Are we being set up?

[Winston]

I know I mentioned this in a previous thread, but I think it bears further scrutiny. In a recent Hobson piece he ended his argument against signing any big name free agents with this statement:

Here's another reason for not dropping a big-bang-one-shot deal: With the 2010 season not having a salary cap, teams may have to leave a bigger pad than usual this year because pro-rated bonuses can't be spread into future years.

As a company man, I'm sure Hobson is fed information at times, I just wonder if this message came from his notepad or someone in the Front Office? After an appauling season, a Worldwide recession, blatant weaknesses throughout the squad, and no new coaching changes, are fans being overly demanding if they expect the team to pursue and sign a high profile free agent?

Just like the IR statistics mentioned in the infamous 'themes' interview, I think Brown is using Hobson as his vehicle to prepare us for another hopeless free agent period.

[Joe from Florence]

The thing is, this would be the year to sign a big name free agent because next year if there is no salary cap they will be asking for a lot more money.
not that we will ever sign a big name free agent....why change now. Don't you know you can't build a team thru free agency?

only through the draft....hows that worked out so far?

[dr1441]

Here is what Mike Brown's offseason check list looks like:

1. Re-Sign Kyle Larson to another 7 year deal because he is cheap and is awesome.

2. Do not budge when Chad demands another trade, hey it worked last year.

3. Get ahold of the city to see if I can raise the prices on taxes so the stadium can get paid off sooner by the fans.

4. Upgrade my luxery box with the money I saved from cutting those old guys last season.

5. Look at the bottom of the barrell free agents to fill the roster.

6. Draft a QB with our first round pick because Carson was hurt last year.

7. Draft a LB'er to back up Keith Rivers with our 2nd round pick because he got hurt last year.

8. Check into having kids holding sparklers instead of the pyro's at the end of the tunnels. Pyro's cost too much and if I let the kid's hold sparklers it will look good for the community.

9. Raise the prices of tickets because we won 4 games in a row.

10. Go back in hiding until next offseason.

[fredtoast]

Last year Mike used a $8 million franchise tag to keep a player here, signed a $30 million free agent, and attempted to bring in the huge contract of Shaun Rogers. If he did that after a 7-9 season I'm sure he will do at least that much after the train wreck of '09.

[dr1441]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

Last year Mike used a $8 million franchise tag to keep a player here, signed a $30 million free agent, and attempted to bring in the huge contract of Shaun Rogers. If he did that after a 7-9 season I'm sure he will do at least that much after the train wreck of '09.

Glad to see the optomist Fred today.

[Winston]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

Last year Mike used a $8 million franchise tag to keep a player here, signed a $30 million free agent, and attempted to bring in the huge contract of Shaun Rogers. If he did that after a 7-9 season I'm sure he will do at least that much after the train wreck of '09.

That little gem kinda reminded me of another Hobson beauty:

But you have to hand it to Bengals president Mike Brown and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis: Daryl Gardener. Warren Sapp. Sam Adams. Shaun Rogers. They know what they need and they're going to keep trying to get it.

LMAO, has it come to this Fred? We have to give them credit for 'trying' to get someone signed?

[Carl Spackler]

Originally Posted by Joe from Florence

The thing is, this would be the year to sign a big name free agent because next year if there is no salary cap they will be asking for a lot more money.
not that we will ever sign a big name free agent....why change now. Don't you know you can't build a team thru free agency?

only through the draft....hows that worked out so far?

pretty good for the Steelers...

[fredtoast]

Originally Posted by Winston

LMAO, has it come to this Fred? We have to give them credit for 'trying' to get someone signed?

I am only responding to the statement that MIke doesn't even try. That obviously isn't true, okay?

[Bengals73]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

I am only responding to the statement that MIke doesn't even try. That obviously isn't true, okay?

