The 2025 Free Agency Thread

[Boone]

I almost think there’s a bigger risk of not accomplishing your ultimate goal (a championship) by trying to do both (win now but only go so far). If you truly believe you are on the window, you do everything possible to improve your roster - NOW. It’s probably a given that means making moves that aren’t about longer term goals.

 

[Chris 44]

The Rams actually didn't have a first round pick for something like 6 or 7 seasons.

There are multiple ways to skin a potato. What I think is clear by the moves we made is Peters is not being reckless. They needed a starting CB, he looked at the CBs who would be available in FA this season and probably took a peak at the draft, determined they needed a guy, and went and got him.

They needed a LT, the guy in Baltimore never hit FA, he was really the only top guy available, so they went and got a guy.

Deebo is a nothing burger. It's a 5th round pick. Doesn't even register. 80% of 5th round picks play ST and are competing for their job in year 2.

The issue is Ron left us a roster devoid of starters AND depth pieces. They have to come from somewhere. They drafted 9 guys last year, all made the roster, and most contributed. I'm pretty sure they had 2 UDFAs make the team also. They get 3 or 4 to contribute from this class, and 3 or 4 from next year, that's basically best you can hope for in the draft over a 3 year span.

If you look back over the first 3 off-seasons and have drafted 16 contributors who are in years 1-3, that's a massive success no matter how you play your cards.

If we were still operating under Snyder I would be far more hesitant in pursuing Hendricks, with AP running things he isnt going to throw picks away without a plan. First couple years are rough due to the lack of talent on the roster. We are operating now with the present and the future in mind. If they believe Hendricks is a good get Im sure we will have thought out the pros and cons and still have a plan to build for the future. I am so much more willing to believe in this front office than any in the past 20 years.

 

[HTTR]

I almost think there’s a bigger risk of not accomplishing your ultimate goal (a championship) by trying to do both (win now but only go so far). If you truly believe you are on the window, you do everything possible to improve your roster - NOW. It’s probably a given that means making moves that aren’t about longer term goals.

This is the thing for me. You can’t have it both ways. And after the other trades, we are already pot committed. Might as well also make the move for the stud pass rusher that could possibly put us over the top. Yes, I know, we may end up without much to show for this year‘s draft. It’s OK though, AP will find talent, one way or another. We just had four years of empty drafts and yet look where we are. It’s not the end of the world. This window with a stud QB on a rookie contract is unique, and I am glad we are embracing the opportunity to go for it.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

If we were still operating under Snyder I would be far more hesitant in pursuing Hendricks, with AP running things he isnt going to throw picks away without a plan. First couple years are rough due to the lack of talent on the roster. We are operating now with the present and the future in mind. If they believe Hendricks is a good get Im sure we will have thought out the pros and cons and still have a plan to build for the future. I am so much more willing to believe in this front office than any in the past 20 years.

Btw, after all the "trade picks if you need to" talk I'm doing, I'm not entirely sure I'd trade a second for Hendricks. Maybe. But I'm not sure. Could they get the same production from a 2nd round pick? It would be really shocking. So, you could argue that's the reason to make the trade.

But, flip side, what is the incremental benefit of Hendricks to the defense, and is that the "final piece?" I'm not sure. Which is why I would hesitate.

 

[HTTR]

Btw, after all the "trade picks if you need to" talk I'm doing, I'm not entirely sure I'd trade a second for Hendricks. Maybe. But I'm not sure. Could they get the same production from a 2nd round pick? It would be really shocking. So, you could argue that's the reason to make the trade.

But, flip side, what is the incremental benefit of Hendricks to the defense, and is that the "final piece?" I'm not sure. Which is why I would hesitate.

I don’t know if he’s the final piece per se either. But I do know the defense as it currently stands is OK but not good enough to win a championship. That a late first or second round pick can come in and make that difference right away seems like a longshot to me.

 

[Hail Raiser]

Our "window" is not open because we signed a bunch of OYDs or traded for some aging questionable blue chippers.

