2023 Bengals

Probably not, but see what you have in Dax Hill. Safeties should be low on the pecking order in terms of importance to the team.
This isn't the Reds.

The Bengals expect to win championships. You don't "see what you have" in a guy if you expect to win. Especially if you can afford a proven player.


As for Dax Hill.... he couldn't get on the field as a 1st round pick in a banged up secondary. I'm guessing the Bengals know what they have in him and it ain't good enough. Maybe he'll get better but that's a stupid risk to take if you don't have to.
 
This isn't the Reds.

The Bengals expect to win championships. You don't "see what you have" in a guy if you expect to win. Especially if you can afford a proven player.


As for Dax Hill.... he couldn't get on the field as a 1st round pick in a banged up secondary. I'm guessing the Bengals know what they have in him and it ain't good enough. Maybe he'll get better but that's a stupid risk to take if you don't have to.
Bell and Bates were never banged up and he's not a CB, that's why we hardly saw him.
 
Bell and Bates were never banged up and he's not a CB, that's why we hardly saw him.
And yet by the end of the season he was playing CB.

But to your point, Hill wasn't good enough to spell either safety for more than 1 or 2 snaps a game. In an 18 game season we asked our 2 safeties to play every snap because the back up wasn't capable of giving them a break even in a blow out.

Sounds like he should certainly be starting next season....if you don't expect to win.
 
This isn't the Reds.

The Bengals expect to win championships. You don't "see what you have" in a guy if you expect to win. Especially if you can afford a proven player.


As for Dax Hill.... he couldn't get on the field as a 1st round pick in a banged up secondary. I'm guessing the Bengals know what they have in him and it ain't good enough. Maybe he'll get better but that's a stupid risk to take if you don't have to.


The Bengals expectation(s) of championship(s) is 90%+ solely because of Burrow. Yes the front office has hit on some nice draft picks the last few years (Higgins, Wilson, McPherson, Hubbard) and the decision to take Chase over the Detroit All Pro OT turned out to be correct. Also, their defense has been underrated the last couple of years.

However, is Taylor a good coach or is he just another guy who happens to have a Top 5 QB who makes the difference? Taylor’s biggest decision for 2023 could be replacing the DC if he gets the Arizona job. The front office FA oline acquisitions were average at best and little improvement from 2021.

As long as Burrow stays upright the Bengals have a chance but the AFC is a tough road to the Super Bowl.
 
This isn't the Reds.

The Bengals expect to win championships. You don't "see what you have" in a guy if you expect to win. Especially if you can afford a proven player.


As for Dax Hill.... he couldn't get on the field as a 1st round pick in a banged up secondary. I'm guessing the Bengals know what they have in him and it ain't good enough. Maybe he'll get better but that's a stupid risk to take if you don't have to.
They can't afford Bates though, that's the problem. At least not in the sense of keeping everyone else that many deem are more important (Burrow, Higgins, Chase, Wilson). Unfortunately you don't give FS top 5, hell even top 10 money on your team. You just don't.

I respect Bates for being honest. He said he would like to stay here, but he can't justify leaving $10M on the table. Fair enough. Honestly he's already one step out the door, the only prayer he comes back is if everyone else due for an extension and/or eligible for a restructure takes less money. Maybe they do, but I doubt it.
 
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Bates is a good player, not a great player. He definitely has shown the off field stuff effects his play and he flat out s not worth 14-15 million a year. I put Germaine in the same category, hate to lose them but it’s the way it goes
 
Callahan is out of the running for the Colts HC position

The Cardinals have also stated they are not announcing their new HC until after the Super Bowl, which gives the impression they will hire someone from either the Eagles or Chiefs staff.
 
Seen several different shows interview both Higgins and Chase this week. Lot of questions about keeping the gang together and to their credit they've been consistent. Tee mentioned wanting to stay in Cincinnati "for a long time." And Chase said in several interviews that Joe knows what he wants/expects with this new contract in order to keep the weapons around him. News of some key pieces of the coaching staff sticking around - we'll wait to see about Lou and the Cardinals - but all in all, pretty solid week if you're a Bengals fan.
 
Seen several different shows interview both Higgins and Chase this week. Lot of questions about keeping the gang together and to their credit they've been consistent. Tee mentioned wanting to stay in Cincinnati "for a long time." And Chase said in several interviews that Joe knows what he wants/expects with this new contract in order to keep the weapons around him. News of some key pieces of the coaching staff sticking around - we'll wait to see about Lou and the Cardinals - but all in all, pretty solid week if you're a Bengals fan.
They can definitely do it within the parameters of the cap and still keep other key players as well. The question is do they have enough cash on hand to pay the signing bonuses?
 
