2025 Opponents Set/Offseason Notes

[HoosierCat]

So the Stewart holdout is apparently due to the FO trying to pull something with the standard contract language.

Quote

Early in the process, the dispute centered on the amount of salary paid out as a training camp roster bonus, a source told ESPN. But as other first-round picks have signed deals across the league, that issue has subsided.

Now, however, the dispute has shifted toward contract language that appears to be materially different from deals given to Cincinnati's previous first-round picks. According to a source, the conflict stems from wording that could potentially affect the guaranteed money on the rookie deals, which would set a precedent for future Bengals contracts.

I think I've been pretty forgiving of the front office this offseason, but not here. Quit ****ing with shit that ain't broken, Katie. Let's get the first round pick on the practice field.

[ArmyBengal]

I'd rather not hear anything about contracts to be honest.
To start, I have no idea one way or another how an NFL contract is structured.
Next, if there was a team to fuck up something simple like a first round contract, I would believe it would be us.

These things should almost be copy and paste, with a percentage higher, from last year.
Maybe they never heard the saying, "Work smarter, not harder".

Fucking UGH !!  Get this done Bengals.

[HoosierCat]

26 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

These things should almost be copy and paste, with a percentage higher, from last year.

And they basically are. Been that way ever since they instituted the rookie salary system. You could say it was the main point of it all.

But every once in a while some agent feels like he has to justify his princely fee -- or some front office lawyer decides that they just have to change something that no one else thinks needs to be changed -- and we end up here in the Land of Avoidable Picayune Disputes.

[ArmyBengal]

Yep, here we are.

Hey Bengals... don't do that.

[COB]

Bengals FO seems to like these sort of squabbles.  They do it over and over.  

[HoosierCat]

30 minutes ago, COB said:

Bengals FO seems to like these sort of squabbles.  They do it over and over.  

I don't think the FO (meaning the Browns/Blackburns) has ever really bought into the idea that the NFL has developed over time into a mega-corporation with 32 subsidiaries. They still view the Bengals as family business, and no one is gonna tell them how to run their shop, dagnabit! You see the same dynamic at work in how they vote against almost everything in league meetings, even when that means a 31-1 vote. They've had to be dragged kicking and screaming into modernizing, and even after a couple decades it's still a work in progress.

[COB]

5 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

I don't think the FO (meaning the Browns/Blackburns) has ever really bought into the idea that the NFL has developed over time into a mega-corporation with 32 subsidiaries. They still view the Bengals as family business, and no one is gonna tell them how to run their shop, dagnabit! You see the same dynamic at work in how they vote against almost everything in league meetings, even when that means a 31-1 vote. They've had to be dragged kicking and screaming into modernizing, and even after a couple decades it's still a work in progress.

That about sums it up.  Mike also enjoys being an iconoclast.  

[ArmyBengal]

Switching gears for a minute.

I was thinking about the 2nd year guys and really hoping to see how an offseason in a pro weight room and their approach to the game impacts the team this year.

Many in that draft class got snaps during their rookie year, which should go a long way in their development.

Amarius Mims opens the season as the RT starter and I am still excited about him as he was inexperienced coming in.
Both Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson should be good in the DT rotation with Hill and Slayton starting, which I like.
Burton luckily finds himself in a position to make an impact this season, but he's such a dumbass that it's hard to say.
It's a shame that Erick All will miss this season because he looked solid when getting snaps last season.
From all accounts it sounds like Josh Newton is going to get first crack at the slot CB position vacated by Hilton leaving.
I'm hoping to see Tanner McLachlan get more opportunities at the TE spot with All going down for the season.
I think Cedric Johnson is just lost in the DE mix and will be lucky to see many snaps unless Trey holds out.
Daijahn Johnson is the back up to battle at the strong safety position and will get snaps for sure.
Matt Lee might have some competition at the backup center spot with the UDFA addition of Seth McLaughlin.

