http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2726834
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I have no idea if the $ are any good, but I like taking the initiative with Geathers. He was a pearl in the pig's snout this year, for sure. Now, let Justin Smith walk.
Let's just hope he wasn't a "contract year wonder." Will he continue to improve and be motivated to become a consistently good pass rusher & player?
I sure hope so.
If I remember correctly the Bengals had him gain weight and he played both DT & DE in 2005. Last season he went back to about 260 pounds and played just DE.
Heres what Rotoworld had to say about him:
Quote:
Bengals signed DE Robert Geathers to a six-year extension worth a maximum of $33.7 million, with $14 million in the first year of the deal.
It seems like a lot of money, the Bengals rightly acknowledge that salaries will go through the roof this year with the salary cap rising. Geathers is worth it, posting 10 1/2 sacks this season. He may replace Justin Smith at right end and is one of the best in the league beating running backs to the edge in run support.
Surprised the cash is as high as it is, but glad he's back. He's a younger, faster version of Justin Smith, and I'm not knocking Smith.
Very good signing, though it probably also means showing Justin Smith the door, which I really don't have a problem with since he would command a boat load of money. If the Bengals go with an end in the 1st round (Gaines Adams by any chance?), their line isn't going to look that bad. Ofcourse, they could still use another good DT, but nevertheless, it's progress.
I like this signing. Definitely talented, but needs to get a little more disciplined so as to avoid dumb penalties. He had a couple flags where he got caught engaging in a little extracurricular activity after the whistle.
Geathers picked up most of his sacks with his motor and not his overall ability. Is that something special really? He wasn't a game changer and he didn't force other teams to scheme against him.
Sack numbers are often more a happen chance than actual over all ability. Multiple years of success would be one thing, not one year where you pick up a couple cheap one's to lift your stats.
Hopefully I am wrong here, I don't see anyone on this Dline deserving that kind of cash.
The play where he chased down Michael Vick in the open field stands out to me. Kid has freakish athletic skills. If they can harness it and focus him they might have something special. I hope they leave him at left end though instead of switching him over to right to take over for Justin. He seemed to blossom there this year. No need to make him switch position for the 3rd year in a row. Good signging though.
This is why I love non-guaranteed contracts. They now have Geathers locked into 6 one year contracts. That's beautiful.
Well, really he's pretty much guaranteed to be around for a few years. If they cut him in 2008, it would be such a large burden on the salary cap because the signing bonus which is spread out over the length of the contract would count against the cap that season.
He was a restricted free agent, so if the Bengals didn't offer a multi-year contract, seeing as how thin the defense end market is this off-season, another team would have. It was a matter of the Bengals getting the bear before the bear got the Bengals (or something like that).
The Bengals forced a good bit of the money into THIS seaons I believe.
They did the same thing last year with Palmer, signed him to a big contract and forced a large chunk of the money into the 2005 years pool.Quote:
The contract is worth $19 million in its first three years. The extension has a maximum value of $33.7 million. Geathers will earn $12.5 million in bonuses and will bank $14 million in the first year of the deal.
I guess the Bengals are making good coin if they feel they can force the bonuses into the current year so the player is cheaper against the cap in the following years?
GL
I don't see any point in signing anyone else for the defense until our new, improved coordinator is installed.
Wait, what? We're staying the course? Great.