2025 FA Thread | Rehkow 2y/2m | Rankins Cut

[ArmyBengal]

Agree COB and it's like he wants to be Johnny Manziel or something.
Don't put effort into practicing, don't read the playbook (Burrow's point), but hey put me in coach.

Million dollar talent, two cent head.

[HoosierCat]

Not to defend Burton at all, but the FO brought this on themselves. First, despite character flags, they used a premium pick on a meathead. Then they give said meathead a $5 million contract, with a million bucks up front. And finally, since they don’t actually have a spot to play him his rookie year, he’s got nothing else to do but be a meathead. And here we are. Like I said, not defending him but this was as predictable as the direction in which the sun rises.

[ArmyBengal]

That whole risk reward thing.
Risks should be taken later more often than not. Mixon was a risk and they heard shit for drafting him in the second round.

[Stripes]

I don’t fault them for the risk. That’s part of the deal in the draft.

I would fault them for viewing such a risky prospect as a major piece in their future plans. That’s stupid.

[Stripes]

You could also argue that risks are less necessary for a team with a force multiplier at QB and two deep playoff runs in recent memory. Draft solid, reliable players, maintain your own talent, and stay in contention.

Save the roulette for drafts when you already suck.

[HoosierCat]

Some notes culled from here.

March 16: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's injury guaranteed $35.25 million 2026 base salary is fully guaranteed.

March 21: This is the deadline for the Bengals to exercise an option with quarterback Joe Burrow. In order to pick up Burrow's 2029 contract year worth $50,539,018, the Bengals must make a $10 million payment. Burrow's fully guaranteed 2025 base salary will decrease to $25.25 million from $35.25 million.

 

[HoosierCat]

I have to say, the amount of trash speculation flooding the innertubes ahead of FA would be comical if it weren’t so ridiculous (and if so much of it weren’t obvious AI generated slop). Every other story right now is “Bengals Could Give Monster $150 MILLION Deal to Megastud Defensiveman” or “Bengals Give Up Next 10 Years of First Round Picks for Hyperbad Bonebreaker in Proposed Trade!”

Actual free agency can’t here fast enough.

[ArmyBengal]

29 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

I have to say, the amount of trash speculation flooding the innertubes ahead of FA would be comical if it weren’t so ridiculous (and if so much of it weren’t obvious AI generated slop). Every other story right now is “Bengals Could Give Monster $150 MILLION Deal to Megastud Defensiveman” or “Bengals Give Up Next 10 Years of First Round Picks for Hyperbad Bonebreaker in Proposed Trade!”

Actual free agency can’t here fast enough.

I couldn't agree more.  I jump on and search Bengals news and apparently, we are trading every current player on our roster for someone better.  I didn't know that was possible, but ok.

[AMPHAR]

Tee getting tagged according Rapien.   Non exclusive.  Speculates further long term deal still on the table, I guess.

I think Rapien broke the news last year as well.   Of course Rapien floated out there Tee could get $30m-$35m a year. 

I wonder where he gets all this stuff from? 

In other Tee news - Trevor L would love to have him.   

I would personally love for them to have him as well for pick No. 41.  Or picks 72 and 94.    Of course anything greater would be gravy.

Tee playing at $26m on the Bengals cap isn't ideal.  Not horrendous but not ideal.  

 

 

[HoosierCat]

Tag would be good. Long term deal would be better.

[HoosierCat]

Fowler:

Quote

The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to pull off an ambitious -- and expensive -- offseason.

The team will attempt to secure a trio of stars who need new deals -- wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson -- for the long term, sources told ESPN.

Whether Cincinnati can pull it off remains uncertain, but its messaging behind the scenes is that it's certainly going to try.

That starts with Higgins, who is set to hit free agency March 12. One team source believes the Bengals will use the franchise tag on Higgins if no long-term deal is reached by the March 4 tag deadline "in order to have time to get a deal done. Can't let him walk."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43894290/sources-bengals-aim-deals-chase-higgins-hendrickson

Well, that would certainly be ideal. That said, I’m not sure how much of this is actually news. We knew they were going to give Chase a bag, we knew they wanted do something for Trey (as long as it wasn’t too much or something), and we knew they were talking to Tee and that the tag was an option. The question remains, are they literally going to put their money where their mouth is?

[COB]

In one of the other YouTube thinfs, Stone Shields is the guy’s name, he said if they’re willing to pay him 26 million this year, will they just figure make it 30 and sign him, he’ll play for that?  I think probably.  
 

