Tag: Trae Waynes

Trae Waynes thrilled about reunion with Mackensie Alexander on Bengals

Two former Vikings are now teammates on the Bengals.

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The Cincinnati Bengals spurred a reunion of former teammates this offseason in free agency by bringing aboard cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.

Waynes, as seen in the social media post below, was thrilled about the reunion.

Waynes, a first-round pick by the Mike Zimmer-led Vikings in 2015, was the first to agree to sign with the Bengals after a $42 million offer sheet went out. Alexander, a second-round pick by those Vikings in 2016, signed a prove-it deal.

With Waynes on the outside and Alexander in the slot, Cincinnati has some instant chemistry between two of its top corners. Based on their play style in the past, they also have sure tacklers against the run and guys who don’t get penalized often.

View this post on Instagram

That's MY DAWG!!! #whodey

A post shared by Trae Waynes (@trae.26) on

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Bengals signing Trae Waynes listed as one of free-agency’s overrated deals

ESPN isn’t a fan of the signing.

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The Cincinnati Bengals tossed out two major contracts early in free agency.

One of those went to cornerback Trae Waynes, which was part of the Bengals sending a good message to fans — if not a guy named Joe Burrow.

But not everyone liked the deal. ESPN’s Anthony Treash, for example, provided some numbers behind why he isn’t a fan:

Trae Waynes, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
The deal: Three years, $42 million
Some might say that Waynes has lived up to his lofty expectations as the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft — but he hasn’t. He has never ranked higher than 58th in single-season PFF coverage grade (he didn’t qualify in his 2015 rookie season), and he has been a liability on the outside over the past three seasons. Among the 64 cornerbacks who saw at least 100 targets at outside corner from 2017 to 2019, Waynes’ 64% catch rate allowed ranked 57th and his 1,724 yards allowed ranked 60th.

Treash does go on to clarify that the Bengals play more man than Waynes’ last team, the Minnesota Vikings. That should play more to his strengths as a player.

And indeed, some of those numbers don’t look great, especially when tied to a three-year deal worth $42 million.

But there’s always a but. The good news? The Bengals did a really good job with the structure of the contract. And there’s the upshot of Waynes upgrading on Dre Kirkpatrick. The signing itself was also not only a message, but proof the Bengals can go out, pay up and get big names to town.

There’s quite a bit more than on-field perspective to consider with the Waynes signing. Hindsight will be the ultimate judge, but there’s a reason it graded well in our free-agency grades so far.

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Bengals did some savvy work on the Trae Waynes contract

The details on the Trae Waynes contract are interesting.

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The Cincinnati Bengals front office outdid itself on this one.

Trae Waynes agreeing to teams with the Bengals seemed like a shocker in large part because of the sticker price — three years and $42 million with $20 million doled out Year 1.

That’s a stunning amount of money but context is important. Or we should say structure.

The only guaranteed money in Waynes’ deal is his $15 million signing bonus. He’s technically $20 million in yearly cash this year but really only a $10 million cap hit. He’ll get a $2 million bonus if he’s on the roster by the fifth day of the league year in 2021, effectively guaranteeing he sticks around after so much money invested. But there’s an out built in, as the Bengals can cut him before 2022 with only $5 million dead cap charge.

Call it a front-loaded deal. Also perhaps call it a way to get in the game when it comes to big-name free agents:

Besides landing a starting boundary corner, structuring the contract like this gets the worst-looking part of the deal out in front. When this is a team thinking about big-money extensions for A.J. Green and Joe Mixon, that’s important.

So too is it important to show a willingness to pay big for players who want to come to town. The Bengals just did this twice.

If nothing else, it’s proof the Bengals can pull off these sorts of moves when they want, with an emphasis on the want part of the equation.

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BR lists Trae Waynes to the Bengals as one of the worst early 2020 free-agency moves

Trae Waynes reportedly went to the Bengals for a deal that was three years and $42 million. Bleacher Report listed it as one of the worst early 2020 free-agency moves.

Trae Waynes reportedly agreed to terms with the Bengals. The deal was for three years and $42 million.

Bleacher Report was not a fan, saying that Waynes was mediocre in his five years with the Vikings.

Here’s some of what the outlet said about the choice:

“Waynes was targeted 96 times, and passers completed 74 percent of their attempts with five touchdowns and a 107.9 rating. How does that warrant an average annual value of $14 million?”

Waynes came off a season for the Vikings in which he had one interception and eight pass deflections. For me, that wasn’t enough to keep Waynes, especially with the Vikings being strapped for cash and Waynes earning the money that he reportedly did.