Our "window" is open because we have our QB for the next 12 years. Yes, he's on a rookie deal now, which helps sign FAs and we'll be hampered in the future, but it doesn't stop you.

The 49ers went to 2 out of 3 championship games and had 7 I think guys who were the highest paid at their position and now they'll be lucky to win 6 games for a few years.

The Chiefs with an elite QB and a few others, along with a great defense have stayed good.

The Bengals and Cowboys are running a clinic on how to be a bad organization, while trying to keep their own.

Eagles have used having a ton of draft picks to load a roster and locked up their offensive studs early and for a long time.

There's several ways to build a consistent winner. I think our money people and the people around AP are smart enough to work the system. AP is still unproven to an extent. We'll see if this works.

But selling out the future to try and win a SB now, instead of trying to build a team that's always about to win a SB doesn't make sense to me.

It's baby bull stuff. I want a papa bull approach. Assuming y'all know that one.

 

[Boone]

I’m pretty sure there is a middle ground beyond the two extremes you are presenting. First of all, as you said, with a QB like Jayden we will always have a chance. Second of all, as already stated, if they give up draft picks (they already have) and WIN a Super Bowl as a result, no one will care about ‘the future’, at least not for awhile. Thirdly, Deebo is still an impact WR and serious weapon. Tunsil is a top 3 LT and will be for at least a few years. Lattimore is a very good CB and we’ll see that more clearly in 2025. Every one of those guys puts us closer to a championship caliber roster. They matter. A bigtime edge rusher would move us even closer.

Look - you either trust Adam Peters and his front office or you don’t. You trust them if they trade away more picks and you trust then if they don’t. We are fans throwing scenarios around - it doesn’t matter what we think.

 

[Hail Raiser]

it doesn’t matter what we think.

Then why do we have a message board to talk about it.

I obviously know that we have no say in what the team does, but why drop that take about people discussing their opinions?

 

[DWinzit]

The Bengals and Cowboys are running a clinic on how to be a bad organization, while trying to keep their own.

Well the Bungles continue to botch the Hendrickson situation and Dallas just traded for their future starting QB Joe Milton
And really, there are some much poorer run organizations than theirs

 

[Hail Raiser]

I’m pretty sure there is a middle ground beyond the two extremes you are presenting. First of all, as you said, with a QB like Jayden we will always have a chance. Second of all, as already stated, if they give up draft picks (they already have) and WIN a Super Bowl as a result, no one will care about ‘the future’, at least not for awhile. Thirdly, Deebo is still an impact WR and serious weapon. Tunsil is a top 3 LT and will be for at least a few years. Lattimore is a very good CB and we’ll see that more clearly in 2025. Every one of those guys puts us closer to a championship caliber roster. They matter. A bigtime edge rusher would move us even closer.

Also, I'm not taking any extreme angle to this. I'm not against trading or drafting or signing one year deals.

It just feels sort of short sighted the way that we're doing it now and personally, I don't care for it.

 

[Hail Raiser]

Well the Bungles continue to botch the Hendrickson situation and Dallas just traded for their future starting QB Joe Milton
And really, there are some much poorer run organizations than theirs

Yeah, but I was trying to focus on winning organizations. The Bengals have been in a recent SB and were talked about as the most dangerous team if they made the POs last year.

Cowboys I just really wanted to take a shot at for fun.

 

[Boone]

Then why do we have a message board to talk about it.

I obviously know that we have no say in what the team does, but why drop that take about people discussing their opinions?

I think you’re traumatized from that other place, lol. I’m not saying you shouldn’t give your opinion, that’s what we are all here for. I’m just saying that the brain trust doesn’t care what fans think or worry about. If they did, we wouldn’t be rooting for ‘the Commanders’ …

 

[Boone]

Also, I'm not taking any extreme angle to this. I'm not against trading or drafting or signing one year deals.

It just feels sort of short sighted the way that we're doing it now and personally, I don't care for it.

I don’t even know how I would feel about it if they made a trade like this. In the abstract I’m like you, I want lots of draft picks to build for the future with on the other hand, if they were super aggressive in the interest of making a Super Bowl run right now, hey - it might work.