By and large, the 2024 draft class looks at least solid with many looking to get a good share of snaps in 2025.
Here's to hoping they got some good guidance and took advantage of the NFL strength training program.

[AMPHAR]

I think the Bengals move slow.   I believe they were proven correct in some of those 31-1 votes as well.

Pod Cast need content.  That's it.    Rookies have held out of ACTUAL TRAINING camp practices under the rookie slot system.  They don't happen often and don't last long.  Thus aren't very memorable.  As a whole TC isn't as important as it was either contributing to that.

There's been plenty of rookies miss May practices due to a graduation rule.   Its just something not to worry about until July but you aren't going to get clicks, views stating that.
 

 

 

[Saintsfan1]

I'm not a fan of the SS pick that is a classic Saints-esque pick. Saints had a problem picking these types of players because of the RAS. Though it mostly happened under Payton in the first round.

 

Hopefully, it works out. 

 

I think the Bengals need some ball hawks.

[ArmyBengal]

Yes Bengals, it’s you…

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bengals want to include a phrase that causes a default in the current year to trigger a default in all remaining years. The problem is that the contract signed by last year’s first-round pick, tackle Amarius Mims, does not not include the language that the Bengals are now attempting to insert into Stewart’s deal. And Mims was taken one spot lower in 2024 (No. 18) than Stewart was picked in 2025 (No. 17).

[WelshBengal]

Bloody hell penny pinching mother fuckers

[COB]

It is their way, now and probably forever.  Completely tone deaf.  These negotiations don’t take place in a vacuum.  The whole team, and future prospective players, see clearly that the bengals front office cares way more about winning every little contract squabble than anything else.  Mike just is compelled to demonstrate that he is the smartest guy in the room.  

[HoosierCat]

From what I’ve been able to glean, it seems this particular clause is not unknown elsewhere in the league and is used by some, but not all, teams. At a guess, it’s become an issue with the FO now because they’ve begun giving out contracts with guarantees beyond the first year. Previously they didn’t have to worry about it since that was one of their red lines.

Typically when used elsewhere, teams add a sweetener in the form of additional up-front coin in year one to get the deal done. I don’t know if the Bengals did that as well. If so, then Stewart needs to sign. If not, see WelshBengal’s comment above.

[Stripes]

What an annoying offseason. It’s just been constant irritation about something. Chase/Higgins. Trey. Hamilton County. Kind of a weird draft. Another TNF game in Baltimore. Stewart’s contract.

At least the first one is resolved. Sheesh.

[HoosierCat]

Like amphar said, one of the FO’s issues is that they’re slow. They procrastinate to begin with and when they finally decide to take action, they move at the speed of smell. That behavior is guaranteed to create one crisis after another.

[ArmyBengal]

It’s beyond irritating.

Especially since it’s completely avoidable. Stop the penny pinching and get your damned 1st round pick in practices now. Just when you think they can’t do anything dumber, they go and this. And totally NOT redeem themselves. It’s just clownish bullshit.

[AMPHAR]

Negative NFL fans are easily trolled by click bait NFL coverage.   Do an honest assessment of ALL the hot takes concerning J'mar and Tee.  All the hot takes off how bad the Bengals would be harmed by not instantly signing the contracts.   None of those were true.   Bengals aren't paying $40m more in contract value to J'mar or $8m more annually because of the market and all that other bullshit.

Your irritated over NFL business because you allow yourself to be irritated and trolled.

If you are formulating a defense or attack over the Shemar situation.  Stop.  Its not worth your time in May, June or July.

Bengals operate slow.  They like lawyering.   That doesn't necessarily conflict with winning.  They've proved it. 

Fans are actually saying they are irritated with an off season that MIGHT prove to be the biggest key to the organization winning a Superbowl.    They got to prove it on the field and none of us know if it will happen.

Shemar stepping on the field tomorrow or in October will not move Vegas line.  That's the most objective source until the football is snapped.  Then it becomes the scoreboard and win/loss record.

