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Cincinnati Bengals A.J. Green: ‘My time is coming’ for new contract

Courtesy of USA Today Sports

Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green is ready for his big slice of the pie after watching Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas sign big new contracts this summer.

Speaking with ABC News 4 Charleston, the All-Pro wideout expressed confidence that he and the Bengals will be able to work out an amicable deal for both sides:

“My time is coming,” said Green (via Fox10tv.com). “I want to stay there and I think they are going to get something done.”

Green has already made it clear he will play out the final year of his rookie deal this season, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network in mid July. This made some (including yours truly) to wonder if the all-world pass-catcher was growing wearing of receiving passes from Andy Dalton, who continues to underwhelm for Cincinnati.

However, it does appear Green loves playing for the Bengals, given his statement.

In his four years since joining the NFL out of Georgia, he has racked up 329 receptions for 4,874 yards and 35 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl nods every single year. Widely recognized as a top-three receiver, he is an all-around dynamo on the gridiron who can take simple slants the distance as well as burn teams deep down the sideline.

When it is time to work out a new deal with Cincinnati, you can bet Green’s agent will push for even more money than what Dallas gave Bryant or what Denver gave Thomas. Both players signed deals worth $70 million over five years, with just over $40 million guaranteed.

With that in mind, nobody should be surprised if the negotiations don’t necessarily run as smoothly as Green seems to think they will. Cincinnati is typically extremely frugal when it comes to guaranteed money in contracts. In fact, Joel Corry, a former agent, wrote recently on CBS.com that he believes the Bengals could end up slapping the franchise tag on the receiver for at least one season.

“Quarterback Andy Dalton’s six-year extension with a base value of $16 million per year has a team high $17 million in guarantees…Since reinventing the wheel structurally will be a challenge for Green, it would not be a surprise if he played at least one year under a franchise tag.”

As much as Green wants to work out a long-term deal with Cincinnati, there is a chance he never will receive the kind of offer he’s looking for. This story will be fascinating to track throughout the next league year, so stay tuned, Bengals fans.

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

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