Turn Off Ads?
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 35

Thread: Bengals tag Justin Smith

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Making sense of it all Matt700wlw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    26,537

    Bengals tag Justin Smith

    BENGALS DESIGNATE JUSTIN SMITH AS FRANCHISE PLAYER



    The Bengals today designated DE Justin Smith as the team’s franchise player, under terms of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

    The franchise tag gives Smith the option to play for Cincinnati in 2007 for a salary equal to the average of the top five defensive ends in the NFL for the previous season (2006 in this case).

    Smith is presently unsigned for 2007, and he will become an unrestricted free agent on March 2 if he does not reach a contract agreement with the Bengals prior to that date. The franchise-player designation means that the Bengals could retain Smith by matching any offer sheet he would sign from another team, and that if the Bengals declined to match a signed offer, the team signing Smith would be required to give the Bengals its first-round choices in the 2007 and 2008 NFL Drafts.

    “We are pleased to designate Justin as our franchise player,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “He has been a consistent performer and worker. This move helps us keep our core players together, and it gives us an opportunity to continue negotiating for a longer-term contract with Justin.”

    Smith has played all six of his NFL seasons with the Bengals. In 2006, he led the defensive line in tackles (110) for the fifth consecutive season, and he achieved his highest career ranking (second) in the team tackling standings. He had a 50-tackle lead over the second-place lineman (John Thornton). He ranked second on the team in sacks (7.5), and raised his career sacks total to 41.0, ranked fourth all-time on the Bengals. He also had a line-best 4 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He has started 91 consecutive games.

    “The franchise option is designed to help a team retain the rights to a top player,” said Troy Blackburn, Bengals director of business development. “The players’ union supports it because it guarantees that player a salary commensurate with what he has accomplished.”

    The Collective Bargaining Agreement permits a new agreement between Smith and the Bengals to be reached at any time prior to July 15.

  2. #2
    Raaaaaaaandy guttle11's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    4,118

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Bah.

  3. #3
    Score Early, Score Often gonelong's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    4,240

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    He's a pretty servicable lineman (In the right situation he might even be a monster), but I don't think he is worth Cincy dropping a tag on him.

    GL

  4. #4
    Member Cedric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Monroe
    Posts
    6,606

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Dumb, IMO. He is not a play maker by any stretch.
    This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.

  5. #5
    This one's for you Edd Heath's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Dayton Area
    Posts
    8,470

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Who else do they have to tag?
    Some people play baseball. Baseball plays Jay Bruce.

  6. #6
    Score Early, Score Often gonelong's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Posts
    4,240

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Quote Originally Posted by Heath View Post
    Who else do they have to tag?
    Steinbach?

  7. #7
    Making sense of it all Matt700wlw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    26,537

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    I think Steiny's gone. I hope I'm wrong.

  8. #8
    University of Cincinnati
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Clifton, OH
    Posts
    701

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Much rather have seinbach and I'd much rather use $8.6 Million to get Adalius thomas
    THE University of Cincinnati

  9. #9
    Member Redhook's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    2,546

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Quote Originally Posted by beb30 View Post
    Much rather have seinbach and I'd much rather use $8.6 Million to get Adalius thomas
    Couldn't have said it better myself.
    "....the two players I liked watching the most were Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. I was suitably entertained by their effortless skill that I didn't need them crashing into walls like a squirrel on a coke binge." - dsmith421

  10. #10
    Member Buckeye33's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Columbus OH
    Posts
    2,444

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Quote Originally Posted by Redhook View Post
    Couldn't have said it better myself.
    Ok, for all the folks that want to use that 8.6 million to get Thomas, what do you do when the Ravens tag Thomas and Smith then walks and you get nothing? Do you hope that some other player who is as good as Smith decides to sign with the Bengals?

    Because that seems to happen every year, oh wait...we get Dexter Jackson and a 400lb Sam Adams who was worth having 4 years ago.