It certainly seems like the Cardinals must want Jonathan Gannon; otherwise they probably would have gotten on with announcing Anarumo or Kafka already, or at least it probably would have leaked like the Colts’ decision did.

It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
 
Titans released their LT today. He blew a knee out in September. Age 31, 3x time pro bowler.

Definitely worth making an offer to if he still wants to play.
 
Former Titan & UM LT Taylor Lewan does appear to want & play in 2023. Earlier this month he mentioned wanting to play for Pittsburgh if he was cut. Lewan has not played a full season in 5 years. The Bengals already have a iffy OT in Collins, I have not seen anything regarding his knee injury. Good chance Collins misses the start of the 2023 season. Maybe a Collins/Lewan combo could man one tackle spot but Lewan’s $$$ would have to be on the cheap.

 
Former Titan & UM LT Taylor Lewan does appear to want & play in 2023. Earlier this month he mentioned wanting to play for Pittsburgh if he was cut. Lewan has not played a full season in 5 years. The Bengals already have a iffy OT in Collins, I have not seen anything regarding his knee injury. Good chance Collins misses the start of the 2023 season. Maybe a Collins/Lewan combo could man one tackle spot but Lewan’s $$$ would have to be on the cheap.

I'd offer 1 year/$4M guaranteed with incentives for snaps played for another $12M.

If Williams is healthy in camp, find a trade partner and move him for a 6th round pick. Keep Carman as the backup.
 
I'd offer 1 year/$4M guaranteed with incentives for snaps played for another $12M.

If Williams is healthy in camp, find a trade partner and move him for a 6th round pick. Keep Carman as the backup.

It sounds nice but it also is putting a band aide on a cut that needs stitches if the Bengals top 3 OT’s for 2023 are Collins, Lewan & Carman.

A better backup/swing/potential starting OT is free agent Kelvin Beachum. A 33 year old, 11 year vet coming off his 9th straight year of playing over 800 snaps. Beachum is a above average pass blocker & below average run blocker….you have Burrow so passing is option #1 more times than not. Beachum’s last contract was a 2 year deal for $4 mil with the Cardinals so I would think he’d jump at a 1 year deal for far less than Lewan. Also, a great vet to have and teach Carman & a rookie OT which I assume they will draft.

For as long as Burrow is with the Bengals each year the my should draft one olineman and one skill position player in the first three rounds. If they can play, Burrow will make them better.
 
I would go all in and sign Pocic and Mcglinchey. That would cost around 22m. Cut Mixon and Collins and that would get you more than half. Draft a left tackle and move Karras to guard. They would then have an actually good oline. You could then draft BPA and even trade down to acquire more picks. Several good tackles in round 2-4 and they wouldn’t have to start this year if Jonah is healthy
 
Per PFF the projected contracts for each player:
* Browns C Eric Pocic - 3 year $21 mil w/ $11 mil guaranteed
* SF OT Mike McGlinchey - 4 year $62 mil w/ $37 mil guaranteed

That’s most $$$ Mike Brown has to come up with, he’s got a lot of guarantee $$$$$ to set aside with Burrow & possibly Higgins each getting extensions. Don’t think the will cut Collins, he is currently hurt so it would have to be a injury settlement which means more $$$ to be paid out now. Cutting Mixon means the Bengals would need two rbs as 28 year old rb Sam Perine is a free agent.

If Bengals draft a rb early I could see Mixon getting his walking papers.
 

As for where he might continue his playing career, Lewan mentioned the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles as potential fits.
 
Per PFF the projected contracts for each player:
* Browns C Eric Pocic - 3 year $21 mil w/ $11 mil guaranteed
* SF OT Mike McGlinchey - 4 year $62 mil w/ $37 mil guaranteed

That’s most $$$ Mike Brown has to come up with, he’s got a lot of guarantee $$$$$ to set aside with Burrow & possibly Higgins each getting extensions. Don’t think the will cut Collins, he is currently hurt so it would have to be a injury settlement which means more $$$ to be paid out now. Cutting Mixon means the Bengals would need two rbs as 28 year old rb Sam Perine is a free agent.

If Bengals draft a rb early I could see Mixon getting his walking papers.
Mixon will not be back on the current contract.
 
NFLPA players' survey:

BENGALS: The Bengals “ranked 27th of the 32 teams” on the report card, which “included A's for strength coaches and training staff, an F for treatment of families and an F- for food service and nutrition.” The overview included “praise” of head coach Zac Taylor and his staff, but “identified the Bengals as ‘one of three teams that do not provide dinner to their players’” and “one of two teams that do not provide vitamins … and the only team that doesn't provide supplements” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 3/1).

 
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