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Antonio Bryant signs with the Bengals (1 Viewer)

Agent: Bryant, Bengals agree to deal

Wide receiver Antonio Bryant has agreed to four-year deal with Cincinnati Bengals, his agent, Patrick Brougham, told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Bryant's contract is worth $28 million, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton. With incentives, he could make as much as $29 million.

That considerably lessens the possibility that the Bengals will sign Terrell Owens.

Receiver Chad Ochocinco has been lobbying for the Bengals to sign Owens since the end of last season, when the Bengals' passing game lacked a deep threat.

"There's always been the speculation and perception out there [about coming to Cincinnati] and Chad kick-started it and lobbied to have me here as a teammate and I welcome it with open arms," Owens, who made a visit to the Bengals, told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bryant had career highs with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008 with Tampa Bay. He needed surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee during training camp last year, and was bothered by pain in the knee all season. He finished with 39 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns.

Cincinnati needs at least one proven receiver after releasing Laveranues Coles, who lasted only one season with the Bengals. Receiver Matt Jones, who was out of the NFL last season after Jacksonville released him for off-field problems, has signed a one-year deal with the Bengals.

The Bengals went 10-6 and won the AFC North last season by relying on their defense and their running game. They lost to the New York Jets in their first playoff game since 2005, struggling to move the ball.

Owens, a six-time Pro Bowl receiver, had 69 catches for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns with Dallas in 2008, and dropped off to 55 catches for 829 yards with five touchdowns last season in Buffalo.

Cincinnati's passing offense finished 26th in the league last season even though quarterback Carson Palmer was back from an elbow injury. The Bengals didn't have a reliable third-down receiver -- T.J. Houshmandzadeh left as a free agent for Seattle before last season -- and Coles failed to blend into the offense.

The Bengals also lacked a deep threat after Chris Henry got hurt. Henry later died in a fall from a truck during a domestic dispute.

Getting a receiver and a tight end are among the team's top priorities in free agency and the draft.

 
Wow, Mikey Boy actually broke open the wallet there. At that price, I'm a bit more bummed that didn't just go ahead and try to get Boldin.

But he's GOT to be better than Coles and I'm glad they've taken the pressure off of HAVING to draft a receiver with their first pick.

And I don't think this automatically precludes TO coming here, but it'll definitely be a way favorable contract for the Bengals if he does.

Overall, :)

-QG

 
Chad seems fine with it from his tweet as Bryant is also a Florida guy:

OCNN BREAKING NEWS~ Antonio Bryant signs a 4 year deal with the Cincy Bengal, congrats to the homie from the 305, DADE COUNTY FINEST

-QG

 
Finally we get a FA I can be excited about. Bryant is talented enough (IMO) to force a 1A-1B with Chad (at this stage in 85's career anyway). Big improvement here.

 
Seems like a better move than TO anyway but yeah for that price should of gone for Boldin more

 
From 2002-2009 only two 1,000-yard seasons. No double digit touchdowns.

So does that change now that he's in Cincy? Or does Esteban Ochocinco (the World's Most Interesting Footballer) get a slight bump assuming Bryant draws coverage?

 
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How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.

 
i'll be real curious to see how this contract breaks down. i can't imagine he ever sees most of that $28 million.

eta: i just looked it up -- he's only 29. how about that.

 
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BusterTBronco said:
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
Not a #1, huh? Name 32 WR in the NFL who you think are better than Antonio Bryant. I'm sure that expert consensus will have him easily in the top 25.
I could probably name 32 WR that i thik are better than him :\ but that aside i think he will help out Cincy alot
 
Ocho and Bryant going head-to-head is going to make Bengals camp a lot of fun to watch this year. Good signing... hope Bryant's knee won't become an issue, though.

 
Bryant was outstanding in 2008 for Tampa. This is exactly what the Bengals needed. With their defense and running game they should be able to make another legitimate run at the playoffs.

They'll be much more balanced and productive on offense. For fantasy purposes, I think you can probably bump Palmer, Ochocinco, and Benson because of this move.

Nice signing. :lmao:

 
I wish they'd have called me first. My dynasty team is becoming dangerously non-diversified. I have Bryant, Palmer, Ocho, Caldwell, Flacco, and Boldin.

 
Great move for Cinci as they try and keep serve with Baltimore. Clear upgrade, never had a quality WR across from him like Ocho, at least none I can recall.

 
Good move by the Bengals. They're known to take chances on guys with character concerns, and although Bryant isn't as bad as some others they've had in the past, it is a risk worth taking in my opinion. #85 is happy about it too as he reported on his Twitter feed. Palmer needs more targets. If he can recover from that thumb injury and get his confidence back, the Bengals could easily compete for the AFC North again in 2010.

 
Bryant will be the #1 & will have Chad drawing coverage. If AB stays on the straight & narrow (& he's matured greatly from his younger days), he'll put up big-time numbers (assuming his knee is ok).

The Bengals are looking good.

 
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Palmer was awful last year and Cincy was a run 1st team - I think with this signing we may see some of the old days of Palmer slinging it in 2010 - if they sign TO as well I am in....

