2025 FA Thread: Rehkow 2y/2m | Rankins, Cappa Cut | Higgins Tagged

[ArmyBengal]

No sympathy for Tee.

I get that players want a long term deal and I also like Tee a lot, but I have no tears to shed for him in this situation.

Just get it done front office and make it all a moot point.

[HoosierCat]

42 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

I think Al might get a veteran FA.  I assume LB to replace an eventual trading of Pratt.  But other than that he'll be tasked with getting a young defense to improve.  Tobin very bullish on Dax Hill and the overall talent in secondary.  

Tobin was wishy washy on the line.  You don't fire the line coach if you feel its doing a good job.  I think he'll be trying to add new players there but isn't going to burn the bridge with the existing players until he's got the new players under contract.  Just my thoughts.

Gesicki feels like an extension is more in play than previous rent a TEs.

Yeah, I got the impression they wanted to spend some FA dollars on defense as well. Also mentioned Hill as someone they would like to have back.

Agree on the IOL. Powder being kept dry here but changes are coming.

I think they would like to keep Mike G. but he's 30 and probably thinking this is his last chance for a big score, so he might price himself out of their range. Have to see what the TE market looks like. PFF lists him at 76 on their top 125 FA list, but also the No. 2 overall FA TE behind Juwan Johnson. So not a deep pool positionally.

[AMPHAR]

If they Tag.  It puts $26m in his pocket IF he signs it.   That gives him $48m for the 2024/25 seasons.   I could argue that's an overpay.  I don't think its a underpay by any means.   If he wants the security of year 2,3, and 4 then sign a deal already.   If they are willing to put $26m in cash and cap with tag then you have to assume the long term deal meets or probably exceeds that in year 1.

If you out perform it after year 2, then pull a Trey.     Getting the franchise tag should not be bad news for Tee Higgins.  Its not the best situation for the Bengals because they are putting up front money and not getting the longer term benefit.

 

[Stripes]

I hope the FO is communicating with Tee and his agent. If they just dropped the tag plans without having a proper conversation and discussing their future plans, then I side with Tee again.

Players hate the tag. That is true league-wide. The Bengals should know that and address it. Talk to people. You can’t make them hate it less, but you can voice your higher-level intentions/desires. If a long-term deal is the goal, then directly engage yesterday. That doesn’t somehow harm your leverage.

If they did communicate and this is just more negotiation tactics (e.g., generating public unrest to add pressure), then who cares. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll know until the process is over one way or another.

[COB]

Tee is obviously worried he’ll have to play on the tag again.  
 

The tag gives the bengals something they don’t have without it - leverage.  Tee wants a long term deal here or elsewhere.  Until we tag him and show him that stick, he has very little incentive to compromise on anything.  The prospect of playing on another one year deal will force compromise, and he apparently doesn’t like it.  
 

Ok, refuse to sign it then go complain to the union members who approved it.  But beware that 99% of them never have to worry about ever having the tag used coercively against them.  
 

I applaud the bengals for being so open, for once, about their plans regarding players and contracts.  But it is apparent some of the players don’t feel the rhetoric is matched by corresponding action.  
 

It probably gets back to the size of the organization.  Guys are spread super thin, have to be at the combine, have to interview or be interviewed.  Not much time right now for contract negotiations, I guess.

[AMPHAR]

Tee its the same issue as its been since Chase broke out in 2021.  Can they or should they build a team around 2 highly paid WRs? The Bengals and Joe have indicated "yes".    Unfortunately for Tee, he's the Robbin in the scenario.

Once the tag is applied is he good enough to get a long term top of market deal AND part ways with a top 50 pick?  Nobody knocked on his door last year.  The Bengals are guaranteed a comp pick so a team is going to have to beat that and probably more considering Joe has made a big stink.  That's were it could hurt Tee.  

So he doesn't like the tag.  What's a hold out get him? Its clear as mud unless there's a round of injuries in the summer/prior to trade deadline and the trade value goes drastically up but team's are typically locked in cap wise and then there's teams dumping WRs like last year for cheap.

If you don't like the tag AND you can't get to a long term number.   Then settle for a deal that pay you more in 2025 and throw in 2026 and 2027.  Have an out after 2026 in case you explode stat wise.  Then move on. 

If the Bengal offers aren't paying at least $26mil in cash for 2025 then they are in the wrong, IMO.    Somehow when there's this much clarity it seems to get done. 

 

[AMPHAR]

Tee, Trey, Chase have sucked the wind out of the offseason.   I would like to see/read about an extension for Ossasi and eventually Sample.   Those are two rotational pieces on the DL worthy of keeping.   While its a strong draft DL wise they are staring at being down two DTs (Rankins/Hill) when FA opens and two DEs (Ossasi/Sample) and maybe a 3rd if Trey doesn't dance.

 

[HoosierCat]

I doubt Sample will have much of a market, so if they want to keep him they should be able to.

Ossai seems like he's always just on the verge of breaking out...and yet never does. Personally I think it's time to move on but I don't really care much either way. His agent is Mulugheta, so that could toss a wrench into any new deal.

I'd like to have Hill back. There's been some scattered talk of him moving to the Colts for obvious reasons, but I think that's most/totally fan/AI slop speculation.