It’s a tough decision, because the Vikings defensive back core could look a lot different than it did a season ago. Minnesota terminated Xavier Rhodes’ contract. And Mackensie Alexander reportedly left, also for the Bengals, for a one-year deal that’s worth $4 million.

Bengals fans will love these quotes about D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes

Here are some fun notes for Bengals fans after the big spending.

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The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to terms with two major free-agent prizes with D.J. Reader and Trae Waynes.

While numbers are nice they only tell part of the story.

Here are some noteworthy quotes about both guys Bengals fans might want to check out.

 

D.J. Reader

Former Houston Texans teammate J.J. Watt, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson:

“He’s the best, I love D.J. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. He works extremely hard. He’s a lot of fun to be around. He has a grinder’s job, literally his job is to take on double teams and block up that middle so everybody else can make pays and he still makes plays.

Former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien on the Texans Unfiltered podcast:

“He’s a guy that has come in here and paid attention to things like losing some weight, getting stronger, being able to improve his skill set so that he’s not just playing on the interior. Sometimes he plays on the outside of the line of scrimmage and has helped us in some ways there, especially like you said when there were injuries. So, he’s a really valuable part of our defense and I know our guys in our locker room really respect him.”

Watt, after calling Reader the best nose tackle in the league, per Wilson:

“I’ll always be pushing for him to get all the recognition he deserves, because while what he does sometimes goes unnoticed outside of our room, every single day we’re watching the film and I see how important he is, not only to myself, but to the linebackers and the rest of the defense. D.J. deserves a ton of credit that he doesn’t often get.”

Let’s toss in this from Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey too:

“In 2017 and 2018, Reader graded out above the 75.0 mark, but he elevated that to an overall grade of 85.5 in 2019 that ranked seventh among qualifying interior defenders. Career-high marks in pass-rushing grade (72.5), total pressures (35) and pressure rate (10.7%) helped drive that improvement, along with a career-best season in run defense with a grade of 85.1 against the run. At just 25 years old, Reader has one of the best combinations of reliability and upside among the interior defender options on the market this offseason.”

 

Trae Waynes

Waynes’ former head coach Mike Zimmer, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press:

“I think the next progression because he’s close a lot of times, when the ball’s there, and the other guy makes a play. So when he gets to the point where he can continue to knock the ball out or intercept the football, that would be taking the next step to being an elite corner…He’s a really good corner now. To be elite, he’s going to have to take the ball away and deny the ball.”

Zimmer, per Sam Gordon of Prime Time Sports Talk:

“Trae is a great kid, very good tackler, has got great speed. I hope nobody is as good as when we drafted them [but better] when they leave. “He is a great guy, hope to get him back and we’ll see what happens.”

Harlon Barnett, Waynes’ coach at Michigan State, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“He can run. He could always run. I hate the term cover corner. No disrespect. But it’s a complete corner. Run, cover tackle. Everything. He can do that.”

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Report: Bengals to sign former Vikings CB Mackensie Alexander

This is the second former Vikings cornerback the Bengals have signed. Earlier this week, they signed Trae Waynes.

The Bengals’ secondary is starting to look very familiar to Vikings fans.

After signing cornerback Trae Waynes earlier in the week, the Bengals came to terms on a one-year, $4 million deal for cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Thursday, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

For how expensive Waynes was for the Bengals, this actually seems like a bargain. Waynes has been dealing with a knee injury, so that likely played a factor in the deal.

Alexander was a second-round pick out of Clemson in 2016. He appeared in 13 games last season and finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 65.7, a mark that ranked 48th among corners in the league.

Alexander’s time in Minnesota was somewhat rocky. Maturity issues were the storyline early in his career, but it appeared he turned things around over the last two seasons.

As for the Vikings, they are now having to deal with the departure of Waynes, Alexander and Xavier Rhodes, who they bought out. They have yet to sign a cornerback in this free-agency period.

Bengals sent a big message to fans and Joe Burrow on Day 2

New Dey indeed.

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Fine, maybe “New Dey” fits now.

Tuesday, the second day of free agency — though it’s technically called legal tampering because deals can’t go final until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET — seemed like a typical Cincinnati Bengals trip to free agency.

Namely, it was awkwardly quiet until word broke the Bengals just weren’t willing to spend enough money to get one of their top targets, linebacker Joe Schobert.

Then something weird happened.

In the span of under an hour, the Bengals shattered all narratives about spending, how much cash they have available, how they do business — all of it.

They agreed to terms with elite defensive lineman D.J. Reader. They then wrapped up a solid boundary corner with Trae Waynes.

Reader is a special player. They might’ve overpaid Waynes.

And that’s ok — message sent. It’s not just a message to Bengals fans either, as one Joe Burrow is sitting back and watching his likely future team sit as one of the biggest free-agency players out there.

