DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Steinbach to hit free agency after all?

Taken from Bengals.com

SMITH TAG? Don’t be surprised if the Bengals decide to franchise defensive end Justin Smith by the Feb. 22 deadline even though it would cost them $8.6 million this year.

His agent won’t be.

“They’ve said they like him and that they want to keep him. No, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Jim Steiner said Thursday.

Smith, one of only four Bengals with at least 40 career sacks (41.5), is coming off his fifth straight season in which he led the defensive line in tackles and finished as one of the team’s top two sackers. His presence would no doubt solidify the Bengals as a 4-3 defense.

Steiner and partner Ben Dogra, formerly the big hitters for SFX Sports, have recently joined forces with former IMG heavyweights Tom Condon and Ken Kremer to form the football division of CAA. The only game Smith has missed in his career was because his rookie holdout extended into the regular-season’s first weekend, but Steiner has indicated that while there hasn’t been much dialogue the club has made it known they would like to keep the man they took with the fourth pick in the 2001 draft with a long-term contract.

If the Bengals make Smith, 27, their franchise player, they would need to tender him a one-year deal for $8.6 million, the average of the top five paid ends in the NFL. That would virtually take Smith off the free-agent market that opens March 2 because compensation is two first-round draft picks.

Steiner said Smith won’t fight the tag and the Bengals’ incentive to get a long-term deal done before July 16 is that it would take the cap hit far below $8.6 million. If no deal is done before July 16, the Bengals are frozen at $8.6 million for the season because they can’t do an extension until after the season.

“We have no choice The tag is part of the system,” Steiner said. “But Justin wants to be there and they want him there so if they did tag him there would seem to be plenty of time to get a long-term deal that I would imagine both sides would prefer.”

Tagging Smith would probably take them out of the hunt early in free agency for one of the big names.

Hmm...reading between the lines, maybe we aren't going to going to extend Steinbach? I know you all don't follow the Bengals but it's certainly a situation that I'd keep my eyes on.

I know the rumor is that the Bears are really going to make a pitch for Steinbach this year, for what it's worth. I sure wouldn't mind getting him for our team, though.

That's a great point Halfback32, I think we'll take a guard with our 2nd round pick (we don't have a 3rd rounder b/c of the Ahmad Brooks pick in the supplemental draft) but we need some decent defenders for a change. Our offense is very explosive if everyones healthy but the defense is a damn joke.

Plus OG now make almost as much $$ as left tackles. I mean you tag a OG and it will cost you.

Steinbeck and Blalock...ahhh that would be sweet

Actually Halfback, Mike Brown "used" to be frugal. Guys like Carson,Willie,Chad and Levi Jones are making top dollar at their positions....

Again, as I said in the Clement's thread, IF he doesn't break the bank....we need to get this guy!

I know what you're saying as to the Bengals having some high priced players. With the advent of Free Agency, Brown like all the other owners, has had to learn to spend some money....

What I'm saying is, if Brown feels he can do just as well, drafting a OG in the draft, as he can by spending big money to keep his own Free Agent, Brown is probably more likely to go for the draft.... Why spend the money if you think you can get similar quality, at a lower price ?

Hmm, we do have one of the highest cap rooms in the league. I think we have the $ to pursue this guy. He would really bolster our line and provide stability. But, CBS is on the shore of the lake....We may need to put in his contract to not boat under the influence

For the first time in a while, there are a few really good choices in FA at Guard,,,

There's the guy from San Diego, Kris Dielman and Stienbach.. Both are obtainable and both would be serious upgrades.

What would be sweet would be to get either both of them or one of them and get a guy in the draft... Getting both would probably be too costly but if it happened, we would have seriously improved our line,,

*I do believe we make a big push for him and Diem, but do we have enough, i really dont see Phil getting inot a bidding war, Phil is more of a here's what we can offer, we can move alittle but dont ask for the world, if ya do We'll look elsewhere, and you have a nice life...type guy..

I hope we are one of them. We need more help on the line than we can possibly fill in this draft.

He is not playing LT.


He just isn't.

Quote:

---

He is not playing LT.

---

I agree, but what about RT? ...if Tuck can't go.

Dont know how much this actually means, but for your reading pleasure...

lincoln

BENGALS TO TAG SMITH

A league source tells us that the Cincinnati Bengals plan to slap the franchise tag on defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2001, completed his rookie contract during the 2006 season, making a salary of $2.08 million. Under the franchise tag, Smith would be eligible for a one-year deal worth $8.3 million. The total becomes guaranteed if/when Smith accepts the tender.

But accepting the tender puts him under contract and compels him to attend mandatory minicamps and training camp. If he so chooses, Smith could skip all offseason activities and training camp and sign the tender on the eve of the regular season and still make $8.3 million, guaranteed.

Withholding services is the only leverage Smith has to force a long-term deal. The risk, however, is that the team will withdraw the tag after other teams looking for defensive ends address their needs.

Smith, 27, has played in all but one game during his six-year career. He bagged 7.5 sacks in 2006 and has 41.5 for his career, which equates to an average of just under seven per year.

I don't understand why the Bungals would Franchise tag Smith. They would have to pay him the salary average of the top 5 DEs in the league and Smith isn't worth it. He's not even in the top 10 for DEs. Oh well i guess thats the Bungals for ya.