Bengals franchise Justin Smith (1 Viewer)

[Jene Bramel]

Bengals.com

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.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Smith franchised today.

 

[Donk711]

Link:Smith tagged by Bengals

The Bengals today announced they are applying a franchise tag to free agent defensive end Justin Smith.

A seven-year player, Smith will be an unrestricted free agent beginning March 2.

By using the franchise tag, the Bengals have the right to match any offer Smith would receive from another team, and if Smith were to sign with another team, the Bengals would receive draft pick compensation.

The Bengals, by using the tag, commit to paying Smith a one-year salary equal to the average of the five highest-paid defensive ends in the league

ETA: Nice find Jene - feel free to delete this one

 

[redman]

Confirmation that they're staying in the 4-3?

 

[TME]

Confirmation that they're staying in the 4-3?

There's no serious talk of them switching especially with the issues they have had in the LB investments they made the past couple years - Pollack and Thurman. That set them back from any near term 3-4 aspirations. Geathers is the closing thing they have to a 3-4 OLB, if Pollack cannot come back, but he might still need to trim down some and I have no idea if the guy can standup or not.It would take a free agent or two and some very specific player type drafting to get a decent 3-4 up to speed (similar to what Parcells did in Dallas).

 

[The Man With No Name]

I remember when he was holding out as a rookie, not wanting to sign with the lowly Bungles. He did sign on 09/08, the day before the first game, and 3 days before the terrorist attacks.

My local league had it's rookie/free agent draft on 09/01 and nobody picked him until the 8th and final round, and that owner still has him. I was convinced he was not going to sign, and then go into the 2002 draft. Oh-well.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Marvin said last week that they are fully committed to the 4-3. Franchising Smith was inevitable after that. Lot more Bengal defensive notes from that interview here.