A.J. Green wants a bigger deal than Dez, Julio, Demaryius

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to have to shell out some serious cash to keep star receiver A.J. Green with the team.

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With his fifth season in the NFL about to get underway, it’s come as a bit of a surprise that the Cincinnati Bengals have not inked wide receiver A.J. Green to a long-term contract extension.

As expected, that potential extension will not come cheap. Green, who is an unrestricted free agent next offseason, is reportedly seeking a new deal worth more than Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.

Both sides have interest in keeping Green in Cincinnati for the long-term and preliminary negotiations have begun. Still, progress has been slow with that much money involved, and the Bengals may not be able to work on the deal much during the regular season.

Jones signed a new deal worth $71.25 million with $47 million guaranteed in late August, with Bryant and Thomas checking in just behind him at $70 million each. If Green gets his wish, he will become the second-highest paid receiver in the league in terms of total value, behind Calvin Johnson and his $113 million mega-contract.

It’s arguable if Green is better than those three receivers, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the five or six best at the position. It would not come as a surprise if he ended up with more total or guaranteed money than Jones, Bryant or Thomas

Each subsequent deal for star players tends to get bigger, particularly given the projected salary cap increase in coming seasons. The Indianapolis Colts learned this by giving T.Y. Hilton a $65 million deal before the season, at the time the fourth-highest total among receivers, even though he his just a step below the top tier of the position.

For the Bengals, giving Green the extension he wants is a worthwhile investment. Green has topped 1,000 yards all four seasons of his career and hauled in 35 touchdowns overall.

Even though he was slowed somewhat by injuries last year, Green’s production would be impossible to replace. The Bengals may soon look for quarterback options beyond Andy Dalton, and giving a young signal caller a weapon like Green could be tremendously beneficial.

The question is how much will Cincinnati have to sacrifice at other positions to sign Green. With recent extensions for Dalton, Vontaze Burfict and Geno Atkins, the Bengals might have to do some salary shifting.

Franchise tagging Green also remains an option if there is no deal by next March. However, that will get expensive quickly, and Green will probably want more stability than that.

In any case, Green is the top priority for the Bengals moving forward. Cincinnati is unlikely to let such a talented player hit the open market, so the massive deal will likely get done before next summer.