and I’m on board. Truth is, this defense sucks balls due to lack of talent. If the argument is not to bleed talent, Trey has to be part of that conversation.

Scheme is your answer.    As you say the truth is the defense did suck.    But they recorded more sacks in 2023 and 2024 than they did when they won the AFC Champ and Runner Up.

2024 (36 sacks), 2023 (44 sacks), 2022 (30 sacks) 2021 (41 sacks)

Just answering the question.   Lou wasn't real interested in running a scheme that sacked a QB or even attempted to keep an offense from gaining yards.   At his best he was all about bend and don't break.    Not saying any 7th rounder can replace Trey they can't.  Just merely pointing out that there was never a point in time a Lou defense generated sacks, pressure or really kept yards off the stat sheet and that is fact even with whatever talent people keep saying was bled off the defense.

[COB]

Also - Most teams will go find a good deal that fits their needs when trading a guy.  Classic bengals front office, “Go find our trade for us.”  
 

I know it’s not unprecedented.  If they had a normal number of personnel and scout employees, they’d do it themselves.  Just so typical of them to do the least.

[ArmyBengal]

If you trade Hendrickson, they may as well trade Higgins and get what they can to rebuild if that is what we are saying.

Save the 30 million, or whatever that number really is, save the big deal for Trey, extend Chase and rebuild with the picks you get in return. 

A Higgins extension does not win this team a Super Bowl.

[AMPHAR]

9 hours ago, COB said:

Also - Most teams will go find a good deal that fits their needs when trading a guy.  Classic bengals front office, “Go find our trade for us.”  
 

I know it’s not unprecedented.  If they had a normal number of personnel and scout employees, they’d do it themselves.  Just so typical of them to do the least.

Nah happens often with players wanting a new contract.   Its not about the trade at first.  Its about giving any acquiring team a chance to figure out if they can get a contract done.  If they think they can or do, then it moves into trade discussion.

Quote

Philadelphia has given linebacker Haason Reddick permission to seek a trade, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources. Reddick, a Pro Bowler in both of his seasons with Philly, is coming off an 11-sack campaign in which he added 23 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

It really is just a matter of wording.  They are going to let a player talk contact if the owning team doesn't like the results then they start trade comp discussion with acquiring teams.

 

 

[HoosierCat]

I'm so old I remember when the Bengals were doomed and front office sucked balls because they let Carl Lawson go and signed some one-year wonder from New Orleans.

Jeezus fukking Kay-rist people, get a grip.