***Official Free Agency Thread***

[Snake]

Sounds like Kirk to ATL is a strong possibility.

[Cheb]

I think Tee Higgins is making a mistake here. He's due to make $21 million this season, and he is expecting a long-term deal. I'm sorry, but the dude has never had a season with more than 7 TDs and has yet to eclipse 1100 yards. He has just two games with 100+ yards last season. Expecting a big boy contract at this juncture is wild to me, and he'd actively be leaving one of the better young QBs in the league in Joe Burrow.

He's on a prove it deal, and I think he needs to prove it before he gets the kind of extension he thinks he deserves.

The tag is a tool used to keep players hostage and offer no guarantees after the year is up. He understands that this is a business and a torn ACL here or a serious concussion there and all of that goes away.

The Bengals understand this is a business as well which is why they are holding a talented young receiver hostage and they'll gladly trade him if some team offers them good compensation.

Tee Higgins is due to be paid $21.8 million dollars for his time if he stays with the Bengals, nearly 13 times the average American lifetime income, for a single year's work. If he has two functioning braincells between his ears, he should be able to deal with the financial ramifications of injury should this season go south for him from that standpoint.

As far as the hostage thing, that's bullshit. The franchise tag is a negotiating move, agreed to by the players' union, to allow clubs to retain their top players WHILE PAYING THOSE PLAYERS VERY HANDSOMELY. And it can be a stepping stone to a larger contract, as it was here in Tampa with Chris Godwin, where we franchised him not once but twice before agreeing to a three-year deal.

Tee Higgins in a #2 receiver who has yet to prove he has the stones to be a #1. And he can choose to stay in a city that loves with him with a great young quarterback in playoff contention every year making excellent money as he and his team works on a long-term deal. Or he can get overpaid by the Panthers or some other trash franchise and have none of those things.

I think he should pick the former. I would advise any player to pick the former. The latter is where careers go to die.

[Doctor]

Sounds like Kirk to ATL is a strong possibility.

We really don't give af about Achille injuries anymore huh?

[Doctor]

[Bootz]

The tag is a tool used to keep players hostage and offer no guarantees after the year is up. He understands that this is a business and a torn ACL here or a serious concussion there and all of that goes away.

The Bengals understand this is a business as well which is why they are holding a talented young receiver hostage and they'll gladly trade him if some team offers them good compensation.

Tee Higgins is due to be paid $21.8 million dollars for his time if he stays with the Bengals, nearly 13 times the average American lifetime income, for a single year's work. If he has two functioning braincells between his ears, he should be able to deal with the financial ramifications of injury should this season go south for him from that standpoint.

As far as the hostage thing, that's bullshit. The franchise tag is a negotiating move, agreed to by the players' union, to allow clubs to retain their top players WHILE PAYING THOSE PLAYERS VERY HANDSOMELY. And it can be a stepping stone to a larger contract, as it was here in Tampa with Chris Godwin, where we franchised him not once but twice before agreeing to a three-year deal.

Tee Higgins in a #2 receiver who has yet to prove he has the stones to be a #1. And he can choose to stay in a city that loves with him with a great young quarterback in playoff contention every year making excellent money as he and his team works on a long-term deal. Or he can get overpaid by the Panthers or some other trash franchise and have none of those things.

I think he should pick the former. I would advise any player to pick the former. The latter is where careers go to die.

Cheb you know damn well NFL players aren't comparing themselves, their salaries and what they do to "average American lifetime incomes".

The Bengals reportedly haven't been in negotiations with Higgins for a full 12 months according to him and his which is why he wants a trade. So this is 1000% a hostage situation.

[Bootz]

That's gonna be a huge loss for Miami. But a major gain for Vegas.

[Doctor]

Maxx Crosby gonna feast.

[Bootz]

Fuck you Dion Dawkins

[Phantom]

Sounds like Kirk to ATL is a strong possibility.

We really don't give af about Achille injuries anymore huh?

Still think it's a smokescreen huh?

[Miller4Prez64]

Gabe Davis to Jacksonville

[Snake]

Sounds like Kirk to ATL is a strong possibility.

We really don't give af about Achille injuries anymore huh?

No. Especially not QBs.

[Backside]

I'm shocked Wilkins got away from Miami. That seems like the type of player that teams don't let get away...

[Bootz]

[Snake]

I'm shocked Wilkins got away from Miami. That seems like the type of player that teams don't let get away...

Teams like Miami aren’t looking at a three-year window. They’re trying to build a continual 7 to 10 year window. That comes with difficult decisions.

[Bootz]

I'm shocked Wilkins got away from Miami. That seems like the type of player that teams don't let get away...

They don't have money. They are $21mil over the cap and they still have to extend guys like Tua, Waddle, and Armstead.

What @Snake said also.

[Cheb]

Tee Higgins is due to be paid $21.8 million dollars for his time if he stays with the Bengals, nearly 13 times the average American lifetime income, for a single year's work. If he has two functioning braincells between his ears, he should be able to deal with the financial ramifications of injury should this season go south for him from that standpoint.