    Smith had 82 tackles as a DE and 7.5 sacks. More tackles than Adalius Thomas, more sacks than Jared Allen and same amount as Alex Brown.

    I do not believe anyone would argue that Smith is worth 8.6 million, but the Bengals need to keep him. He is a very solid NFL DE.

  11. #11
    Kentuckian At Heart WVRed's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Mid Ohio Valley
    Posts
    8,593

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Quote Originally Posted by Buckeye33 View Post
    Ok, for all the folks that want to use that 8.6 million to get Thomas, what do you do when the Ravens tag Thomas and Smith then walks and you get nothing? Do you hope that some other player who is as good as Smith decides to sign with the Bengals?

    Because that seems to happen every year, oh wait...we get Dexter Jackson and a 400lb Sam Adams who was worth having 4 years ago.

    Smith had 82 tackles as a DE and 7.5 sacks. More tackles than Adalius Thomas, more sacks than Jared Allen and same amount as Alex Brown.

    I do not believe anyone would argue that Smith is worth 8.6 million, but the Bengals need to keep him. He is a very solid NFL DE.
    I don't have 2006's top salaries for DEs, but this is from 2005(based on cap value).

    Simeon Rice(10.7)
    Jason Taylor(7.8)
    Darren Howard(7.8)
    Adewale Ogunleye(7.6)
    Reggie Hayward(7.5)

    Last season-
    Simeon Rice(14 tackles, 2 sacks in 8 games)
    Jason Taylor(62 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles)
    Darren Howard(35 tackles, 5 sacks)
    Adewale Ogunleye(43 tackles, 6.5 sacks)
    Reggie Hayward(33 tackles, 8.5 sacks)

    Now for Justin Smith-(81 tackles, 7.5 sacks)

    What does this prove?

    All of the top 5 players are overpaid, with the exception of maybe Jason Taylor.

    I would rather have Smith than Steinbach, because at least we have somebody who can step in and replace Steiny in Whitworth. If Smith left, we would have nobody(Adalius Thomas is a pipedream) and we are going to have to worry about replacing the secondary in the draft.
    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.

  12. #12
    Kentuckian At Heart WVRed's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Mid Ohio Valley
    Posts
    8,593

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Also, for the Cardinals to have franchised Leonard Davis, it would have cost 11 million. Think Steinbach is worth that much?

    This is starting to look like a smart decision.
    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.

  13. #13
    Smooth WMR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Lexington, Kentucky
    Posts
    16,960

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    Don't agree with this move. Don't think he's worth the average of the top five at his position. That puts his salary in some elite company.

  14. #14
    Porkchop Sandwiches
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Homebase, Ohio
    Posts
    2,539

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    I think you transition Steiny and Franchise Smith. Steiny will go elsewhere and you get the extra pick to make up for Brooks. Either Smith stays and you have a one season stopgap until a draft pick can take over, or he goes and you get two comp picks, a win win. In this year's defensive FA class, it makes sense.

  15. #15
    Member Buckeye33's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2001
    Location
    Columbus OH
    Posts
    2,444

    Re: Bengals tag Justin Smith

    More than likely, Smith will either sign a new contract or he will be traded for a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick if they can not work out a new contract.

    People who think the Bengals will just be able to sign Adalius Thomas aren't thinking clearly. The Ravens would be idiotic to not franchise tag Thomas, just like the Patriots are going to tag Asante Samuel. This tag is there so teams keep their best/better players. If Thomas got onto the open market, somehow I do not believe the Bengals would outbid every other team in the NFL.

    Steinbach would have cost even more money from the tag than Smith will. Of course Smith is not worth 8.6 million per year, but the Bengals have players who can fill Steinbachs position better than they currently can fill Justin Smiths.


Turn Off Ads?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

Thank you, and most importantly, enjoy yourselves!


RedsZone.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball


Contact us: Boss | Gallen5862 | Plus Plus | Powel Crosley | RedlegJake | The Operator