Gotcha, Mike..err I mean Fred

[ishouldbegm]

Originally Posted by dr1441

Here is what Mike Brown's offseason check list looks like:

1. Re-Sign Kyle Larson to another 7 year deal because he is cheap and is awesome.

2. Do not budge when Chad demands another trade, hey it worked last year.

3. Get ahold of the city to see if I can raise the prices on taxes so the stadium can get paid off sooner by the fans.

4. Upgrade my luxery box with the money I saved from cutting those old guys last season.

5. Look at the bottom of the barrell free agents to fill the roster.

6. Draft a QB with our first round pick because Carson was hurt last year.

7. Draft a LB'er to back up Keith Rivers with our 2nd round pick because he got hurt last year.

8. Check into having kids holding sparklers instead of the pyro's at the end of the tunnels. Pyro's cost too much and if I let the kid's hold sparklers it will look good for the community.

9. Raise the prices of tickets because we won 4 games in a row.

10. Go back in hiding until next offseason.

I thought we won 3 games in a row but hey who is counting except the draft day gurus

[DennyG2]

Originally Posted by Winston

I know I mentioned this in a previous thread, but I think it bears further scrutiny. In a recent Hobson piece he ended his argument against signing any big name free agents with this statement:

Here's another reason for not dropping a big-bang-one-shot deal: With the 2010 season not having a salary cap, teams may have to leave a bigger pad than usual this year because pro-rated bonuses can't be spread into future years.

As a company man, I'm sure Hobson is fed information at times, I just wonder if this message came from his notepad or someone in the Front Office? After an appauling season, a Worldwide recession, blatant weaknesses throughout the squad, and no new coaching changes, are fans being overly demanding if they expect the team to pursue and sign a high profile free agent?

Just like the IR statistics mentioned in the infamous 'themes' interview, I think Brown is using Hobson as his vehicle to prepare us for another hopeless free agent period.

So to answer your question, are we being setup? I guess if we are long time Bengal fans and know how this franchise does or in this case doesn't handle their business regarding FA, the answer is no, no we are not, because we know the trend is they will do very little in FA, get use to it for all you Bengal newbies, some things won't change, this is one of them.

Winston, unfortunately over time you will get use to the Bengals ways of dealing with certain things, most of us already know and expect what we may be set up for.

[dust]

i wouldnt take too much stock in this, in the sense of it saying we wont go after any FAs. like fred said, we signed the biggest FA in club history last year, and actually made a legitimate move for shaun rogers. of course the rogers deal was nixed, and odom watched most of the season from the sideline, but i dont think we will just sit on our hands this year.

do i have a good feeling that roster moves the bengals make will work? nah, i havent seen enough to make me believe otherwise. do i think the bengals will bring in at least 1 FA with the intent of making an impact like the one they had intended for odom last year? yes i do. but like i said...how often does what we do work out for the best?

[D1time]

No we are not being set up.
We are all just a little scared.
Of that scary top ten.

[Davoider]

Originally Posted by Joe from Florence

The thing is, this would be the year to sign a big name free agent because next year if there is no salary cap they will be asking for a lot more money.
not that we will ever sign a big name free agent....why change now. Don't you know you can't build a team thru free agency?

only through the draft....hows that worked out so far?

The statement is true, your not going to build a good, consistent team through free agency. The only problem is, drafting bad players won't put you in any better shape, something the Bengals have become very good at.

Take the Steelers for example, the Rooney's run them nearly the same way. They employ a very small staff, are extremely froogle in free agency, never throwing money at anyone. The difference is very simple, they have an outline they have followed for decades and draft players that fit that, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel each season fitting your team around whatever players you happened to end up with.

The problem is not as much with how the team is run as much as it is the players they draft. Last season Zimmer signed no name free agents that fit his system, and as such the defense kept improving even with over half the roster on IR. If the Bengals actually learn to maintain this philosophy you don't need superstars.

[1whodeybrew]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

I am only responding to the statement that MIke doesn't even try. That obviously isn't true, okay?

Hey Fred....MIKE DOESN'T TRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nor.....DOES HE CARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bengal Dude]

We're being set up for the usual Bengals offseason.

[Headless Horseman]

Originally Posted by 1whodeybrew

Hey Fred....MIKE DOESN'T TRY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nor.....DOES HE CARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pwned!