Hopefully they get going on it.  If they drag it out and turn one of the most team oriented guys we’ve had in a long time into an embittered guy who wants out, it will just be an absolute disaster.

[Stripes]

Extend him before free agency opens so you know exactly what your cap situation is.

[TJJackson]

I fully expect this failure of a front office to do the wrong thing on every front

Tag or let go Tee

Let Chase play on his current contract

Let TRex play on his current contract

Be basically inactive in free agency, same as most years, until a week or two in, picking up cheap retreads and washed up guys

[Stripes]

I am much more optimistic, but I understand the gloom. We have conflicting evidence in recent years between the old and new Bengals, so something’s gotta give.

Old Bengals:

- Refuse to offer guaranteed money beyond year one

- Fail to communicate effectively with players and piss them off for no reason

- Employ three ***damn scouts and rely on the coaching staff to pick up the slack with all its inherent biases

- Trust their own process to an unjustifiable degree and allow talent to walk. “We can cover that with mid-tier free agents and draft picks”

AMPHAR was looking for evidence of the Bengals being behind the times before, so there are some obvious examples.

However, there’s also evidence of things improving.

New Bengals:

- Multiple levels of stadium naming rights and mass sponsorships to significantly increase cash on-hand

- Indoor practice bubble

- Locker room renovation

- Joe Burrow contract shattering previous standards and proving they can. Paying QBs isn’t new, but this was another level.

- Active in free agency more than ever before from 2020-2024, including multiple major pickups (e.g., Reader, Hendrickson, and O. Brown)

- Completely overhauled stadium experience via the Elizabeth Blackburn vision

——————

This offseason is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. They will have to change their norms again. You’re never going to take care of all of Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson without offering multiple years of guaranteed money (certainly not the receivers). You already annoyed all three of them one way or another with your communication practices, so you have to overcome yourself. You’ve stated your desire to do so.

Put up or shut up, Bengals.

[HoosierCat]

Two year extension for Rehkow.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-sign-p-ryan-rehkow-to-contract-extension-bengals-roster-update

[COB]

Good to see them sign the punter.  It shows they are, at a minimum, at work and talking to agents.  

[ArmyBengal]

Wow an extension prior to free agency and the draft?

Hope he continues with the year he just had.  That was nice after the last clown.

[HoosierCat]

Cap going up, up and away.

Quote

The NFL on Wednesday informed its teams that the per-team salary cap for 2025 would be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, with the final figure to be determined following further negotiations with the NFL Players Association.

Regardless of where it lands in that range, the salary cap will rise significantly for the second year in a row.

Last year saw the largest cap increase of all time, as it rose from $224.8 million in 2023 to $255.4 million for the 2024 season. This year's increase means the cap will have increased by at least $53 million over the last two years.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43921969/nfl-salary-cap-increases-substantially-2nd-consecutive-year

The final number should come next week.

[ArmyBengal]

Well use some of that money and go get RG Trey Smith since the Chiefs aren't going to tag him and will hit free agency.  I wanted that guy in the draft and he has literally started every single game, including playoffs, since being drafted in 2021.

[TJJackson]

I havent read this yet

https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/2/20/24363427/2025-nfl-free-agents-bengals

its not shown in the link, but when you open this link, notice the first word in the title of the article

yeah, that the top priority of this worthless front office in FA......not top quality FAs, but instead, the reserve to get weekly car washes with the delux wax for the Lumina

 

[ArmyBengal]

Don't get me wrong, I want every high end free agent out there.

That being said, I've already resigned myself to the fact that with Chase, Higgins and Trey all needing to be done, that any free agent signing is going to be of the bargain variety.  Thinking one year prove it deals and things of that nature that could possibly help.

I honestly think the team is just going to keep getting younger and especially on defense, where I see Golden getting some shiny new toys.

There isn't much from that listed provided that interests me all that much but that's what I'm expecting.

You never know though.  That Orlando Brown Jr. signing came out of nowhere.

[AMPHAR]

The problem with this Free Agent class that the top 15 rankings are a joke.  This FA class is so thin to flat out not impressive.  So there will be players you would like to catch on the way up that are going to be way overvalued even more so than a typical FA year.

Josh Sweat would be a good get at mid contract.  You ready to make him among the highest paid?  I dunno. 

