Bengals will franchise AJ Green (1 Viewer)

[saint_drago]

I am a massive AJ Green fan. When healthy, he is a Top 5 WR every year. He and MT are the most savvy WRs in the league. But his injury concerns are quite real. Coach Pete was really interested to try and findout if Green basically laid down at the end of last year to not get hurt. I think he was unable to get any info on this. But at his cost, his injury history over the last few years is a huge risk. He really is a player who should only be taken on a one-year prove-it deal. But he has the creds to get top dollar. If he moves from Cincy, he has Patriot smell all over him.

A.J. is such a great player. He's been overshadowed his entire career by receivers like Megatron and Antonio Brown. Green just quietly goes about his business up in Cincinnati and not many people notice. But if you've ever had the man in fantasy and watched him each week, then you know. The guy can flat out play ball.

Having said that, this move doesn't make much sense. Ok so Burrow wants a good WR, I get that, totally understandable. But Green is no spring chicken and he's injury prone. That's a double whammy. If he was an older WR who stayed healthy or a younger WR who stayed hurt then maybe I could see it. But an older WR who stays hurt?

I will say this though, if Green does come back healthy and if he's the same player, Burrow will have a nice WR duo to throw to with Green & Boyd. Tyler Boyd has quietly and inexplicably put together back to back thousand yard seasons up there. Throw in Joe Mixon and that offense could be salty with an improved O line.

 

[TribuneUK]

This is why I'm glad we do what we do.

These players put in the work to get to free agency and then a team like the Bengals blocks their big pay-day.

You're not going to win any points in terms of getting other free agents to come in, if you treat your players like this.

The best thing they could do would be to draft Burrow and trade Green for assets. Build a young team through the draft. You'll take your lumps this season, but should be primed to finish the rebuild next season.

All it really takes is 2 really strong drafts, but that's assuming your GM knows what they are doing.

Aaaand yet it's totally fine to put a first round tender on Taysom? Feels like some double standards going on to me...

 

[Saint Spud]

Aaaand yet it's totally fine to put a first round tender on Taysom? Feels like some double standards going on to me...

Taysom is a restricted free agent and a QB who also catches passes.

Green is unrestricted and a pure WR.

There are different standards for QBs vs any other position and restricted vs unrestricted.

So, actually, it’s two double standards. It’s a quadruple standard.

 

[livefromDC]

That's fine to say that, but he hasn't played since week 12 of 2018. He has caught 1 pass since October 2018. He will be 32 when the season starts. You feel comfortable tying up cap space with a long term deal for that? If its worth 19 million to give Burrow a viable option at WR for a year, and they have plenty of cap space, then by all means. And if he proves he can stay healthy, then you look at a 2-3 year deal after the season. Green has 0 leverage. The Bengals have no need to put themselves in a bad position by giving a oft hurt aging WR a long term deal.

3 years puts him at 35. Larry Fitzgerald started last season at 35, and he is nowhere near the same guy he used to be. AND he has been durable. He has missed 8 games in 16 years. Green has missed 23 the past 2 seasons, and 33 over his 8 years - that's 26% of his career on the sideline - and he isn't getting younger. WRs not named Jerry Rice just don't age well.

He's not 35. Why are you talking about Green at 35. That's a whole 3 years away when the franchise tag is only 1 year. The fact that Brees will one day be 43 is no reason to not sign him to a one year contract this year.

 

[Meachemdat]

Taysom is a restricted free agent and a QB who also catches passes.

Green is unrestricted and a pure WR.

There are different standards for QBs vs any other position and restricted vs unrestricted.

So, actually, it’s two double standards. It’s a quadruple standard.

Key Difference there, is that they aren't stopping him from testing free agency.
They are working on a deal first, if they can't come to an understanding, then they'll let other teams set the market and the Saints have the right of first refusal.

That's a lot different than "we aren't working on a deal with you, here's the franchise tag, either play 1 year under us at average salary value, or not at all. If you get hurt, oh well."

 

[Saint Spud]

Key Difference there, is that they aren't stopping him from testing free agency.
They are working on a deal first, if they can't come to an understanding, then they'll let other teams set the market and the Saints have the right of first refusal.

That's a lot different than "we aren't working on a deal with you, here's the franchise tag, either play 1 year under us at average salary value, or not at all. If you get hurt, oh well."

Exactly.
So does that make it a quintuple standard?

 

[TribuneUK]

Taysom is a restricted free agent and a QB who also catches passes.

Green is unrestricted and a pure WR.

There are different standards for QBs vs any other position and restricted vs unrestricted.

So, actually, it’s two double standards. It’s a quadruple standard.

Haha but still hilarious that people are crying 'Free AJ Green' but they're not quite so desperate to free Taysom Hill...

Almost like they want it all their own way?

