INDIANAPOLIS -- The Cincinnati Bengals aren't going to be shy about tossing around cash this offseason.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said Tuesday from the NFL Scouting Combine that the club can sign its big trio -- Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson -- to long-term deals while adding free agents.
The first key is inking Higgins, who is scheduled to become a free agent in March, to a new pact. Tobin declined to comment on the potential usage of the franchise tag if sides can't agree before the window closes on March 4.
"Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement," Tobin said. "Always has been. It continues to be. We'll work hard to get that done. We are fortunate, we've got a lot of really good football players. Fantastic football players. We are fortunate to be in a position to where we can fit them all in."
Second for the Bengals is eventually making Chase the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. Tobin conceded that it's a fait accompli that Chase would leapfrog Justin Jefferson's $35 million-per-year deal.
"Ja'Marr is always going to be our priority," Tobin said. "He's a fantastic football player. He's going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league. We're there. Let's get it done."
Third is finding a way to pay two receivers big money and still give sack-king Hendrickson an extension.
"Trey is super passionate," Tobin said. "It's exactly what makes him a great football player. He is super engaged, and we're cognizant. He's been a great signing for us. We've been a great fit for him. He's been a great fit for us. We would like to extend that. We would like to keep him not only happy but with us on a longer-term basis. He's under contract right now, and we're going to talk as the offseason goes. Hopefully, we'll come to an agreement that everyone's acceptable of. But are we there yet? We're not there yet."
Being able to pay Joe Burrow, Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson top dollar while also filling out the roster sounds like a pipe dream, but Tobin noted that the Bengals are in a good salary cap situation to make things work.
"We've managed our cap well," he said. "We've got low dead money. We want a high payroll and low dead money so the people that are in Cincinnati playing for us can get all the money. That's what we want. We're in a position to re-sign these guys. It's a good position to be in. It really is. We're going to attack it.
"Hopefully, we don't want to just re-sign these guys and pay more for the same football team we had last year. We want to add to it, as well. So we want to re-sign these guys, reward them for their ability level, and add to the football team. So it's a tall task. We think we're up to it."
Burrow has spent the offseason stumping for the Bengals to pay their stars while also bringing in talent. Tobin said he agrees with his star quarterback.
"I'm optimistic. I want deals done just like our quarterback wants deals done," Tobin said. "Everything he says, I agree with. I want them done. I want the best players available. And I also want to add more players to our team. Again, I don't want to just pay more money for the same team we had last year. We have other needs and I want to go after those needs as well."
Tobin hit on plenty of other topics during his nearly 30-minute meeting with the media:
On Chase and Higgins having same agent: "Well, we can run parallel paths with the same representation and that's what we'll do."
On the Bengals 2024 defense: "We're going to attack the defense, and we already have. We know our defense wasn't good enough. It couldn't get stops when we needed it, it couldn't protect leads, it didn't get off the field, and then in critical moments when the game was on the line, it didn't rise to the occasion."
On free-agent tight end Mike Gesicki: "Mike was fantastic for us. I think Mike's a priority guy for us. I think he fits with us. I think he found out he fits with us. Tight ends tend to fit with us. We got Joe Burrow, and we value them in our game plans and in how we structure our offense. Mike was a great fit … I'd love to have Mike Gesicki back."
On whether last year's WR contracts offered a framework for Chase: "I don't think there was a framework at this level last year. You name the guy that did a deal after three years that was at this level. This is the year that they've done. That's the framework. That's why it's the framework. Last year, we would have been the first of its kind."
On RB Chase Brown's workload: "I think we'll have an addition at some point. It was a shame that Zack (Moss) had the neck injury he had. We really thought he was an excellent addition for us and then there was just nothing. He had to protect his neck, and we'll see what that looks like going forward. I don't know that we have clarity on that. Will his workload stay at the same level?
"Ideally, you would want a second guy to take some of that workload off, but he surprised us and he showed us that he can handle that. If he can handle it and he's the best guy for the moment, then he'll be in the game."
On WR Jermaine Burton: "I've said what I've had to say on that one. I can't want it more for him than he wants it for himself. And he's gonna have to demonstrate that. He's an immensely talented guy. We're not giving up on him, but he's gonna have to start showing it. He's gonna have to take the next step in his career, you know, and I'm hopeful. I like Jermaine. I don't dislike Jermaine. I like Jermaine, and he could add a lot to us, but he's gonna have to want it for himself more than uh, I wanted it for him."
