Bengals OL Ted Karras laments the end of the Bengals' deep playoff run in 2022, which precedes an offseason where Cincinnati has several decisions to make with pending free agents on the roster.
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Key excerpt:
The Bengals do, indeed, have a host of free agents, several of whom will move on with Cincy already sporting youngsters in line to move up and having to budget for future extensions for the likes of
Joe Burrow,
Tee Higgins, and, down the road,
Ja'Marr Chase.
Cincinnati's free agent list includes safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, corners Eli Apple and Tre Flowers, tight ends Hayden Hurst and Drew Sample, and linebacker Germaine Pratt, among others. Then there are questions about other contracts, like Joe Mixon, who is set to count $12.79 million against the salary cap in 2023. Will Cincy make more changes along the offensive line yet again?
Bates spent the 2022 season on the franchise tag and is expected to part with the organization, which drafted
Dax Hill in the first round to take his place in the defense ultimately.
"I want to be here," Bates said Monday. "Unfortunately, this business, there's different scenarios where I'm not in a situation where I can leave $10 million on the table and be OK with that. It wouldn't be fair to myself, my family, my legacy."
Apple can
We need to keep Hurst, Pratt, and Bell. I wouldn't be surprised if Bates leaves for somewhere more lucrative, and we're prepared for that with the drafting of Hill. Will be interesting what happens with Mixon this year.
Eagles struggled for that win.