 

[TribuneUK]

Key Difference there, is that they aren't stopping him from testing free agency.
They are working on a deal first, if they can't come to an understanding, then they'll let other teams set the market and the Saints have the right of first refusal.

That's a lot different than "we aren't working on a deal with you, here's the franchise tag, either play 1 year under us at average salary value, or not at all. If you get hurt, oh well."

Well I understand your viewpoint, but I've yet to see any evidence that the Bengals haven't tried to open negotiations, so you may not be being entirely fair.

Meanwhile we are all to happy to assume the Saints are negotiating with Taysom in good confidence, but actually we don't have much evidence of that either.

Basically both teams are controlling their assets wisely, it's just that everyone's happy to slate the Bengals, because somehow they 'owe us' a crack at signing AJ Green? ?

 

[Saint Spud]

Well I understand your viewpoint, but I've yet to see any evidence that the Bengals haven't tried to open negotiations, so you may not be being entirely fair.

Meanwhile we are all to happy to assume the Saints are negotiating with Taysom in good confidence, but actually we don't have much evidence of that either.

Basically both teams are controlling their assets wisely, it's just that everyone's happy to slate the Bengals, because somehow they 'owe us' a crack at signing AJ Green? ?

Green has been asking the Bengals for a long-term deal since before this past season. They’ve refused.

Bengals' Green wants long deal 'or let me go'

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green said he's not into one-year franchise tags and wants a long-term contract when he becomes a free agent next offseason.

www.espn.com

 

[Saint Droopy]

FREE AJ!

 

[TribuneUK]

Green has been asking the Bengals for a long-term deal since before this past season. They’ve refused.

Bengals' Green wants long deal 'or let me go'

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green said he's not into one-year franchise tags and wants a long-term contract when he becomes a free agent next offseason.

www.espn.com

Thanks for the link, but his tune may well have changed since last October given the fact he hasn't suited up at all since that point.

So, let's try this with boot on the other foot, if you had AJ Green, massively injured for 23 games but still one of the game's very best if (and a very big if) he ever recovered, would you be handing him a big multi year deal? Or would you say, show me you can still play...?

 

[Saint Spud]

Thanks for the link, but his tune may well have changed since last October given the fact he hasn't suited up at all since that point.

So, let's try this with boot on the other foot, if you had AJ Green, massively injured for 23 games but still one of the game's very best if (and a very big if) he ever recovered, would you be handing him a big multi year deal? Or would you say, show me you can still play...?

I don’t think missing game time would make anyone want a long-term deal with more financial security less. I’d imagine it would have the opposite effect.

And the point is that the Bengals could have already taken care of this last year. Instead of doing something smart by getting out in front of this (which could have allowed them to use 2019 space for a large chunk of a bonus if they chose), they’ve put themselves in a corner. Again.

It’s less about what the Bengals are doing right now than it is about how mismanaged the organization is as a whole to have put themselves in this current position in the first place.

 

[TribuneUK]

I don’t think missing game time would make anyone want a long-term deal with more financial security less. I’d imagine it would have the opposite effect.

And the point is that the Bengals could have already taken care of this last year. Instead of doing something smart by getting out in front of this (which could have allowed them to use 2019 space for a large chunk of a bonus if they chose), they’ve put themselves in a corner. Again.

It’s less about what the Bengals are doing right now than it is about how mismanaged the organization is as a whole to have put themselves in this current position in the first place.

Then I think we're having two different conversations. I haven't asked you what Green thinks. My question is what you would do as the team, now, in this situation, not at some hypothetical point in the past. And to me there is no doubt the team needs to see he can still play and they have the best option to do so in the form of a guaranteed one year deal.

Again, tell me you'd sign AJ Green to a large, multi year contract *now* and I'll be interested to know why. I like the idea of not prorating the bonus by the way, if you have cao room this year, but agree the Bengals won't be inclined to do so as the risk is high if Green again can't play significant football.

 

[Optimistic Ozzy]

I'd let Green walk, trade the #1 pick for two 1st rounders, and a heap more. Then draft one of these really good WR's in the draft among other things.

 

[44slayer]

He's not 35. Why are you talking about Green at 35. That's a whole 3 years away when the franchise tag is only 1 year. The fact that Brees will one day be 43 is no reason to not sign him to a one year contract this year.

"2-3 year deal after the season. Green has 0 leverage. The Bengals have no need to put themselves in a bad position by giving a oft hurt aging WR a long term deal.

3 years puts him at 35"

32+3=35. Ive said in other posts he is 32. Ive said he is 4 months older than Dez Bryant, who will be 32. I was not talking about a 1 year franchise tag. I was talking about Green wanting a longer term deal and why Cincy has no reason to offer one.

I don't see why Cincy wont just pay the 19 million to have a proven vet around for a season, and IF he can stay healthy then you can do a 2-3 year deal.

Per Green: "I'm not into a one-year," Green said. "Give me a long-term (contract) or just let me go."