Cincinnati Bengals: Bengals Could Make More Free Agent Additions
Free agent signings and a $28 million extension for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence put the Bengals in a tight spot financially. Last week, they gave themselves some more wiggle room.
The Bengals announced last Tuesday that they restructured quarterback Joe Burrow's contract, which freed up $10 million in cap space. According to reports, the restructure spread out some of Burrow's base salary across the rest of his deal, which runs through the 2029 season.
The Bengals now have around $16.5 million in cap space, which ranks No. 19 in the NFL. This was crucial considering that they had the third-lowest amount of cap space in the NFL prior to the restructuring, according to Over the Cap.
One question going forward is how the Bengals can use the additional money. Last season, they signed tight end Noah Fant and guard Dalton Risner after June and traded for quarterback Joe Flacco in October.
Those signings, while small in dollar value (none exceeded $3 million), ended up being important. Flacco started six games in the wake of Burrow's foot injury and Jake Browning's struggles in relief. Fant led all Bengals tight ends in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and Risner started 11 games at guard.
The Bengals could make similar moves this year. The greater amount of cap space could also help the Bengals when it's time to re-sign key players next year, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.
"Not only do the Bengals need to concern themselves with additions, but they also have four key extension-eligible players who could finalize deals that require dipping into the money freed up by the Burrow restructure," Dehner Jr. wrote.
"Chief among those would be top cornerback DJ Turner, with defensive end Myles Murphy, cornerback Dax Hill and running back Chase Brown also in the conversation."
Cleveland Browns: Quarterback Competition Will Last Until At Least Training Camp
According to reports, Browns Head Coach Todd Monken wouldn't name a starting quarterback at the end of Cleveland's minicamp last Thursday.
That means Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will continue battling once Browns training camp begins later this summer.
"I would have hoped [to name a starter], but I like both of them," Monken told reporters. "I don't know what to say. It's really as simple as that. I like both of them, and we haven't had the pads on. That's the hard thing. As much as I'd love to make that decision, either by someone separating themselves upward or downward, either way, which has not occurred, and we haven't even gotten to practicing against an opponent, putting the pads on, having a controlled scrimmage or playing preseason games. ...
"I'm not there yet. That's the reality of it."
Watson and Sanders split first-team reps throughout offseason workouts.
Pittsburgh Steelers: What Does a Potential Contract Extension for Joey Porter Jr. Look Like?
Joey Porter Jr. was one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL last season, logging 14 passes defensed and an interception.
When his rookie contract expires after this season, the 2023 second-round pick might be paid like a top cornerback.
A couple of important factors are at play for what Porter Jr.'s extension could look like. One is Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie, whose four-year, $124 million deal with Los Angeles following a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs set the market price for a high-end cornerback.
The other is that there are other stars from the 2023 draft class at cornerback who could also receive massive extensions next offseason, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
"They're collectively playing a waiting game with one another here, given that the first player to sign might set the market for the others to top," Barnwell wrote.
"Between Porter, Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots, DJ Turner II of the Bengals and Devon Witherspoon of the Seahawks, there are four corners who could credibly command market-setting deals from the 2023 class alone. Gonzalez and Witherspoon are represented by the same agency, which complicates their negotiations and makes it easier to play the waiting game. They're also first-round picks, leaving them with fifth-year options in 2028."
