ESPN coins embarrassing new nickname for Bengals’ frugal front office

As an NFL organization, the last thing you want is a reputation for being cheap. Unfortunately, that's the exact reputation that the Cincinnati Bengals have developed over the years, as they have repeatedly allowed talented players to exit the organization as opposed to paying them.

Just last offseason, the team traded star running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans instead of giving him a deserved extension. It was a similar story the year before when they allowed super safety Jessie Bates III to walk in free agency. Cincinnati's secondary still hasn't recovered from that decision.

The team's frugality has obviously rubbed players the wrong way. Last offseason, both star wide receiver Tee Higgins and star defensive end Trey Hendrickson requested trades away from the organization due to a lack of long-term security. Germaine Pratt recently requested a trade this offseason.

Instead of rewarding players for working hard and becoming impact players for the organization, the Bengals have consistently done the opposite. Star quarterback Joe Burrow is well aware of this fact. It's why he has been publicly campaigning for the team to re-sign key contributors this offseason, and it's also why some pundits expect Burrow to eventually request a trade out of Cincinnati, just like Carson Palmer did back in the day.

ESPN blasts Bengals for being a cheap organization

Cincinnati's perceived cheapness was a talking point on a recent episode of ESPN's First Take. During the segment, the hosts -- Harry Douglas, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe -- coined a new, less-than-flattering nickname for the Bengals: "Cheap-innati," stemming from their refusal to pay their players.

"Call them the 'Cheap-innati Bengals', because they don't want to pay people," Douglas said. "It's hindering and hurting, in my opinion, Joe Burrow and this team collectively from going where they want to go."

You can see the full clip below:

The Bengals will have an opportunity to buck their reputation of cheapness this offseason. They have several key contributors seeking new contracts or extensions, including Higgins, Hendrickson, Ja'Marr Chase and Mike Gesicki. Locking those guys up on new deals would be an excellent way to push back on the "cheap" narrative.

On the flip side, though, if the Bengals fail to lock any of those guys up due to financial reasons, that reputation for frugality is only going to grow. So, the pressure is on Cincinnati's front office to show that they're willing to do what it takes to maximize the team around Burrow. Let's see what they do.