So consider this point:

It was all just surreal, right? The Bengals whiffed on every single notable free-agent linebacker and appeared set to do the usual thing where they wait until the third or fourth waves of free agency to find a Preston Brown or Bobby Hart.

Instead, nearly $100 million over the lengths of agreed-upon deals went out to two players who are young upgrades. Reader is probably one of the biggest adds in team history. Waynes probably means this suddenly- aggressive franchise is about to move on from not only Andy Dalton, but Dre Kirkpatrick.

What’s the big takeaway? This front office isn’t playing around as it gets ready to build around an affordable rookie contract. It would also probably like to change narratives. That takes time. But shrugging off a whiff on a priority free agent, only to roll into other options and pay up big for upgrades is what winning franchises do.

There’s still plenty of work to do. Maybe besides everything already mentioned, this is more of the Zac Taylor impact. The Bengals have bent over backward to do whatever he wants, even taking P.R. hits with items like Jim Turner as offensive line coach. He axed Vontaze Burfict. Etc, etc. Maybe this is Taylor going to the front office and saying “told ya so” while pointing at the two-win record after he wasn’t able to do major roster turnover on the one he inherited. Maybe it’s a little less dramatic and he just finally got to exert his will on the market instead of — like he was this time last year or so — scrambling to still assemble a coaching staff.

Whatever the reason, consider the message sent. And with Burrow on the way and continued moves like this, perhaps feel free to consider the window starting to crack back open too.

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What does Trae Waynes arrival mean for Bengals and Dre Kirkpatrick?

Trae Waynes’ arrival could really shake some things up.

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Before free agency, speculation had suggested Dre Kirkpatrick could be a cut candidate for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The free-agent signing of Trae Waynes all but confirms it.

Waynes, a former first-round pick, is a boundary corner like Kirkpatrick who is going to get paid enough to start right away all the time. And Kirkpatrick isn’t knocking William Jackson from the other boundary spot.

Unless Waynes shifts inside for some reason, Kirkpatrick is firmly on the hot seat. The former Minnesota Vikings star and Mike Zimmer understudy isn’t perfect but he’s played a big enough role to earn this deal and a cemented role:

This could leave Kirkpatrick on the outs. He had a 61.7 grade at Pro Football Focus last year. He allowed three touchdowns on 30 targets and is a top-five cap hit for the team in 2020.

Cutting Kirkpatrick now would end up saving around $8 million. And given the absolutely massive money thrown at Waynes, the Bengals would probably like to salvage some of Kirkpatrick’s cap hit.

If Kirkpatrick is out the Bengals probably still need some help in the slot. Darius Phillips has shown some promise but insurance would be nice — meaning potentially another free agent or via the draft.

But for now? The next logical move seems to be getting out of Kirkpatrick’s current cap hit.

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Report: Former Vikings CB Trae Waynes leaves for Bengals

According to a report, cornerback Trae Waynes is moving on.

For the Vikings, the cornerback rotation is gearing up to be a lot more different than it was in 2019-20.

Sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that Trae Waynes, a former Vikings corner who was a free agent this offseason, has agreed to a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The move makes it so that both of Minnesota’s mainstay starting cornerbacks from last season — Xavier Rhodes and Waynes — could very well be gone next season. The Vikings can still re-sign Rhodes if they want, but they terminated his contract earlier this offseason.

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported that the deal is three years and worth $42 million.

Not only that, but nickel corner Mackensie Alexander is also a free agent this offseason. Losing him would be a problem for continuity among the defensive backs come 2020-21.

Minnesota recently franchise tagged safety Anthony Harris, but the team reportedly acknowledged that Harris “could be had for a mid-to-late round draft pick,” a source told Rapoport.

That means the Vikings defense might have to be built with other players in free agency or the draft.

Trae Waynes-Bengals contract details emerge

The Bengals are throwing around some massive numbers.

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The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t pull any punches in free agency when paying up to land cornerback Trae Waynes.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Bengals inked Waynes to a three-year deal worth $42 million.

But it gets more interesting.

Per those details, the Bengals will pay Waynes $20 million over the first year. He’ll get $31 million over two years and it averages out at about $14 million.

That’s a massive amount of money for Waynes. But looking closer, it’s clear the Bengals frontloaded it so they have an out just in case. The initial buy-in is huge but the front office has given itself some wiggle room after the first year.

This puts a big spotlight on Dre Kirkpatrick’s contract, which could end up cut in order to salvage some of the costs here.

The real evaluation of this will come down to how much is guaranteed — but nobody can come close to suggesting the Bengals don’t spend now.

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