[TJJackson]

I'd just like to see Burrow, Chase, and Tee get together for lunch and talk about getting back to their original promise that they'd work it out with the FO to stay together

they could go to Arby's and each order large potato cakes

[AMPHAR]

There's a few out their draft class that fit the profile of break out.  I'd put Ossai at the top of that list of the ones that weren't first or second rounders.    Even with a strong draft class, I'm guessing there will be some money spent in FA for DL.  Whether its for the guys they drafted we'll have to see.  

The kept 10 last year.  5 Inteior, 5 edge.   Sample wasn't among that group his season was already over on cut down day.    Rankins already gone.  Zach Carter already gone.  Ossai FA, Hill FA, Hubbard (cut?) Trey (trade?)

 

[HoosierCat]

Interesting note from the Athletic’s Pats beat reporter:

Quote

Pats out on Tee Higgins

Recent reports that the Cincinnati Bengals plan to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins (or could perhaps trade him) won’t change the Patriots’ plans.

New England’s blueprint for the offseason does not include pursuing Higgins, the No. 1 free agent-to-be on our top-150 big board. As the Patriots are reshaped in Mike Vrabel’s likeness, they want to prioritize building through the offensive and defensive lines and will make that goal No. 1 of this offseason (more on that below). So expect their biggest free-agent signings to come in the trenches — not at wide receiver.

“The game is always won on the lines — offensive line, defensive line,” Wolf said Wednesday. “Not just because of the (Philadelphia Eagles in the) Super Bowl — it’s always been that way.”

If the Patriots’ offseason goes as planned, their offensive and defensive lines will be dramatically transformed over the next two months.

Plus, some decision-makers around the league are skeptical Higgins would be worth the roughly $30 million per season he could command in free agency.

Higgins has also dealt with nagging injuries of late, playing just 12 of 17 games in each of the last two seasons. Only six wide receivers have signed deals worth $30 million or more a year: Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk.

 

[AMPHAR]

Hmmm LaCanfora had Tee in a patriots uni getting $30m a year just a couple weeks ago.  Cruel business.  Tee got cut by the Pats before he even signed.

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

Trey Smith tag your It.    I can't wait to read all the hot takes about the evils of tagging players regarding the Chiefs.

 

 

[COB]

They’re tagging Trey Smith?  That is almost unbelievable.  I guess leave it to Andy Reid to tag a guard.  Smith is ok but he’s benefiting from the shortage of decent interior linemen. In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.  

[ArmyBengal]

Remember Chiefs fans saying they were good with Trey leaving? Now they applaud the tag.

[AMPHAR]

KC will have to make some moves to tag they have $7m of cap room and tag cost is $23m.    The interesting part would be IF he plays on the tag they'd have $61m in the interior line on an offensive unit that has fallen drastically off.

As it stands right now its open season on all their other FAs.  But the lack of cap room guarantees some sort of restructuring/cuts are coming.

 

[AMPHAR]

21 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

Remember Chiefs fans saying they were good with Trey leaving? Now they applaud the tag.

Hard to say.  Stuff I've read over at the Chiefs Planet there is a negative view on the situation.   Things will be fluid, just from their cap situation alone should tell them that there are several moves coming.

 

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

Last year Chiefs tagged Sneed then traded by the end of March to the Titans.   They swapped 7th rounders and picked up a 3rd this year.

As it relates to the Bengals, I can't see Tee getting his freedom via tag and trade with that type of compensation.  This is were the Joe Burrow stuff could hurt him.   It'd be hard to declare winning that type of trade for Tee.    My guess is some team will have to come up with a top 50 pick this year to make a trade and tag work for Tee.

Bengals would get slandered nationally basically trading Tee for that.  OK for other teams, but not Bengals.

 

[HoosierCat]

Dehner predicts that Tee is extended by the 12th.

https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/3/2/24375520/bengals-insider-tee-higgins-contract-extension-nfl-free-agency

[ArmyBengal]

Well there are teams with needs at the WR spot that could make things interesting in a draft class that is lacking the size and athleticism of Tee. While he might not be worth $30m per year, it only takes one team with a need to make that happen.

[COB]

Duke publicly stated they want to get Tee wrapped up first before they start signing/extending their other guys.  
 

1.  I get it, he’s the one player who could walk or completely screw up the team culture and mojo if he gets tagged but isn’t compliant.  
 

2. I don’t get it, I think they committed themselves to an order that was really unnecessary.  His agent can use it.  
 

3.  By saying he’s first, they have forfeited what is probably their favorite negotiating tactic - stonewalling.  Their history of not communicating and ignoring guys is well known.  From their perspective it works.  Can’t do it now that signing Tee is a prerequisite to assembling your squad for next year.  

[Stripes]

If true, it’d represent a meaningful budge in their process. That’d be welcome, and completing the tasks of this offseason will be impossible otherwise.

[ArmyBengal]

I’m kind of torn. If Chase is going to get the massive deal Tobin stupidly commented about, I would want to get that done to see how much is left for anyone else, to include Tee.

[HoosierCat]

3 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

I’m kind of torn. If Chase is going to get the massive deal Tobin stupidly commented about, I would want to get that done to see how much is left for anyone else, to include Tee.

Chase is going to get a giant SB. If you are the Bengals you are going to wait as long as possible before you give him that money because right now it’s sitting in your account earning interest. I doubt Chase is extended until August at the soonest.

[ArmyBengal]

Then there’s that…