Thoughts on Palmer based on this news?

 
Bryant's contract is worth $28 million, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton. With incentives, he could make as much as $29 million.
I found this funny for some reason.
 
Palmer was awful last year and Cincy was a run 1st team - I think with this signing we may see some of the old days of Palmer slinging it in 2010 - if they sign TO as well I am in....Thoughts on Palmer based on this news?
I think the Bengals liked grinding it out with Benson, that philosophy got them to the playoffs. But to get farther they do need to be more balanced. Bryant will help but I don't see them reverting back to the passing team they were a couple years ago.
 
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
As was discussed extensively when Burleson was signed a few days ago, even below average WR2's are making at least $5M a year on average these days.
 
Steven Holder tweet (St. Pete Times)

As astute reader points out A. Bryant's contract (4 yrs, $28M) only slighter bigger than Michael Clayton's (5 yrs, $26M). Go figure21 minutes ago via web
 
Anyone think a healthy AB can put up similar numbers to Housh? I think AB will return to his 2008 form when he is playing for a competitive team. I have no doubt that he completely hung it up last season after not getting the contract he wanted.

There was one instance on the way back from London where he said his knee felt better than it ever did until the Glazers made the team fly coach on the way back. i don't think he played the next few weeks. :rolleyes:

 
Palmer was awful last year and Cincy was a run 1st team - I think with this signing we may see some of the old days of Palmer slinging it in 2010 - if they sign TO as well I am in....Thoughts on Palmer based on this news?
As a Palmer dynasty owner, I'd love to be excited by this news. However, according to a source of F&L (posted in the dynasty ranking thread), the elbow was apparently still not right last year. I don't see what is accomplished surrounding a gimpy QB with WRs. Palmer flat out endorsed being a run first team last year, which caused me to raise an eyebrow then, but not anymore. Of course he is happy being a run-first team if he's injured... he can collect $120 million and not really need to worry about throwing.
 
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Meh, typical Bengals signing.

Bryant has more in the tank than Lav Coles did but he's still a turd that was unwelcome in four different situations already. Good luck improving on last season with more 'character guys' like Bryant Cincy.

 
Meh, typical Bengals signing.Bryant has more in the tank than Lav Coles did but he's still a turd that was unwelcome in four different situations already. Good luck improving on last season with more 'character guys' like Bryant Cincy.
Why was he unwelcome in TB? I'm pretty sure he was very welcome and did very well with them when they had a QB who could get him the ball...As an AB owner in a dynasty league, I can't think of a better place that he could've landed. Seriously. I am actually elated by this signing....
 
As an AB owner in a dynasty league, I can't think of a better place that he could've landed. Seriously. I am actually elated by this signing....
really? I like the signing just fine but I would have taken Houston, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and maybe even Denver if Marshall indeed leaves. Some of those are unlikely, but I'm not even including the highly unlikely teams like Indy, New England or Green Bay.
 
As an AB owner in a dynasty league, I can't think of a better place that he could've landed. Seriously. I am actually elated by this signing....
really? I like the signing just fine but I would have taken Houston, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and maybe even Denver if Marshall indeed leaves. Some of those are unlikely, but I'm not even including the highly unlikely teams like Indy, New England or Green Bay.
sometimes being a #2 or 1B, opposite a 1A in Chad is better than being the #1 in Miami, when you have Carson Palmer at QB. Not buying CP is damaged goods. His WRs or lackthereof caused his demise last year.
 
BusterTBronco said:
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
Not a #1, huh? Name 32 WR in the NFL who you think are better than Antonio Bryant. I'm sure that expert consensus will have him easily in the top 25.
Antonio Bryant ranked #45 in the NFL in yards/game, is tied with a whole boatload of people at #40 with 4 TDs, and caught a whopping 39 balls. There are MANY #2s on other teams that I'd take over Bryant as my #1. Here's a challenge for you: come up with ANY relevant number that puts Bryant in the top 32 in the league. There might be something fantasy related that would put him there, I'd like to see it, but I'm mostly commenting on him as an NFL player, not a FF player.As for the average free agent salary for WRs... yeah I guess Burleson proves that these guys get paid a lot. Pretty weird. I'd much rather spend that money on a top tier lineman than on a WR that's had one decent season two years ago...
 
Malabar said:
FUBAR said:
TheFanatic said:
As an AB owner in a dynasty league, I can't think of a better place that he could've landed. Seriously. I am actually elated by this signing....
really? I like the signing just fine but I would have taken Houston, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and maybe even Denver if Marshall indeed leaves. Some of those are unlikely, but I'm not even including the highly unlikely teams like Indy, New England or Green Bay.
sometimes being a #2 or 1B, opposite a 1A in Chad is better than being the #1 in Miami, when you have Carson Palmer at QB. Not buying CP is damaged goods. His WRs or lackthereof caused his demise last year.
That's where we differ. At this point I put Henne about the same as Palmer. Maybe better.
 
