Week 1: Bengals @ Browns

[COB]

Trey finally betting on himself and we only had to pay him 30 million to get him to do it.  What a hero.

[HoosierCat]

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

I'm fine with it. Actually I think I suggested something like this back at the start as the easiest solution: Trey gets a big bag, the Bengals aren’t on the hook beyond this year. Everyone is happy. Then Trey got on his long term security kick and I figured it was a dead option.

My only question is whether there’s a no-tag clause.

Assuming the whole additional $14m hits the cap this year, Bengals still have $13m in cap space.

[HoosierCat]

Ok, CJ says no no-tag clause. Lol. Tag would be $36m, so the Bengals can make this a two-year $66m deal if they want.

Trey and his agent remain geniuses /s

[ArmyBengal]

Only the Bengals would agree to a one year deal because they don’t want to guarantee money beyond the first year and then turn around and tag him next year. Not that I would have a problem with the overall money over two years but that would be par for the course.

[Stripes]

I’m not sure it makes much sense to me from a process perspective.

But at least the matter is closed for the next twelve minutes.

[HoosierCat]

 

[AMPHAR]

Its 120% of previous salary.   What if some of the new money is called a roster bonus?   

Edit:  Cap hit of estimated $36m would be in range of Crosby and well under TJ Watt.    Myles Garrett is the best deal this year and next but years 3 and 4 are risky for Browns. 

Supposed Bengals offer was 3 year $95.  1 year guaranteed.   

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

 Browns trade Pickett.  

[COB]

Browns are rolling the dice.  If Flacco gets hurt, they’ll be starting a rookie or pulling that sex massage guy off the couch.  That owner is possibly the worst owner in sports.

[Stripes]

I haven’t been sure how to describe it, but I think I figured out how the Hendrickson deal makes me feel.

It feels just like a Bengals game ending in a tie.

[ArmyBengal]

“So this means we are just going to go through this again next year… yeah”

Thinks every Bengals fan !!

[TJJackson]

1 hour ago, COB said:

That owner is possibly the worst owner in sports.

Nope. 

No one can compare to SoaG

[Stripes]

As much fun as it is to laugh at Mikey's moles, I think it's pretty easy to find worse owners these days (even if we attribute the actions of his daughter and son-in-law to him).

[AMPHAR]

On this board I hope we are all fighting with each other over Trey drama next year.   It simply means he had a great season again.  I hope we are all fighting over half dozen other young defenders about how to get them extended. 

Good teams have contract drama, period.   Go watch the Bulls or Cowboys documentary on Netflix.   Its constant drama because GOOD players attract attention and money. 

The only true anxiety Bengal fans should have IS IF this group will get it done in the next 3 seasons.    We have been there before with a loaded team captained by the Red Rifle and Marvin.  Choke. 

At the end of the day.  1st they told us Cincinnati would ruin Burrow.  Then when that was proven false, they told us poverty franchise couldn't keep the band together.   Well fuck them and fuck anybody that believe that BS.   The time has arrived.   If they don't get the job done then of course the Hot Take producers will move the goal posts.

 

 

 

[COB]

The Brown family will not have any more drama with Trey.  He’s gone after this year.  There is no scenario wherein they try to sign him again. 

1. Plays well this year: he’ll be in line for a multi year deal for serious $$, Fair amount of it guaranteed.  That is a non starter!

2. Doesn’t play well this year: he’s old and they don’t want him.  

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, you can (and I do, often) bitch about the FO, but there's no arguing that they took care of business this offseason, resigning Jamarr and Tee and getting Hendrickson in the fold. There were lots of talking heads who assured us back in February and March that there was no way they could do that. So yeah, fuck them.

[ArmyBengal]

I will take Mike Brown and his merry band of nitwits (from time to time) over what is happening in Cleveland ALL DAY LONG.
You could probably find some others in there equal to Mike Brown these days for sure.

Does that mean I like Mike Brown from an owner perspective?  Nope, but the Browns simply have no hope.
Being a fan of that team is like knowing you are going to spend the season kicking yourself in the nuts, but line up for it anyway.

If most Browns fans weren't such clowns about their team, I would feel bad for them.  That being said, I don't.

[HoosierCat]

Breer had a bit of detail on the deal today.

$29 million base.

$1 million more if Trey plays 60% of defensive snaps AND the team makes the playoffs.

Confirmed there is not a no-tag clause.

[HoosierCat]

Good write up on the whole affair from Dehner today.

Interesting note:

Quote

Our league sources said the Bengals offered three years and $95 million to Hendrickson, but there were no guarantees beyond the first year. The second year of the deal would only pay him $23 million with $39 million in what amounted to funny money for 2027.

Yeah I would have passed on that too.

[AMPHAR]

Bengals had 3 years $95m on the table.     So it was in the budget and they probably planned paying him $55-65m over 2 years.   I think IF he plays like the last 2 years he's tagville unless another defender steps up.    

The harder part will be if he sinks back down to 11 sacks or whatever.   Probably tagville sucking up cap room then trying to work a trade. 

Edit: From above it looks like the 2 year number was $55m neighborhood. 

[AMPHAR]

Quote

Never mind, for now, what the Bengals could have done with his $30 million in free agency and a second-round pick they could have added by dealing Hendrickson in March before this one-year band-aid. That’s another column already written on another day.

Nevermind for now or anytime.    Anybody with this mindset is a waste, adverse to actual thought.   Sure, its easy to write an article about what could have been done IF this move flops.   Dehner needs to go back and write a couple more Right Guard articles and how they invented the wheel.  

Go watch his highlights.  There are too many sack fumbles to count.  He's easily the best Bengal pass rusher in my lifetime.  

Quite frankly any team deemed a Superbowl Contender should be thrown on the same stove the Bengals Front Office constantly are because they didn't want to give up a first round pick.    All those other teams are more interested in draft picks than winning. 

[HoosierCat]

You can certainly make the argument that there were other options than, say, keeping Trey or re-signing Tee, but that would actually have been what they usually do. And the results are usually bad. Think Housh or Whit or Zeitler or Reader or Bates. The list goes on. There's a player still playing at a high level, but they decide he's too old and/or too expensive, so he goes and then they spend years and multiple draft picks and FA signings trying to fill the hole they just opened up.

I'm happy we aren't adding Higgins or Hendrickson or both to that list this year.

 

[ArmyBengal]

I'm with both of you guys on this.
Glad it's done and will leave what happens in 2026 to 2026 without playing the "what if" game.
There's simply no point in that.

I mean maybe they spend that $30 million poorly.  Maybe the draft picks they get busts out.
You can certainly what if the opposing viewpoint.  Not reason to paint the what if like that would assume success.
There's at least a 50% chance they would have fucked that up.

I'm glad this is where we find ourselves, with Chase, Tee, Gesicki, and Trey all back for 2025.
Can't forget all the pundits saying it would never happen.  Eat a dick fuckers !!