is a guy that you and I both noticed early in his career.
Just watch those Bengals games and he jumps off the screen.
You're always looking for guys, who jump off the screen,
Jesse Bates does
he's franchise tagged.
He hasn't signed his tender. That's his right.
This is a game that the teams played to keep you from
the open market. The Bengals. Apply the franchise tag to
short-circuit, the ability of Jesse Bates to become
an unrestricted free agent. He has
the right to not sign the tender. He reportedly
will Not or he has no plans. We know how plans can change has
no plans to sign the franchise tag. He wants a long-term deal
and he can stay away from everything. He's not under
contract. He's no more under contract right now with
the Bengals and Chris or me. He can
stay away from mandatory minicamp.
Obviously the offseason program is voluntary. Why would you be
there? You're not under contract, training camp
preseason. He can show up right before the start of the regular
season and get his full pay, or he can sit out. I don't know
why you would sit out. Le'Veon Bell,
tried that a few years ago with
It's Berg. No, but
you know the last time we heard this year,
a guy had no plans to sign the franchise tag. That was Davante
Adams and he ended up getting traded. So I don't know what
the Bengals are going to do here. I'm interested to see
where it goes to. I mean you said it right? He's a hell of
a player. I mean, he's fun
to watch. He's Kamikaze at times the way. He just throws
his body around hits people. Here's the big picks the pick
to start the playoff game, has no business being there. I was
just totally his instincts reading Ryan Tannehill.
He'll doing it. Super Bowl interception, cover down
the field. Tackles an amazingly quarterback of the defense.
But yeah, I don't get it. Like what what is what is taking so
long? What how much money is he asking for? I just I haven't
heard rumors of that
of that nature to really know or get a feel as he priced
himself out. But man to me, he is one of the better safeties
in football needs to be kind of paid in that type of
conversation.
The other interesting wrinkle
like we talked about with the
The mic is the guy they drafted from Michigan Dax Hill, Daxton
Hill, man.
They're like the same guy.
They really are so it does. Does I do have points where
I go in and are they? Like if this doesn't work, but they
maybe just put Dax Hill at his position. And maybe trade,
Jesse Bates, do something there and I have wondered that has
crossed my mind
Jamal, Adams the highest-paid safety right now, in the NFL
with an average salary of 17 and a half million. Jesse Bates
is due to make twelve point nine million. This year under
the franchise tag, and if he was jostling to get traded
it would have been better to have this come to a head before
the draft like Davante Adams and you get draft picks. Now if
you're the Bengals, but you know, the Bengals have a long
history of using the franchise tag on a guy, keeping him for
a year and then let him walk away not using the tag on him
a second time and you know Bates probably wants something more
certain something more secure in. The problem is and this is
where the Bengals business.
It makes it very hard to sign
a franchise tag player to a long-term contract. If you're
not going to guarantee money beyond the first year.
Well, I'm just going to take my 12.9. It's already guaranteed.
You got to give me something that gets me to trade in what
I already have. I already have twelve point nine million fully
guaranteed so you can offer me a deal with with 20 million
fully guaranteed and no guarantee beyond that year
Beyond this year.
No, security Beyond this year. I'll see you know. No, are you
going to offer me something, you know, a long-term deal.
That pays me 13 this year
and then it becomes year to year after that. No, I'll just
take the 12:9. I'll just take the 12:9 and I'll become a free
agent next year. I know. So, no, he didn't have his best
year last year. Are they holding that against them?
I don't know. He came alive really at the end of the year
in the playoffs. He wasn't as good but like I let go. What
you, like you said, Jamal Adams is 17 million, herons Harrison
Schmitt. That's 16,
you know Buddha Bakery.
14-7 Justin's to me. He's in that class of people Eddie
Jackson getting 14.6. I've got respect for all these guys to
me. Jesse Bates is better than Eddie Jackson at this point of
his career
and is better than Harrison Smith. Really at this point of
his career. That's no disrespect. I really love
Harrison Smith, but that's where I'm a little surprised
and I got to think. Yeah, that something's not being offered
up to him the right way there by Cincinnati.
Here's the problem for the Bengals.
They now have a special team.
It costs money to maintain a special team
and the Owls are notoriously and historically
extremely careful
with their money. That is a tactful way of saying it can be
a little, on the cheap side. So you're gonna have to let some
guys go, the drafting of Daxton Hill,
maybe everything that we need to know.
I know, I know that's not ideal one. And if they see if they
see enough from Daxton Hill, don't rule out the possibility
of rescinding, the franchise tender
on,
Jesse Bates. And then he's a free agent far too late to go
out and get a big Contract with someone else. That's
a possibility as well. It's only happened. Three times in
the last 20 years,
but it could happen until he signs that tender.
He's at risk of having the tender resend it, and if they
believe in Daxton Hill, maybe they say we move on from Jesse,
Bates. Will see how that plays.