[Who2Dey]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

and attempted to bring in the huge contract of Shaun Rogers.

or maybe he wanted to make us think he was trying. I'm not sure why the deal didn't go through, but there was some loophole. I find it hard to believe that Mike Brown, the lawyer that got over on the city with an iron clad contract, wasn't aware of the loophole that kept Rogers from becoming a Bengal.

[striped4war]

but ,but but,,,we signed Sam Adams,

Hobson is a tool. To be honest i was surprised we signed Odom last year along with Utecht.
I do think the wheels are turning,,just very very very slowly.

Maybe in 10 years we can actualy sign a big name FA,but by then whoever we sign will be a bust only to have Mikey say you cant build a team threw FA.

[voyager6]

Originally Posted by Who2Dey

or maybe he wanted to make us think he was trying. I'm not sure why the deal didn't go through, but there was some loophole. I find it hard to believe that Mike Brown, the lawyer that got over on the city with an iron clad contract, wasn't aware of the loophole that kept Rogers from becoming a Bengal.

It wasn't a loophole. Rodgers was due a 1 Million roster bonus the day the Bengals filed the paperwork with the NFL. Mike didn't want to pay the Roster Bonus and tried some language so Detroit would pay it, but the NFL ruled that the language violated rules and voided the trade.

The Cleveland Browns swooped in and renegotiated the roster bonus pay date, so that the trade proceeded normally.

Draw whatever conclusion on why Mike didn't want to pay the roster bonus.

[DennyG2]

Originally Posted by voyager6

It wasn't a loophole. Rodgers was due a 1 Million roster bonus the day the Bengals filed the paperwork with the NFL. Mike didn't want to pay the Roster Bonus and tried some language so Detroit would pay it, but the NFL ruled that the language violated rules and voided the trade.

The Cleveland Browns swooped in and renegotiated the roster bonus pay date, so that the trade proceeded normally.

Draw whatever conclusion on why Mike didn't want to pay the roster bonus.

You sir are very uninformed, the Lions conceeded after the deal fell that it was their mistake and not the Bengals why the deal didn't go through, the league also acknowledged that...

[striped4war]

Originally Posted by Dennyg2

You sir are very uninformed, the Lions conceeded after the deal fell that it was their mistake and not the Bengals why the deal didn't go through, the league also acknowledged that...

I also thought that mike didnt want to give the Mill to Rogers.
Thanks for the info Denny,,your word is oak

[suter51]

Originally Posted by fredtoast

Last year Mike used a $8 million franchise tag to keep a player here, signed a $30 million free agent, and attempted to bring in the huge contract of Shaun Rogers. If he did that after a 7-9 season I'm sure he will do at least that much after the train wreck of '09.

Yeah, that Shaun Rogers debacle is all the proof you need that the Bengals front office is the worst of all time. Way to blow that deal and let Rogers go to a division rival. Nice work! If that is what happens when Mike Brown tries then maybe we are better off with him not trying.

[fearthesweatervest]

Originally Posted by dr1441

Here is what Mike Brown's offseason check list looks like:

1. Re-Sign Kyle Larson to another 7 year deal because he is cheap and is awesome.

Finally someone who knows what they are talking about. The thought of losing Larson is killing me. He is my #1 Bungle. We're talking about a grown man who gets paid somewhere in the $1M per year vicinity and he regularly kicks a football 15 yards. That is physically hard to do if you are trying. Watching Larson makes me laugh everytime and he is guaranteed to put a smile on your face at least once per game. That alone is worth a new contract. Plus Mike Brown thinks he's a really nice guy.

[Tommy <3's Da Bengals]

Originally Posted by Dennyg2

So to answer your question, are we being setup? I guess if we are long time Bengal fans and know how this franchise does or in this case doesn't handle their business regarding FA, the answer is no, no we are not, because we know the trend is they will do very little in FA, get use to it for all you Bengal newbies, some things won't change, this is one of them.

Winston, unfortunately over time you will get use to the Bengals ways of dealing with certain things, most of us already know and expect what we may be set up for.

So that's a yes, we are being set up.