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02-16-2009, 07:43 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3911555
The Cincinnati Bengals have used their designated franchise tag, and it's not on the player some expected.
On Monday, the team tagged kicker Shayne Graham for the 2009 season. Graham will be paid $2.483 million, the average salary of the top five kickers in the NFL from the previous season to remain in a Bengal uniform.
"Shayne has consistently performed at a high level for us, and we expect that same performance in 2009 and hopefully beyond," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement. "We'll continue to speak with Shayne and his representatives about signing a longer-term deal."
Graham ranks fourth all-time in NFL field-goal accuracy at 85.6 in nine seasons. He would be allowed to negotiate with other teams, but that club would face the unlikely scenario of giving up first-round draft choices in 2009 and 2010.
It was possible that the Bengals could tag pending free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh. But the former Pro Bowl receiver would have cost just under $10 million to keep for one season, so Cincinnati likely will let Houshmandzadeh test free agency next week.
Houshmandzadeh told ESPN's Bob Holtzman on Monday that there is a "90-something percent chance" he won't return to the Bengals.
"If they asked Carson [Palmer]'s opinion I would be back, but they didn't," Houshmandzadeh said. "Why would you give a guy 100-something million dollars and not ask his opinion?"
Houshmandzadeh said he also thinks Chad Johnson's days in Cincinnati are over.
Lewis said, "We will also continue to talk with several of our other pending free agents in an ongoing attempt to re-sign them. Some will want to test their value in the market, and we of course will look at the market for possible new players.
"But as I've said before, the best value for all sides tends to be when a team re-signs its own key free agents, and we will make every attempt to re-sign the players we consider most important for 2009."
The Cincinnati Bengals have used their designated franchise tag, and it's not on the player some expected.
On Monday, the team tagged kicker Shayne Graham for the 2009 season. Graham will be paid $2.483 million, the average salary of the top five kickers in the NFL from the previous season to remain in a Bengal uniform.
"Shayne has consistently performed at a high level for us, and we expect that same performance in 2009 and hopefully beyond," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement. "We'll continue to speak with Shayne and his representatives about signing a longer-term deal."
Graham ranks fourth all-time in NFL field-goal accuracy at 85.6 in nine seasons. He would be allowed to negotiate with other teams, but that club would face the unlikely scenario of giving up first-round draft choices in 2009 and 2010.
It was possible that the Bengals could tag pending free agent T.J. Houshmandzadeh. But the former Pro Bowl receiver would have cost just under $10 million to keep for one season, so Cincinnati likely will let Houshmandzadeh test free agency next week.
Houshmandzadeh told ESPN's Bob Holtzman on Monday that there is a "90-something percent chance" he won't return to the Bengals.
"If they asked Carson [Palmer]'s opinion I would be back, but they didn't," Houshmandzadeh said. "Why would you give a guy 100-something million dollars and not ask his opinion?"
Houshmandzadeh said he also thinks Chad Johnson's days in Cincinnati are over.
Lewis said, "We will also continue to talk with several of our other pending free agents in an ongoing attempt to re-sign them. Some will want to test their value in the market, and we of course will look at the market for possible new players.
"But as I've said before, the best value for all sides tends to be when a team re-signs its own key free agents, and we will make every attempt to re-sign the players we consider most important for 2009."
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02-16-2009, 09:15 PM
I think if TJ goes (which is the most likely senerio) CJ will mostly try to go anywhere else but cinncy. And he will try harder to get out of the organization than last season. And don't you think if the bengals lose TJ and CJ carson palmer would want to be anywhere else but the bengals. This is just my opinion, but if you think about it this is a ENORMUS problem and the likelyhood of it happening is about 40-50%.
02-17-2009, 12:52 AM
Bad move IMO by the Bengals with this franchise tag. Graham, although has done well with regular meaningless kicks, has just seemed to choke in the big moments where it really counts. And to add, who really wants to pay that kind of money for a K? I think it would be better for them to go out and sign a FA for less money and stock up some money to go after people to beef up their O-line to protect Palmer. If not that, reinforce the D-line.
Thats just my opinion on the matter though.
Thats just my opinion on the matter though.
02-23-2009, 11:13 AM
And this is the kind of thing I have come to expect as a Bengals fan. You have arguably the best receiving core in the NFL, along with one of the best QB's, and you franchise your kicker. What a freaking waste of money. You can find all kinds of kickers that can accurately make FG's. It's not everyday you have a receiving core of Johnson and Houshmanzadeh. But oh well, welcome to being a fan of the Bungles.
02-23-2009, 12:18 PM
BCF4L Wrote:And this is the kind of thing I have come to expect as a Bengals fan. You have arguably the best receiving core in the NFL, along with one of the best QB's, and you franchise your kicker. What a freaking waste of money. You can find all kinds of kickers that can accurately make FG's. It's not everyday you have a receiving core of Johnson and Houshmanzadeh. But oh well, welcome to being a fan of the Bungles.
My thoughts as well, good post
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