Hey we're in the Post Season, so lets talk about this Off Season:)

Here's a list of the Bengals 2012 Free Agents and what I would do, if I was playing GM:).

1. Reggie Nelson, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $1.6M and I think you could bring him back for about the same, maybe a slight raise up to $2M. + $400,00

2. Bobbie Williams, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $2.6M and I think you could bring him back for slightly less, I'd offer him 2 years $3.6M, which would be around $1.8M a year and you would save $800,000/year on the cap. - $800,000

3. Cedric Benson, Let him walk, he is currently making $3M this year. A rookie drafted in one of the top 3 rounds would save us a ton of money with the new CBA in place, and would probably also be an upgrade at the position. - $3M

4. Jerome Simpson, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $926,000 and I think you could bring him back for about $1 million a year, which would be a aise but would not break the bank. +$74,000/year (this signing is pending on legal issues

5. Manny Lawson, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $3M this year and I think you could bring him back for about the same on a multiple year deal (3 years), and would have no cap adjustment. =

6. Frostee Rucker, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $1.25M and I think you could bring 2im back for about $2M a year (3 year deal), which would be about $750,000 raise. + $750,000/year

7. Andre Caldwell, Let him walk, he's only making $555,000 and is still pretty cheap but at this point he's just taking up a roster spot. - $555,000

8. Pat Sims, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $1.4M and I think you could bring him back for about $3M a year, which would be a $1.6M raise. + $1.6M

9. Mike McGlynn, I'd try to resign him, he is currently making around $675,000 a year. I think you probably need to get him to about $1M a year for him to stay, which would be about a $325,000 raise. + $325,000

10. Anthony Collins, I'd try to resign him, he's currently making $675,000 a year. I think you probably need to get him to about $1.5m a year for him to stay, which would be about a $825,000 raise. + $825,000

11. Brandon Johnson, I'd try to resign him, he's currently making $1.75M a year. I think you are going to need to get him to around $2.75M to keep him around, which would be a $1M raise. + $1M

12. Adam Jones, Even after his melt down against the Texans, I'd try to resign him. He's currently making around $640,000 this year, so your are going to have to up his salary, I think you probably need to get to around $2M a year to keep him, which would be a $1.6M raise. + $1.6M

13 Donald Lee, I'd let him walk he's making an undisclosed amount of money but he's a veteran whose been around for a while so I would estimate that he's making around $1.5M. - $1.5M

14. Gibril Wilson, I'd let him walk he's making an undisclosed amount of money but he's a veteran whose been around a while so I would estimate that he's making around $1.5M. - $1.5M

15. Mike Nugent, I'd try to resign him, he's currently making around $640,000 and I think we could bring him back for around $1M, which would be a $360,000 raise. + $360,000

16. Johnathon Fanene, I'd been convinced to try and resign him. He's making an undisclosed amount of money but he's a veteran whose been around a while so I would estimate that he's making around $2.5 and I'd try to keep him around that number just for multiple years (2-3 year deal), which should have no cap adjustment. =

17. Dennis Roland, I'd let him walk he's making an undisclosed amount of money I would estimate that it's around $600,000. - $600,000

18. Kelly Jennings, I'd let him walk, he is currently making $1.85M and we could bring in a way better corner through the draft. - $1.85M

19. Nate Livings, I'd let him walk he's making an undisclosed amount of money and I would estimate that it's around $600,000. - $600,000

When you break it down we are going to be adding about 9 million dollars annually to the salary cap just by doing what I believe it will take to retain our own guys ( at least the guys I want us to keep). Now having said that, we will also be trimming about 12 million off the books by letting the other guys (the ones I don't want us to keep) walk in free agency. (keep in mind this does not include the money it will take to replace the guys we let walk but with the new CBA and all of our draft pick this should still be a doable proposition).

Note: Chris Crocker is due make about $1.75 million next year, Keith Rivers is due to make about 2.2 million dollars next year and Brandon Tate is due make an undisclosed amount of money next year. All these guys can be cut if necessary, which would free up about another 4 to 5 million dollars annually.

For LB depth, we still have Roderick Muckelroy (whose on IR) coming back next year, along with Donte Moch who will hopefully be healthy for an entire season. An then we have DeQuinn Evans whose also on IR sitting down there on the practice squad, he can also add depth to the position.

As a return man, if we bring back pacman, we still will need to address CB through the draft and/or free agency and with Leon comming back next year, Pacman will play a less vital role, therefore we can have him return punts and Hawkins or Scott return kick offs to replace Tate.

At safety to replace Crocker, we have both Taylor Mays and Roberts Sands sitting in the wings. I think we could go 3 different routes to fill this spot.

1. Play Mays and/or Sands
2. Draft a Strong Safety in one of the top 3 rounds
3. Draft a top CB, and assuming Leon comes back healthy and we resign Pacman, we could have these two (Leon and Pacman) be the starting CBs, slide our draft pick into the 3rd CB position and move Clements over into Crocker's role at SS.

Based on the final numbers, I do not think it should be out of the question for us to go out aggressively in the free agent market and go after a top rated guard or 2nd WR to play opposite AJ. My top priority would be a guard and I would go hard for Nicks or Grubbs. My next priority would be WR, even though we have Shipley coming back it would be cool to have one more veteran piece at that position, I would target Garcon/Meachum. I know a lot of people on here also like Michael Bush (Oakland) for a RB, but IMO I think we should address the RB position through the draft.

FYI - these next guys are restricted FA and none of them are high priced guys we really need to worry about losing at this point, therefore I have not included them in the numbers game.

Chris Pressley
Vincent Rey
Jeromy Miles
Cedric Peerman
Clark Harris
Dan Skuta

I thought this would be kind of fun to throw together, so feel free to let me know if to you agree or disagree with any of the moves. Also, please let me know if I made any mistakes on the free agents (not grammar mistakes - LOL) or screwed up any of the numbers.