 

[Hail Raiser]

I don’t even know how I would feel about it if they made a trade like this. In the abstract I’m like you, I want lots of draft picks to build for the future with on the other hand, if they were super aggressive in the interest of making a Super Bowl run right now, hey - it might work.

I want to be SB contenders for the next decade, not just the next two years. That's my point.

and I still miss the other place, but glad my time is free.

 

[Boone]

Well if you get to missing it too badly let me know. We can have the staff lord over you, moderate the shit out of you, and threaten to ban you if you start a redundant thread. It’ll feel just like the old homefront.

Dems jus jokes

 

[Boone]

I want to be SB contenders for the next decade, not just the next two years. That's my point.

and I still miss the other place, but glad my time is free.

That’s a reasonable desire. I guess my final comment is that it’s not necessarily ‘either/or’. ‘Win now’ doesn’t have to equate to ‘mortgaging the future’. This front office turned over 61% of the roster and almost got to the Super Bowl with a rookie QB. That is something no one thought possible: if they give up some draft picks to win now, I think they will find a way to overcome it.

 

[Hail Raiser]

That’s a reasonable desire. I guess my final comment is that it’s not necessarily ‘either/or’. ‘Win now’ doesn’t have to equate to ‘mortgaging the future’. This front office turned over 61% of the roster and almost got to the Super Bowl with a rookie QB. That is something no one thought possible: if they give up some draft picks to win now, I think they will find a way to overcome it.

That's fair, let's hope our FO really is that good and we stay good for a decade.

 

[Boone]

Well, we could struggle even with all of the perceived improvements in 2025. You just don’t know until you know. Fingers crossed.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I want to be SB contenders for the next decade, not just the next two years. That's my point.

and I still miss the other place, but glad my time is free.

If Jayden is what we think he is, and AP is who we think he is, then we really should be. We have the hardest piece. And with Tunsil, for the next 3 years probably, we have the next most important also locked up.

I'm not sweating this move either way. If we make the move, or not, I'm going to trust AP that there is a plan.

Speaking of free agency, doesn't it seem like Zadarius Smith would be an upgrade at edge? Maybe he is a guy we look to after the draft, if we don't get a heavy hitter at edge.

One last thing about Trey Hendrickson, if we don't trade for him this year, there is no reason we can't just sign him as a free agent next offseason. I'm not sure if the Bengals will have enough room to franchise him.

 

[burgold]

I've been trying to understand why Hendrickson doesn't appeal to me anymore. I've come up with a couple unfair rationalizations:

1) In game 2 of the season, Lucas and a really raw Coleman nullified him. In a tight game, Hendrickson was made a nonfactor by a professional backup and a rookie who most wanted replaced by the end of the season.

2) The Cincinatti Bengals defense has been a joke for the past several seasons. As good as Hendrickson is he is unable to lift that defense. Not even a little. This makes me wonder about players like Orakpo or Arrington who freelanced to get their stats, but were an overall detriment to their team. Now, t don't really believe that to be true and a great player can get great stats on a terrible unit and even be taken out of games completely (see Terry McLaurin), but for someone likely to become the top paid D-Lineman in NFL history I want a guy who could lift a D the way Lawrence Taylor lifted the Giants or Reggie White did. I want the someone who can lift our D the way Daniels lifted our O and over the past several years, Hendrickson hasn't done that. He's been a silver lining on one of the NFL's worst defenses.

Now, I will believe most of you when you say that adding him to our D will make a difference, but there's this part of me that asks because of the price being asked... Why didn't he make a difference with the Bengals? Why did Daniels and every other QB have a field day passing and make so few mistakes when facing his pressure? Why was every game he played in a high scoring shoot out that made it look like a seven on seven drill? I know he got a ton of sacks, but so did Fowler (obviously Fowler got fewer)

I bet that the above isn't the real issue. The real issue is that I like holding onto my draft capital and that the bird in the bush is more tempting than the bird that can be gotten for two first round picks and 35M/year.