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

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, they've never wanted to pay out top dollar for interior o-line, but Trey Smith would really be nice.

The others all seem like hoping they pan out, but not exactly sure.
None of the CB's really excite me in the least.

[AMPHAR]

I'd love Chase Young on a short deal.   Would love to try to get Josh Sweat at decent deal but afraid he'd be over priced because of the thin class.

Tee Higgins is almost like you have to resign him just to "prove it" to people.  When he plays he's great.  He don't play.  I think he's the classic WR that could go to a team with nobody, monopolize targets, put up stats and the offense ultimately sucks.

Zac Baun - Would love to have him.  It'd have to be cheaper than a Pratt deal. 

Hufanga - sounds good.  Has been banged up.

BJ Hill - wasn't in favor of signing Reader last year to anything but a prove it deal.  That's what he got and he only played 45% of snaps.  Hill I would not go too deep on as well.   I would only go short term on him.

If the Bengals trade or cut Pratt which most say is likely.  I think Golden will want a veteran LB, Could be wrong I wouldn't think they move Pratt until another LB is signed.  Probably plays out like Mixon last year.

[AMPHAR]

Those CBs being in the top 10 just scream how not good the quality of the FA class is. Its also hilarious how unaccountable the NFL.com writers are too.   Like none of them mention,  "Hey here's a name you'll recognize Bryon Murphy wasn't good enough to be in my top 10 a few years ago, but he is now!"  Ronnie Stanley is another dude.  Yeah he can start in the league.  I hope the Chiefs blow their wad on him.   He's a injury red flag and really wasn't all that good. 

Baseball fans are so much realistic about free agency than NFL fans.   Probably because the stats are easily to project and they buy into the back of the baseball card mentality.  

[HoosierCat]

Outside of Tee and Gesicki, I can sum up my attitude towards free agency this year in one word: "whatever."

On offense it would be nice to get a decent guard. Maybe root around in the RB pile for a better option than Moss.

On defense, the bottom line is that they were terrible last year, and I frankly don't care who leaves, up to and including trading Trey. The more turnover the better as far as I'm concerned. Even if we just replace trash with trash, at least it's new trash and we can all pretend they'll be better until September.

 

[ArmyBengal]

I would love to be able to say that I have no worries in losing Trey, but that would be a lie.
Besides him, we literally have no one else that can consistently get to the QB and close out the play.
Myles Murphy sucking all the ass possible during given opportunities doesn't help.

I was already expecting to go DE early in the draft and without Trey, that's another.
With that, they are unproven and could just as easily be the second coming of Murphy.
Guess we hope and pray Murphy finds a way to shuck the bust shell in 2025.
That dude strikes me as someone that doesn't really want to play ball and lacks confidence.

I just don't have faith in them finding another Trey should they trade him away for little.

[Stripes]

Trey’s stuck until 2026 anyway, but he’s going to want to be anywhere else if there’s no immediate extension. Shit sandwich.

[ArmyBengal]

I've heard talk about the Bengals should consider Zack Martin, but he decided to retire.

[COB]

They desperately need leadership on defense.  Trey?  If you watch his behavior after a sack, it’s revealing.  Goes through his celebration but then basically disses any teammate who approached him.  He’s not a leader.  Pratt?  The opposite of a leader.  His outburst at Ossai at the end of the AFC championship game in KC said it all.  
 

If they can find a free agent linebacker who will take control of the whole thing, it will fix a lot.  

[AMPHAR]

If they pay Tee.  I think they'll end up trading Trey.   If Tee goes on the franchise tag, doesn't sign it.   I think it could flip their strategy.    Never for 1 second do I think the front office wrote off extending Tee.  His agent was a factor and his overall availability is a factor and its a debate everyone has had holding it up.  Can you build a contending team with so much money going to 2 WRs and QB?  How much are they willing to overpay Tee consider you'll drop the bag on Chase?

People will throw out the Eagles.  But the Eagles deferred the money to their key players and its likely they'll dump some of it.  Already rumors AJ Brown could be traded.  There is a significant  difference between the cash Burrow will get vs. Hurts.  Probably the same between Chase and Brown.

Trey is all about his sacks and tries to pretend he isn't, fake.  But I do think he provides a bit of leadership because it seems like a productive competition vs. jealousy.   

17 sacks is harder for the Bengals to replace vs. Tee's 900 yards.  I wouldn't write off Burton getting 500 yards in that spot even if he's homeless and playing craps all night. 

However, Trey probably gets you more in a trade with a draft that's deep in D-line talent.  They need to get younger there anyway.  They hired the college coach that would be used to getting young players to be prepared.   An area were Lou flopped big time and has mostly gotten a pass.    Trey is older and has a ton of snaps.   They've watch Geno Atkins and now Sam Hubbard decline significantly with age.    Trey could easily go the path of Whitworth but I think they'll go the path of trading him.   Whitworth at a min should of gotten the tag and they tried to get cute and cheap with it.

