OTHERS..
Similar to last season, the Cincinnati Bengals must make a difficult choice with running back Joe Mixon.
This time, there’s a noteworthy deadline.
With a $8.85 million cap charge, Mixon’s deal is once again worth examining after he made a pay sacrifice to remain with the team during the previous offseason.
The date to be aware of is March 17. At that point, Mixon’s $3 million roster bonus becomes official. That date should be taken into consideration because the Bengals would save $6.1 million and incur a $2.75 million cap hit if they decide to cut Mixon.
However, the Bengals stated last year that they intended to become more explosive but ultimately chose not to in terms of performance vs. salary. Joe Burrow made the same statement regarding the role during his annual press conference this year.
In contrast to a rookie or free agent they could sign to play with Chase Brown, Mixon isn’t that good. However, there’s also an emotional component to this, since Mixon is the leader of the locker room and a holdover from the gloomy rebuilding days.
Mixon, for his part, has responded angrily to those who believe he is leaving the company. And he might be correct, particularly if the team approaches him about reworking the contract once more (remember, there’s always a chance of an extension that reduces the immediate cap).
But you should be aware of that March 17th date. The team’s strategy may change significantly if they see the market rates and/or locate a player they want. Free agency begins on March 13.