BusterTBronco said:
BusterTBronco said:
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
Not a #1, huh? Name 32 WR in the NFL who you think are better than Antonio Bryant. I'm sure that expert consensus will have him easily in the top 25.
Antonio Bryant ranked #45 in the NFL in yards/game, is tied with a whole boatload of people at #40 with 4 TDs, and caught a whopping 39 balls. There are MANY #2s on other teams that I'd take over Bryant as my #1. Here's a challenge for you: come up with ANY relevant number that puts Bryant in the top 32 in the league. There might be something fantasy related that would put him there, I'd like to see it, but I'm mostly commenting on him as an NFL player, not a FF player.As for the average free agent salary for WRs... yeah I guess Burleson proves that these guys get paid a lot. Pretty weird. I'd much rather spend that money on a top tier lineman than on a WR that's had one decent season two years ago...
Bryant's numbers were down last year due to injuries, inconsistent QB play, and a new coach/scheme in Tampa. With health and a quality QB for a whole season, he'll put up top 20 numbers easily.
Why so confident in this? He obviously had a great 2008, but didn't play in 2007, wasn't that good in 2006 (iirc) and was God-awful in 2009. I know he was hurt, but he also ran horrible routes and he quit on his team.
 
BusterTBronco said:
BusterTBronco said:
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
Not a #1, huh? Name 32 WR in the NFL who you think are better than Antonio Bryant. I'm sure that expert consensus will have him easily in the top 25.
Antonio Bryant ranked #45 in the NFL in yards/game, is tied with a whole boatload of people at #40 with 4 TDs, and caught a whopping 39 balls. There are MANY #2s on other teams that I'd take over Bryant as my #1. Here's a challenge for you: come up with ANY relevant number that puts Bryant in the top 32 in the league. There might be something fantasy related that would put him there, I'd like to see it, but I'm mostly commenting on him as an NFL player, not a FF player.As for the average free agent salary for WRs... yeah I guess Burleson proves that these guys get paid a lot. Pretty weird. I'd much rather spend that money on a top tier lineman than on a WR that's had one decent season two years ago...
Bryant's numbers were down last year due to injuries, inconsistent QB play, and a new coach/scheme in Tampa. With health and a quality QB for a whole season, he'll put up top 20 numbers easily.
Why so confident in this? He obviously had a great 2008, but didn't play in 2007, wasn't that good in 2006 (iirc) and was God-awful in 2009. I know he was hurt, but he also ran horrible routes and he quit on his team.
Brett Favre quit on two teams. He seemed to be fine last year.
 
AngryPatriot said:
Seems like a possible Javon Walker type signing. He couldn't stay on the field last year...
ab's injury was not nearly as devastating as javons. it sounds like it was poorly managed (think gilbert arenas) so there is a risk that he could be gimpy for his career but he should be able to come back (think a ton of athletes that have recovered from meniscus damage.)
 
For the record, I think he'll be ok-ish in Cincy but I don't know how people can ignore his track record. He burned through a whole lot of cities before he came to Tampa, then pledged he was a changed man and was ready to step up and be a leader...and then he went out and trashed the rookie franchise QB in the locker room and quit on his routes which lead to multiple interceptions and may have cost them a game. Also, people openly wondered if he was jaking the injury.

Other than that he was great.

 
There was one instance on the way back from London where he said his knee felt better than it ever did until the Glazers made the team fly coach on the way back.
How do these things get started? Real pet peeve of mine. The Bucs obviously charter a plane, as every professional team does.You really think they flew 60 players, then coaches, cheerleaders, staff, owners and bigwigs over to Europe on Southwest or something? I mean there's a time when it's ok to call them out for being cheap and not signing players, and then there's a time when you kind of sound stupid. Next rumor is the Bucs won't be feeding the players during training camp either. Bring your own sandwich.
 
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For the record, I think he'll be ok-ish in Cincy but I don't know how people can ignore his track record. He burned through a whole lot of cities before he came to Tampa, then pledged he was a changed man and was ready to step up and be a leader...and then he went out and trashed the rookie franchise QB in the locker room and quit on his routes which lead to multiple interceptions and may have cost them a game. Also, people openly wondered if he was jaking the injury.

Other than that he was great.
then ppl are idiots. he tore his meniscus and had surgery. theres simply no way to fake that. he was on the field 4 weeks later for week 1. pretty hard to recover from surgery and get in game shape in that amount of time. it should be no surprise that he had lingering issues all season.

 
BusterTBronco said:
How the heck does this guy keep getting big money? $7 million a year? He's a decent #2 but nowhere near a #1.
Not a #1, huh? Name 32 WR in the NFL who you think are better than Antonio Bryant. I'm sure that expert consensus will have him easily in the top 25.
steve smithsteve smith ( Nyg)braylonjenningsAJMossFitz boldinVjaxCrabtreeOcho y CincoGarconReggie WayneMike sims-walkerMiles AustinColstonnate burlesonMarshallharvinsidney riced. masonWelkersantana mossMegatronBoweChris Chambers ( was electric with Kc last season)Roddy Whitethats 27 WR's right there..now I could see taking either Bowe or Chambers off that list, but you're still looking at some 26 WR's who are better than Bryant.we might even be able to add Hakeem Nicks to that list..
 

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