Are we the laughing stock of Free Agency?

[turningpoint]

exactly your divisional teams are stacked...while are well aren't or i guess somewhat....and our scheduale is very weak.

[HoosierCat]

And as a bonus, that 5 million dollar price for Webb's 3rd year qualifies as an example of Mikey doing something you say he never does.

Not me, pal, the bengals. You can find any number of examples -- like this : http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...270320/1081/BIZ

-- of them talking about their non-spending ways. All you need is a little help from google.

As for Webb, he wasn't a top-tier player, nor sought after by anyone else, when he signed here. And the money he would have made in the last year wouldn't have been out of line for a starting LT...had his play been of that caliber. But that goes against the whole point of these "phantom years" from the player's perspective: no, they'll never see the money, but the amounts are so big they require the team either renegotiate (earning the player another chunk of up-front cash) or cut him, allowing him to seek a new fortune elsewhere. None of that pertains to the Webb deal.

[HairOnFire]

But that goes against the whole point of these "phantom years" from the player's perspective: no, they'll never see the money, but the amounts are so big they require the team either renegotiate (earning the player another chunk of up-front cash) or cut him, allowing him to seek a new fortune elsewhere. None of that pertains to the Webb deal.

Why not? No example is going to fit the model perfectly, but Webb was cut due to the fact that his level of play couldn't justify paying him the dramatic increase in pay that came in his 3rd season. We agree on that point, right? So the real difference in our respective stances is limited to arguing over why the older player desires phantom years and fake money. I'll argue that many of them do it simply because they know better than anyone just how close to retirement they are. But let me circle around for a moment before working my way back to that point.

In the Webb example after playing two seasons for an average of 2 million per the 3rd year would have cost the Bengals 5 million bucks, a figure everyone knew he'd never pocket. Not when his signing bonus was so low that cutting him wasn't the least bit prohibitive. And renegotiating was completely out of the question, just as it will be for the Raiders with Warren Sapp and with the Seahawks in the examples of Bobby Taylor and Jamie Sharper. We both know that Sharper, as a 33 or 34 year old LB, isn't going to be in any better position to walk away with another signing bonus anymore than...Chad Brown.

Over and over again we see where older players want the fake stuff and I say they do simply because it's ego stroking. They get to ignore reality for a year or two and tell their friends, families, fellow players, and themselves that their level of play still commands big bucks AND a long term deal. But in reality they've just agreed to a contract that all but guarantees they'll soon be asked to take a pay cut or accept an outright release. In fact, just watch and see if the Seahawks don't put a bullet in the back of Bengal spurner Bobby Taylors head very soon.

[HoosierCat]

I'll argue that many of them do it simply because they know better than anyone just how close to retirement they are.

I agree -- ego plays a big role in many, if not all, of the kind of deals in which the Bengals won't involve themselves. But the deals are just as often better in and of themselves. After the Sapp fiasco last year, I watched as details of his Raiders deal dribbled out, and IIRC between the signing bonus and the first two years of the deal -- which is all Sapp will see -- the difference between Cincy and Oakland's offer was about a million bucks. But it wasn't just the phony years that were different about the deal, it was that the Raiders had guaranteed virtually everything in the first two years.

I haven't seen any details of Sharper's deal, but I'll bet you that it turns out to be a one-year gig. He can clearly still play, but got cut too late in FA to score a big deal.

[Dadraftnick]

Mike Brown has never had the money needed for a quality free agent.For 12 14(?)years even going back to plan-b not one top shelf free agent has ever landed in Cincy.This time (with Darren Sharper) it was a guy a couple of years removed from for a pro bowl that wanted to play here .Sharper didn't want that much money.If they would have cut Hardy they would have probably saved money,either way it wouldn't have wiped out the the cap.He is penny wise and pound foolish.He over pays the Rod (toast)Jones of the world but won't bite on a pro bowler.He just over paid for a WR( T. J. ) that they were ready to cut last year and that has only had one good year. And then over paid for a RB that has a 40 in the 4.7 area and has had good a year and 1/2. I think I figured out why Mike Brown does this- he will NEVER admit he is wrong. Somehow in his warped mind if he picked them they must great because he is NEVER wrong and if he didn't draft t them they cant be that good or he would have drafted them. I rember one time he said that if the Bengals would have drafted Steve Young that the Bengals would won all of those Super Bowls that the 49'ers won and how it was just bad luck that put the Bengals where they were.Mike couldn't see that HE fired the coach that had taken them to the Super Bowl.He forgot he traded away the Bengals pro bowl QB(Boomer)only later to run him off again He let the O-line go in plan B and did not replace them..He drafted a RB (KiJanna Carter)that the teams that weren't too cheap knew he had bad knees.And so on -He just dosen't have a clue

[HairOnFire]

Rod Jones? Steve Young? Ki-Jana Carter?

Hey, maybe this team should sign another veteran QB before free agency ends. Because I'm starting to think Greg Cook is dinged worse than we first thought.