Strictly speaking from a bored media that covers the NFL, speculation on possible future dominates the scene. Optimism hit the league's labor war with the players recently. Until it doesn't. On the Bengals front, we can only provide so many scenarios when the new league year begins, suggesting free agency movements, players they'll keep, little things like that.
Case in point, the Bengals top free agent priority. Earlier this week Jason wrote that the Philadelphia Eagles could check out Johnathan Joseph, based on an SB Nation Philadelphia report. More speculation, often making sense because if teams are looking to sign a free agent cornerback, Joseph is a good one.
According to ESPN's John Clayton, another team that could use Joseph's services includes the Seattle Seahawks.
Clayton thinks the Seahawks could get Joseph for around $8 million a season, which makes him a much cheaper alternative to Nnamdi Asomugha.
"He would leave Cincinnati for a dollar more than the Bengals are offering," Clayton said earlier this week on the Kevin Calabro Show.
Clayton called Joseph a "real good shutdown-type corner."
The $8 million figure is interesting, considering that the Raiders signed cornerback Stanford Routt to a three-year deal worth $31.5 million (with $20 million guaranteed through the first two years) before the owners locked out the players. Champ Bailey signed a four-year deal worth $43 million with $15 million guaranteed. Not that we're not expecting either player to play the entirety of their respective contracts without the obvious changes that comes with high priced contracts; it's just worthy to note both will average over $10 million a year while Clayton thinks Joseph is worth at least $2 million less.
As for Clayton's point that Joseph would leave Cincinnati only for a dollar more than what the Bengals are offering, we're pretty sure that's Clayton's conjecture based on the fact that the Bengals are the Bengals. Nothing more.
This offseason is going to kill us all.