Heading into free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals have some tough decisions to make at the top of their roster, from Ja'Marr Chase's extension to Tee Higgins's future and how they will move forward with Trey Hendrickson, who is entering the final year of his current contract.
Originally signed away from the New Orleans Saints in free agency, Hendrickson vastly outperformed the four-year, $60 million he initially signed, with the former third-round pick out of Florida Atlantic now hoping for a deal worth as much as $100 million.
And yet, according to Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz, it sounds like the Bengals aren't as keen on giving their star edge rusher that kind of money, with the two sides hoping to meet in the middle on a number that works for both sides moving forward to avoid having to part ways.
“Hendrickson, I believe, would sign for somewhere in the middle of 3 years – $85 – $90 million. I know he would love $100 million; it's not realistic. Cincinnati, all I'll say without giving you specific numbers is nowhere near that number,” Schultz noted.
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“In fact, I'll give you this: I don't believe Cincinnati has come over the $75 million threshold. So that tells you how far away they are, and as a result, you have to make a decision if you're the Bengals. Do you trade Trey Hendrickson, or do you simply try to find a number and go up, where really you don't want to do that knowing again that you have the receivers to deal with.”
On one hand, the difference between $75 million and $100 million over three years is a vast one, with opposing teams understandably wondering if they could swoop in and steal away the 17.5 sack superstar for a Day 2 pick – the team's rumored asking price.
While the Bengals obviously don't want that to happen if they don't have to, as allowing great players to leave the organization for no return is a big reason why the team's defense collapsed last season. If the Bengals want to keep Higgins and Chase around, they might have to trade away Hendrickson to build through the draft, but is any player on Day 2 as good as the 30-year-old from Orlando, Florida? Unlikely.