The 2025 Free Agency Thread

[SkinsNumberOne]

When you compare Kinlaws contract to the rest of the free agents who signed this offseason, it really isn't outlandish.

Milton Williams - 26m/yr
Jonathan Allen - 17m/yr
Tershawn Wharton - 15m/yr
Javon Hargrave - 15m/yr
Javon Kinlaw - 15m/yr
Dalvin Tomlinson - 14.5m/yr
Grady Jarrett - 14.25m/yr

He got paid the market price for a starting DT. While the other DTs who got paid in the same range objectively has done more on the field, Kinlaw has far and away the highest physical upside at 6'5 330lbs. This is a bet on his upside and Peters has said he believes he will develop into an even better player.

That's a great point, and I remember looking at that and being more content about it. I think that physical upside is key. Sometimes I look at it like, I'm a blue collar *other guy* in that locker room. Not comparing regimes, but this team HAS had some great guys in the room they didn't respect enough. Ryan Clark. Antonio Pierce. There are a few in there. Those are guys who had lower contract deals, performed, and then saw other "randos" (bigger names, but random for this team) come in and displace them, or they just didn't feel they got respected when their turn came.

I do think this team will respect their performers, absolutely, and more to the point, I think they will communicate clearly. That's the simple stuff that the previous regime was HORRIBLE at. However, if you do hand out deals that aren't consistent with the market or are head-scratchers, you are making your job harder. Your point here is really good and I appreciate your pointing out the counter (objectively more done on the field) along with the point in Kinlaw's favor. I think that can (and should and probably will be, just thinking about how communicative AP is) be done too.

 

[CommDownMan]

And lest we forget, this was our CB room Week 1 last year:
BSJ
Sanristil
Igbinoghene (I call him IggyBiggy because I cannot prounce his last name)
Davis

I completely understand why you forgot about Forbes, but he does make your point stronger.

Now you can continue to forget about Forbes.

 

[Riggo44]

I completely understand why you forgot about Forbes, but he does make your point stronger.

Now you can continue to forget about Forbes.

Who is Forbes?

 

[prodigy]

Who is Forbes?

he created a very well known business magazine, I think

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I completely understand why you forgot about Forbes, but he does make your point stronger.

Now you can continue to forget about Forbes.

It's interesting that probably the best known "play" by Forbes by Comm fans is him helping up the Bears guys after they collapsed from their blown Hail Mary coverage. He showed some great character, which is nice to have, but you gotta have the skills. For me, that play is probably the only memorable play in my head right now. Pretty bad.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

It's interesting that probably the best known "play" by Forbes by Comm fans is him helping up the Bears guys after they collapsed from their blown Hail Mary coverage. He showed some great character, which is nice to have, but you gotta have the skills. For me, that play is probably the only memorable play in my head right now. Pretty bad.

That annoyed the Hell out of me. It's easy to be a good sport after you won a thriller. It reminded me of Richard Sherman running up to Michael Crabtree after he won and tried to shake his hand, Crabtree pushed it away and wasn't having any of it. By his reaction I have no doubt the Bears player felt the same way.

The class move was to leave the guy alone after he just lost on a Hail Mary.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

That annoyed the Hell out of me. It's easy to be a good sport after you won a thriller. It reminded me of Richard Sherman running up to Michael Crabtree after he won and tried to shake his hand, Crabtree pushed it away and wasn't having any of it. By his reaction I have no doubt the Bears player felt the same way.

The class move was to leave the guy alone after he just lost on a Hail Mary.

I don't know, it's different when it's a hothead like Sherman who actually harasses you verbally, and THEN goes to shake your hand. That is vs. Forbes, who afterwards was talking about how he had let up big plays that cost games (or something to that effect) so he felt like he knew how they felt.

You may be right, and the Bears may not have been super appreciative, but they didn't appear to be upset at the time either. Crabtree/Sherman is a different animal, I think. The Bears were probably more like "Who is this dude" considering they were actually playing and not riding pine.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I also don't think the players have the same level of 'angst' as the fans on plays like that. They're looking across the line of scrimmage at a peer, not an adversary. NFL players simply don't live in a world of "hate" towards other teams anymore. Look how many former Cowboys are on our current roster.

In reality, I would imagine more bears players had a problem with their own dumbass teammate who was taunting the crowd, then ran over and broke the cardinal rule of Hail Mary defense.

 

[Bulldog]

The play of the Bears cornerback on the Noah Brown hail mary pass was one of the indelible highlights of the 2024 season for me.

The sight of him turning around and seeing what was happening is priceless.

It reminds me of Hollywood Henderson goofing in front of the cameras as John Riggins was running the ball down Dallas' throat and the Cowboys were behind on the scoreboard.