Bengals like to lawyer.  Agents like to leak info to media to protect their business in the public realm.   Its the same song and dance that says Higgins will get $35m a year etc.  Myles Garrett getting $40m a year.  Its a lot of bullshit. 

 

 

 

 

[COB]

Guess what, I have eyes and ears.  I can assess the bengals’ FO on my own.  I’m not getting trolled or fooled by someone’s reporting.  Also in this instance, they’ve just reported the facts.  These aren’t opinion hit pieces.  The fact is they can’t get their first round draft pick signed and it’s due to their changing of a customary term that has been in the last two first rounders contracts.  No one is trolling, the facts are getting reported.
 

The bengals are in an entertainment business.  And it’s a business in which perception becomes reality, whether we like it or not.  So the FO consistently not caring about the optics of their latest fucked up attempt to “win” every negotiation absolutely hurts the team.
 

 You put it very accurately when you said they like to lawyer.  It’s not really a verb but it truly describes their behavior.  They’re screwing up the team culture and the team dynamics.  They did it last year and they’re doing it again.  

[ArmyBengal]

I’m not irritated about what someone else thinks about the Stewart situation. I’m irritated by the fact the Bengals could have totally avoided a situation that is currently going on and gotten their first round pick they themselves noted needs to find a way to close things out when rushing the passer and get home. Cant do that watching the other players on the field. At least not in the same way.

Will that move have impact on wins or losses? Maybe, maybe not. As a fan you can’t look at the current situation and think it’s a positive. The odds that it has a negative impact on both player and team swing to the negative with every day he’s not learning the pro game with the team on the field.

Hope we can look back and it not be an issue.

[HoosierCat]

It doesn't matter what kind of company or organization you work for, it's always better when everyone is focused on doing what they are there to do, versus dealing with a bunch of internal bickering over compensation, poor management, unequal treatment or whatever.

It's hard to look at last year's 1-, 5- and 6-point losses in the first three weeks and not wonder if last year's off-field distractions had an impact. Like Army said, maybe, maybe not -- but it would be nice to eliminate that as a possibility before camp rolls around. And that's not that far off. The calendar ticks over to June this Sunday and though camp dates haven't been announced yet, it will probably start around July 28. It would be welcome to see a little urgency about tying up the off season and getting the focus back on the field.

[AMPHAR]

Eh,  its not hard to find bad football or injuries to blame for those losses either.   If you want to blame J'mar Chase hold in.  Go ahead.   Sounds like a bunch of mental gymnastics from people that are being trolled.

 

[ArmyBengal]

I'm not blaming one specific thing or another on last year's slow start.  
Or the one before that.  Or the one before that.  You get the point.

However, these are things that "could" impact those outcomes and at least in this instance, is completely avoidable.
The front office is going out of their way to change the way their first round contracts are worded.  Their doing.
Am I going to lose sleep over it or keep tabs as the off season rolls on?  Not a chance.  Just talking the piece.

With there being multiple contracts handed out in the 2nd round that are fully guaranteed, the front office has to be losing their minds in how to handle that scenario.  If I were placing bets, Knight will probably be the last 2nd round draft pick signed because of that.

No, not losing sleep over that either.  I just wish there was something else, not representing a distraction, to read about.
Oh wait, Burrow think Burton has matured over last season....  I'll take Burrow's word on that, but time will tell.
Two cent head problems typically take longer than a few months to regulate.
 

[HoosierCat]

Seems like the "Bengal need to play starters more in preseason to avoid slow starts" theory is gaining traction with Zac and the players.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-can-bengals-avoid-slow-starts-jamarr-chase-agrees-more-preseason-action-could-make-a-difference/

We'll have to see to what extent, if any, they follow through.

[HoosierCat]

Sample cleared to get back on the field.

https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/5/28/24438353/bengals-cam-sample-cleared-to-play-achilles-injury