Case in point below are some of the names sprinkled in the top 15 FA rankings:

1. Tee Higgins- Hasn't had 1,000 yards in two season.  Hasn't played over 60% of snaps in two seasons.  Has never played more than 80% snaps in his entire career.  Completely overrated at $30m or whatever a year.  He's a fan favorite but I'd really like to see that contract structure IF they ever get an extension done.  But on the free market he'd be some franchises key building block.  Not sure if that would happen but whatever Bengal fans and Joe loves him.

2. Trey Smith - that's solid starter.  Comfortable having him as a top 5 paid guard? Maybe.

3. Chris Godwin - in the top 10? Laughable at $25m+ he's had two major surgeries in the past 3 years. Torn ACL and Dislocated ankle.  This is guy that should be ranked were DJ Reader was last year in the 40s and be looking at a prove it deal.

4. Ronnie Stanley - OT Ravens - Top 10? I dunno about that.  Major injury red flags.  This is guy that should be ranked around that Panthers tackle a few years ago that had the knee surgeries and could only get 1 year deals.

5. Zac Baun - This is my favorite top 10 Free Agent. WTF? I actually would love him on a cheap deal.  However, he wasn't on any top 100 FA list last year I could find.  Had to settle last year for 1 year $4m deal.  Rags to Riches, I guess.

6. Bolton Chiefs - solid player.  Top 10?

7. Ward - CB - He's in the top 10? I'd have a hard time thinking CB spot was solid if you have him marked down as a starter.  Maybe a solid depth piece.

8. Byron Murphy CB - Top 10? Laughable.  He was a FA two years ago ranked in the 30s.  Had to settle for a low 2 year deal with Vikings.  Starting CB.  Had real trouble beating out Dre Kirkpatrick back in the day.  But Hey, a defensive conerstone!

9. Josh Sweat - I would love to have as potential up and comer with a contract that matched that.  Think Carl Lawson/Hendrickson value 1st FA contract.    I don't know if I'd make him my cornerstone on a defense and equal cap hit.

There's a couple guys you'd like to have as a stop gap starter.  But the most likely out come is that you are cycling through 2nd tier players that for some reason can't land a 4/5 year deal with the team that drafted them.   When guys like Ward, Baun and Murphy on their regularly scheduled Free Agent tour are in a top 10 the quality is way down.

 

[ArmyBengal]

I'd be more than good with Trey Smith at Guard for us. 
Dude has literally started every game since being drafted.
He didn't give up a single sack last year either for the Chiefs and is only 26.

Outside of him, I agree there aren't many in this class that are really exciting to consider.

I really want to like the odds of Chase Young building himself back up. Not sure I totally do.
At 25 years old, he's still young and has had a couple decent seasons recently.

Haasan Reddick is another intriguing option, although 30 years old now.
Give him that 1-2 year deal with an out for the team and you never know.

I've heard Dre Greenlaw's name mentioned in regards to the Bengals as well.
Recent injuries are concerning, but if he passes the medicals, I wouldn't oppose much.

What about the 49er's safety Talanoa Hufanga?
I haven't heard his name at all and while went through some injuries, could be a nice addition.

I liked Zach Baun coming out of college at the linebacker spot and the Saints had him all jacked up.
Not sure I'd throw a ton of cash at him, but couldn't hurt our linebacking room in the least.

People forget BJ Hill is our own free agent to add to the mix and I wouldn't mind him back.

 

[AMPHAR]

I think Trey Smith is really the prize player in FA over Higgins.  I'm not going to be mad IF they would sign Higgins to a long term deal but will certainly be interested in the structure of it.   I'd absolutely go for Trey Smith at the highest paid for 4/5 years over Higgins but the likely hood of them paying a guard that much is unlikely. 

There's several stop-gap or hole fillers players but most of them scream two year deal. 

Bryon Murphy and Ward at CB are prime examples.  No way on earth would I want top CB money for either of those two and locked in for multiple years.  Sure they are bona fide starters but Murphy was ranked in the 30s his last free agency voyage and signed a cheap deal.  What's changed?    Ward was ranked 89th best FA back in 2022.  Now top 10? You got to be fucking kidding me.  I hope Chiefs sign him so I can watch Chase torch his ass repeatedly.  I don't know if I'd want Ward at the 4th CB on our team right now and our secondary got roasted repeatedly.   

Just searching through these FA rankings reminds you that in the month of March Bengals fans and NFL fans in general are going to be acting like fools over 2nd tier at best players. 

Yes its possible to get the Hendrickson.  Trey got a decent deal but a lot of people questioned it at the time even though he was the 4th best FA that year.