Tom Landry cut him the next day. What a guy.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I’m not saying I agree, but…

 

[HTTR]

Usually I’d be excited to listen to something like that, but the longer it goes the more I’m completely out on Hendrickson. Just can’t have everybody, and we shot our shot already as far as trading draft picks for a vet in the Tunsil trade. And I’m glad, because a pass rusher would be nice, but LT is the more important position. And with Hendrickson, he’s already on a Super Bowl contending team with a great quarterback, so it’s all about the money for him. Let’s pass on this one. There will be other star players to come available that we will covet.

 

[DWinzit]

I’m not saying I agree, but…

I think you are...

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I don't know, it's different when it's a hothead like Sherman who actually harasses you verbally, and THEN goes to shake your hand. That is vs. Forbes, who afterwards was talking about how he had let up big plays that cost games (or something to that effect) so he felt like he knew how they felt.

You may be right, and the Bears may not have been super appreciative, but they didn't appear to be upset at the time either. Crabtree/Sherman is a different animal, I think. The Bears were probably more like "Who is this dude" considering they were actually playing and not riding pine.

I'm just saying offering a handshake to an opponent after you just won a thriller is easy, it does not show class at all. The Bears guys may not have reacted like Crabtree did but they sure weren't really into it either. Class is offering a handshake to the guy who beat you, class is leaving a player who lost a heartbreaker alone.

 

[Riggo44]

I’m not saying I agree, but…

There are certain DC media types I almost instantly disagree with--these are two of the top 5. We are already lacking in draft capital because of the Lattimore, Tunsil, and Deebo trades. We cannot devote MORE resources to a 30+ player who won't be here in 5 years--or will be an albatross contract. Peters has done a tremendous job temporarily filling gaps with short term deals with aging players. I see a lot of concern about the overall age of our team, however, no one over 30 is signed past next year. It's not an issue. This is out of necessity since we have 5 or 6 draft picks left the four years preceding Peters' arrival. His two drafts have been fantastic, we need to start acquiring longer-term assets. Trading for Hendrickson would shorten the window.

 

[burgold]

Yeah, if we could pull off a player trade for Hendrickson then maybe. I'd be happy to give them say Daron Payne and either BRob or Chris Rodriguez (they probably wouldn't take it), but I'd do that deal, but I don't want to trade draft picks for him.

 

[Bulldog]

I don’t think the Bengals are a Super Bowl team with their current defense even with Hendrickson.

This is a team that to me is going to lose a lot of 41-35 games this year.

If Hendrickson was 26 the Bengals would have teams going all in on a trade.

But for a guy headed to 31?

The history of these outside rushers is they often start to miss time with injuries and declining performances at 31/32.

Who wants to commit $30M a year? It’s clear Hendrickson isn’t giving out any discounts.

Besides I am always leery of guys that come on and put up league leading numbers but don’t show that in their body of work over their careers.

Hendrickson is no Aaron Donald type defensive MVP that pulls your whole defense together.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Besides I am always leery of guys that come on and put up league leading numbers but don’t show that in their body of work over their careers.

I don't have any beef with most of your points, but this one is way off. His 17.5 sacks wasn't an outlier. He also had 17.5 the year before. He's had 13.5 or more in 4 of the last 5 years. He's a consistent producer at an extremely high level.

 

[Bulldog]

My mistake.

I have seen him play in a number of games, Cincy wasn’t on national games that often, but I never recall coming away from those games thinking Trey was a guy you build a defense around.

He puts up the stats though from the record.

 

[burgold]

I don't have any beef with most of your points, but this one is way off. His 17.5 sacks wasn't an outlier. He also had 17.5 the year before. He's had 13.5 or more in 4 of the last 5 years. He's a consistent producer at an extremely high level.

I hear ya, but I remember making an argument about Orakpo that double digit sack guys were valuable. Many disagreed, saying he accumulated stats but didn't change games. In fact, Orakpo often made the defense worse as Arrington did before him because of his freelancing. Now, 17 > 12, but you'd think that that kind of pressure would lead to all sorts of offensive mistakes and defensive stops yet Cinci has been not bad, but awful on defense and they never seem to close out a game but always lose the shoot out.

So either Hendrickson is literally the only good player on that D or he just doesn't have that knack to make the play when it matters. When the going gets tough he disappears.

 

[The Rook]

I'm just saying offering a handshake to an opponent after you just won a thriller is easy, it does not show class at all. The Bears guys may not have reacted like Crabtree did but they sure weren't really into it either. Class is offering a handshake to the guy who beat you, class is leaving a player who lost a heartbreaker alone.

Does anyone know if Forbes had a relationship with that player. Maybe they have known each other for years. This whole thing may be being "evaluated" out of context.







The Rook