There's a new story about Andy Dalton and the Bengals' ongoing contract negotiations seemingly everyday, and most of them include suggestions that a deal was close. Many believed the two sides would eventually come to terms on a deal around $100 million, paying Dalton around $15-18 million annually, and giving him around $50-60 million in guarantees.
Not so, says Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports. He believes that not only is a deal not close, but that talks could be tabled until the 2015 offseason.
I do not anticipate the Bengals and Dalton getting a deal done before the season starts, and barring some dramatic swing in production one way or the other, if it doesn't get done in the summer then it's likely tabled until January.
There has been no progress and no movement, according to sources, and while owner Mike Brown has made mention of the desire to get something done, using Colin Kaepernick's deal as a barometer of sorts, the reality is the sides aren't close. The disconnect between regular season and playoff stats is an issue, the lack of a real second tier of comparable quarterback contracts complicates things, and I continue to get the distinct impression that doing a short-term band-aid deal (a la Alex Smith), or a long-term deal that doesn't include much front-end coin) are things Dalton's camp isn't really interested in doing.
I figure Dalton plays out his rookie deal without a new deal barring an unforeseen reversal in course in negotiations.
LaCanfora goes on to say he wouldn't be surprised if All-Pro receiver AJ Green and linebacker Vontaze Burfict end up getting their deals done before Dalton. He also floats the idea of the franchise tag, which Mike Brown admitted this week was still on the table.
It's been believed for some time that the Bengals and Andy Dalton could reach an agreement on a new deal soon, but is that the right move? It looks as though talks have hit a breakdown, and both sides may opt to close a deal at a later date.
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Or, this could be a simple ploy to put pressure on the other side to get a deal done. One of the sides could have leaked this news to LaCanfora in hopes he would report it, causing more pressure to be on the other side to get a deal done. It was reported earlier this week that not only was a deal close, but it would give Dalton more guaranteed money than Colin Kaepernick's deal with the 49ers.
It's a common negotiating tactic, and frankly, one I'm not ruling out here. There's been too many other reports from other respected media outlets that Dalton and the Bengals were in fact close to a deal.