(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America)
Joe Reedy has an article about TJ in today's Enquirer. I thought it was a good piece. TJ doesn't think the Bengals will put the franchise tag on him and he explains why. He feels as if the team has too many holes to tie up 10 million dollars into him for one year. And with the looming uncapped year coming up in the NFL, he may be right. With each day that goes by, TJ is going to let his feelings be known more and more.
I think TJ is a very genuine person. He works hard everyday. He takes care of his body and he is one of the smartest football players I have ever played with. When I say smart, I mean he knows everything about his team and every other team. People would be surprised at how many current players do not know anything about other players or other teams in the NFL. I can bring a name up to TJ and he will know who it is immediately. Some guys don't even know the players they are going up against on Sundays. Knowing these things doesn't necessarily make you a better player, it just says something about your football IQ. And TJ's IQ is pretty high.
Back to the article, it sounds to me like TJ knows something that we don't know. Maybe his agent has talked to the Bengals and has a feel that the team won't match his contract demands.(because that happened last year) Or maybe TJ is playing Poker with the Bengals and daring the to franchise him, knowing that if they do, it will screw up any chances for the team to be very active in free agency. Bottom line is TJ wants his shot at a big contract like everyone else and he feels that if the team won't give it to him, then let him walk. He is 32 years old and he doesn't want to be a 33yr old WR next year trying to get his deal. I can say this, he does care about the team and he has always represented the Bengals well. To my knowledge, he has never gotten in any trouble off the field and has made himself into an elite player on it. He also had a tough upbringing and never used that as an excuse to get in trouble.
My take on it is this, either the Bengals know they aren't going to franchise TJ and are just waiting to tell him, or they are letting TJ and his agent generate interest with other teams, hoping that a team or two fall in love with him enough that they would make a trade and give the Bengals a 1st or 2nd round pick in return.(Teams can accept less than a first round pick for franchised players) That way the Bengals get something out of the deal. But that is risky because TJ can sing the franchise tag as soon as the Bengals offer it and it will be a done deal, 10 million dollars on the books right now.
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