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

I still think the A++++ situation is getting Chase, Trey and Tee extended out to 2027.   But someone is going to have to shoulder risk in their contract in order to do it and as of right now it doesn't appear any of them are willing to do that which makes it very hard to do and improve the team.

Chase basically shot that down in the summer.  He's going to want his cash outlay to mirror his yearly average as close as possible through the first 3 or 4 years which is going to be $100m+ in 3 years then probably $130m in 4. 

If the above is given.  Then Tee has to give if he wants to be apart of the Trio, IMO.  Probably same with Trey. 

However, the Bengals could absolutely destroy the bounty the Chiefs got for Hill by trading Chase now.  He's so much younger.  Not saying that would happen but they could probably match the DeShaun Watson bounty Cleveland gave up.

[AMPHAR]

Even IF they sign Tee.  If Hollywood Brown is out there for what the Chiefs got him for last year.  I'd be tempted to do it.

 

[HoosierCat]

On 2/18/2025 at 1:38 PM, HoosierCat said:

Two year extension for Rehkow.

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

Just to update, deal is for $2.035 million, $960k this year, $1.075 million in 2026. Reportedly no SB, nothing guaranteed.

[AMPHAR]

Rough life for a punter.  

Regarding Trey Smith - Chiefs board is all over him being overrated given his presumed future contract.   They said the same shit about Orlando Brown.   I think Brown hasn't been perfect but has been worth the contract Bengals gave him.   Chiefs tackles have sucked for a while.  If the refs would call all the holding, false starts, lining up in the back field I think they'd still be playing their week 1 game.

Anyhoo -Trey Smith overrated according to a lot Chief fans.

[AMPHAR]

Quote

https://x.com/PattonAnalytics/status/1892217748014424292/photo/1

Buyer beware tweet regarding Trey Smith.  

[ArmyBengal]

My take is Chase is the #1 priority due to the sheer number involved and the structure of that one.

Agree that Tee may need to take less if he wants to remain with this group.
The obvious choice for taking the risk is Trey.  He's 30 years old.  There's risk for the Bengals as well.
Give him a new 3 year deal, where the Bengals can cut load after two without it killing them.

I just hope they address Chase as soon as possible so they know exactly where they stand.
That should go a long way to determine not only how the rest of FA goes, but the draft as well.

[ArmyBengal]

Out of curiosity, I took a look at the top 10 salaries at all the positions heading into the 2024 season.

Trey signed a 1 year $21m deal, which would have put him at #11 on a per year dollar amount.

Here are the top 10:
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers – $34M per year
Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars – $28.3M per year
Brian Burns, New York Giants – $28.2M per year
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers – $28M per year
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns – $25M per year
Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans – $24.5M per year
Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears – $24.5M per year
Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers – $24M per year
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders – $23.5M per year
Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins – $22M per year

[AMPHAR]

Trey's comment about finding out via text was weird, IMO.   He shouldn't be in a rush to do a deal.  There is a lot of rumor/trade/cut demands that could change the market for edge.  He's going to be among the top of whatever new market comes about.

 

 

[HoosierCat]

Trey(Hendrickson, not Smith)’s entire situation is screwed up, and it’s pretty much all his fault. He signed that one-year, $21 million extension in July 2023, then like eight months later was bitching about being underpaid. Well, congratulations champ, you played yourself. If you hadn’t grabbed that bag which you now complain was too small, it would probably be your name, not Tee’s, at No. 1 on all the 2025 FA lists.

The Bengals were clearly flummoxed by his attitude last year, and based on Duke’s senior bowl comments are not exactly chomping at the bit to give him more this year. They might toss him a few more bucks but nothing like what he would get on the open market. And honestly in this case I don’t blame them one bit. 

[AMPHAR]

Trey has a strong case to be among the top 5 paid.  Back to back 17 sacks season AND I think he gets cheated in the DPOY conversation.    He's is clearly the most consistent pass rusher I've ever seen with the Bengals.

At the same time his snap count has gone up because Lou didn't have much a rotation and defense couldn't get off the field.   He's hitting 30.  

If they trade Trey, then it will have to be good drafting and probably scheme change to get the number of sacks up.  Trey was about half of the sack production.  

[HoosierCat]

Rankins cut. No surprise there.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-release-dt-sheldon-rankins-bengals-roster-update

[HoosierCat]

Adomitas re-signed. One year deal.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-sign-ls-cal-adomitis-to-contract-extension-bengals-roster-update

[HoosierCat]

Coach speak alert!

Quote

Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin and Head Coach Zac Taylor are both scheduled to speak at the 2025 NFL Combine next week. 

Tobin is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Taylor will meet with the media at 4 p.m. ET.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/cincinnati-bengals-nfl-combine-schedule-announce-when-we-ll-hear-from-zac-taylor-and-duke-tobin-01jmn1z9sjng

[Stripes]

I’m iffy on Adomitis. I thought he was part of the kicking problem in 2024. I suppose Simmons likes his continuity.

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, those meetings will surely make everything clear as mud, but why not ??

[ArmyBengal]

Fully expected Rankins to be shown the way out.

Caution about Trey Smith ??  Did anyone see our guards play last year ??