Joe Burrow begs the Bengals to take Eagles approach in NFL free agency

The Philadelphia Eagles could have created a whole new approach to teams with young talent that’s due for big paydays, like the Cincinnati Bengals for example. The Eagles have found a way to cheat the salary cap system, while playing within the regulations, to essentially pay who they want, whatever they want. 

It’s obviously a little more intricate than that, but the Eagles have the most expensive roster in the NFL and yet they’re still able to create cap space each year to keep the team intact and play for Super Bowls. 

Essentially what the Eagles have done is backloaded most of their players' contracts with void years to lower the cap hit early in the contract years to allow the team to build a championship roster. 

Obviously, that will come back to bite them three and four years from now, but if they win multiple championships before then, I guess it was worth it. This is the same approach Joe Burrow wants the Cincinnati Bengals to take. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy. 

Joe Burrow makes yet another plea to Bengals front office

Joe Burrow makes a great point, the problem is the Bengals are already cheap, not a chance they purge themselves with voided years on contracts, because financially it doesn’t make any sense at all. And it comes with a bigger risk than reward if you don’t win championships. 

“The Eagles are paying everybody,” Burrow said in a Cincinnati Enquirer story. “That seems like the way.”

That’s true Burrow, but it’s more complicated than cutting a check for everybody. The Eagles have a dedicated person whose sole job is to find the most creative ways to play within the salary cap rules, but pay as many top-caliber players as possible. 

The Bengals and quite frankly the rest of the NFL is a Bryce Johnston away from being able to play the salary cap game like the Eagles. The problem is, Cincinnati isn’t going to go down that route. 

Besides, they have bigger issues like their director of player personnel. Duke Tobin has failed to patch the holes on this roster since the Bengals went to the AFC championship, which has felt like forever ago.

Burrow makes a great point and this is a copycat league. So the way to getting past the Chiefs is walking the fine line that is the salary cap regulations. But Cincinnati isn’t going to do that. They’re not the type of organization to take that type of risk. 

It’s going to end up costing them one of the most lethal offensive cores and possibly some championships. But if the Eagles were able to find a way to make it happen, if the Bengals want to keep their franchise quarterback happy, they’ll have to figure something out.