QB Burrow 29.3 Million and a 100% lock.

HB 3rd round draft pick. I like Mixon. I also believe he will never succeed in Zac Taylors offense at this point anymore. 2.75M dead cap hit to trade or release. Chase Brown is not a starter.

WR Chase. 9.8 M and a 100% Lock.

WR Boyd. Unsigned. I think at age 29 making 10 Million, he might agree to a 2 yr/16m deal. 50/50% he stays in stripes.

WR Higgins. Projected to make 16M a year in his next contract. I pull the trigger on it. The team does not run and just because 2023 was an off year for Tee, the man is talented.

TE 4th round draft pick. When we get to defense is where Tobin dropped the ball on Michael Mayer.

LT O. Brown. Going nowhere. 15.3M

LG. Volson. 1.2M Nobody is perfect. He has some solid games that outweigh giving him 1 more year.

C There is options in free agency. Nick Harris and Matt Hennessey {injured this year} could be available. I have no problem with Karras at 31 years old. He simply makes too much. 7.4M to keep. 1M to release.

RG Cappa. This contract screams restructure. 9.3M 2024 and 10.25M 2025. Probably the most consistent lineman. I don’t want to put him in the release category. 4.5M dead cap if the Bengals do.

RT 1st round draft pick. Jonah {unsigned playing on a 15M 5th year option} doesn’t want to be a LT. Jonah most likely also does not want to be a Bengal anymore. Let him go give up sacks for another team.

LE Murphy. 2.9M. Here is where Tobin dropped the ball. You have local boy made good Hubbard with 2 years remaining after this year. 21 Millon and 4.5 dead cap and you draft a DE with the 1st round pick ? He is not going to the other side as Hendrickson was extended. They can’t move him to LB because Wilson and Pratt are the starters. I hate to say it, but Hubbard is just not having a good year, but still young enough and talented enough that a team will take him off the Bengals hands. Murphy will most likely never get the respect from Bengal fans because he replaced a local hero.

Thanks, Duke, for making this the hardest decision I made in the post.

RE Hendrickson 20.1M. 100% lock

DT B.J. Hill 10.8M 1 year left on his deal. Going nowhere

DT 2nd round draft Pick. Reader is as good as gone if he still wants 18+million a year. Thanks for the memories.

OLB Logan Wilson. 7.1M. 100% lock

OLB ADG, Unsigned**.** Could be looking for anywhere between 3.5-5M a year. I say do it as Hubbard or Murphy is not an option due to their size.

CB Hilton. 7.4M. 100% lock, but I would move on after 2024.

CB CTB 1.6M. CB Turner 1.4M and FS Hill 3.2M. This is your core of the secondary moving forward. All will be getting a nice 2nd contract down the road.

SS Battle 1.2M and the easiest decision in the world. Nick Scott is scheduled to make 9.6 Million dollars in 2024 and 2025 with only a 2M dead cap cut.

K McPhearson. 1.1M last year. We know that number will jump to 4.5-5M a year.

P. Free agency. Sorry Robbins. 1 and done.

Counting in Boyd, Higgins and ADG signing means that is about 168M on the cap for starters. Mixon, Karras, Hubbard and Scott would count 10.2M in dead money. Say 12M for the rookies and That is 190M of a projected 265 Million 2024 salary cap and about 32 players in leaving the Bengals about 75M for 19 backups as only the Top 51 count. Since Mikey holds back 10-15M, lets say 60M for 19 backups and can easily be done. I would bring back Irwin for 1 more year regardless.

Yes, I am asking for the top 4 draft picks in 2024 to start and only 2 free agents at the center and punter. Picks 5-7 would be a Corner to replace Hilton by 2025 or 2026 latest, as well as another DT because Tupou and Tufele are better off on the bench and another safety to back up Battle.

Mid level FA’s that I could see getting a contract: OL, LB, DE. Punters are a dime a dozen. They can get someone halfway decent for 1M.

Oh yeah, for the love of God, do something with Ossai. 15 snaps a game and 4 games DNP is ridiculous for a guy with that kind of speed and a rush defense that is next level horrible.

So that is it. Love it. Hate it. That is your prerogative. I doubt I will read replies anytime soon and bookmark to see how close I came come June 2024. You have to keep in mind it has been decades since I had a favorite Bengal which was Fulcher, so it is easy for me not to have personal feelings on who goes. If they wear NFL Bengals stripes on Sunday, I root for him. Again, I like Mixon. I like Hubbard but it is time for both to move on and makes it a lot easier for the Bengal’s to get Tee in house. This team will get to the playoffs because of the offense.

I would rather see Tee Higgins signed for 5 years instead of picking up broken Allen Robinson on his by my guess, 6th or 7th team and then find another guy the following year. That did not work out with Tight ends… did it this time ?

It wasn’t supposed to be this way thinking about this in December, but for all the hope and faith on the next 6 gamedays we can have, the reality is this team is going to have a Mount Everest climb to get to the 2023 playoffs. Never say never, but it just isn’t looking good.

Go Bengals.

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