As far as the hostage thing, that's bullshit. The franchise tag is a negotiating move, agreed to by the players' union, to allow clubs to retain their top players WHILE PAYING THOSE PLAYERS VERY HANDSOMELY. And it can be a stepping stone to a larger contract, as it was here in Tampa with Chris Godwin, where we franchised him not once but twice before agreeing to a three-year deal.

Tee Higgins in a #2 receiver who has yet to prove he has the stones to be a #1. And he can choose to stay in a city that loves with him with a great young quarterback in playoff contention every year making excellent money as he and his team works on a long-term deal. Or he can get overpaid by the Panthers or some other trash franchise and have none of those things.

I think he should pick the former. I would advise any player to pick the former. The latter is where careers go to die.

Cheb you know damn well NFL players aren't comparing themselves, their salaries and what they do to "average American lifetime incomes".

The Bengals reportedly haven't been in negotiations with Higgins for a full 12 months according to him and his which is why he wants a trade. So this is 1000% a hostage situation.

Okay then, let's compare him to his peers. Tee Higgins is due to make the tenth-most money of any NFL wide receiver next season and the second-most money on his team behind Joe Burrow.

And the dude is coming off of his worst season as a professional as well as missing games due to injuries. One can think of the franchise tag as a "prove-it" deal for one year, and the Bengals are going to be giving him generational wealth for a year while asking him to show his mettle.

If the Bengals didn't like him, they wouldn't have franchised him.

I would still counsel him to play out his tag, but whatever. We will see what happens. This may be another Devin White situation, where he publicly asks for a trade and then plays for the team anyway.

[Snake]

I don’t think I liked any of them very much. I remember being anti-Justin Fields to the point where I annoyed people. I also saw chinks in the Lawrence armor.

[Buc2]

Wirfs will smash that number. Plan accordingly

He'll be closer to Andrew Thomas if he plays his cards right.

Maybe he'll be like Evan and not all about the money. Time will tell.

[Bootz]

Cheb you know damn well NFL players aren't comparing themselves, their salaries and what they do to "average American lifetime incomes".

The Bengals reportedly haven't been in negotiations with Higgins for a full 12 months according to him and his which is why he wants a trade. So this is 1000% a hostage situation.

Okay then, let's compare him to his peers. Tee Higgins is due to make the tenth-most money of any NFL wide receiver next season and the second-most money on his team behind Joe Burrow.

And the dude is coming off of his worst season as a professional as well as missing games due to injuries. One can think of the franchise tag as a "prove-it" deal for one year, and the Bengals are going to be giving him generational wealth for a year while asking him to show his mettle.

If the Bengals didn't like him, they wouldn't have franchised him.

I would still counsel him to play out his tag, but whatever. We will see what happens. This may be another Devin White situation, where he publicly asks for a trade and then plays for the team anyway.

And we see what happened with DW.

Get the security you want when you can. You and I know it's generational wealth. But you and I also know that in a multibillion dollar industry where billionaires own teams and pay millionaires that guys aren't just gonna take the 1st carrot thrown their way. Otherwise you'd see a lot more 4 year $20 million deals.

[Miller4Prez64]

Josh Jacobs going to Green Bay, wasn’t expecting that. He and Aaron Jones are a tough duo.

[Bootz]

Deals coming in hot

[Bootz]

Josh Jacobs going to Green Bay, wasn’t expecting that. He and Aaron Jones are a tough duo.

Seems they've given up on AJ Dillion

[Doctor]

Who the fuck is that TE?

[Buc2]

Who the fuck is that TE?

Colby Parkinson.

[Miller4Prez64]

Looks like we are facing Kirk Cousins twice a year.

[Bootz]

[uscbucsfan1]

Looks like we are facing Kirk Cousins twice a year.

I think the Falcons will be the media and betting favorites. I think Cousins is in the same tier as Baker, maybe higher in that tier, but not the piece I assume the media/ATL will make it out to be.

[Kona]

Cousins in Atlanta, if they can fix their pass rush they will be tough.

[Cheb]

The Falcons are going to be a tough out.

Division favorites? Maybe.

[Miller4Prez64]

This is a put up or shut up year for all those high draft pick offensive players in Atlanta. If they disappoint you can’t blame Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder anymore.

[Backside]

35 year old who tore his achilles 5 months ago. Very curious to see how it turns out.

Definitely prefer our Baker deal to this Cousins one.

[Bootz]

@Backside Exactly! Kirk Cousins continues to be the most overrated QB in football. This doesn't scare me a bit.

[Doctor]

I thought for sure Atlanta was trying to use Kirk to get the Bears to blink.

I guess eventually the bluff turned into the play when Bears didn't bite and everyone else got signed. Or maybe Raheem and Zac were not trying to play that Freeman/Goff bs again and went the Staffy route.

A healthy Kirk would have me far more worried. At least in the regular season. But then again, hey, maybe he does bounce back like nothing. It's 2024 after all.

[Doctor]

Barkley to Eagles.

[Snake]

Cousins is so much better than Justin Fields