Oct 14, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andre Smith (71) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals made it clear this offseason that their only goal when it came to free agency was to re-sign their own players, while working to rollover as much salary cap into next year to re-sign players like Geno Atkins and A.J. Green to long-term deals. So far, they’ve retained every key free agent, including Adam Jones, Terence Newman, and Wallace Gilberry. The only remaining player the Bengals must retain in order to keep the core of a club that has been to back-to-back playoffs together is offensive tackle Andre Smith.

When the offseason began, it appeared as though Smith’s agent and the Bengals were making progress on a new deal, and outside of a team making Smith a ridiculous offer the Bengals couldn’t afford, it looked as though he would be staying in Cincinnati. But because no other team is offering Smith a free agent contract, he can’t gauge his true value as a  Pro Bowl right tackle in the NFL, which he believes is deserving of a deal worth $9 million per season.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace (17) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne (24) during the game at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

As Bengals fans anxiously await free agency to begin with their team having the most salary of any team to spend, combined with a young core of players returning that have been to back-to-back postseasons for the first time in three decades, optimism in the city of Cincinnati is at an all-time high. Could this finally be the year owner Mike Brown decides to open up the checkbook and be a big spender in free agency?

Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes the Bengals have a golden opportunity to take the next step in becoming a Super Bowl contender by going after some of this years’ top free agents:

What team is better positioned in free agency than Cincinnati, with 40 players under contract and $52 million available? Now, spending that money is another matter. The Bengals should re-sign Robert Geathers and Michael Johnson to keep their front seven strong, then go get one of the big receivers (Greg Jennings, Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace).

As long as they take care of their own first by resigning the likes of Michael Johnson, Andre Smith, Adam Jones, and Wallace Gilberry, adding just one of the above listed players could not only help Bengals ascend to the top of the AFC North past the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, but could be the difference in getting to East Rutherford next season for the 2014 Super Bowl.

Your move Mike.

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Bengals fans are very familiar with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, as his  first job covering pro football was in 1984 in Cincinnati for the Cincinnati Enquirer. That was during the glory days of Bengals football, when the team routinely was competing for postseason berths and advancing to two Super Bowls in the 80s under the tutelage of owner Paul Brown. Brown had hung up his coaching hat long ago, but was still a primary figure amongst Bengals players, coaches, and fans alike. He was always present at practice, and his only desire and goal(unlike his son) was to make the Bengals the most competitive, successful team he could. He didn’t care about money, fame, or notoriety. As Al Davis once said, his mentality of football was, “Just win baby!”

Peter recounted today of a speech Brown once gave prior to the start of training camp in July of 1973, which was year six of the existence of the Bengals while Brown was still the head coach. The entire speech is too long to put on here, but here are some of the best points Brown made during the speech:

I want to emphasize, particularly to our new men, that this is not college football. You’re trying to make a pro team and the responsibility for doing so rests squarely with you. It’s honest, but I’m going to say this to you, it takes a lot of man, really. Rookies are treated just like veterans here. There’s no hazing. No differentiation whatsoever. A lot of our rookies are married men trying to make a living, same as the veterans. In a nutshell, it’s just all-out open competition to be one of the 40 to make it. Man to man. There’s no sugar-coating or pampering.

When we happen to single you out, once in a while when I say something to you in an open meeting like this, it isn’t done to hurt your feelings. I don’t want you to start feeling sorry for yourself. Be a man about your errors. Do something about it.

I want you to know that we’re not interested in people that just want a job and our money, just want to make the final cut and then sit down on us. When you play here, we expect you to be all out and be in the spirit of it, be a high-class person, play with a full heart and have a fun time doing it. This leads to winning. I can tell you that we will be successful in proportion to the caliber of people you are. Invariably, if you looked back at great teams, I won’t use our own, I could use the old Cleveland Browns, but in the same way I run into so many of the New York Giants when they were a great team. The Giffords and the guys of this nature that I see as life goes on. They become successful people. They’re sound winners and competitors are a special breed.

We’re not interested in developing radio or TV commentators or automobile insurance salesman while the season’s in progress. In the offseason, we’ll help you. It’s a pleasure to see you get a job and see you make good. While football is in session, we’re paying for you full time.

I really think that how you handle your money as a player reflects and is indicative of the kind of person you are. Invariably the guy that can’t handle his money is of low intelligence.

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