Pipe Dreams

G Shawn Andrews, the older brother of current Bengals franchise player Stacy Andrews, is a no-show at the Eagles’ training camp. Muckraker Mike passes along word out of Philadelphia that the Eagles have discussed trading him amongst themselves.

The Bengals have tried for two years to get Stacy, a fourth-round pick in 2004, to agree to a long-term deal, but he has so far balked — perhaps because of what happened to Shawn. Shawn, the Eagles’ first-round selection in 2004, signed a 7-year extension to his rookie deal that kicks in after this year. The $40 million contract, which includes about $10 million in guaranteed coin, is now well under-market, and while his agent insists that Shawn’s current holdout isn’t about money…well, you know what they say: when they say it isn’t about money, it’s about money.

Stacy is on record as saying that he would like to play on the same line as his brother. Chick Ludwig, Bengals beat writer for The Dayton Daily News, has strongly hinted that this a big sticking point in the Bengals’ quest for a long-term deal. But what if the Bengals brought Shawn to Cincinnati?

While the Bengals don’t have a crying need for a top-tier offensive lineman right now, there are rocks on the horizon. Stacy is playing on the one-year franchise tender. G Andrew Whitworth, a free agent in 2010, is currently talking with the team about an extension, but appears to be in no hurry to get it done. (Update: Of course as soon as I write this they extend him. See next entry.) G Bobbie Williams is also up after 2009. And RT Willie Anderson is winding down. And from a cap perspective, Shawn’s deal is a bargain. The Bengals would be looking at getting a first-round o-lineman for a bit more than $4 million a year (on average).

Now, it’s not that easy. If Shawn is holding out for money in Philly, the Bengals would probably have to give him a new deal here. But that might also make it easier for them to reach an accommodation with Stacy — maybe the highest-paid brothers in the NFL?

Crazy? Probably. And I certainly don’t expect anything like this to actually happen. But it struck me as an idea worth considering.